Office of Student Life

In a Nutshell: July 27, 2023

July 27, 2023

Dear Partners in Student Success,  

I don’t know how it is for you, but to me it feels like this summer is flying by. It’s hard to believe we are just a few short weeks away from the start of the new academic year, and I am so excited for our campuses to come alive with excitement and new energy! Here are a few updates and bits of information I hope you find helpful as we ramp up for autumn.  

In this issue.... 

  • Move-In 
  • Welcome Week 
  • Free recreation week 
  • Graduation survey 
  • Mental health and well-being workshops 
  • Voter education 
  • Kindness program  
  • Save the Date: University-wide Career and Internship Fair 

 
Move-In     

Move-In for students living in our Columbus campus residence halls officially begins on Wednesday, Aug. 16, and runs through Saturday Aug. 19. With this, and other events on campus in August, there will be road closures, heavy traffic, travel and bus service delays and increased demand for parking, as well as greater pedestrian traffic. Be sure to plan ahead, allow additional time and follow the directions of traffic officials. And if you’d like to help out with Move-In, which takes literally hundreds of working shifts, sign up at go.osu.edu/moveinassistance2023. I’d love to see you there! 

 

Welcome Week 
As always, Student Life and partners across our campuses put on a number of special events for Welcome Week as we roll out the scarlet carpet for new and returning students. The Student Involvement Fair, Buckeye Kickoff, Wipe-Out and more are all on the schedule. Of special note this year is the return of Buck-I-Frenzy for the first time since 2019. For the uninitiated, Buck-i-Frenzy is a lifestyle festival featuring select local and national companies on hand to offer samples of the latest products, services, fashions, sounds, technology and food, all for free. Free stuff is a big draw with students! See more on the Welcome Week website.  

 

Free Rec 
Student Life Recreational Sports is hosting Free Week for Ohio State faculty and staff July 31–August 6, 2023. All facilities, including the Aquatic Center and the outdoor parks, are available for faculty and staff recreation during regular operating hours. Group fitness classes and family hours will also be available to Free Week participants. Learn more and sign up for Free Week here. 

 

Graduation Survey 
The Ohio State Graduation Survey, administered by the Center for the Study of Student Life, asks summer 2023 graduates about their experiences at Ohio State. The survey has been emailed to students and will close on Aug. 8. Please encourage graduating students you know to complete the survey. The valuable feedback will help enhance the iconic student experience for future Buckeyes. For more information, please visit go.osu.edu/grad-survey. Feel free to contact sl-surveys@osu.edu with any questions. 

 

Mental health and well-being 
Planning for fall programming? Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS) offers a Mental Health and Well-being Overview that can be tailored to your group and facilitated by a CCS clinician. The objectives of this session are designed to conceptualize student mental health and well-being, identify a wide variety of support resources and create a plan for prevention. More information is online. 

 

Voting     
As Ohio prepares for busy election cycles over the next two years, OSU Votes, a non-partisan Student Life led program, provides a variety of information and resources for students to educate themselves about elections, voter registration processes or how to be civically engaged. More information is available on the OSU Votes website. If you are interested in engaging with OSU Votes and Student Life’s Civic Engagement Leadership Coalition, you can sign up online.    

 

Kindness 

Student Life is working with the Columbus Foundation’s Center for HumanKindness on a program called Kindness Close To Home to promote connectivity through central Ohio neighborhoods. The program, which will also be promoted to students this fall, offers a free neighborhood kit to those willing to reach out to neighbors. Research shows that socially connected communities are healthier, more trusting, safer and more prosperous. More information is online. 

 

Save the Date 

Save the date for the annual University-Wide Fall Career and Internship Fair, in person, on Wednesday, September 13, at the Ohio Union. Please encourage students to prepare for and attend this important event. 

 

Once again, thank you so much for your support and dedication to students at The Ohio State University. I’ll be back next month with more news and information In a Nutshell.   

  

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD  

Senior Vice President for Student Life  
The Ohio State University