About Ohio University

Ohio University was chartered by the state of Ohio in 1804 and is the 9th oldest public university in the United States. Located in the scenic Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio, it's classic residential campus is one of the most attractive in the nation. The charm of tree-lined brick walkways on the university's College Green makes you feel as if you are at a small college rather than a large university. One can walk between most campus buildings within about 10 minutes.

OHIO is located in the small, safe city of Athens, which is surrounded by a patchwork of hardwood forest's that constitute the Wayne National Forest.

"In my opinion, OHIO is a perfect place to pursue study and research, but it is also a great place to enjoy life. What impresses me most is that I can freely choose from a large number of classes that interest me from majors other than mine. With guidance from the outstanding teachers at OHIO, I am always excited to see more and more opportunities ahead."
"Adam" Chen Chen, Linguistics and Higher Education: College Student Personnel, China

Academic Excellence

Ohio University was founded in 1804 and is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. U.S. News and World Report ranks us among the top 2% of public universities in the U.S. Notable program rankings include the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, which has been ranked in the top five nationally by Writer's Digest, and the College of Business, which has been ranked as one of the nation's top undergraduate business programs. Additionally, our Russ College of Engineering and Technology is home to the Russ Prize, which is the top bioengineering prized in the world. OHIO has also been named a Center of Excellence in the research areas of Health & Wellness, Energy & the Environment and Communication. Our research in areas such as Nanotechnology, Biotechnology,, and Structure of the Universe have yielded major discoveries with global significance.

The Vision of a University

Vision Statement

Ohio University will be the nation's best transformative learning community where students realize their promise, faculty advance knowledge, staff achieve excellence, and alumni become global leaders.

Mission Statement

Ohio University holds as its central purpose the intellectual and personal development of its students. Distinguished by its rich history, diverse campus, international community, and beautiful Appalachian setting, Ohio University is known as well for its outstanding faculty of accomplished teachers whose research and creative activity advance knowledge across many disciplines

Ohio University Core Values and Guiding Principles

As Ohio University works to achieve its vision, a set of fundamental principles guide our decisions:

Strong undergraduate programs with a liberal arts core are a vital and necessary foundation.
Strong graduate and professional programs are necessary to achieve our educational, research, and creative mission.
All forms of research, scholarship, and creative activity are vital to the intellectual life of the university, and their integration into both graduate and undergraduate curricula is a key component of student success.
Learning at the university is enhanced by creating a community of students, faculty, and staff who come from diverse backgrounds. That community benefits from our commitment to international education and the inclusion of global perspectives in our curricula.
Advising, mentoring, personal interaction, and active engagement among faculty, staff, students, and alumni greatly enhance the educational experience.
Learning is derived from the totality of the college experience, including activities both inside and outside the classroom.
Shared governance-the inclusion of input from all constituent groups is central to our decision-making processes.
Our continuing success requires judgments about and selective investment in initiatives that will advance our mission.
Accountability is essential to effective management and requires commitments to assessment, planning, decision making, and continual improvement.

To support our educational mission in achieving the goals outlined above, we require a well-maintained infrastructure of people and facilities. Our academic support services exist to serve the academic mission: they should be effective, efficient, and continually improving. A sense of community and an appealing environment provide a special place in which to learn, live, and work. All individuals in the university community are valued; their skills and knowledge should be cultivated, their work supported, and their leadership skills developed. Interactions among all individuals in the university community should be built on standards of civility, integrity, caring, and collaboration. Our commitment to the region is expressed through stewardship of shared resources, access to programs and services, and contribution to economic development.

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