The Mission of The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University has as its mission the attainment of international distinction in education, scholarship and public service. As the state's leading comprehensive teaching and research university, Ohio State combines a responsibility for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge with a land-grant heritage of public service. It offers an extensive range of academic programs in the liberal arts, sciences, and the professions.

Ohio State provides accessible, high quality, undergraduate and graduate education for qualified students who are able to benefit from a scholarly environment in which research inspires and informs teaching.

At Ohio State we celebrate and learn from our diversity and we value individual differences. Academic freedom is defended within an environment of civility, tolerance, and mutual respect.

-Approved, December 4, 1992
The Ohio State University Board of Trustees

The Mission of The Ohio State University
Mansfield Campus

Through its Mansfield Campus, The Ohio State University extends Ohio State University courses, curricula and resources geographically, to meet the educational needs of the people of North Central Ohio.

The Ohio State University
Mansfield Campus
Statement of Values

In achieving its mission, The Ohio State University at Mansfield is guided by several operating principles and core values including the following:

Ohio State University Quality

All courses and curricula offered on the Mansfield campus fully maintain the same content and standards as those offered in Columbus.

Faculty are members of their OSU departments and meet departmental criteria for promotion and tenure. Nearly all hold the highest degree awarded by their profession. Faculty are expected to remain current in their professions by engaging in active scholarship.

Student-Friendly

Regular, full-time faculty deliver two-thirds or more of the instruction. Very good teaching is expected of all faculty. Class size is kept relatively small, averaging 24 students per class. Faculty assist students to learn both inside and outside of class.

A highly professional support staff supports student learning in many diverse ways including maintaining facilities, advising students, giving learning support, and providing administrative services.

Broad and Open Access

The Mansfield campus maintains Ohio State's Land Grant tradition of making higher education accessible to traditional and non-traditional students. Admission is open to all. The campus values diversity and strives to reach out to all of the surrounding community.

Scholarships and other financial aid helps many persons surmount financial obstacles and the campus' academic enrichment services help students who may have been away from education for a number of years or who need help with learning skills.

Community Involvement

The campus is involved in the life of the community. The campus is formally involved with the region in economic development, in the arts and cultures, and in support for schools. Many faculty and staff contribute time, money, and expertise to the good of the community. In turn, community leaders help the campus assess community needs, and the community has contributed generously to campus campaigns. A community Board of Trustees helps govern the campus.

Diversity

At Ohio State, we celebrate and learn from our diversity and we value individual differences. Academic freedom is defended within an environment of civility, tolerance, and mutual respect.

The Ohio State University
Mansfield Campus
Functional Mission Statement

The mission of the campus can be discerned from its actions. Its course offerings and curricula define its central mission in one way; the students it serves define it in another. The qualifications of its faculty and their involvement in its teaching and scholarship missions tell much about the purpose of the institution. The support services available to students also serve to define the campus mission, as do the services rendered to the community.

Description

The Mansfield campus occupies a 650 acre site, much of which is wooded, in the extreme northwest corner of Mansfield. The campus comprises six major academic buildings, plus a gym, a bookstore, a child development center, and a plant operation building. North Central Technical College shares the campus with The Ohio State University. NCTC's two-year technical programs and workforce training complement Ohio State's baccalaureate and transfer missions. The combined enrollment of the two institutions is over 4,000 students.

Curriculum

The Mansfield Campus offers a subset of Ohio State University courses selected to meet the needs of area students. Courses are offered in over 45 departments. Among those with the largest list of offerings are:

This curriculum is sufficiently broad to cover the general education requirements of any undergraduate college of The Ohio State University. The Associate of Arts degree with transfer module is easily available to both daytime and evening students.

Students can earn baccalaureate degrees entirely at Mansfield in Elementary Education, in English and in Psychology. Employed, part-time students may be admitted to a Mansfield campus accounting degree program that is available in the evening.

Graduate offerings leading to the M.A. are available for area elementary school teachers and the M.Ed. is offered for bachelor degree holders who wish to become elementary school teachers. The College of Social Work has been offering its MSW degree in Mansfield.

Students Served

While most of the students served by the OSU-Mansfield campus are of traditional college age, increasing numbers of older students are in attendance. In recent years, approximately one-third of Mansfield campus students were over the age of 25; of these, half were over 35. 60% of the students came from Richland County, 25% from Ashland or Crawford, and most of the rest come from Huron, Knox, Morrow, Wayne, or Franklin counties. Nearly all intend to earn a bachelor's or even a graduate degree. For some, the Associate of Arts degree is an intermediate objective, but very few OSU-Mansfield students intend to stop short of a bachelor's degree. The OSU connection is important to most of these students. They value it as a guarantor of quality, as a universally recognized credential and for seamless continuation at OSU Columbus.

Recent high school graduates choose to attend OSU-Mansfield for a number of reasons, including the following:

• Small class size: The average class size on the Mansfield campus is 24 students.
• Obtaining instruction from highly qualified faculty: 95% of the regular faculty have Ph.D. degrees. Two-thirds of the instruction at all levels is delivered by regular faculty.
• Affordability: Tuition is low and students reduce expenses by living at home.
• Adjusting gradually: Going away to college confronts a student with increased academic rigor, heightened financial stress, and expanded social pressure. Beginning an education at OSU-Mansfield enables students to adjust to the increased academic demands without having to face the other two issues simultaneously.
• Remediation: The Mansfield campus offers students who need it opportunities to remedy deficiencies in their preparation. Students who are not admissible to the Columbus campus get an additional opportunity to prove themselves by starting at the Mansfield campus.
• Honors: Qualified students find honors opportunities on the Mansfield campus, including Honors courses, honors seminars, and honors field trips. Even freshmen and sophomores, who want to pursue academic interests beyond the classroom, can find research-active faculty willing to guide them in research projects.

Non-traditional students

The OSU-Mansfield campus recognizes special responsibilities for non-traditional students living in the region. These persons are frequently "location-bound" by jobs, homes, or family responsibilities. Moving to a dormitory is not an option for them and Mansfield's location, over 65 miles from the nearest state university, makes commuting impractical. For such students, the Mansfield campus provides a limited number of baccalaureate programs, including elementary education, psychology, English and accounting, which can be taken entirely, or almost entirely, in Mansfield. All are fully OSU degrees; degree requirements are identical on all OSU campuses.

PSEOP Students

Ohio's Postsecondary Enrollment Opportunity Program (PSEOP) allows able high school students to enroll in college or university courses, at no cost, while still in high school. OSU-Mansfield cooperates with high schools in the region to make appropriate courses available, through PSEOP, to qualified students in need of enrichment.

Professional Continuing Education

When possible, the Mansfield campus supplies courses needed by professionals for advancement in their profession. The campus has long had a strong graduate program in education leading to a master's of arts degree. This serves teachers employed by school systems in the region. The College of Social Work has also offered Master of Social Work programs to cohorts of social work professionals at Mansfield. Non-credit programs are offered for persons wanting to get into the real estate field. Credit and non-credit courses support needs of area businesses.

Faculty

The OSU-Mansfield campus faculty is a highly qualified, university faculty that involves itself extensively in teaching at all levels.

Credentials

Nearly all regular faculty (95%) have Ph.D. degrees or an equivalent highest degree of their profession. Their degrees come from many of the nation's leading universities.

Scholarship

Regular OSU faculty are expected to stay current with their profession and to engage in scholarly activities appropriate to their disciplines. Such creative activity is valued for its contribution to the continuing development of academic disciplines, and also because it is the best possible, long-term guarantor of an up-to-date and vital teaching program.

Teaching

Teaching excellence is expected of all Mansfield campus faculty members. Teaching quality is monitored and evaluated by the universal use of student evaluations of instruction instruments, and by peer visitations. Objective student evaluation data show nearly all OSU-Mansfield faculty performing at a higher-than-average level for their discipline.

Not only are Mansfield campus faculty excellent teachers, they also deliver most of the campus' instruction. Two-thirds of the credit hours taken by students on the Mansfield campus (freshmen through graduate students) are taught by regular faculty members. OSU-Mansfield students have ready access, both in class and out, to dedicated faculty who are actively engaged in their profession.

Support Services

The Mansfield campus offers a broad array of student support services.

Student Activities

Student persistence is helped by involvement in student activities. The Mansfield campus maintains a strong physical activities program including intramural competi–tions in softball, volleyball, soccer and flag football. Academic clubs such as those in psychology, English, and business, allow students to develop leadership skills useful in their future professions. Programs of lectures, cultural events and entertainment complement the academic programs.

Academic Support

The Ohio State University maintains an open admissions policy at all of its regional campuses. Therefore, many beginning students require academic support in order to succeed. Four highly qualified academic advisors help students choose appropriate courses and plan their curricular program. The Center for Academic Enrichment helps students improve their basic skills and become more effective learners. Students in basic mathematics courses can get help in the computer/math lab. A writing center helps students develop writing skills. Learning disabilities are diagnosed and accommodated by a learning disabilities specialist and provisions are made for the physically challenged. A language lab supports the learning of foreign languages. Career counseling is provided along with assistance in obtaining internships.

Library

The campus offers excellent library services. In addition to the 45,000 books and 400 current periodicals permanently housed in the Bromfield Library, students can consult CD ROM data bases and have access, via computer, to OhioLink,a network of libraries and electronic information resources, and the vast resources of The Ohio State University libraries.

Other Support

A capable and friendly staff helps students with admissions, registration and financial aid. Psychological assessment and referral is available on campus. A fine undergradu–ate library, an art gallery and a number of computer labs are among the facilities supporting student learning. The campus has a preschool and Child Development Center which gives priority to children of students.

Service to the Community

Mansfield campus faculty and staff members are encouraged to engage individually in service to their profession and to their community. Many serve on boards of community service organizations or otherwise contribute their services. The campus itself provides service in a number of ways, including:

• Supporting faculty who take on duties as editors or other leadership positions in their profession;
• Collaborating with area school systems;
• Providing learning opportunities for gifted high school students;
• Contributing to the Arts through theatre productions, choral performances, art gallery exhibits, and other events open to the public;
• Contributing to the cultural climate of the community by presentations made by faculty members and by public lecture series;
• Cooperating with business. Area businesses can sometimes benefit from the professional expertise of Mansfield campus faculty. On other occasions, the Mansfield campus has served as an intermediary, connecting area businesses to the wealth of resources of The Ohio State University.
• Opening courses at no cost to senior citizens in Program 60.

Short-Term Strategic Goals

OSU-Mansfield will continue to survey the needs of its region and strive to meet those needs. Toward this end the campus will:

• continually examine its success in achieving its core mission and will continually work to improve the quality that it delivers;
• attempt to meet the needs identified by recent educational needs assessments, particularly the number one need of enhanced opportunities for baccalaureate programs for the region's location-bound students;
• make increased use of educational technology to enhance the quality and scope of its teaching. Distance learning, featuring two-way interactive video and audio, will link all of The Ohio State University campuses, extending the availability of courses and programs;
• make use of a new Conard Learning Center to improve the educational services provided to students, for the purpose of enhancing the academic success of all students;
• continue its strong relationship with area school districts, through the North Central Ohio Consortium for Science and Mathematics and other means. Emphasis will be placed on early intervention. The goal: to help schools accomplish their mission of producing graduates well prepared to enter the workforce or to pursue higher education;
• seek and develop innovative partnerships with businesses, governmental, and civic organizations with the goal of enhancing the economic health of the region;
• adapt to a changing mix of students. As the Columbus campus becomes more selective and admits fewer freshmen, the Mansfield campus can expect modest enrollment increases coupled with the need to prepare students to succeed at even higher levels of achievement once they change to the Columbus campus;
• continue its commitment to enhance diversity, to reach out to all regions and segments of its service area and to create an atmosphere where citizens of all sorts can achieve their full potential.

Approved by vote of the Mansfield Campus Faculty Assembly on February 16, 1996; approved by vote of The Ohio State University - Mansfield Board of Trustees on March 15, 1996.