Ohio University

Ohio University (referred to as OHIO or abbreviated as OU) is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an 1850 acre campus. Founded in 1804,  it is the oldest university in the Northwest Territory and ninth oldest public university in the United States.

History


The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 called for educational institutions as part of the settlement and eventual statehood of the Ohio Territory: "Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." In 1797, settlers from Marietta traveled up the Hocking River to establish a location for the school, choosing Athens due to its location directly between Chillicothe (the original capital of Ohio) and Marietta. Originally chartered in 1802 as the American Western University, Ohio University was founded on February 18, 1804, when its charter was approved by the Ohio General Assembly. Its founding came 11 months after Ohio was admitted to the Union. The first three students enrolled in 1808. Ohio University graduated two students with bachelor's degrees in 1815. In 1828, a free black man, John Newton Templeton, became one of the first African Americans to earn a college degree. The four years Templeton spent at Ohio University, in which he compiled a superior academic record and became an active member of the Athenian Literary Society, are chronicled in the stage play Free Man of Color by Charles Smith.

In the early 20th century, Alumni Gateway was dedicated on the College Green, inscribed with words borrowed from the Latin inscription above the main portal to the ancient university of Padua, Italy. The famous E.W. Scripps School of Journalism was established with a grant from the Scripps Foundation. In 1975, Ohio University opened the College of Osteopathic Medicine; today it is the only Ohio institution to award the D.O. degree

Currently the university's medical school and college of engineering are engaging in a major collaboration to develop the Academic and Research Center funded by physician and engineering alumni. This University is also well known in Malaysia for its ties with MARA University of Technology in the 1980s.

Ohio University is classified as Tier 1 University by U.S. News ranking of Best American Colleges. It was named by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Doctoral/High Research Activity institution to reflect its growing number of graduate programs. University libraries contain more than 3 million bound volumes.

Organization


Ohio University is organized into several colleges:
 * College of Arts & Sciences
 * Scripps College of Communication
 * E. W. Scripps School of Journalism
 * Russ College of Engineering and Technology
 * College of Business
 * College of Fine Arts
 * Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education and Human Services
 * Honors Tutorial College
 * University College
 * Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
 * Center for International Studies

More than 9,700 students attend Ohio University's five regional campuses:
 * Eastern (St. Clairsville)
 * Zanesville
 * Lancaster
 * Southern (Ironton)
 * Chillicothe

Ohio University also has two educational centers:
 * Pickerington (part of Lancaster Campus)
 * Proctorville (part of Southern Campus)

Nationally competitive awards
Ohio University is recognized for its student success rate in competing for nationally competitive awards. In 2006, twelve Ohio University students received Fulbright scholarships. In both 2004 and 2005, Ohio University had nine Fulbright Scholars, besting the university's previous record of six awards.

Other awards received by recent Ohio University students include the Marshall Scholarship, the Mitchell Scholarship, the Truman Scholarship, Morris K. Udall Scholarship, and the Goldwater Scholarship and Hollings Scholarship, which were won by the same student during the 2005-2006 academic year.

Research


A variety of research programs and institutes bring top practitioners who provide students with opportunities to work with and learn from world-class scientists and scholars actively engaged in advancing their disciplines.

Ohio University's Board of Trustees approved Research Centers and Institutes include:


 * The Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine sponsors the Institute for Neuromusculoskeletal Research; Tropical Disease Institute; Edison Biotechnology Institute; and Appalachian Rural Health Institute.
 * In Engineering and Technology, Ohio University sponsors: The Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment; The Center for Advanced Materials Processing; The Center for Advanced Software Systems Integration; The Automatic Identification Education and Research Center; The Avionics Engineering Research Center; The Institute for Corrosion & Multiphase Technology; The Center for Intelligent, Distributed and Dependable Systems; The Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment; and, The T. Richard and Eleanora K. Robe Leadership Institute.
 * The Institute for Applied and Professional Ethics; The Charles J. Ping Institute for the Teaching of the Humanities; Institute for the Empirical Study of Language; The University's Business Incubator, The Innovation Center; and, The Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute.
 * The College of Arts and Sciences sponsors: The African American Research and Service Institute; The Astrophysical Institute; The Contemporary History Institute; The George V. Voinovich Center for Leadership and Public Affairs; The Center for Intelligent Chemical Instrumentation; The Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics; The Ohio University Cartographic Center; The Institute for Quantitative Biology; and, The Center for Ring Theory and Its Applications.
 * The School of Business sponsors: The Center for eBusiness; The Center for International Business Education and Development; The Ohio University Insurance Institute; and, The Sales Center.
 * In Communications disciplines, Ohio University sponsors: The Institute for International Journalism; The Scripps Survey Research Center; The Telecommunications Center; and, The Institute for Telecommunication Studies.
 * In Education, Ohio University sponsors: The Center for Cooperative Curriculum Development and Partnerships; The Institute for Democracy in Education; The George Hill Center for Counseling & Research; The Center for Higher Education; and, The Center for the Study and Development of Literacy and Language.
 * In Health and Human Services, Ohio University sponsors: The Child Development Center and The Center for Sports Administration.
 * In International Studies, Ohio University sponsors The Institute for the African Child.

The University’s Global Leadership Center offers a two-year undergraduate certificate in global leadership and accepts undergraduate students from any degree program on campus, the Center has recently been affiliated with Bangkok University, several United State Embassies abroad, the UNDP Liberia, Harvard University, Marriott International and numerous other government, NGO, and private organizations around the world. In 2009, the Center was recognized at the United Nations as one of the country's premier International programs.

Scripps College of Communication
The Ohio University Scripps College of Communication was named Ohio's first Center of Excellence in the Cultural and Societal Transformation category, on October 5, 2010. The college comprises five schools and one research lab: The E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, The J. W. McClure School of Information and Telecommunication Systems, The School of Communication Studies, The School of Media Arts and Studies (formerly the School of Telecommunications), The School of Visual Communication, and the Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab.

Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes gave a sizeable donation to Ohio University for a renovated student newsroom. The new facility, set to open in spring of 2010, will double the size of the university's existing newsroom - last upgraded in the 1960s - and allow more students to participate in the school's WOUB radio station and television programs.

Ailes majored in radio and television while at Ohio University and served two years as manager of the school's radio station. Since 1994 he has funded scholarships for Ohio University students in the school's telecommunications programs.

The newsroom is a small part of a planned $34.4 million integrated communication facility for the college. That project is a new building that will have more than 118000 sqft of assignable space, joining the adjacent, vacated former student union with the Radio-Television Building.

The College of Communications also houses Ohio University's Speech and Debate Team, the "Speaking Bobcats". In existence since the 1900s, the team has competed at every National Forensics Association National Tournament, most American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournaments, and recently, have become prominent with the Novice National Tournament, Pi Kappa Delta National Conference (held during odd years) and Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament (held during even years). The team has won two Novice National Tournaments (the only two attended; in 2008 and 2011), one Pi Kappa Delta National Conference (2009), one Pi Kappa National Comprehensive Tournament (2010), and three NFA National Tournaments (1971, 1974, and 1975), as well as multiple event championships at all National Tournaments, including several Individual Sweepstakes Championships.

E.W. Scripps School of Journalism
One of the flagship programs of Ohio University, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, is in the Scripps College of Communication.

Undergraduates select from six sequence options: advertising management, broadcast news, magazine journalism, news writing & editing, online journalism and public relations. The school also features one of the few business and economics reporting programs in the country. The program was established by former Forbes senior editor Mark Tatge, who spent three decades as a journalist before joining the school as a visiting professor and executive-in-residence.

School of Visual Communication
The School of Visual Communication, also known as VisCom, has been recognized twice as a Program of Excellence by the Ohio Board of Regents. The school offers students an interdisciplinary visual communication degree in one of four sequences: informational graphics and page design, photojournalism, commercial photography and interactive multimedia. VisCom is located on the third floor of Seigfred Hall.

Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab
The GRID Lab, an initiative of Ohio University's Scripps College of Communication, was developed by School of Media Arts and Studies faculty and staff to provide the Appalachian Ohio region with training, education, and an opportunity to develop technical and creative skills with digital game technology. The GRID Lab serves as an innovative and creative center for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff research and project development.

The GRID Lab’s research laboratory opened in September 2005 made possible through a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission and other university and community partners. Since 2005, the GRID Lab has been awarded numerous grants and contracts from state and federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Central Ohio Urban Area Security Initiative, the Ohio Board of Regents, and the National Institutes of Health. Please see our Research section of the website for details on past, current, and future projects.

The focus of the Lab is the research and development of serious and educational games, simulations, computer animation, and virtual reality. The GRID Lab provides Ohio University with the personnel, facilities, and tools to create such interactive digital media and technologies.

The GRID Lab is proud to collaborate with the following regional partners: Ohio University’s Voinovich School, Adena Ventures, Aesthetic Technologies Lab (@ Lab), and The Virtual Immersive Technologies and Arts for Learning Laboratory (VITAL Lab). #

College of Business
In 2011, Ohio University's College of Business was ranked 60th in the nation by Business Week. The CoB offers nine different majors and a general business minor for students with non-business majors. Following University-wide restructuring in 2010, the CoB now houses the Department of Sports Administration, which offers an undergraduate degree in Sport Management and three graduate programs. Despite University measures to increase enrollment, the CoB prides itself on staying smaller than other business schools. All business classes are taught by professors, never graduate students. The CoB also offers an Indian MBA program for Indian students in Christ University Bangalore.

The Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Centre is one of only about three dozen schools in the US offering a professional sales certificate. This certificate is open to any OU student, including those with non-business majors.

The Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Centre is located in Athens, OH within the college of business at Ohio University. It is a selective certificate program that requires students to complete 28 credit hours of sales classes as well as complete a 300-hour sales internship. The Schey Sales Centre was born in 1997 by the Ohio University Board of Trustees.

There are three main groups that run this program. One is the Professional Sales Advisory Board (PSAB), which is composed of sales professionals who give back to the program with money or advice on the industry changes. The second group is the support staff, which includes professors at Ohio University who advise the students in the program. Last, there is a group of students who run the program and they are referred to as The Candidate Advisory Council, which was created back in 2004.

This student-centered organization is run by the students and entirely self-funded. They pay for their classes, professors, events and resources. The university does not assist with any of the financial responsibility. Money is collected from companies who invest in the program solely to recruit the 200+ students working towards a sales certificate.

The Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Centre was highlighted in a PBS documentary about sales education programs. The documentary was titled The New Selling of America. Sales Centre candidates also took home first place at the National Collegiate Sales Competition in 2009.

One of the differentiating factors of the program is the outside events component. The support staff and candidate advisory council put together events in which the students can increase their professional development and sales knowledge. These events are held each quarter and offer great networking opportunities with the professional sales advisory board.

In giving back to the companies that support the program The Schey Sales Centre hosts a sales symposium each spring quarter. At this event professional speakers are brought in to help educate the audience on new trends, sales strategies and overall sales tips.

The Accountancy school uses the Business Activity Model ("BAM") in its intermediate classes. Designed to mimic the experiences of an auditor, Accounting students often credit BAM with preparing them for internships. One of the authors of BAM, Connie Esmond-Kiger, was named Director of the School of Accountancy in Fall 2007. She is also the adviser for OU's chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, the financial majors fraternity. OU's chapter of BAP has been achieved Superior status for several years and has won several awards at the regional and national level.

The CoB's Student Fixed Income Management Group, which was started in 2006, invests $2 million from the University's Endowment Fund into the fixed income market. The group conducts top-down research by analyzing macroeconomic variables and forecasting interest rates. Bottom-up research is conducted through fundamental research on a prospective investment. The group regularly conducts conference calls with investment banking and investment management professionals. The group has travelled to Cincinnati, Columbus, New York, Pittsburgh and Boston over the past 3 years to network and meet with investment professionals.

The CoB's Student Equity Management Group, which was started in 2003, was afforded $1 million from the University to invest. Unlike many other schools, OU's group is open to undergraduate students and is completely student run. Since inception, the Student Equity Management Group's portfolio has increased by 51.29%, beating the S&P 500 by 42.61% in that period.

There are 16 active student organizations in the CoB. There are chapters of three national Business fraternities, a Christian Business Leadership organization, and societies or fraternities for almost every major. Copeland Hall boasts six computer labs and two study lounges with computers, as well as many conference rooms and small group rooms. Many business students strongly prefer to study and work in Copeland instead of the library or other campus locations.

The CoB requires students take five classes in the cluster format. In the cluster, students are teamed up and complete research projects. The students then receive a grade in all five of their classes on the project. This program is an opportunity for students of different majors to interact and is considered a good illustration of how situations are often structured in the business world.

Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education and Human Services
The Ohio University College of Education has a long and rich history dating back to May 11, 1886, with the founding of a Normal Department at Ohio University. The Normal Department – the predecessor to today’s College of Education – was the first state-supported teacher preparation program in Ohio. The state’s first kindergarten opened on the Ohio University campus in 1907. Today, the College of Education is organized into three departments: Counseling and Higher Education, Educational Studies, and Teacher Education. The College currently serves more than 2,100 undergraduate and 800 graduate students. On July 1, 2010, The Patton College became the home of several programs previously housed in the College of Health and Human Services, creating two new departments: Human and Consumer Science Education, and Recreation and Sport Pedagogy.



Russ College of Engineering and Technology
This college is the home to the University's programs in the traditional fields of engineering at the undergraduate and graduate level. It enrolls approximately 1,400 undergraduates and almost 300 graduate students. It is named in honor of Dr. Fritz J. Russ, an alumnus in electrical engineering and the founder of Systems Research Laboratories, a major bioengineering concern.

The Russ' left the college that bears their name approximately $91.8 million in real estate and securities, though details of how the money will be spent has yet to be determined.

College of Fine Arts and Kennedy Museum of Art
The Ohio University College of Fine Arts is the fine arts college at OU.

The University's marching band, The Ohio University Marching 110, nicknamed "The Most Exciting Band In The Land," is based out of the College of Fine Arts, and is currently under the direction of Dr. Richard Suk, Associate Director of Bands.

The Kennedy Museum of Art, named to honor Edwin L. and Ruth E. Kennedy, is housed at the Ridges in historic Lin Hall. It contains noteworthy collections including significant southwest Native American textiles, jewelry, and a celebrated contemporary collection of prints. This exceptional institution offers a wide array of exhibitions, a line-up of educational offerings, tours, and more.

School of Recreation and Sports Sciences
The School of Recreation and Sport Sciences offers an array of academic programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The Sport Management Program is one of approximately thirty such programs in the country to have won program approval by the Sport Management Program Review Council (SMPRC). Programs of study in the School emphasize an accommodating learning atmosphere that promotes high academic standards and a commitment to encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle. The School is dedicated to creating, improving, and propagating theoretical and practical information through its distinct programs.

Honors Tutorial College
Ohio University' Honors Tutorial College, modeled after the British tutorial system, is the only degree-granting tutorial program in the United States. The program generally accepts around 80 students per year from an applicant pool of around 200. It offers programs in 27 disciplines, from journalism to astrophysics. The college was officially founded in 1972, although an Honors College had existed previously since 1964.

Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
The George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs is built around critical multidisciplinary programs that are primarily engaged in applied service or research in/to the region. The school is built around three areas: (i) Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, (ii) Policy Innovation and Strategic Leadership, and (iii) Energy and the Environment. In each area, students, faculty, and professional staff participate in a model of multidisciplinary education, blending rigorous classroom instruction and scholarship with applied service to the region, state, and nation. Collaborative partnerships with other Ohio colleges, Regional Higher Education, and business and government entities in Southeast Ohio and the state are also critical to the school.

Athletics


Men's and women's athletics teams at Ohio University are nicknamed the Bobcats, with the school colors being hunter green and white. The Bobcats compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mid-American Conference. They maintain strong rivalries with the other MAC schools in Ohio, particularly Miami University.

The long and storied tradition of Ohio Bobcats football began in 1894 with an 8-0 loss to Marietta College. Since that day, the Bobcats have posted a 485-503-48 record over their 112 year existence and a 191-232-12 record over their 60 years in the Mid-American Conference. The Bobcats have won 5 MAC Football Championships in 1953, 1960, 1963, 1967, and 1968 and MAC East Division Championships in 2006, 2009, and most recently 2011. Prior to joining the MAC, the Bobcats won 6 Buckeye Athletic Association Championships in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1936, and 1938. In 1960, the Bobcats were crowned National Small College Champions after compiling a 10-0 record under Coach Bill Hess. The Bobcats have appeared in five bowl games, losing 14-15 to West Texas State in the 1962 Sun Bowl, losing 42-49 to Richmond in the 1968 Tangerine Bowl, falling to Southern Mississippi 28-7 in the 2007 GMAC Bowl, succumbing 21-17 to the Marshall Thundering Herd and most recently beaten by Troy University 48-21 in the R and L Carriers Bowl in New Orleans. During the 2010 NFL Draft, Ohio Bobcat WR Taylor Price was selected by the New England Patriots.

Under the guidance of Frank Solich, the Ohio football program has a return to prominence in 2006. On November 16, 2006, the Bobcats secured their first ever Mid-American Conference East Division title and their first football championship of any sort since 1968 with a victory over the University of Akron Zips. They then advanced to the MAC Championship Game in Detroit, Michigan, where they were defeated by Central Michigan 31-10. On January 7, 2007, the Bobcats were the MAC representative to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, losing 28-7 to The University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in a game nationally televised on ESPN. On December 18, 2010 the Bobcats represented the MAC in the R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, suffering a loss to Troy by a score of 48-21. The costs that the University incurred related to this bowl game caused some in the University community to express outrage at what they perceived as excessive spending on the athletics program.

One of Ohio's most successful varsity sports is its men's basketball program. Ohio has posted a .569 winning percentage over their 100 year history and a .566 winning percentage in their 61 years in the Mid-American Conference. The Bobcats have won 5 Mid-American Conference tournament titles in 1983, 1985, 1994, 2005, and 2010 as well as 9 MAC regular season titles in 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1985, and 1994. Prior to joining the MAC, the 'Cats won an Ohio Athletic Conference title in 1921 and three Buckeye Athletic Association championships in 1931, 1933, and 1937. In addition, Ohio has played in the NCAA Tournament 12 times (second most in the MAC), appearing in 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1994, 2005, and 2010. The Bobcats have been selected for the National Invitation Tournament 4 times in 1941 (finalist), 1969, 1986, and 1995, while also appearing in the College Basketball Invitational in 2008. As a result of the storied tradition of Ohio Bobcats basketball, the program was ranked 86th in Street & Smith's 100 Greatest Basketball Programs of All Time, published in 2005.

The university's volleyball team, under the direction of Geoff Carlston, the team has won five consecutive Mid-American Conference regular season titles and made five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

Recent OU wrestler Jake Percival was a four-time All-American. The Ohio baseball program has won numerous MAC titles in baseball, most of them coming under Bob Wren. Current head coach Joe Carbone was part of the only College World Series team in Ohio history (1970), and has had a MAC championship twice in his 20 years as head coach. There have been 23 former Bobcats to make the major leagues, most notably Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt, former All-Star Steve Swisher (father of current Yankee outfielder Nick Swisher) and former MLB player and World Series winning manager Bob Brenly.

Peden Stadium is OU's football venue. The Convocation Center is OU's basketball, volleyball, and wrestling venue.

OU's marching band is the The Ohio University Marching 110. On October 28, 1976, the Marching 110 became the first marching band in history to perform at Carnegie Hall. The band has also performed at many professional football games and has taken part in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2000 and 2005

The are 36 active club sports programs at OU, run out of the Department of Campus Recreation. There is no recruitment from high school or pre-requisite necessary for club sports. Club sports include a variety of different sports for both genders, including co-ed sports. Teams are assigned to instructional, white, green, or red tier depending on the number of members of the team, dues collecting, funds raised, and community service hours completed. The higher tier the sport is in, the more money that the team receives from the school and also the higher priority that team gets.

The University Mascot is 'Rufus' the bobcat. In 2006, Ohio University alumus Michael A Massa formally suggested to the university that the university provide a proper name and identity to the generic bobcat mascot. The university held a university-wide competition to select a name and 'Rufus' was the popular choice. The name reflects the scientific name of the North American bobcat. (Lynx rufus).

Baker University Center
The John Calhoun Baker University Center, which opened in January 2007, is named after John Calhoun Baker, the 14th president of Ohio University. The facility replaced the original Baker Center located on East Union Street across from College Green. The $65 million student center is operated by the Division of Student Affairs and serves students, faculty, administrators, visitors and Athens community members.

The five-story facility has been praised for its visual appeal. The building features Georgian-style architecture and expansive windows throughout that offer spectacular views of campus and allow a great deal of natural light to enter. In contrast to the exterior's red brick and white columns, the interior has a more contemporary style with high ceilings, ergonomic furniture and a color scheme of sage, plum and mocha. The building’s planners aimed to connect the campus with the design and structure of the student center by incorporating an escalator system (the only one in Athens County), which cuts through the main atrium of the building and connects the upper and lower portions of campus.

Baker University Center contains a large food court (West 82), a fine dining restaurant (Latitude 39), a Ballroom, a bookstore and student shop (Bobcat Essentials), a theater, study areas, computer labs, a billiards lounge, administrative offices and numerous conference rooms. The Front Room, a large coffee house serving Starbucks products and bakery items, is housed on the fourth floor and opens onto the intersection of Park Place and Court Street, making it a hot spot for students between classes. Other amenities include a United States Post Office, the Trisolini art gallery and the Tech Depot that sells computer and accessories and offers students tech help.

The design of the facility has garnered several honors. In 2007, Baker University Center won two Golden Trowel awards from the International Masonry Institute, including the grand prize of Best Project in Ohio for its terrazzo floor art and another prize for its distinctive interior masonry features. In 2008, Baker University Center was awarded the grand prize with honors from Learning by Design, an organization that recognizes excellence in educational facilities. The facility also earned the 2008 Facility Design Award from the Association of College Unions International, which annually distinguishes excellence in the design of student unions and other student-centered building on college campuses.

Baker University Center has a variety of spaces that can be reserved by students, student organizations, university affiliates and external users through Baker University Center's Event Services office. These include the Baker Ballroom, Multipurpose room, conference rooms, lounges, promotional tables and display spaces.



Alden Library
Vernon R. Alden Library serves the Athens campus as the central library facility; the building can seat 3,000 people. The collection of the Ohio University library contains over 2.3 million units of microfilm material, 13,500 periodical subscriptions and 3 million printed volumes making it one of the 100 largest libraries in the United States. The Learning Commons, located on the building's second floor, is open 24 hours, 5 days a week allowing students to meet and use parts of the facility. Laptops and other accessories are available through technology services at the reference desk. The library is organized by the Library of Congress system and no longer by the Dewey Decimal system.

Charles J. Ping Recreation Center
The Charles J. Ping Center is one of the largest recreational facilities in the country. Covering 168000 sqft on three floors, Ping houses a 36 ft, double-sided climbing wall, five basketball/volleyball courts, two multipurpose gymnasiums, an elevated four-lane indoor running track, eight racquetball courts and an enclosed glass fitness area. Ping Center also provides free weight and cardio rooms, aerobics and fitness classes, combative sports, dance, meeting rooms and personal training. The recreation center also houses club sports and intramural sports.The facility is open to university students, faculty/staff, and alumni. Building began in 1994 and it opened in January 1996. Ping was named in honor of the 18th president of Ohio University, Charles J. Ping. Ping is also one of the largest student employers on campus, allowing for the facility to be one of the few campus rec centers that is almost solely student run.

Other facilities

 * Manasseh Cutler Hall, the oldest academic building in the Old Northwest.
 * The Ridges, the former Athens Mental Hospital acquired by the university. The complex has since been repurposed as a university complex of classrooms and administrative offices surrounded by a nature preserve.
 * Gordon K. Bush Airport, an off-campus airport owned by the university.
 * Peden Stadium, the University's football field.
 * The Convocation Center, an indoor arena that is home to OU basketball as well as numerous athletic training facilities and dormitories.
 * Ohio University Aquatic Center, home to the university's swimming and diving teams.
 * Ohio Softball Field, home to OU's softball teams.
 * Goldsberry Track, home to OU's track and field teams.
 * Bob Wren Stadium, home to OU's baseball team.
 * Chessa Field, home to OU's soccer teams.
 * Pruitt Field, home to OU's field hockey teams.
 * Bird Arena, home of the Ohio University's Hockey Program.
 * The Athena Cinema an off-campus movie theater owned by the university.

Media
The university operates a number of public FM radio stations under Ohio University Public Radio. WOUB-FM 91.3 Athens, WOUC-FM 89.1 Cambridge, WOUH-FM 91.9 Chillicothe, WOUL-FM 89.1 Ironton, and WOUZ-FM 90.1 Zanesville broadcast the same programs throughout southeastern Ohio. Separate public radio programming is also heard in Athens on WOUB AM 1340. ACRN ("The Rock Lobster"), founded in 1971, is an Internet radio-only station and the university's only student-run radio station.

Ohio University Public Television is a PBS affiliate broadcasting on WOUB Athens/WOUC Cambridge. In addition to national PBS programs, WOUB features Newswatch, a nightly news broadcast with student reporters. Other student produced programs include "Gridiron Glory" (following Southeastern Ohio football season, the recipient of to Emmys) and "Bobcat Blitz" (following Ohio Bobcats football team during football season). Wired for Books, an online educational project of the WOUB Center for Public Media, has received several awards.

The main student newspaper, The Post, publishes five days a week while the university is in session and is officially independent of the university and its administration.

Transportation and Parking
The 1,850-acre campus of Ohio University provides many options for transportation and parking for students and faculty members of the college. Transportation services is composed of Motor Pool operations, charter bus operations, CATS – Campus Area Transit System, CAT CAB – Campus Area Transit Cutting Across Boundaries, Courtyard Apartment bus service, University Airport Shuttle, University Service garage, campus fueling system, vehicle registration/titling and licensing. The Transportation & Parking services works to provide ample services to all of Ohio University's students and faculty members. Parking Services allows students and faculty members to park in lots with a permit or in hourly meters.

Transportation
Motor Pool operations provides a variety of vehicles as rentals to school departments and student based organizations. These vehicles range from mid-size to cargo vans. The charter buses can also be rented out for larger groups and athletic departments.

Students and Faculty members can access the CATS shuttle from select bus stops located around the campus. The CATS route visits each of the fifteen locations in fifteen minute intervals. The map and stop times can be found at: http://www.facilities.ohiou.edu/cats/. Each shuttle bus includes a ramp for handicap access.

Students and faculty members listed under institutional equity or those with medical referrals may schedule rides with CAT CAB services. Each CAT CAB van is handicap accessible to enable safe and secure transportation.

Since many students live off campus, Ohio University provides transportation to and from a major residential apartment complex that is situated near campus. The Courtyard Apartment bus service shuttles members of Ohio University 7 days a week.

For the many members joining Ohio University from out of state, the University Airport Shuttle is available for scheduled pick-ups or drop-offs to the Columbus International Airport in order to provide transportation to and from the campus.

The University Garage works to service and maintain all Ohio University owned vehicles. A full line of vehicle cleaning and detailing is also available for any state licensed vehicle at the Service Garage.

Parking
Members of Ohio University that commute have designated lots to park in around campus for easy access to academic facilities. Specific parking permits are required for each vehicle to park in certain lots. These permits can be purchased at the office of Transportation & Parking services yearly or per summer.

Other options for Ohio University parking include yearly passes for Baker Center's parking garage, or hourly meters across the campus.

School folklore
Ohio University is known in state folklore as the most haunted college campus in the entire United States, if not the world. Established in 1804, the university is quite old by Ohio's standards, which only adds to its ghostly reputation. A large number of places on campus are said to be haunted, and numerous other popular tales are told about the university across Athens county.

The British Society for Psychical Research claims that Athens, Ohio, is one of the most haunted places in the world. Fox at one point also taped an episode of its Scariest Places On Earth program at OU.

Many of the ghost stories associated with Athens and the University center around the former Athens Lunatic Asylum and the horrors that supposedly went on there. Two notable examples of alleged local hauntings are a statue of an angel in the cemetery on West State St which is said to be crying, and the spirit of a civil war veteran called Michael Ward, who chants names of the university's students.

Demographics
African American 5% (1,061) Asian American 1.3% (270) Caucasian 84.6% (17,926) Hispanic 1.9% (411) International 6.8% (1,437) Native American 0.4% (77)

Presidents


 *  Edwin Watts Chubb was acting president for one year in 1920 when President Ellis died and again in 1934 when President Bryan died.

Alumni
Ohio University has 197,000 living alumni, of whom approximately 105,000 stay in the state. Many of these alumni have gone on to achieve success in a variety of fields, including athletics, journalism, and government.