Office of Student Life

In a Nutshell: October 27, 2022

October 27, 2022

Dear Partners in Student Success, 

Autumn has clearly fallen here at Ohio State, and I hope the year is going well for you and all the students you serve. As we forge forward through the last half of autumn semester, I hope you find the following information helpful. Please feel free to share with others, including students who may be interested. 

What’s in this edition: 

  • Recognition for OSU Votes 
  • Center for Belonging and Social Change  
  • Contribute to the Career Closet  
  • STEP Expo 
  • Staff Update  
  • Academic Enrichment Grants  
  • Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities 
  • BuckeyeThon Dance Marathon  
  • Naloxone 

 

Recognition for OSU Votes 

Ohio State has made Washington Monthly’s honor roll for their 2022 Best Colleges for Student Voting report. To make the list, schools need to show a repeated commitment to increasing student registration/voting and report the results. More information is online. OSU Votes, Student Life’s student-led non-partisan civic engagement cohort, has played a big role in making that happen, and is looking to get all eligible Buckeyes voting this fall. OSU Votes leads workshops for students and does tabling at events to help register students. For more information, visit go.osu.edu/OSUVotes. 

 

Center for Belonging and Social Change    

Student Life has brought together the Multicultural Center (MCC) and the Social Change program under the Center for Belonging and Social Change (CBSC). This new structure allows us to activate the clear synergies that have existed between the MCC and the Social Change program, while providing new and relevant support services to the campus community. At the center of this transition is growing our collective ability to influence and drive a sense of belonging and the outcomes achieved through social change, on campus and in the communities we serve. The director of the CBSC is Dr. Aliya Beavers, and she would be happy to talk more with you about ways the team can support and partner with you.  

 

Contribute to the Career Closet 

Student Life’s Buckeye Careers team is seeking donations of gently used, business attire for their Career Closet. The Career Closet helps students find professional clothing items, free of charge, so they can feel confident in interviews and dress for success as they start their career. All business professional attire, in all sizes, is currently in need, including shoes and ties. Donations can be dropped off at the Younkin Success Center front desk or contact Kristen Hill.592 to arrange pick up. 

 

STEP Expo 

The Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP) is hosting its bi-annual Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston STEP Expo on Thursday, November 10, in the Ohio Union’s Archie M. Griffin Ballroom.  Students will be displaying posters highlighting their STEP Signature Projects and the academic, professional and personal transformations they’ve experienced as a result of their engagement.  More than 1,000 students will be presenting throughout six hour-long sessions beginning at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. We invite you to serve as a reviewer at one or more of these sessions. Reviewers engage with a handful of student presenters in reflective conversations about their projects without a formal evaluative component. If you’re interested in volunteering, you can submit your availability at go.osu.edu/ExpoVolunteer. Contact step@osu.edu with any questions. 

 

Staff Update 

Many of you have worked with Student Life’s Beth Fines, Program Director for STEP and Strategic Student Initiatives, throughout her ten years here at Ohio State. Beth is leaving to become Managing Director of the Innovation Hub at Purdue University. Her last day here will be Friday, October 28, and she will be greatly missed. We will conduct a national search for Beth's replacement; in the meantime, please contact Dr. Anne McDaniel.145 with questions or requests you would otherwise have sent to Beth.  

 

Academic Enrichment Grants  

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) is offering Academic Enrichment Grants, providing up to $1,200 to students to help fund a project related to their academic field. USG says applications will be primarily evaluated on how strongly the student can correlate their proposed experience to their stated learning goals and their field of study. Applications close on Tuesday, November 1, at 11:59 p.m. More information is online.  

 

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities 

The State of Ohio has announced a new program to provide all eligible college students with disabilities up to $1,000 ($500 per semester) while participating in Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) services, to be used for tuition or educational expenses during the 2022-2023 school year. To qualify for this financial support, Ohio State students with disabilities must apply and be eligible for OOD services. The student and family must also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. More information is online. With questions, contact Ohio State’s College 2 Careers Counselor Cyndi Mignone at Cyndi.mignone@ood.ohio.gov    

 

BuckeyeThon Dance Marathon 

BuckeyeThon is the largest student-run philanthropy in the state of Ohio which raises funds and awareness for the Hematology, Oncology and Bone & Marrow Transplant Unit at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Students who support this organization work year-round to support the families and kids being treated at the hospital both emotionally and financially. BuckeyeThon’s Dance Marathon is an annual celebration of the continued fundraising that the students have done for the year. This year’s Dance Marathon will take place on Friday and Saturday, November 4 and 5, in the Ohio Union. Any donation is welcome, and thank you for your support. 

 

Naloxone 

The Student Life Student Wellness Center, in partnership with the College of Public Health and the Wexner Medical Center, is providing naloxone training to all students, staff and faculty. Participants will learn how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose, administer the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone and concepts of harm reduction. Register online at go.osu.edu/carrynaloxone.  

 

 

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD 

Senior Vice President for Student Life  
The Ohio State University