Focusing on the First Year Conference

Focusing on the First Year is a half-day conference bringing together faculty and staff from across the Columbus and regional campuses to focus on the university's efforts to support the success of first-year students. The most important foundations for college success, and ultimately graduation, are built during the first year. Hosted by FYE each spring, the conference is designed to encourage faculty and staff to share ideas about helping first-year students transition successfully to college life at Ohio State.

Focusing on the First Year 2014

Tuesday, Jan. 28, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fawcett Center
Cost: $15 per person (Fee includes all conference sessions, materials, a continental breakfast, and lunch)

Registration opens Jan. 2
Check back here for details about how to register and to find out more information about the sessions.

Keynote speaker
We are proud to host Jillian Kinzie, PhD, associate director for the Center for Postsecondary Research and NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement) Institute at Indiana University, as this year’s First Year Conference keynote speaker. Dr. Kinzie currently works at Indiana University where she has held faculty and administrative positions and now coordinates the NSSE Institute project activities.

In addition to the integral role she plays at the NSSE Institute, Dr. Kinzie has published more than 15 articles and book chapters and presented at more than 25 conferences focusing on her areas of interests which include college choice, first-year student development, teaching and learning in college, access and equity, and women in underrepresented fields. She has also won the 2012 Harry and Jeannette Henney Invited Lecture from Manchester College, the 2012 Robert H. Shaffer Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Robert J. Menges Award for Outstanding Research in Educational Development.

Dr. Kinzie received her PhD from Indiana University in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Higher Education with a minor in Women’s studies. She received both her MEd in Postsecondary Education, Administration, and BA in Psychology from Cleveland State University.

Call for Proposals

We invite our campus colleagues to submit proposals about topics relevant to supporting first-year students. Past conference presentations have included the following topics:

• best practices within university survey and pre-enrollment and co-curricular programs that support new students
• pedagogical and theoretical perspectives on teaching first-year students
• transition and retention programs
• data and information about our first-year students
• supporting at-risk or vulnerable populations of first-year students
• serving special student populations like transfer students and regional campus students

Submit a proposal using the 2014 Conference Proposal Form no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25. You will be notified of your session selection in mid-December. If you have any questions about the proposal submission process, please contact Julie Schultz at schultz.173@osu.edu.