Ten new courses have been added to the Chase Center’s curriculum for the spring semester. Students will be able to register for the classes starting Monday, Oct. 20.
“We’re proud to be expanding our program with so many great new courses for students as we head into our second semester of civics education,” said Lee Strang, executive director of the Chase Center.
The classes will cover a diverse range of topics, from exploration of the debates that shaped the American civic tradition to how many of the great works of American literature inform and reflect political, social and legal thought.
“These engaging classes grapple with big questions and important topics,” said Brian Schoen, associate director of the Center. “They are significant steps forward in Chase's academic programming. Eventually, they will build to where we are offering a minor and major that prepare students for deep and constructive thinking about the American experience and that will provide them the tools necessary to be leaders regardless of what career path they pursue.”
Courses will incorporate concepts as diverse as love and friendship, religion, profiles in leadership, and civic traditions in America.
“These new courses represent considerable effort by the talented Center faculty. They have created a slate of valuable learning opportunities that are rigorous, innovative, and reflective of the Center’s mission to promote civics education,” Strang said.
Sabrina Little, assistant professor whose course, “The Pursuit of Happiness: An American Tradition” will be offered in the spring, said, “Two things the Chase Center faculty have in common are a love of students and a recognition that teaching is a craft worthy of our energy and attention. We are so excited to meet our students this Spring and grateful for the opportunity to teach the courses we worked so hard to prepare this Fall.”
The Chase Center began offering its first two classes with the Fall 2025 semester. Strang said those courses have been well-received by students from various disciplines around The Ohio State University. These new courses will significantly expand on those initial offerings.
“The Chase Center is focused on preparing students to be our nation’s future citizens and leaders,” Strang said. “Perhaps, more than ever in our nation’s history, we need to teach students the value of civil and free inquiry. We need to give students the opportunity to learn the values and foundational ideas that were inherent in the founding of this country. These new courses will help the Chase Center fulfill that need.”