08/23/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/23/2024 09:30
The Ohio State University
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With Buckeye students, faculty and staff back on our campuses - some for the first time - Ohio State is providing a summary of important new and existing initiatives and resources for the 2024-25 academic year.
Updates in this message include:
For more information on faculty and instructor resources and support, visit the Office of Academic Affairs website for a comprehensive collection of resources.
Safety and well-being resources
The safety of the Ohio State community is the university's highest priority. Ohio State is taking multiple measures to keep students, faculty and staff safe both on and off campus.
Ohio State has increased the presence of police on the Columbus campus by hiring and training additional Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) officers - and worked with the Columbus Division of Police (CPD) to increase patrols off campus. This fall, that also includes the expanded joint patrol program between OSUPD and CPD.
The popular Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State continues to offer students discounted late-night rides in a designated area from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the Office of Student Life is offering any Buckeye student complimentary personal safety alarms that, when triggered, create a loud noise that can be heard a couple hundred feet away. These can be picked up at the Willie J. Young Sr. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement office at the Ohio Union from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The office also offers complimentary safety devices for student homes, including window and door alarms and smart plugs.
Last fall, the university enacted more enhanced safety and security resources, adding to the $35 million annual total campus public safety budget. This includes:
More safety resources are available on the university's public safety website.
Safety isn't just physical well-being - it's your mental health, too. Last year, more than a third of students told Ohio State that they had received mental health care in the past year.
The university is excited to add even more mental health and well-being resources this year as part of nearly $2.5 million in new funding from the state of Ohio.
Ohio State offers an array of holistic services and resources for students, meeting Buckeyes where they are and when it's convenient for them. They include:
Teletherapy
A keystone of the new state funding is free and expanded teletherapy to all students.The partnership with Uwill offers students the chance to virtually see licensed therapists and receive wellness programming, even after-hours and weekends.
Mental health grants
While most services on campus are free, students may incur costs for hospital visits or when working with a specialist off campus. Now, funding is available to pay for these services.
Let's Talk
Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS) in Student Life provides confidential, informal conversations, often as same-day appointments, with clinicians for students who need to talk through a problem but don't need ongoing counseling or have questions about where to get started.
Individual therapy
Students can receive one-on-one therapy with an Ohio State counselor through CCS.
Monda Student Resource Center
Opening in winter 2025, the Monda Student Resource Center will enhance students' holistic, essential needs through resources and support from campus and community partners.
Listen. Learn. Discuss.
Ohio State expects members of our community to contribute to an environment where trust and respectful dialogue are the norm - not the exception. To advance this, the university has launched a new civil discourse initiative to help members of our community listen to and discuss different perspectives productively, build trust with one another, learn to successfully navigate complex conversations and clearly articulate their point of view.
Listen. Learn. Discuss. will help students, faculty and staff form skills to engage in productive and respectful dialogue.
Free speech, academic freedom and freedom of expression
Ohio State remains committed to protecting the First Amendment right to free speech, academic freedom and freedom of expression on its campuses. The First Amendment and Ohio law expressly protect the rights of students, faculty, staff and visitors at the university to lawfully engage in speech and expressive activities.
The Campus Free Speech Policy, adopted in May 2023, supports this dedication, and the updated Freedom of Expression websiteserves as an online hub for support resources.
Ohio State believes in academic freedom: The exchange of ideas by students and instructors creates a campus environment where all viewpoints are welcome and respected. In accordance with university rules, faculty have the freedom to discuss in classrooms, in their own manner, material that is relevant to the subject matter as defined in the course syllabus. At the same time, they have responsibility to encourage free discussion and inquiry, and students must be given a broad latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge, learn and discuss in classrooms and learning spaces.
Freedom of expression is also central to our values as an institution of higher education. Ohio State supports the rights of its community to exercise their freedom of speech and expression in a way that is lawful, respectful and productive. The university encourages everyone to participate in public discourse and exercise their democratic rights through voting, advocacy and civic engagement.
The university has updated its University Space Standards, with input from students, faculty and staff, to improve clarity and add detail on the appropriate use of our spaces.
To maintain neutrality that assures academic freedom and freedom of speech and expression, Ohio State refrains from taking institutional positions on matters that extend beyond the university. When statements are issued, the university uses a framework to evaluate making institutional and leadership statements to ensure decisions are made based on consistent factors.
Election-related resources
Everyone is encouraged to support Ohio State's motto of "Education for Citizenship" by helping to spread the message of nonpartisan civic engagement.
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