Thanks to Ohio State’s new technology program, it will soon be possible to take certain courses without even leaving your room.In a report to the OSU Board of Trustees Friday, Associate Vice Provost and Director of University Technology Services Jim Davis said the university is at a major step in improving its distance education courses. These are ones that can be taken with minimal or no presence on campus. Ohio State currently offers about 100 courses in distance education, Davis said. Of those, 75 are based on video and video-conference technology. The remaining 25 courses are Internet based. One complete program, a doctoral study in pharmacy, has already been established.He said that the idea of distance education is to provide a program for those who can’t be on campus; like students who have full-time jobs. The courses will also provide more sections for courses that are usually full.University Technology Services established the new office of Technology Enhanced Learning and Research this fall to assist with the new programs.Davis said OSU is not a national leader in distance education, but a “fast follower.”Some of the technological services that are already offered were featured during the presentation to the board, such as chemistry department study resources that are available on the web.Davis said about 2,000 OSU courses-more than 15 percent-and 25,000 OSU students on all campuses utilize the web in some form of classroom work.A recent survey indicates that there are 150 computer laboratories on the Columbus campus. In those, 3,500 computers are connected to the Internet.In other business, the board approved a loan for over $2 million to Campus Partners for the purchase of the Newport Music Hall, 1714-1726 N. High Street.The board also approved the creation of a spectroscopy institute. Spectroscopy is the study of the wavelengths of light emitted or absorbed by an object, such as a star or chemical. The institute will combine the efforts of OSU researchers in physics, chemistry, astronomy and engineering.OSU has an international reputation in spectroscopy, said Professor Terry A. Miller, who is an Ohio Eminent Scholar of Experimental Physical Chemistry. Miller will chair the new institute. The board also received an update on the $1 billion “Affirm Thy Friendship” fund-raising campaign.The Medical Center, one of several centers that are supported by the campaign, received a $6.3 million gift from the United States Surgical Corp. The gift will support the Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Surgery, said OSU Foundation Board Chairwoman Thekla “Teckie” Shackelford.