First Year Experience

**View all 2024 conference session slides here**

Breakout session I

Buckeye RISE: A manualized intervention supporting students on academic probation/warning
Alyssa Brown, Student Success and Retention at Ohio State Lima
Wendy Hedrick, Office for Disability Services at Ohio State Lima
Karen Meyer, Honors at Ohio State Lima
Buckeye RISE is a manualized intervention providing individualized support for students on academic warning/probation. Through Buckeye RISE, students have at least three semi-structured, individual meetings with a trained staff member throughout the semester. Meetings cater to the needs of each student and focus on building essential college learning skills, such as time management, organization, motivation, study skills, effective resource utilization and self-advocacy.

Chasing the golden snitch: Avoiding pitfalls in condensing a collegiate career
Michele Brown, College Credit Plus
Barry Tolchin, College of Engineering
Stephanie Elliott, University Exploration
Joanna Spanos, Arts and Sciences Honors
Heather Saling, College of Pharmacy
Do you see more and more students with a desire to complete their degree as quickly as possible? Are your students only focusing on majors they think can get them a job, rather than those matching their interests? More than ever, it’s important for advisors to help students understand the benefits of learning for career success and personal development while also focusing on degree completion. This session will bring together pre-college and professional degree program advisors to discuss their experience working with students who prioritize degree completion over all else. We will share best practices to help students learn the benefits of a holistic approach and a resource guide to navigate these conversations and help students reimagine their college experience..

Developing a comprehensive system of support for first-generation students
David Graham, Transition and Academic Growth
Kia Fletcher, Academic Success Programs
In 2020, The Ohio State University became a NASPA First-Gen Forward Institution. We (the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Student Life) are scaling our first-generation student success efforts to a university-wide initiative, including colleges and regional campuses. This initiative would establish a network of champions for first-generation students across the university and a community of practice to provide support and resources tailored specifically to first-generation students’ needs.

Enhancing the first-year commuter student experience: A comprehensive approach to support and fostering belonging and connection
Alyssa Cannella, Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement
Jacob Glorioso, Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement
As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, an increasing number of students are choosing to commute to campus. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by first year commuter students, this session will focus on supporting this growing population. We will share effective strategies, emphasizing established events and initiatives as well as tailored resources. This session aims to empower educators, administrators and student affairs professionals to create a more inclusive and supportive campus environment for commuter students during their crucial first year.

GE Reflection Seminar: Insights from the autumn 2023 pilot
Melissa Beers, Undergraduate Education, General Education Bookends
Beth Black, University Libraries
Alisa Paulsen, Department of Psychology
Cathy Ryan, Department of English
The GE Reflection Seminar, the second of the GE Bookend courses, was offered in three small sections during an autumn 2023 pilot. In this panel session, the three instructors and Dr. Melissa Beers, Senior Director of the Bookends program, will share an overview of the course and insights from the pilot.

How do University Exploration academic advisors encourage peer mentors to contribute to the effectiveness of NFYS major exploration?
Sesan Badejo, University Exploration
Nicole Vangas, University Exploration
University Exploration (UEXP) is a unique academic program. Unlike the other fourteen colleges at The Ohio State University, UEXP is an enrollment unit that does not focus on a particular major and does not present students for graduation. This presentation focuses on new first-year students and the role of Peer Mentors recruited by academic advisors for our first-year Survey class (EXP 1100.01) to support and inspire new first-year students in their search for majors and overall transition into the university community.

See a need, fill a need: The work of a first-generation specialist in an academic college
Jessica Mercerhill, College of Pharmacy
Britney Luebeck, College of Pharmacy
In spring 2023, the College of Pharmacy Student Services team received permission to hire a fulltime staff member entirely focused on supporting the college’s first-generation students, one-quarter of our entire student body. Beginning with orientation 2023, our first-year students were introduced to this staff member who is dedicated entirely to their academic success. We will share how this role was created and what it looked like to design this work from the ground up.

Supporting the first year experience through teaching: An introduction to programs and resources
Anika Anthony, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
Audrey Harlyn, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
Tiffany Hines, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
Amy Lea Clemons, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
The Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning strives to support all who teach, by fostering development of core competencies, such as active learning, curriculum and course development, and inclusive teaching. During this interactive session, participants will gain a heightened awareness of how to leverage these competency areas to support students in transition. Participants will leave with a customized plan for implementing concepts from the workshop into their practice, and for engaging in continued professional learning.

The Fisher leadership toolbox
Jon McCullough, Fisher College of Business
Kelly Mathiesen, Fisher College of Business
The Fisher leadership toolbox is a way of meeting students where they are in their leadership journey. In this session, Fisher staff will discuss the current leadership development opportunities at Fisher that emphasize a balance of challenge and support. Attendees at this session will be able to walk away with examples of resources and tools they can add to their own program’s toolbox.

The (Ohio) state of student engagement: Post-pandemic involvement
Matt Couch, Student Life
Cassie Smith, Ohio Union and Student Activities
Ohio State’s strong culture of student engagement faced unprecedented challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic that have created new norms and lasting effects. Join Student Life staff members for a discussion about the current and future status of student involvement, including who is and is not getting involved, how trends for various types of activities have shifted, and why it has perhaps never been more important than it is right now to promote co-curricular engagement.

Transitioning to the second year: Connecting students to the Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP)
Chelsea Black, STEP
Caitlyn Tietje, STEP
Hillary Carter, STEP
This session will provide an overview of the Second- year Transformational Experience Program (STEP) and the data we have derived from our assessments. We’ll also focus on the recruitment of at-promise students, including first-generation, fully funded and regional campus students, and how they can benefit from participating in STEP. Join us to learn about how first-year students join STEP and how you can encourage their participation.

Turning new students into new voters: Best practices for civic engagement education of first-year students
Madison Barnes, Office of Student Life, Leadership and Community Engagement
Meagen Rinard, Office of Student Life, Leadership and Community Engagement
As first-year students are matriculating, many are becoming eligible to vote for the first time, one of many new and confusing processes during this life transition. Not only do students encounter logistical barriers that make voting intimidating, but there are also behavioral barriers that inhibit students from seeing themselves as voters. This presentation will focus on the importance of and best practices for incorporating voter education into programming, curriculum and other touchpoints for first-year students.

Breakout session II

A framework for engaging first-years in programming
Anna Wagner, Office of Student Life, Leadership and Community Engagement
Kala Coyan-McClure, Office of Student Life, Leadership and Community Engagement 
During this session, we’ll share an overview of our planning approaches to two key leadership programs: Leadership Week and the LEAD Series. We’ll discuss specifically how we leverage the First Year Success Series framework to impact first-year students through these programs, as well as our general approach to making these successful campus-wide events.

Ask-connect-contribute: How English 1110 invites first-year students to join research communities
Ashleigh Hardin, Department of English
Scott Lloyd DeWitt, Department of English
Rachel Jurasevich, Department of English
Njoki Mwangi, Department of English
While foundational courses do not always provide opportunities for students to engage real audiences of fellow researchers, English 1110’s revised curriculum asks students to engage in high-impact research and composing practices as they join “research communities.” In this presentation, we discuss our revised curriculum as well as a public-facing website we are creating to provide the opportunities for publication and community that first-year students are seeking as writers and researchers.

I guess I never learned how to study: Academic coaching for first-year students
Jacqueline von Spiegel, Dennis Learning Center
For even the most academically successful high school students, the rigors of college course work challenge first-year students to adjust their study strategies. Through academic coaching, students can learn how and when to study effectively. In this session, academic coaches from the Dennis Learning Center will provide an overview of the academic coaching process and highlight common concerns discussed in coaching sessions. Participants will learn basic coaching techniques and how to refer students to academic coaching.

Living on campus as a first-year: Myths, legends and the truth
Eric Jaburek, Housing and Residence Education
Join members of the Housing and Residence Education team to talk through common misconceptions about policies, processes and procedures so you can best support your new first-year students as they navigate the sometimes challenging world of living in a new place away from home. Highlights include roommate conflicts, room types, hall amenities, facilities issues and many more. Bring your questions!

Redevelopment of a comprehensive success program increases retention and academic success of students on probation
Jamie White, Retention and Student Success Initiatives, Ohio State Newark
Coryn Gonzales, Retention and Student Success Initiatives, Ohio State Newark
This study compares the outcomes of students on probation enrolled in two different required online academic success programs between autumn 2018 and autumn 2022. The new, comprehensive Buckeye Roadmap to Academic Success program is designed to provide holistic support to students by strengthening academic and personal skills. We’ll discuss the significant improvements in academic outcomes we found following the redevelopment. Additionally, expected learning outcomes, topics covered and intentional changes made within the program will be shared.

Reducing student debt: Updates from the Scarlet and Gray Advantage pilot
Julie Schultz, Student Life
Ann Talbot, Office of Academic Affairs
The presenters will share updates and key findings from Scarlet and Gray Advantage (SGA), a pilot program focused on eliminating student debt, which is now in its second year. First-year SGA students participate in a non-residential learning community. Individual student level assessment results about sense of belonging, financial literacy and career readiness will be shared. In addition, presenters will share how the pilot program has revealed opportunities for university- and systems-wide optimization and operations improvement.

Student perspectives on community in the first year and beyond
Karen Krainz Edison, Nisonger Center
Kara Flaherty, Student, Animal Sciences
Join students from Ohio State’s TAPD-INTO-STEM, an NSF-founded group focused on providing mentorship and community to autistic and neurodivergent students, for a discussion on the impact of community on campus during the first year. Students will share perspectives on exploring, finding, and building communities and the impact this has on the first year and beyond. We’ll share how staff, faculty and students can better engage and connect with communities.

Supporting first-year multicultural and multilingual students
Elizabeth Osbourne, Intercultural English Language Programs
This interactive session educates faculty and staff on the challenges many multilingual/multicultural students face in their first year. Divided into three sections, the session explores social, cultural, and linguistic challenges and offers strategies for classroom support and fostering inclusive spaces. Participants engage through discussions, relating the material to their settings for practical application. The session aims to enhance awareness, share perspectives and provide resources.

Supporting first-year students by supporting their instructors: An interactive discussion
Stephanie Founds, University Libraries
Jane Hammons, University Libraries
Audrey Harlyn, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
Chris Manion, Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing
In this session, representatives from several units (Drake Institute, University Libraries, Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing) will describe how they provided teaching development support for instructors teaching first-year students. They will use these experiences to facilitate a discussion around key questions and concerns related to the professional development needs of those teaching first-year students and to generate ideas for how we can better support the teaching of first-year students by supporting first-year instructors.

Teaching strategies to foster student sense of belonging
David Sovic, Drake Institute of Teaching and Learning
Khushi Patel-Desai, Drake Institute of Teaching and Learning
Catherine Liu, Drake Institute of Teaching and Learning
This session will focus on evidence-based strategies to foster students’ sense of belonging in the classroom. Educator developers will lead participants to consider approaches they can implement in their classrooms, regardless of their teaching experience. This session will offer strategies that can work in survey and seminar courses, in addition to discipline-based academic courses. Presenters will also provide an overview of the literature and potential tools to measure student sense of belonging.

Top 10 tips for being successful at Ohio State
Nicole Vangas, University Exploration
Brian Oilar, Fisher College of Business
Starting the college experience at Ohio State can be overwhelming, and students receive lots of information. Wouldn’t it be great if they had a cheat-sheet for success? We’ve created our “Top 10” list, using our experience as academic advisors, and now we’re very interested in hearing what other campus partners would add to the list so that it encompasses many perspectives. Join us as we discuss tips for helping students be successful in their first year.

Understanding motivation and procrastination: Supporting our students and ourselves
Rachel Tuttle, Dennis Learning Center
Lack of motivation and procrastination can have a negative impact on students’ learning and academic performance. Furthermore, our own challenges with motivation and procrastination can contribute to feelings of stress, anxiety and dissatisfaction. Although many factors contribute to both lack of motivation and procrastination, we are capable of developing strategies (and teaching them to our students) to enhance our motivation and reduce our tendency to procrastinate.

Breakout session III

Coaching students on success: Mindset matters
Amanda Donahue, SpringForward, Transition and Academic Growth
Anne Grunden, SpringForward, Transition and Academic Growth
Paul Gregor, SpringForward, Transition and Academic Growth
Have you ever spoken with a student who lacks motivation, encounters one challenge after another or is afraid to ask for help? Assisting and engaging students in these situations can be challenging and draining. In this session, we will share how we support these students by helping them see areas of growth and what outcomes those lead to in the college journey.

Exploring first- and continuing-term college students’ self-regulated learning within a learning-to-learn course context
August Masonheimer, Dennis Learning Center
Jackie von Spiegel, Dennis Learning Center
Huy Nguyen, Dennis Learning Center
Our research explored changes in the self-regulated learning (SRL) skills that first-years reported throughout their participation in a learning-to-learn (L2L) course. Our results indicated that the L2L course was beneficial for first-term students and their implementation of SRL strategies. We discuss these implications, the structure of the L2L course that may have facilitated such changes, and the ways in which higher education institutions might use these courses to promote student success and retention.

From admission to arrival and beyond: A slice of life for the first-year international student
Devan Gibson, Office of International Affairs
Caroline Omolesky, Office of International Affairs
This session will follow the life of an international student from the time of admission through their first weeks of the semester, covering immigration requirements (such as check-in, orientation, and enrollment). We will also discuss common challenges that international students face in their first year. Attendees will gain confidence in anticipating and addressing international student concerns. The session will also cover resources offered through OIA and distinguish what falls outside the scope of our office.

Implementing a residential curriculum
Rebecca Kapusta, Housing and Residence Education
Deanna Wright Gordon, Housing and Residence Education
Julie Sanzone, Housing and Residence Education
Eric Jaburek, Housing and Residence Education
By attending this session, participants will be able to describe the Residential Curriculum that is being implemented by the Housing and Residence Education department within the Office of Student Life. Participants will be able to distinguish the department’s educational priority and the three learning goals guiding their work. Throughout the session, the facilitators will take the participants through how they created this curriculum and where the department plans to go in the future.

It’s never too early: A roadmap to career readiness for first-year students
Jennifer Chilman, Buckeye Careers
Mollie Workman, Buckeye Careers
Tara Nord, Buckeye Careers
Navigating career paths can be challenging and overwhelming for first-year students as they often don’t know where to start. Buckeye Careers will be the ultimate tour guide for this session as we explore valuable tips to get students started on their path, guide you through a terrain of varied career topics and help you navigate tools to help students reach their desired destination.

Kessler Scholars: A model for firstgeneration student engagement
Ramsey Piazza, Academic Success Program
Milan Thomas, Academic Success Program
Kenneth Harvey, Academic Success Program
Kessler Scholars is a national program supported by the Kessler Collabrative. It’s a traditional four-year program intended to provide students with a supportive community. We focus on making strong connections in the first year. In this session, we’ll introduce our model for student engagement and our general approach to programming and success coaching.

Launch: Setting the stage for student passion, curiosity and intellect (year 1 lessons)
Nicole Jaburek, Undergraduate Education, General Education Bookends
Brittany Collier-Gibson, Undergraduate Education
Shannon Gonzales-Miller, Undergraduate Education
Jessica Riviere, Undergraduate Education
A student-centered approach has been the foundational theme behind the GE 1200 Launch seminar course required of all Ohio State undergraduate students. Launch instructors will share updates made in the program, a curriculum overview and the mindset of instructors in year two of implementation. The presentation will focus on how Launch can set the stage to encourage other campus partners — staff and faculty — to engage first-year students in their unique passions, curiosity and intellect with reflective practices.

Teaching and learning with artificial intelligence
Larry Hurtubise, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
Michael Flierl, University Libraries
Chris Manion, Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing
Shari Beck, Digital Learning, Office of Academic Affairs
Jennifer Whetstone, Committee on Academic Misconduct
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT is raising questions about implications for teaching and learning. These questions address issues such as how to design assignments, how to communicate with learners about use of AI in a course and academic integrity in light of the prevalence of AI. During this interactive session, participants will learn more about designing assignments in light of AI and how to communicate transparently about them.

Toward a stronger partnership: Columbus City School District students in STEAMM at the Columbus and Newark campuses
Shanna S. Jaggars, Student Success Research Lab
Igdalia Covarrubias, Student Success Research Lab
Imani Reynolds, Student Success Research Lab
Nicole Kwiek, College of Pharmacy
Ohio State’s Columbus and regional campuses have relatively low enrollment rates from the state’s largest district, Columbus City Schools (CCS). This presentation will provide an overview of CCS first-year student enrollment and success in STEAMM fields at Ohio State; share qualitative perspectives from CCS staff and partners; and provide recommendations to strengthen relationships between Ohio State units and CCS to increase enrollment and bolster the success of new first-year students from the district.

Transforming systemic barriers into systemic inclusion
Emma Traylor, Arts and Sciences Honors
Shannon Peltier, Academic Advising, Undergraduate Education
Can you describe aspects of higher education’s hidden curriculum? Do you have skills-building techniques to help students master the learning curve? This session will present and ask for examples of hidden expectations, values, norms and knowledge that prevent new students from thriving throughout their university education. We will suggest methods for addressing these barriers with students and will encourage creative thinking to generate new solutions.

Unifying Ohio State Honors requirements: An introduction to the Honors Standards
Julie Humbel-Courtney, University Honors Program
Laura Struve, University Honors Program
The University Honors Program recently announced the Honors Standards. Under the Honors Standards, these requirements are unified with less variation, allowing students to more easily change their major, transition campuses, or transfer to Ohio State and maintain their Honors status. This session will detail the components of the Honors Standards and how the University Honors program supports students in creating a deeper connection with the recently implemented General Education curriculum and the ePortfolio tool PebblePad.

Working with military-connected students at Ohio State
Emilia Louy, Military and Veterans Services
The military-connected community makes up over 2,000 students at Ohio State. This is a diverse community of students who come with unique questions and challenges. This presentation will discuss the barriers that military-connected students face at Ohio State and what faculty/staff can do to help mitigate these barriers. Additionally, we will discuss available resources, the different GI Bills and how they impact students, and who you or your students can reach out to with questions.

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