The Educational Plan for Ohio University 1977-1987, which was adopted by a Board of Trustees resolution in October 1977, set forth 12 goals in the area of health and human services. University President Charles Ping and Provost Neil Bucklew were among those who recognized, as the plan stated, "There can be no question that many health and human service disciplines have matured to a level of complexity that placement in an institution of higher learning is not only appropriate, but mandatory."
Thus work began to determine how best to achieve the stated goals, a task that resulted in the establishment of a new academic unit, the College of Health and Human Services. Ohio University's ninth degree-granting college was approved on Jan. 28, 1979, and was operational by July 1 of that year.
When the new college was created, it already had a rich heritage of service and achievement because the programs that formed it had existed in other parts of the University. Under the direction of Dean Hilda Richards, the new college consisted of three academic units and two centers. The School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, the School of Home Economics, the Center for Human Development and the Nursery Child Care Center all moved from the College of Education. The School of Hearing and Speech Sciences came to CHHS from the College of Communication.
One year later, in 1980, the School of Nursing became part of the College.
Over the years, changes and additions to the college units have reflected the changing needs and focus in health and human services career fields. Most of the original academic units have undergone name changes. In 1993, the School of Home Economics became the School of Human and Consumer Sciences as a result of expanded program offerings. The Nursery Child Care Center, which is part of that school, is now the Child Development Center. The original School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, which underwent name changes in the interim, divided into two schools in 1994: the School of Health Sciences and the School of Recreation and Sport Sciences. In 2001, the School of Hearing and Speech Sciences changed to the School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences, to conform to professional standards.
Other additions were made to the College to expand its breadth of offerings. The School of Physical Therapy was created in 1984, and a separate college division was established in 1994 to administer campus recreation and wellness programs. Despite many changes, the college continues to follow founding principles, maintaining emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach to education within the field of health and human services and providing the community with services through experiential learning centers. As well as providing practical field and clinical experience for students, the following units of the college serve the university and surrounding communities: Ohio University Therapy Associates hearing, speech, language, and physical therapy clinics, the Child Development Center, the Atrium Café, WellWorks wellness and fitness program and HeartWorks cardiac rehabilitation program.
The college is the youngest at the institution, but it has rapidly grown into one of the largest. With nearly 90 full-time faculty, the college offers about 25 majors at the undergraduate and graduate levels-including nationally recognized programs in sports administration and hearing, speech and language-to nearly 2,600 students.
For 21 years, the college's programs were scattered across campus, but with the completion of a major renovation to Brandon T. Grover Center in fall 2001, the college united in one physical location for the first time. The comprehensive complex, which fulfilled one of the original goals presented in 1977, is one of several facilities administered by the college. Additionally, the college operates the Child Development Center, located on The Ridges, and several recreation facilities, including the Charles J. Ping Recreation Center, Bird Arena, the Aquatic Center, the Golf and Tennis Center, Challenge Courses and intramural fields.