About the Conference
The First-Year Experience (FYE) conference at The Ohio State University is an annual event specifically designed for faculty and staff. The conference provides a forum for sharing information, strategies and best practices related to supporting the success and transition of first-year students at the university.
The FYE conference serves as a professional development opportunity, ensuring that Ohio State's faculty and staff are equipped with the latest knowledge and most effective strategies to guide and empower their newest students as they embark on their collegiate journey.
2026 Focusing on the First Year Conference
On January 29, 2026, FYE held its annual Focusing on the First Year Conference.
A registration fee of $50 per attendee is required prior to the Focusing on the First Year conference. Our preferred payment method is via Workday purchase order. Please submit a non-catalog requisition with First Year Experience as the supplier (SPL-0000117). Departments will not be able to register as a group. However, you can pay as a group using a single Workday purchase order. Please note the name(s) and name.#(s) of the registrant(s) in the memo to suppliers field on the requisition. Also, please note that we cannot cancel registrations or payments later than two weeks before the conference. If you find you are unable to attend, after that date you can substitute your payment and registration for someone else in your department.
If you are unable to pay via purchase order, please email Jenny Osborn at osborn.21@osu.edu for more information.
Nominate an outstanding first year advocate
First Year Experience will honor four to five individuals who continuously demonstrate a passion for helping students make the most of their first year.
Sessions
See below for the sessions that were available for attendees at the most recent Focusing on the First Year Conference.
Breakout I (9:45–10:45) a.m.
The First-Gen Coalition at Ohio State is back! This is an institutional effort focused on first-generation student success and first-year inclusion. There is a gap in retention rates at Ohio State: AU24's first-year retention rate was 90.5% for first-generation students and 94.2% for non-first-generation students. Discover the coalition's renewed mission to close this gap, its structure and priorities. We’ll also discuss strategies to promote engagement and how to foster a supportive culture.
Location: Conference Theatre, 1st Floor
Presented by:
- Chila A Thomas, Office of Undergraduate Education
- Kia Quinn, Office of Undergraduate Education
- Anne McDaniel, Office of Undergraduate Education
Themes: Retention & enrollment management, student engagement
Working with immigration regulations affecting international students can be confusing at the best of times, and this past year has brought many new challenges to the field. Gain confidence supporting your students in F-1 and J-1 status with us. Learn about the baseline regulations affecting this population and new challenges that have arisen in the past twelve months.
Location: Student Alumni Council Room, 2nd Floor
Presented by:
- Devan Gibson, Office of International Affairs
- Caroline Omolesky, Office of International Affairs
Themes: Retention & enrollment management, student engagement
Now, more than ever, staff and faculty must often collaborate across disciplinary lines to create coursework that students find relevant. Recount the collaborative effort of English, Mathematics and Student Success faculty and staff in designing a course for Ohio State Lima’s Online Associate of Arts degree. You will learn strategies for navigating challenges to foster successful collaboration in your own cross-disciplinary projects.
Location: Hays Cape Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- David Gall-Maynard, Department of English
- Alyssa Brown, Office of Student Success, Lima
- Cosmin Roman, Department of Mathematics
Themes: Instruction & pedagogy, interdisiplinary collaboration
Buckeye Degree Planner (BDP) is an innovative degree management platform that encourages collaboration between students and advisors. This allows students to build their degree plan, track progress and visualize the impact of their decisions all in one place! We will discuss the currently available tools, plans to increase populations served by BDP and future goals for leveraging a new system across undergraduate, graduate and professional students.
Location: Cartoon Room 2, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Amy Treboni, Undergraduate Education, Academic Advising
- Lisa Duffy, Office of the University Registrar
Themes: Academic advising, technology
Many first-year students enter college with anxiety about the “Freshman 15,” a fear rooted in weight stigma and diet culture. This presentation invites faculty and staff to explore how these narratives impact student well-being and how to shift toward holistic, weight-inclusive support. Using Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating frameworks, we’ll discuss practical strategies to foster body respect, self-care, and mental health across campus.
Location: Brutus Buckeye Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by: Janele Bayless, Student Wellness Center
Themes: Health and wellbeing
Many first year students are entering OSU already having experienced college-level coursework. Join us to hear from advisors who work with both the high school and college populations to discuss how this trend is impacting students' progression toward their OSU degrees. We also will incorporate a panel of students, to combine the bigger-picture trends with individual experiences. We will provide resources to help students make the transition from CCP to success throughout their college journey.
Location: Senate Room, 2nd Floor
Presented by:
- Joanna Spanos, Arts and Sciences Honors Advising
- Stephanie Elliott, Ohio State Academy Program
Themes: Academic support, retention & enrollment management
Explore issues we see students have while they socially and emotionally adjust to university life and learn a data driven approach to supporting them through the process.
Location: Cartoon Room 1, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Shannon Peltier, Undergraduate Education, Academic Advising
- Charlie Kittleson, SOARS, UE/CSW
- Raion Black-Hall, SOARS, UE/CSW
- Avianna Jones, SOARS, UE/CSW
Themes: Academic support, student engagement
Beyond just their first year, what makes a first year college student? Discuss their stage of development, challenges they face when transitioning to a new environment and the impact larger campus and societal issues can have on the first-year experience. You’ll learn an approach to teaching explored by a Drake Institute sponsored Community of Practice called Compassionate Pedagogy. Attend this session to learn strategies to support your first-year students and help them thrive!
Presented by:
Location: Interfaith, 3rd Floor
- Michelle Everson, Department of Statistics
- Vicki Pitstick, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
Themes: Academic support, retention & enrollment management
For first-year students, adjusting to newfound college independence and rigor can be challenging, leading to academic risk or probation. When students do fall into academic difficulties, it’s often difficult for them to fully recover. 25% of first-year students drop out nationwide. Using evidence-based practices from the Dennis Learning Center academic recovery course, you’ll learn strategies you can use to help students rebuild their motivation and time management after academic setbacks.
Location: Barbie Tootle Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Minso Choi, Department of Educational Studies, Dennis Learning Center
- Collaborator: Huy Nguyen, Department of Educational Studies
- Sori Hwang, Department of Educational Studies
- Jackie von Spiegel, Department of Educational Studies
- Britt Collier-Gibson, Dennis Learning Center
Themes: Academic support, instruction & pedagogy
Discover how the Media, Marketing, and Communication Scholars’ Digital Lab engages first-year students through a unique peer-led model that combines digital skill development, leadership training and real-world project experience. This session explores how hiring Federal Work-Study students early, leveraging free tools like LinkedIn Learning and fostering student-to-student mentorship creates a sustainable, replicable model that benefits students, departments and the university. Hear directly from student leaders about how this experience shaped their academic and career success.
Location: Great Hall Meeting Room 1&2, 1st Floor
Presented by:
- Candace Offman, Academic Enrichment
- David McIntyre, Academic Enrichment
Themes: Technology, innovative program/initiative
Breakout II (11 a.m. to noon)
It’s time to boost your knowledge on current accommodations and become empowered to provide neuro-affirmative, person-centered support for students. Explore the lived experiences of students with autism at Ohio State. Learn Universal Design communication strategies and environmental changes to implement both inside and outside of the classroom. Leaders like you who learn these strategies report higher levels of confidence in effectively supporting the success and retention of students with autism across the university.
Location: Cartoon Room 2, 3rd Floor
Presented by: Caitlin Fagan, First Year Experience and The Nisonger Center
Themes: Academic support, compliance, Universal Design
First-generation college students offer unique perspectives which expand opportunities for collaboration and student support. Explore a coordinated care model which integrates success coaching, mentoring and a learning community to promote academic achievement and retention for first-generation, first-year students. Hear how our presenters engage in this comprehensive model to provide proactive, holistic student-centered support. Gain practical approaches to refine coordinated care for your students using established university systems.
Location: Great Hall Meeting Room 1&2, 1st Floor
Presented by:
- Armada Henderson, Office of Undergraduate Education
- Trina Phillips, Office of Undergraduate Education, Young Scholars Program
- Anthony Rodgers, Jr., Office of Undergraduate Education, Young Scholars Program
Themes: Student engagement, coordinated care
Delve into The Ohio State University and President Carter's commitment to our Education for Citizenship 2035 strategic plan. Explore the importance of first-year student community and civic engagement for citizenship development. Gain the background knowledge needed to promote community and civic engagement opportunities for your first-year students, while sharing insights into specific community and civic engagement opportunities for students on the Columbus campus.
Location: Brutus Buckeye Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by: Meagen Rinard, Office of Student Life, Leadership and Community Engagement
Themes: Leadership skills & career competencies, student engagement
Retention and student success are priorities by university staff and faculty and families of Ohio State students. Learn how the Buckeye Family Connection and the Parent and Family Relations' communications platform allows university stakeholders to provide information and resources to families to help guide their students to graduation.
Location: Student Alumni Council Room, 2nd Floor
Presented by:
- Adam Specht, Student Life Parent and Family Relations
- Beth Ullum, Student Life Parent and Family Relations
- Noah Gilbert, Student Life Parent and Family Relations
Themes: Academic support, retention, enrollment management
Entering college often challenges students’ confidence and autonomy. Discover how motivational beliefs, particularly help-seeking value and self-efficacy, guide first-year students’ transition from dependence to agency, as reflected in adaptive, executive and avoidant help-seeking behaviors. We’ll discuss motivational developmental pathways and offer evidence-based strategies, including using AI, to strengthen motivation, normalize help-seeking and cultivate students’ growth-oriented mindsets during the first-year experience.
Location: Conference Theatre, 1st Floor
Presented by:
- Vanessa Zhang, Department of Educational Studies, Dennis Learning Center
- Rachel Tuttle, Department of Educational Studies, Dennis Learning Center
- Yaolan Weng, Department of Educational Studies/Dennis Learning Center
Themes: Academic support, instruction & pedagogy
Discover a retention program model focused on non-academic challenges. Then, learn a programmatic framework with specific activities to help your students identify barriers (e.g., finances, belonging, family dynamics). Together, we’ll share strategies for reframing these successfully-navigated challenges as tangible examples of grit, persistence and resilience, which are key leadership & career competencies.
Location: Interfaith, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Amanda Donahue, Undergraduate Education
- Anessa Becton-Howard, Undergraduate Education
Themes: Leadership skills & career competencies, retention and enrollment management
Wondering how to support your first-year students in using AI to thrive academically? Representatives from the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Center, The Writing Center, the Dennis Learning Center, Libraries, Student Life and Disability Services will share tips on how students can use AI to learn effectively and ways AI can be used to support students.
Location: Senate Room, 2nd Floor
Presented by:
- Carolyn Johns, Department of Mathematics
- Allison Kranek, Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing
- Jackie von Spiegel, Dennis Learning Center
- Kelly Bonice, Dennis Learning Center
- Stephanie Founds, Libraries – Research and Education
Themes: Academic support, technology
Students from rural Ohio often find the Columbus campus overwhelming compared to their rural high school experiences. This session highlights the experiences of rural first-year students as they transition from high school to Ohio State’s Columbus campus. The session shares anonymous student voices, research insights and thoughtful recommendations to better support rural first-year students as they adjust to life as a Buckeye.
Location: Cartoon Room 1, 3rd Floor
Presented by: Georgia Bass, Strategic Enrollment Management
Themes: Retention & enrollment management, student engagement
The transfer portal has redefined how student-athletes navigate college transitions. This session highlights how Ohio State’s Student-Athlete Support Services Office (SASSO) collaborates across athletic academic counseling and learning specialist core functions within SASSO, athletics and campus partners to support incoming transfers. Hear best practices for integrating transfer students, evaluating their progress toward degree completion and offering individualized academic support. Discover how structured academic processes and holistic transition strategies sustain success during the first term on campus.
Location: Hays Cape Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Diah Gassett, Student Athlete Support Services Office
- Erin Kuyawa, Student Athlete Support Services Office
Themes: Academic support, academic advising
Improve accessibility in your Carmen courses using Ally, Ohio State’s new accessibility scanner! All academic & non-academic Carmen courses must comply with the ADA Title II accessibility law.
Learn the basic features of Ally within CarmenCanvas, including reports, available material remediation, alternative file formats, tool limitations and where to prioritize your efforts.
This session focuses on the technical strategies of using Ally and is not intended to address specifics on what makes content accessible.
Location: Barbie Tootle Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Max Gulick, Office of Technology and Digital Innovation
- Richard Henricksen, Office of Technology and Digital Innovation
Themes: Technology, accessibility
Breakout III (1:15–2:15 p.m.)
On-campus employment provides students with transferable skills that prepare them for academic and career success. Discover the Student Employment Experience (SEE) program, which intentionally connects job responsibilities to skill development in areas such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving and leadership. Explore strategies to help students recognize and articulate these skills, ensuring that every campus job and job-related experience becomes a pathway to long-term success.
Location: Student Alumni Council Room, 2nd Floor
Presented by: Taylor Koon, Buckeye Commons
Themes: Leadership skills & career competencies, student engagement
Step beyond the policy lingo and into a candid conversation with the Civil Rights Compliance Office. Bring questions about civil rights processes, policies and real-life scenarios. Learn how compliance shapes the student experience and clarify your role in providing support.
Location: Round Meeting Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Courtney Johnson, Civil Rights Compliance Office
- Mary Kate Gallagher, Civil Rights Compliance Office
Themes: student support, compliance/institutional responsibility
ePortfolio (PebblePad) is a high-impact practice that supports student learning by providing space to pause, reflect and integrate learning experiences. In the Office of Academic Enrichment, we facilitate student engagement with ePortfolio across several program areas through links to curricula and a rich variety of co-curricular programs. Join us to learn about our ePortfolio implementation for first-year students and consider how you can engage your students using this high-impact practice.
Location: Senate Room, 2nd Floor
Presented by:
- Corrie Pieterson, Academic Enrichment
- Devika Carr, Arts and Sciences - Student Affairs Scholars Program
- Haley Quinlan, University Honors and Scholars
- Ashley Ostroot, University Honors and Scholars
Themes: Student engagement, technology
Join staff from the Young Scholars Program and Kessler Scholars as they share frontline insights on today’s incoming students. Learn about current needs, parental involvement, social‑emotional considerations and practical transition strategies. Discuss actionable approaches to connect with students from special populations such as first‑generation and low‑income students. Explore real situations, exchange proven techniques and interventions and leave with ideas on how to help their students thrive during their first year of college.
Location: Cartoon Room 1, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Christina Miley, Office of Undergraduate Education
- Tiffany Payiavlas, Office of Undergraduate Education
- Teneeyah Hale, Office of Undergraduate Education
- Ashley Ostroot, University Honors and Scholars
Themes: Academic support, retention & enrollment management
The pro-retro calendar assignment provides a framework for strengthening time management skills in first-year students. It combines goal setting, planned versus actual time tracking, and reflective analysis. By reviewing sample submissions and common patterns, staff can better understand challenges students face and the emotional aspects of time use. Strategies include guiding students to set realistic goals, build effective schedules and engage in ongoing reflection. A hands-on activity offers practice in interpreting student data and tailoring support. Discover resources and ideas for integrating time management into broader student support efforts.
Location: Cartoon Room 2, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Io Terogo, Department of Educational Studies, Dennis Learning Center
- Rachel Tuttle, Department of Educational Studies, Dennis Learning Center
Themes: Academic support, instruction & pedagogy
Explore how AI Fluency learning outcomes were embedded into the GE Bookends Launch Seminar through a university-wide collaboration. Explore concrete examples of curriculum integration, early assessment strategies and plans for expanding AI Fluency into the Reflection and Connection seminars. Gain insights into scalable approaches for introducing AI literacy in first-year courses. Additionally, discover how interdisciplinary engagement around emerging technologies can be fostered through thoughtful curriculum design.
Location: Barbie Tootle Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by:
- Allison Schultz, The Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
- Niki Jaburek, Undergraduate Education
Themes: Instruction & pedagogy, technology
In August 2024, the Center for the Study of Student Life compared the daily experiences of first-year students living in Ohio State residence halls to those living off-campus. At the end of each day for two weeks, students answered a brief survey about their experiences, including wellness behaviors, social interactions and feelings of belonging. Residential students differed from off-campus students in many ways, both during the study period and a year later.
Location: Hays Cape Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by: Marjorie Freggens, Center for the Student of Student Life
Themes: Student engagement, connection and wellbeing
How can artificial intelligence help educators design transformative learning experiences for first-year students? Explore how the MUNDO Involved Living Initiative within Student Life Housing and Residence Education leveraged AI to turn departmental learning goals into a year-long series of dynamic, inclusive and highly engaging educational programs.
Location: Great Hall Meeting Room 1&2, 1st Floor
Presented by: Julius Mayo, Housing and Residence Education
Themes: Instruction & pedagogy, technology
See results from a study of students who were not retained in attempt to identify patterns in non-returners and identify questions for additional research. Additionally explore an overview of a survey conducted in Spring of 2025 of students who were not retained to share what students who left had to say about Ohio State and their reasons for not continuing their enrollment.
Location: Conference Theatre, 1st Floor
Presented by: Daniel DeMay, Enrollment, Analytics, Research and Insights (EARI)
Themes: Retention & enrollment management
The foundation for an iconic off-campus living experience starts day one. Discover how the Willie J. Young, Sr. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement (OCCSE) team prepares students for off-campus living, life beyond the residence halls and how campus partners can help extend that impact. Explore OCCSE’s presentations, assessment practices and student-facing resources while also gaining tools and strategies to strengthen their own outreach to commuter, off-campus and future off-campus students.
Location: Brutus Buckeye Room, 3rd Floor
Presented by: Jacob Glorioso, Willie J. Young, Sr. Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement
Themes: Student engagement, housing/off-campus life
