Several Ohio University colleges received a financial boost last week after Provost Kathy Krendl announced the one-time distribution of $1.5 million to begin work on the goals of Vision OHIO, OU's comprehensive plan for the future.
Each college dean was asked to submit a proposal for the one-time funding, Krendl said, adding that as long as the proposal met the goals of Vision OHIO, the college received the funds.
Among the core values of Vision OHIO are an emphasis on strengthening graduate and undergraduate programs, making research a vital part of university life and creating a community of students
faculty and staff who come from diverse backgrounds according to a current draft of the document at www.ohio.edu/outlook/vision/draft.cfm. Krendl said she released the money last week in hope of having some Vision initiatives in place by Fall Quarter 2006.
Most colleges received $200,000, according to an OU Communications and Marketing press release, though University College, University Libraries and the Honors Tutorial College received less because of their sizes. The College of Arts and Sciences received $400,000 in funding.
The Russ College of Engineering and Technology will use the funding to recruit students, expand the engineering management track and support the National Asphalt Laboratory on OU's Lancaster campus, Dean Dennis Irwin said.
In conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences we will collaborate to recruit (graduate students) in math
science and engineering
Irwin said.
One of the ways the college will try to recruit underrepresented groups will be to fund bus transportation for students in urban areas for daylong trips to campus, he said.
Engineering has a long way to go to recruit women and other underrepresented groups in the area
Irwin said.
The College of Communication will use its funding in two ways, Dean Gregory Shepherd said.
We're using some money to hire two visiting professionals in our new digital media sequence
which is really for video game development
Shepherd said, adding that digital media will be a new major next year.
The rest of the money will be used to support the GRID Lab, or Gaming Research and Immersive Design Lab, by hiring a project manager and funding research equipment, he said, adding that the college hopes to open the lab Feb. 8. The GRID Lab will be a state-of-the-art video game research lab at 5 N. Court St.
Calling the $200,000 seed money
Shepherd said continued funding is dependent on measurable success. If the college cannot fill digital media classes or attract students and Athens residents to the GRID Lab's arcade, then we failed
Shepherd said.
The College of Communication has targeted technology as one of the areas it can improve and excel in, Shepherd said.
We see this as a way to fit into a larger vision of excellence
Shepherd said.
