Ohio University's Board of Trustees Academics Committee approved the creation of a Center for Law, Justice and Culture - a new branch of the College of Arts and Sciences meant to supplement students in a pre-law track.
While curriculum for the center is still pending, its creators hope the center will offer an undergraduate certificate program.
Inevitably it's a pre-law program
said John Gilliom, chairman of OU's political science department. But it's an effort to take a step beyond the typical
pre-law program.
Gilliom explained the center will target high-achieving students from all fields.
What we hope to do is look at outstanding undergraduate students from any fields and have them do a process similar to what they have to do to get into law school or graduate school
he said.
Students will have to apply to the program by providing a personal mission statement among other criteria for admission.
Committee members unanimously supported the resolution.
I would have been very tempted to be involved in something like this as a student Trustee Sandra Anderson said.
OU's center will provide an opportunity for students who can handle an advanced level of coursework but who did not qualify for the Honors Tutorial College as an incoming freshman, Gilliom added.
We have many students who come here who are typical freshmen
but by the time they're juniors they're earning all A's
Gilliom said. What we'd like to do is create more opportunities
for them.
The center will be funded through both departmental budgets and grant money and will include courses already offered through OU's pre-law and political science departments.
One of the distinct advantages of having a center is that it makes it easier to compete for external funding
said Pam Benoit, OU's executive vice president and provost.
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Wesley Lowery
