Ohio University announced a $500,000 investment to expand student access to internships, leadership experiences, research, study abroad and community engagement opportunities. As a result, the University doubled its support of students this fall with experiential learning awards reaching 150 students compared to 80 in fall 2023.
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Dynamic Strategy Pillar
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Ohio University has a long history of teaching excellence. Decades after they earn their degree, alumni continue to point to their close connection with and mentorship from faculty as a major contributor to their success. Faculty are deeply committed to their students as individuals and personally invested in seeing them succeed. Such a connection may be expected at a small private institution, but it is exceedingly rare at a large public R1 state university.
As we embrace our recently acquired R1 status, we continue to deeply value our commitment to teaching. Our vision is to stand comfortably at the axis and to set a new expectation for what a public university can and should be: equal parts teaching and research where both intertwine to enrich the student experience.
In order to better measure our success, we will partner with higher education industry leadership to define a system for evaluating universities’ teaching excellence so that we might set clear goals to achieve the nation’s highest standard in teaching as we have in research.
Goal
Become the nation’s first university to achieve the industry’s highest standard in both teaching and research.
Strategy 1
Establish a set of metrics to effectively evaluate our current excellence in teaching and to drive the elevation of the learning experience for all students.
Action 1 – Partner with higher education industry leaders and experts to define key elements and outcomes that demonstrate excellence in teaching.
Action 2 – Evaluate and improve our ability to measure both early and late indicators of student success as well as post-graduation student outcomes.
Action 3 – Identify current criteria related to our culture of teaching excellence, including ongoing pedagogical development, and amplify them.
Strategy 2
Immediately expand the availability of and access to learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom that prepare students for post-graduation success, ensuring every OHIO student earns experience in their chosen field.
Action 1 – Expand opportunities for students to learn through service to and research benefitting local communities and the state of Ohio.
Action 2 – Increase scholarships and grants that support internships, externships and other experiential learning opportunities that support career exploration.
Action 3 – Incorporate industry-recognized credentials within and in addition to degree programs.
Strategy 3
Invest in innovative teaching and educational technology that improves student outcomes, and reward and celebrate teaching excellence.
Action 1 – In tandem with pedagogical and technology experts, conduct a comprehensive review of educational and student-support existing and emerging technologies and develop and implement a plan to align and improve tools to enable personalized, concierge-oriented student support.
Action 2 – Expand pedagogical development for faculty and incentives for teaching achievements, including evaluation of the tenure process focused on discipline-specific review and potential revisions aimed at new articulations of and rewards for teaching excellence and fostering innovation.
Action 3 – Strengthen compensation and rewards for faculty support of student research and experiential learning.
Latest Updates
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Expanded OHIO Experience, Discover and Explore awards support student learning
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OHIO to offer Experiential Learning teaching certification program in summer 2025
The Provost’s office has provided funding for the Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment to offer an Experiential Learning teaching certification available to all faculty in summer 2025 as we work to expand professional development opportunities and experiential learning offerings.
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Student Success Working Group formed to analyze data needs
Provost Don Leo has appointed a working group for student success focused on recommending data-informed initiatives to improve key student success metrics such as first-year retention, graduate rates, for all campuses, modalities, and degree levels.
Outcomes and Metrics
How we will track our success
Teaching Excellence
- Progress Toward T1 Status: Status of the collaboration between the John Gardner Institute and Ohio University on creating a framework for designating status for teaching excellence.
- Number of faculty who have participated in the Experiential Learning Teaching Excellence certification offered by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
Student Success
- Year-to-year persistence: Percentage of students in a cohort that are returning in the subsequent academic year.
- 6-year graduation rate: Percentage of students in a cohort who graduate within 6 years of entry as a first-time, full-time student.
- Career Destination Rate - Percentage of students who are employed (full-time, part-time, self-employed) or enrolled in an advanced degree within a designated time period after graduation.
- Post-graduation compensation - Compensation of a graduate at a designated time period after graduation.
Transfer of Knowledge
- Number of students who participated in experiential learning opportunities during the academic year
- Assessment of the impact of experiential learning on learning outcomes and student success.
Learn Executive Leadership Team
- Don Leo (Lead) – Executive Vice President and Provost
- Lyn Redington – Vice President for Student Affairs
- Candace Boeninger – Vice President for Enrollment Management
- Chris Ament – Chief Information Officer
- Scott Titsworth – Dean, Scripps College of Communication
- Kristina Bross – Dean, Honors Tutorial College
- Lisa Harrison – Dean, Patton College of Education