One of the most inconspicuous history classes an Ohio State student can take is not about the American Revolution, the Civil War or even the Spanish-American War – it is about the history of Ohio State.

“It introduces students to the very place where they’re taking course work and to a way in which subject matter grew up and exists on a university campus,” said Christian Zacher, the course coordinator.

Zacher, along with six other professors from different departments, came up with the concept of the class, which is listed as Arts and Sciences 500 in the university’s registrar. The class consists of about 25 students, which creates a more hands-on teaching experience.

“Each of us had a different take on how to put the class together, so we all got together over lunch, and within a course of several months, we decided how the class would work,” Zacher said.

Six of the seven professors are instructors for the class, including John Mount, Rai Goerler, Thomas Minnick, George Paulson, Paul Young and Zacher. Richard Sisson, past university provost and co-founder of the course, no longer helps with the class because of retirement. Having six different instructors helps to keep the class interesting.

“We’re thinking about rotating the instructors every quarter to make it fresh and different,” said Zacher.

Instead of having a two-hour lecture by one of the professors every class, the instructors opt to have guest speakers from around the university, including the provost, athletic director and the alumni association president, to teach the class.

“My favorite part was just going to class every day because there was always something different, and with all the guest speakers, we always learned something new,” said Adam Burden, a senior in political science and mathematics. “I would recommend this class to anyone who has an interest in the university; it’s a fun class to take.”

With many different guest speakers, students tend to get into interesting discussions concerning OSU.

“When it comes to athletics, students have different viewpoints,” Zacher said. “The issue of teaching versus research, as well as parking, and about the buildings and why they get built or torn down is something students always have good discussions about.”

In addition, the class is not held in the same room every time. The majority of the classes are held in Kuhn Honors House, but some classes have been held in the William Oxley Thompson Main Library, Medical Heritage Center, Faculty Club, the Archives Museum, Longaberger Alumni House and Ohio Stadium.

“We actually visited buildings we learned about and got to meet people we read about. That’s what distinguishes this class from the others,” said Tiffany Bullard, a graduate student and past student of the class.

The course not only discusses OSU and its history, but it also gives an overview of how higher education in the United States began.

“I like to teach the history of the universities and how they came about – up until we get to Ohio State,” Zacher said.

Zacher said he has learned some things about the university that he did not know before.

“I’ve learned an awful lot about the physical campus, a lot about the buildings,” Zacher said. “I’ve also learned a lot about the land-grant universities that we take for granted every day.”

As students progress through the class they begin to have more appreciation for the school, he said.

Each student must write a 10- to 12-page paper by the end of the quarter about any topic related to the university. The course is offered to those of junior status or higher, and it is offered for one quarter each year.

“They’re simply impressed by the university, and you can tell it in the papers they write because they delve into the topic,” Zacher said.