Office of Student Life

In a Nutshell: September 2023

September 26, 2023

Dear Partner in Student Success,  

I hope your fall semester is going well. Please know that the Student Life team and I are here to help and support you and students across the university. See below for a few updates and bits of information:   
 
In this issue: 

  • Nutrition 
  • Leadership Week 
  • Hazing Prevention 
  • Buck-I-SERV 
  • Big Table 
  • Dining with the Deans 
  • Sustainability  
  • Safety  
  • RECESS 

 

Nutrition 
The Student Life Student Wellness Center is offering a virtual nutrition presentation series this fall for students, faculty and staff. Topics to be covered include intuitive eating, weight stigma, weight loss drugs, nutrition for ADHD and more. The series will run from now through November. For more information and to register, visit go.osu.edu/NutritionPresentations. 

Leadership Week 
Leadership Week 2023 is Oct. 2 – 6. Students can build their leadership skills with various programs, workshops, free lunch-and-learns and resources offered throughout campus. Students  will also be entered to win one of several gift card incentives for attending sessions and can be gold or silver certified for attending multiple sessions. Sessions are open to all students from all campuses. Please visit go.osu.edu/LeadershipWeek for more information and reach out to wagner.1476@osu.edu for questions. 

Hazing Prevention 
National Hazing Prevention Week will be observed Sept. 25 – 29. Part of the university’s commitment to promoting a safe and healthy campus environment, the objective is to educate students on the importance of hazing prevention, promote healthy alternatives to hazing and empower students to stand up against hazing. The university has zero tolerance for hazing and members of the university community have the right to be free from all forms of hazing. There will be events all week to create a supportive and inclusive environment and to help everyone feel included and safe within our community. More information, including a list of events, is online. 

Buck-I-SERV   
The Office of Student Life’s Buck-I-SERV Alternative Break program is currently seeking trip advisors for winter break domestic trips. Buck-I-SERV provides participants with week-long, substance free service trips focused on social change. Winter trips will travel from Dec. 15 – 22, 2023. Advisors can be faculty, staff, graduate students or professional students. Trip advisors provide support and mentorship to student participants and leaders. Serving as an instrumental resource during alternative break experiences, advisors incur no participant fees, and no previous experience is necessary. Learn more about the trip advisor role and submit an application online. Applications will be accepted until Oct. 1, Please contact Buck-I-Serv@osu.edu for more information. 

Big Table 
Social connections are vital to our mental and physical health, and you are invited to join Student Life at The Big Table. The event will feature small group discussions of the importance of community connections, the danger in our country’s increasing levels of loneliness, how can we work together to re-energize and strengthen a sense of community and examples of intervention strategies can we learn from each other to put into practice now. Part of the Columbus Foundation’s Big Table initiative, the event will take place Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 10:30 a.m. – noon in the Ohio Union Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom. You can RSVP online. 

Dining with the Deans  
Dean of Students Dr. Danny Glassmann meets regularly with interested students for a program called Dining with the Dean. All students who sign up are welcome. He and his team make themselves available at lunch to discuss students’ thoughts, challenges, goals, concerns or whatever they want to talk about. Fall semester events will take place at Sloopy’s in the Ohio Union on Wednesday, Oct. 4, and Tuesday, Nov. 14. More information about Dining with the Deans is online.  

Sustainability 
Student Life partnered with the City of Columbus last month to help students, moving in or out of the University District, dispose of unwanted items. Columbus put in extra trash dumpsters and recycling bins, and furniture items were collected by the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio. The project resulted in nearly 23 tons of material recycled and more than 1,300 tons of trash collected.  

Safety   
Student Life’s Willie J. Young Sr. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement offers complementary personal safety alarms to Ohio State students, that, when triggered, create a loud noise that can be heard a couple hundred feet way. The devices are small and lightweight, perfect for a keychain or backpack. Also available are complimentary home safety devices, including door and window alarms, as well as smart plugs that can turn lights on or off remotely. Students can collect their devices by stopping by their office (3106 Ohio Union) Monday-Friday, 8 – 5 p.m. 

RECESS  
As the semester reaches its midpoint, it's important for students to pause and find a moment to relax and recharge. Student Life's Counseling and Consultation Service is promoting mindful play this season to enhance mental well-being. RECESS, taking place on Tuesday, Oct 10, on the South Oval, encourages students and adults to embrace play for creativity, stress relief and resilience. More information about RECESS is online.  

Have a Scarlet and Great semester, colleagues!  


Melissa S. Shivers, PhD   

Senior Vice President for Student Life   
The Ohio State University