Focusing on the First Year Conference
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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.
Past conferences have included sessions on:
- Academic Support: Helping students with study skills, time management and academic resources.
- Engagement and Retention: Strategies for involving first-year students in campus life, connecting them with mentors, and supporting students through their first year and beyond.
- Innovative Programs and Initiatives: Showcasing successful programs and new approaches being implemented across different departments or colleges to support first-year students.
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.
We look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Focusing on the First Year Conference! In the meantime, the 2025 breakout sessions are listed below.
2025 Conference Breakout Sessions
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Data at your fingertips: Unlocking student success with dashboards session is full
Description
Feeling overwhelmed by institutional data? Curious about how students fare after they leave your campus or department? If you’re eager to learn more about the students you support, this session is for you. Join us as we introduce Ohio State's new data dashboards, and show you how to leverage data in your role. Representatives from the Offices of Institutional Research and Planning (IRP) and Enrollment Analysis, Research, and Insights (EARI) will guide you in using data to enhance your work and better support student success.
Location
U.S. Bank Conference Theatre (1st floor)
Presenters
Beth Wallace, Housing and Residence Education
Katie Smillie, Office of Institutional Research and Planning
Beth Venter, Enrollment Analytics, Research and InsightsThemes
Academic support, Inclusive excellence, Leadership skills/career competencies, Retention/enrollment management
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Don't get lost — remember your mentor map!
Description
Mentoring, which is critical to professional and career success, is often inaccessible or opaque to undergraduate students, particularly as they transition to institutions for the first time. Mentoring has also been recorded as a critical component for student motivation and success. Building and mapping social networks, imagined and existing, will help students to both feel confident and have tools to be successful in their career journeys — during and beyond their first year experience!
Location
Interfaith Room (3rd floor)
Presenter
Carmi Thompson, Arts and Sciences / Drake Institute
Themes
Academic advising, Leadership skills/career competencies
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Embracing Ikigai and the beauty of exploration: Framework for advising undecided college students
Description
This session explores using the Japanese philosophy of Ikigai as a framework for advising undecided college students. Ikigai, meaning "reason for being," integrates what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for. By aligning these elements, students can find fulfilling academic and career paths. The session will demonstrate how Ikigai addresses career indecision, encourages exploration and enhances student well-being with practical advising strategies.
Location
Great Hall Meeting Room 1 (1st floor)
Presenter
Dominique Todd-Shumate, University Exploration
Themes
Academic advising, Leadership skills/career competencies
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Epic journeys and cozy corners: Student belonging and well-being with University Libraries programming
Description
This session introduces an innovative strategy to enhance belonging and inclusion at University Libraries. Presenters will discuss the creation of a digital library passport along with a program of weekly drop-in activities to support student well-being. Inspired by a study on student belonging, these initiatives aim to boost engagement and serve as a model for others looking to support students in new ways using university-provided tools to increase capacity for programming.
Location
Cartoon Room 1 (3rd floor)
Presenters
Stephanie Founds, University Libraries
Hanna Primeau, University Libraries
Chris Seifert, Universtiy Libraries
Angel Gondek, University LibrariesTheme
Student engagement
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Focusing on the First Year: Eras Tour
Description
Our (mostly reliable) FYE archives indicate it’s been about 20 years since we hosted the first Focusing on the First Year conference for Ohio State colleagues invested in supporting first-year students. While much has changed on the Columbus campus and with our new students in the last two decades, much has remained the same regarding typical college transition milestones. We’ll explore all this and more in this interactive and reflective session!
Location
Barbie Tootle Room (3rd floor)
Presenter
Nicole Craven, First Year Experience
Themes
Retention/enrollment management, Student engagement
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From big data to personalized messaging: Progress reports for every student in a large enrollment class and planning similar practices for your large populations
Description
We will show you how we are messaging hundreds of general chemistry students individual progress reports with personal messages, in an efficient way, with preliminary results presented. We will facilitate small group brainstorming to help you envision how you can adopt a similar practice for use in your daily work, and then show you the tools, with some tips, to get started. Each attendee can leave with a vision and getting-started plan. (Plan to bring a tablet or laptop for active learning!)
Location
Cartoon Room 2 (3rd floor)
Presenters
Rebecca Ricciardo, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Lisa Nguyen, Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryThemes
Academic support, Student engagement
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Somali Buckeye Voices
Description
Columbus is home to the second largest population of Somali Americans in the United States. What can we, as student affairs professionals, learn from our Somali students that will help us engage, embrace and serve them better? Come for stories and perspectives from a panel of Ohio State’s Somali students.
Location
Senate Chamber (2nd floor)
Presenter
Peter Spreitzer, University Exploration
Themes
Academic Support, Academic advising, Inclusive excellence, Student engagement
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RiSE to the occasion: Learn how ODI is Reimagining the Student Experience (RiSE)
Description
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion's RiSE initiatives support specific populations of students as they transition to the Columbus campus. Learn about the Dr. James L. Moore III Scholars Program (transfer students), the Regional Campus Transitional Scholars Program (campus changers), and the Fostering Achievement Network (FAN) for former foster youth, and how YOU can be a champion for all of them.
Location
Brutus Buckeye Room (3rd floor)
Presenters
Chaka A Wilson, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Kris Wethington, College of Arts and Sciences
Tookie Al-Damen, Student/RiSE ScholarThemes
Student engagement, Transition support
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The silent struggle of academic burnout in first-year students and what we can do session is full
Description
Academic burnout is a condition where students feel tired and display chronic stress due to academic demands, course load, feelings of incompetency, loneliness, and other psychological factors. It’s commonly found in universities and is often unaddressed as first-year students navigate through their college life. So how can you help first-years navigate college life and prevent burnout? We will share tips on what we can do to help prevent and manage student’s academic burnout.
Location
Great Hall Meeting Room 3 (1st floor)
Presenters
Minso Choi, Department of Educational Studies
Rachel Tuttle, Dennis Learning Center/Department of Educational Studies
Jackie von Spiegel, Dennis Learning CenterThemes
Academic support, Student engagement
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What your international students wish you knew
Description
What is it really like to be an international student at Ohio State? This session will cover the major areas of difference and challenge as compared to domestic students. We will discuss international students' experiences, unique regulations and restrictions, and top concerns. We will share feedback and direct input from international students to help staff around campus understand their perspective. Attendees will leave feeling more comfortable anticipating and addressing common international student concerns.
Location
Ohio Staters, Inc. Traditions Room (2nd floor)
Presenters
Devan Gibson, Office of International Affairs
Caroline Omolesky, Office of International AffairsTheme
Inclusive excellence
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Access for all: Promoting accessibility and inclusion
Description
In this session, we will explore promoting accessibility and principles of universal design and critical disability studies. By examining best practices and drawing from our practical experiences in coordinating accessibility services, attendees will learn how to provide inclusive experiences for individuals with disabilities in a variety of higher education settings. This session will provide practical takeaways for staff and faculty to implement accessibility strategies and to foster an inclusive environment.
Location
Great Hall Meeting Room 3 (1st floor)
Presenters
Warren Lor, Student Life Disability Services
Caity McCandless, Student Life Disability Services
Lauren Rose Strand, Student Life Disability ServicesThemes
Academic support, Inclusive excellence, Student engagement
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Buckeyes Start Strong: The challenge of late admissions to retention
Description
Buckeyes Start Strong is a program at Ohio State Newark to support first year students who enroll for fall semester at the last orientation or during the first week of classes. Since current policy allows students to apply via the late application (opens mid-July) and enroll no later than the last Friday of the first week of fall semester, the Office of Retention and Student Success Initiatives created this program to support those students in succeeding throughout the semester. In this session, you will learn about this program, how it's run and the outcomes since its genesis (2021-present). This presentation will, hopefully, inspire you to think even more critically about different ways to support students, especially this cohort, on your campus.
Location
Cartoon Room 2 (3rd floor)
Presenter
Stefanie Negron, Retention and Student Success Initiatives
Themes
Academic support, Retention/enrollment management
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Building foundations: How hall directors shape the college experience
Description
Hall Directors and Assistant Hall Directors play a crucial role in the experience of on-campus, first-year students. Through personal anecdotes and time studies, this presentation will analyze how in-hall staff allocate their time and how their roles adapt to meet the changing needs of students. This includes the day-to-day and behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating thriving residential communities. By highlighting the significance of these positions, we will demonstrate their contributions to the overall student experience and their potential for collaboration with other campus departments.
Location
Rosa Ailabouni Room (3rd floor)
Presenters
Shantrice Bradley, Housing and Residence Education
Brianna Langs, Housing and Resicence Education
Elise Nelson, Housing and Resicence Education
Quantazia Merchant, Housing and Resicence EducationThemes
Leadership skills/career competencies, Student engagement
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Enhancing student engagement and retention in critical conversations
Description
Preparing students for success requires efficient communication of oftentimes complicated information. Join staff from Global Education in the Office of International Affairs as we explore methods of sharing complex information in an accessible and engaging manner to promote student retention of critical concepts.
Location
Barbie Tootle Room (3rd floor)
Presenters
Kyle Sturges, Office of International Affairs, Global Education
Kennedy Sepsi, Office of International Affairs, Global EducationThemes
Inclusive excellence, Leadership skills/career competencies, Retention/enrollment management, Student engagement
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GENED 2601: (Connecting) connections for transfer students
Description
In Autumn 2024, the General Education Bookends program introduced a course specifically for transfer students. In this session, we will share an overview of the Connection Seminar and how it complements other campus resources and supports transfer students. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the purpose and approach of the Connection Seminar, how it connects transfer students and university partners, and how to support transfer students in their own roles.
Location
Ohio Staters, Inc. Traditions Room (2nd floor)
Presenters
DeeDee Cruz, GE Bookends
Beth Black, University Libraries Jackie von Spiegel, Dennis Learning CenterThemes
Academic Support, Instruction/Pedagogy
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Learning on the move: 21st century tips for crafting intentional educational road trips
Description
Experiential learning remains a powerful educational tool for providing students with hands-on ways to connect the classroom with the real world. Intentionally crafted, off-campus learning opportunities take scholarship "on the road" by engaging participants in more in-depth opportunities to make applied and intellectual links between theory and practice. This session will explore how AI, problem-based learning, and curricular-based design can help facilitators provide relevant, exploratory, thought-provoking educational road trip experiences.
Location
Brutus Buckeye Room (3rd floor)
Presenter
Julius Mayo, Student Life- Housing and Residence Education
Themes
Instruction/pedagogy, Student engagement
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Like peas in a pod: Small group interactions in a first-year survey course
Description
The ASC (Arts and Sciences) Honors Peer Mentor Program provides survey students the opportunity to engage with older honors mentors. These students are trained to assist with the transition to college by providing examples, resources and support. This year, by returning mentor request, we developed a new small group interaction component ("pods") within the survey setting. This presentation will discuss this model, presenting supporting research and modeling engagement and will include a panel of our Peer Mentors.
Location
Senate Chamber (2nd floor)
Presenters
Joanna Spanos, College of Arts and Sciences Honors Advising
Emma Traylor, College of Arts and Sciences Honors
Samantha Zimmerman , College of Arts and Sciences HonorsThemes
Academic advising, Student engagement
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More than just pizza: Starting the student experience session is full
Description
Academic preparation, social/personal engagement, mental health concerns, and local and world issues are just some of the difficulties students are experiencing when they arrive on campus. Higher education professionals need to prepare for the challenges and opportunities this cohort presents. This presentation will discuss how we need to reexamine the critical “First 6 Weeks” and provide a new approach in meeting the needs of today’s students.
Location
U.S. Bank Conference Theatre (1st floor)
Presenters
Xavier De Freitas, Housing and Residence Education
Rebecca Kapusta, Housing and Residence Education
Dani Rodriguez Pacheco, Housing and Residence Education
Cianna Agosto Tillman, Housing and Residence EducationTheme
Student engagement
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The syllabus as a constitution: Setting expectations for an inclusive classroom
Description
You may have heard of the framework “the syllabus as a contract." This has its merits but can challenge student sense of belonging and reinforce power disparities. In this interactive session, we will expand on the framework to use the syllabus as a tool to set expectations for an inclusive classroom. We will explore strategies for using the syllabus as a living constitution. Participants will identify ways to implement changes to syllabi and course materials.
Location
Student Alumni Council Room (2nd floor)
Presenters
Audrey Harlyn, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
Erin Mercurio, Drake Institute for Teaching and LearningThemes
Inclusive excellence, Instruction/pedagogy
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Using active learning strategies to engage first-year students in the classroom
Description
Most instructors who teach first-year students have experienced the blank stares and silence that can pervade a first-year classroom. This session will provide participants with active learning strategies that encourage students to engage, think, connect, and, maybe even, have a little fun! Come experience some active learning with us and then reflect on how you might utilize the strategies in your own classroom!
Location
Interfaith Room (3rd floor)
Presenter
Vicki Pitstick, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
Themes
Instruction/pedagogy, Student engagement
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What and why am I reading? First-year students’ college goals vis-à-vis reading interest
Description
The Atlantic shared how college students admitted that they had never been required to read an entire book before. With reading as a required skill for college success, are our students interested in reading at all? Analyzing a student-determined reading task as the anchor of goal-setting in our learning-to-learn course, I aim to share first-year students’ goals and experiences related to reading interest and what we can do to encourage and support them academically.
Location
Great Hall Meeting Room 1 (1st floor)
Presenters
Ionell Terogo, Department of Educational Studies
Rachel Tuttle, Dennis Learning Center/Department of Educational StudiesThemes
Academic support, Student engagement
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AI teaching strategies: Having transparent conversations with first-year students
Description
First-year students enter Ohio State with varying familiarity with higher education norms and experience with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). During this interactive session, participants will discuss the efficacy of using the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework with first-year students. They will also try and reflect on GenAI prompting approaches and consider strategies for engaging students in an authentic dialogue about learning with and about AI.
Location
Cartoon Room 1 (3rd floor)
Presenters
Larry Hurtubise, Drake Institute
Shari Beck, Digital Learning/Office of Technology and Digital Innovation
Jane Hammons, University Libraries
Chris Manion , Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing
Jennifer Whetstone, Committee on Academic MisconductThemes
Instruction/pedagogy, Student engagement
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ASSIST: Academic Support Services that Inspire Students to Thrive
Description
Meet the ASSIST team at Ohio State! We represent academic support services and will tell you about our services, who can use them and how they work. Hear from the Writing Center, Dennis Learning Center, Disability Services, Mathematics and Statistics Learning Center, Peer Tutoring Program and University Libraries.
Location
U.S. Bank Conference Theatre (1st floor)
Presenters
Carolyn Johns, College of Arts and Sciences, Mathematics
Jackie von Spiegel, Dennis Learning Center
Allison Kranek, College of Arts and Sciences/Center for Study of Teaching and Writing
Kelly Bonice, Student Life Disability Services
Stephanie Founds, University Libraries
Shannon Mullally, Housing and ResidenceTheme
Academic support
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Common Carmen questions new students ask I.T.
Description
Have students ever asked you questions about Carmen? New students seek support from staff with whom they feel comfortable — sometimes that means their academic advisor, Student Life staff, residence hall staff, Survey or Launch instructor and more! This session arms you with answers to the most common Carmen questions received from students. You'll even get a sneak peek into the questions that the Carmen Team WISHES students would ask!
Location
Great Hall Meeting Room 3 (1st floor)
Presenters
Max Gulick, OTDI Learning Systems
Richard Henricksen, OTDI Learning SystemsThemes
Instruction/pedagogy, Technology
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Create welcoming spaces: Supporting first-year multicultural and multilingual students
Description
How do we create a university setting in which multilingual, multicultural students can thrive from day one? It starts in your office, your classroom, your Zoom room. This breakout session will offer practical and realistic strategies to make your spaces more welcoming and more accessible. Throughout, participants will engage in small group discussion and large group sharing, contextualizing for their own setting, whether it be classroom or student/academic services.
Location
Ohio Staters, Inc. Traditions Room (2nd floor)
Presenter
Elizabeth Osbourne, Intercultural English Language Programs
Themes
Instruction/pedagogy, Technology
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First-years teaching first-years: New GTA training for English 1110 instructors
Description
Each autumn, hundreds of new first-year students (NFYS) take English 1110, taught by GTAs who are often first-year graduate students and first-time instructors. In this presentation, we share how we prepare these new instructors in our weeklong August Workshop and offer insights from GTA reflections about their experiences as first-year GTAs and grad students teaching NFYS. At the core of our approach is helping new instructors understand and support their NFYS, which includes encouraging them to build a colleague network with fellow GTAs.
Location
Tanya Rutner Room
Presenters
Michelle Gabay, Department of English
Scott DeWitt, Department of English/Writing and Information Literacy Program
Ashleigh Hardin, Department of English/Writing and Information Literacy Program
Zaira Girala Munoz, Department of EnglishThemes
Instruction/pedagogy
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It's Lit: A review of recent books related to first-year students
Description
Join avid reader and lifelong learner Nicole as she shares her picks and pans of 10 recent books (published in the last five years) related to higher education. Nicole will share a high-level summary, major takeaways, relevancy to first-year students and her personal rating (1-5 stars) for each book to help you make an informed decision about what you may (or may not) want to read in support of your work with college students!
Location
Brutus Buckeye Room (3rd floor)
Presenter
Nicole Craven, First Year Experience
Themes
Academic support, Student Engagement
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Living, learning, leadership: What’s in it for me?
Description
This session will delve into the benefits of incentivizing participation and adding structure, fostering a more dynamic and cohesive student community guided by lessons learned from the John Glenn Civic Leadership Community. Attendees will gain practical insights and methods to motivate their students, implement effective frameworks and ultimately create a supportive environment that promotes both personal and professional growth. Join us to discover how you can make a lasting impact on your students' leadership journeys!
Location
Cartoon Room 2 (3rd floor)
Presenter
Sydney Rubin, John Glenn College of Public Affairs
Themes
Leadership skills/career competencies, Student engagement
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More than just a registration lock: Stopout outreach program designed to support students individually through the re-enrollment process
Description
Why do so many students not enroll in classes for the following semester when their enrollment windows open? Some have registration holds; however, for many, the barriers extend beyond this. A long established stopout outreach program on the Newark Campus finds success in assisting 50 to 60% of stopout students with re-enrolling at Ohio State each semester through unique and personalized outreach measures - an initiative that continues to support positive retention rates one student at a time.
Location
Great Hall Meeting Room 1 (1st floor)
Presenter
Jamie White, Office of Retention and Student Success Initiatives
Themes
Retention/enrollment management
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Neurodiversity Awareness in Faculty Initiative (NAFI)
Description
NAFI is a student-initiated training program that aims to increase awareness about neurodivergence and provide strategies to improve inclusive pedagogy. This interactive presentation, facilitated by undergraduate STEM scholars, will serve as a professional development session for anyone interested in enhancing accessible academic settings and advancing a neuroinclusive campus culture. Attendees will learn about: (1) Definitions of neurodiversity; (2) Individual learning needs; and (3) Creating accessible education. Presenters will engage attendees through assessments, discussions and feedback.
Location
Senate Chamber (2nd floor)
Presenters
Andrew Buck, Nisonger Center
Karen Krainz Edison, Nisonger Center
Panel of studentsThemes
Inclusive excellence, Instruction/pedagogy
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Stronger together: How advisors can utilize Launch curriculum to develop students’ academic identity
Description
While it can sometimes feel like advisors just schedule classes, Craig McGill (2021) states that the purpose of academic advising is “the formulation of a student’s academic identity.” Interestingly, this is also one of the primary objectives of GenEd 1201. Join us to gain a better understanding of the purpose of Launch as we showcase how advisors can leverage the Launch curriculum to work collaboratively with students in creating their own academic identity.
Location
Student Alumni Council Room (2nd floor)
Presenters
M. Renee Benham, College of Social Work
Niki Jaburek, Undergraduate Education/General EducationThemes
Academic advising, Instruction/pedagogy
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This is how we do it: Finish Line — a program-wide course recovery initiative
Description
What if, rather than instructors individually managing student incompletes, a supportive department-wide program handled them? Imagine a program that not only coordinated incompletes, but also provided layered support to help students complete assignments and develop skills like time management, motivation and other strategies to overcome academic challenges. Over the period of three semesters, the GE Bookends Finish Line Program has helped over 200 students remedy their incompletes and stay on track for success.
Location
Rosa Ailabouni Room (3rd floor)
Presenters
Chelsea Ratell, GE Bookends Program — Undergraduate Education
Amy Soter, GE Bookends ProgramThemes
Academic support, Retention/enrollment management