New Ohio U program supports students deferring admission

Baker Center. Photo from The New Political archives.

Ohio University President Duane Nellis announced the creation of a new program intended to assist freshmen during the coronavirus pandemic at the Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday. 

The Athens Freshman Flexibility program plans to honor deferred admissions for one year as well as allow students admitted to selective majors to begin their program at a regional campus. The program will also provide activities and guidance to those students who opt to defer through the “Ohio Gap Experience."

“I think (the new program) will continue to keep us connected to students who decide to wait for that face-to-face experience before they start at Ohio University,” Nellis said.

The Board of Trustees also approved more funding and changed funding sources for various construction projects around campus, which include the Scripps Hall esports renovation, repairing the campus steam system and continued renovations to Clippinger Research Annex.

Six courses in the College of Business will now carry a $50 fee on sign up after being approved by the Board. The courses are: interscholastic data analysis, financial administration of sports faculty and programs, sports marketing, facility management and programming, leadership and ethics in interscholastic athletic administration, and human resource management in sport organization. All are limited to graduate students.

The Trustees were shown various new insurance options the university signed up for including a new terrorism insurance policy. Domestic acts of terrorism are now covered under the new insurance policy. There is no minimum damage for the insurance to take effect and the damage no longer has to be declared terrorism by the federal government.

Additionally, the Board of Trustees appointed Eileen Sheil to fill the role of national trustee, as Sheil was moving out of state and would no longer be eligible to serve as voting member.