Mission Statement

Ohio University is a public University providing a broad range of educational programs and services. As an academic community, Ohio University holds the intellectual and personal growth of the individual to be a central purpose. Its programs are designed to broaden perspectives, enrich awareness, deepen understanding, establish disciplined habits of thought, prepare for meaningful careers, and thus, to help develop individuals who are informed, responsible, productive citizens.

Undergraduate Education

Ohio University offers undergraduate instruction on both the Athens campus and the regional campuses. Undergraduate programs, designed to contribute to intellectual and personal development and career goals of students, emphasize liberal studies.

Undergraduate major programs, preprofessional, and professional programs prepare students for employment in a variety of careers and for continued study. Two-year technical and associate's degree programs, reflecting employment opportunities as well as the general career interests of students, are taught primarily at the regional campuses.

At the Athens campus, instruction is combined with residence life and other extracurricular programs in an effort to create a collegiate experience integrating learning and living.

Graduate and Professional Education

Ohio University offers graduate and professional education. The primary forms of activity are advanced and specialized courses of study, supervised practical experience, and research.

The essential concentration of faculty, material, and space resources dictates that the activity associated with graduate and professional education will be centered on the Athens campus. This activity is not limited to that campus; research and instruction are carried out at various locations.

Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity

Ohio University is a center for scholarship, research, and creative activity involving the creation, testing, and dissemination of knowledge, understanding, expressions, and technique.

As a public university, Ohio University has a particular responsibility to address societal issues and needs through such scholarship, research, and creative activity. The scholarly and artistic activity of the faculty enhances the teaching function at all levels of the student experience.

Extended Community

Ohio University serves an extended community. The public service mission of the University, expressed in such activities as public broadcasting and continuing education programs, reflects the responsibility of the University to serve the ongoing educational needs of the region. The regional campuses perform a critical role in serving this extended community.

The University has statewide responsibility for an extended University program using independent study through correspondence.

It is the purpose of these extended University programs to serve a diverse range of educational needs, from professional groups requiring continuing courses of study related to the practice of their professions, to individuals desiring occasional or special interest study.

By service to the extended community, Ohio University contributes to cultural and economic development, health care, and to other human services.

Adopted January 15, 1977, and reaffirmed January 1988.

University Advancement and Computer Services staff revised this file (https://www.ohio.edu/gcatalog/01-03/mission.htm) on August 30, 2001.

Please E-mail comments or suggestions to "gcat@www.ohiou.edu."