ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
Ashland, Ohio
The University
Education at Ashland University (AU) goes beyond small classes, low student-faculty ratios, and personal attention. The campuswide philosophy of Accent on the Individual means that students are challenged to grow and change in a community of respect where they can discover their true potential.
Ashland University is a midsize regional teaching university, historically related to the Brethren Church. Its mission is to serve the educational needs of all studentsundergraduate and graduate, traditional and nontraditional, full- and part-timeby providing educational programs of high quality in an environment that is both challenging and supportive.
The educational and social environment is built upon a long-standing commitment to Judeo-Christian values and a tradition that stresses the importance of each individual. In this environment, the members of the Ashland University community continually seek ways to challenge and support each other to develop intellectually, spiritually, socially, culturally, and physically.
Ashland University is home to 2,200 full-time undergraduate students, 85 percent of whom are from Ohio. Students also come from twenty-seven other states and twenty-three other countries. The University's total enrollment of 6,800 students includes students in graduate programs in business, education, and theology; and thirteen off-campus degree-granting program centers throughout Ohio. Students of minority groups account for 6 percent of the student population. Twenty-five percent of the incoming class are transfer students.
Ashland is a residential campus, with men's and women's residence halls and options for coed divided housing, three-room suites, sorority suites, residential fraternity houses, and Scholar Floors. Fully furnished, 1,400-square-foot, two-bedroom apartments are available for seniors.
AU is a six-time recipient of an award for having the best student programming in the nation. More than 100 student organizations are available on campus. Ten men's teams and ten women's teams compete at the NCAA Division II level, several of which are in contention for national titles each year.
The University's ever-increasing wireless system currently includes the student center, the quadrangle, and several residence halls, and laptop computers are available to students. Patterson Instructional Center features a large computer lab, teleconferencing, distance-learning classrooms, multimedia classrooms, and an instructional media center.
The campus features a beautiful 55,000-square-foot student center with several student lounges, a unique bookstore, a grill and snack bar, a game room, a health and aerobics center with locker rooms and showers, and many meeting rooms. This impressive building is now wireless and features laptop computers that can be used anywhere in the building. A 60,000-square-foot facility for the College of Business and Economics opened in spring 2004 and features an executive education center, two conference areas, a state-of-the-art trading room, three computer labs, a tiered lecture hall, a product development lab, a student lounge, a parent lounge, and M.B.A. and undergraduate staff offices.
Location
Ashland is an attractive community of 22,000, midway between Cleveland and Columbus. Recent FBI statistics show Ashland as having the lowest violent crime rate in the state for cities with populations between 10,000 and 24,999. The Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities lists the Ashland, Ohio, area as having the lowest crime rate of micropolitan areas in the U.S.
Majors and Degrees
Ashland University confers seven baccalaureate degrees: the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Education, and Social Work. Undergraduate programs of study include accounting; American studies; art*; athletic training; biochemistry, biology*; business administration; business management; chemistry*; child and family studies; commercial art; computer art and graphics programming; computer science*; creative writing; criminal justice; economics; education: early childhood (preK3), middle grades (49), grades 712, multi-age (preK12), vocational, intervention specialist (special education), Christian education, and physical education; electronic media production: radio/audio production, television production and programming, and professional video production; English; environmental science; exercise science; fashion merchandising; finance; fine art; foods and nutrition; French*; geology; history; hotel/restaurant management; integrated language arts*; integrated mathematics*; integrated science*; integrated social studies*; international business; international studies; journalism*; management information systems; marketing; mathematics; music*; philosophy; physics; political science; predentistry; prelaw; premedical technology; premedicine; pre-optometry; prepharmacy; prephysical therapy; preseminary; preveterinary medicine; psychology; recreation; religion; social studies*; social work; sociology; Spanish*; speech communication; sport management; sports communication; theater*; and toxicology. (Majors marked with * are education certification areas.) The University also awards the Associate in Arts degree in art, criminal justice, office administration, and radio-TV and in a two-year curriculum in general education.
Academic Programs
At Ashland, learning is about understanding new ideas, solving problems, and pushing limits. Through small classes, which allow individual instruction, field experiences in every academic area, academic support services, and an honors program for students with a minimum GPA of 3.5, AU's goal of helping students excel is achieved.
Institutional requirements are designed to allow for interdisciplinary opportunities in the students' programs. Basic degree requirements include English composition (6 hours), contemporary issues (4 hours), communications (3 hours), religion (3 hours), and physical education (2 hours). Distribution requirements in humanities (6 hours), social science (6 hours), science/mathematics (6 hours), fine/performing arts (6 hours), and business/economics (3 hours), or interdisciplinary seminars substituted for distribution requirements, complete the degree requirements.
There are two semesters in the University's academic year. Classification of students is based on progress toward meeting degree requirements in terms of semester hours earned, as follows: freshman, 129 semester hours; sophomore, 3059; junior, 6089; senior, 90 or more. A total of 128 semester hours of credit is needed for graduation.
Off-Campus Programs
Study semesters are available at both foreign and domestic universities. Commercial art and fashion merchandising students have the option of spending their junior year at one of the art institutes in Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Philadelphia, Seattle, or Denver. Some art majors spend a semester in New York City through an affiliate program with Hunter College or Drew University. In cooperation with the Ohio Agricultural Research Center in Wooster, Ohio, selected science majors may spend one semester or more participating in the agriscience program. Ashland's classrooms extend around the world, with overseas student teaching opportunities, summer language classes, faculty-sponsored student tours, mission trips, and other special programs. Numerous study-abroad opportunities are available.
Academic Facilities
Ashland's facilities include nine computer labs, modern science laboratories, fully equipped radio/TV studios, music studios and practice rooms, art studios and a gallery, a 750-seat theater, and a nursery and Montessori school. Physical education facilities include a natatorium, three basketball courts, a sauna, a training room, a fitness center, and a field house with an indoor banked track. The Ashbrook Center, a nationally known institute for the study of public affairs, publishes scholarly books, hosts academic forums, and sponsors lectures by famous political speakers. The new 60,000-square-foot Richard E. and Sandra J. Dauch College of Business and Economics building opened for spring semester 2004 and provides an innovative, world-class environment for business leaders of tomorrow. In addition, plans have been approved for the construction of an $18-million Sport Sciences/Recreation Center and an estimated $11-million renovation and addition to the Kettering Science Center. Both projects are to be completed by fall 2005. By spring 2006, a new $10-million College of Education building is scheduled to be completed.
Costs
Tuition for the 200405 school year was $18,394, fees totaled $464, room was $3740, and board was $3224. The total cost of tuition, fees, room, and board was $25,822.
Financial Aid
Approximately 98 percent of Ashland University's students receive financial assistance, enabling them to receive the benefits of a private college education. Awards are based on outstanding scholarship, accomplishment, talent, and/or financial need.
To apply for financial assistance, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the federal government and submit the Ashland University Financial Aid Application to the AU Financial Aid Office.
Faculty
Ashland's teaching faculty includes 250 full-time members, 80 percent of whom hold doctoral degrees. The faculty's first priority is teaching, placing emphasis on individual instruction and helping students achieve. They listen, advise, coordinate internship and research opportunities, write letters of recommendation, and introduce professional perspectives into every class.
Student Government
Ashland University allows its students a role of major importance and responsibility in the conduct of all affairs relating to their lives as members of the University community. The Student Senate acts as the principal governing body and serves as a liaison between students and the faculty and administration. More than 100 other student organizations exist, ranging from Orientation Team to intramurals, from Campus Activities Board to community service. HOPE Christian Fellowship and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes are among the largest on campus. Thirty percent of AU students are involved in sororities and fraternities.
Admission Requirements
Ashland strongly recommends that applicants have 16 units of college-preparatory high school credit to ensure that they have sufficient background for college work. Freshman applicants must present an official transcript of courses and grades from secondary school and scores on either the SAT I or ACT examination. Each applicant is encouraged to visit the campus for an interview with an admission counselor. A visit provides the applicant with an opportunity to see the campus and ask questions of students and faculty members.
Transfer students from accredited institutions are considered for admission to Ashland provided that they are in good standing socially and academically (having at least a C average or a 2.0 GPA) at any institutions attended previously.
Applicants who complete their secondary education through an alternative program (e.g., home schooling) must present evidence that they have been adequately prepared for university work to be considered for admission to AU. Such evidence may include appropriate scores on ACT or SAT tests, a high school equivalency diploma (GED test), satisfactory achievement on state or nationally normed tests that evaluate achievement level in high school academic subjects, and adequate performance on AU placement tests.
Application and Information
Freshman applicants are encouraged to submit applications early in the senior year of high school. To be considered for admission, a student must submit a completed and signed application form; a secondary school transcript listing rank in class and all courses and grades, beginning with the ninth grade; scores on the SAT I or ACT; and a nonrefundable $25 application fee. Transfer students will be considered for admission after they have submitted the application form, an official college transcript from all colleges previously attended, and the nonrefundable $25 application fee. An enrollment deposit of $100 is requested thirty days after acceptance and is nonrefundable after May1.
Additional information may be obtained by contacting:
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