OHIO named one of six innovative colleges to watch in national report

Ohio University was named one of six innovative colleges to watch in 2019 after its inclusion in a Chronicle of Higher Education series last month.

EAB Global said OHIO’s Academic Innovation Accelerator “gives faculty and administrators an opportunity to pitch and pursue new ideas.” Senior Vice Provost for Instructional Innovation Brad Cohen says the Accelerator opens the door for faculty and staff to sharpen, test and advance ideas, and identifies barriers to innovation.

“OHIO is leading the way by fostering an innovative atmosphere as we develop cutting-edge educational methods,” Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis said. “This recognition from EAB and the Chronicle of Higher Education shows that these efforts are having a true impact on our students.”

EAB’s list was based on the Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2018 Innovators special issue, which highlights OHIO as one of six institutions that encourage innovation in teaching, focusing specifically on the Academic Innovation Accelerator (AIA).

“One of the goals of the AIA is to reignite a passion for academic innovation and instill optimism that the University will actively support the pursuit of innovative ideas,” Cohen told Chronicle of Higher Education. “The AIA has enabled a greater reach and impact as we work together to advance OHIO’s mission in creative new ways.”

The AIA kicked off with its annual Ideation Event on Nov. 2. Faculty and staff were encouraged to gather and brainstorm their ideas with peers and experts in order to create a proposal to receive formal support from the AIA, be that via staff, funding or other avenues.

OHIO has been innovating in other ways, as well. OHIO’s Textbook Initiative was launched to help academic departments, faculty and students collaborate to reduce the price tag for course materials, particularly through Open Educational Resource initiatives. Earlier this year, OHIO announced a partnership with Top Hat to help provide access to open resources, and that partnership has already resulted in student savings of more than $1 million, more than double the original goal.