Office of Student Life

In a Nutshell

October 29, 2024

Dear Partners in Student Success, 

The semester is more than half over, and I hope it has gone well for you. As always, thank you very much for your partnership and your commitment to providing Ohio State students with opportunities to engage, learn and thrive throughout their time here, and beyond. 

Here are some news and notes from around Student Life that you may find helpful.  

  • Career Closet Donations 

  • Wellness Assessment

  • Student Advocacy Mental Health Grants 

  • Election Stress 

  • Greek Shriek! 

  • National First-Generation Celebration 

  • Dining Services Survey 

  • Food Trucks 

 

Career Closet Donations
Student Life wants to ensure that every Buckeye has access to professional attire so they can dress comfortably and confidently for job interviews, internships and networking events. We are collecting professional clothing and accessories for the student Career Closet Pop-Up event on January 14. Career Closet will soon be part of the new Monda Student Resource Center set to open in the coming months. All gently used professional clothing must be ready to wear, meaning laundered or dry-cleaned and not needing repair. Suggested donation items can be found online. Email Kristen Hill at hill.592@osu.edu to coordinate a clothing drop-off at the Younkin Success Center.

Wellness Assessment
Student Life is collecting data via the Wellness Assessment, which focuses on students’ well-being needs. By encouraging students to participate, you are helping collect data that informs both Student Life and Academic Affairs about the well-being needs of the Ohio State student community. This information will assist in determining where to devote time, attention and resources to best support students on their wellness journeys. Please direct students to go.osu.edu/WA to complete the assessment. All students who complete the Wellness Assessment during October will be entered to win prizes like BuckID Cash and retail gift cards. Wellness Assessment promotional materials and presentation requests can be made by contacting Adrienne Wilson at wilson.2313@osu.edu.

Student Advocacy Mental Health Grants
One of the most frequently cited barriers to college students seeking mental health support is concern about finances. The Student Advocacy Center offers a Mental Health Care Grant which provides up to $2,000 to currently enrolled students (including grad and professional!) for costs associated with mental health care, such as appointment copays, prescriptions and transportation. More information is online.

Election Stress 
Many college students feel passionate about social and political issues. At the same time, current events, including elections, come with unique stressors. While there is no one skill that eliminates all stress, Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service can help students who need support. You can find online a comprehensive list of resources for support and ways to engage on campus.

Greek Shriek! 
Student Life’s Sorority and Fraternity Life community will celebrate the 6th Annual Greek Shriek!, a Halloween and fall festival, on Wednesday, October 30, from 5-7 p.m. on the South Oval. Ohio State faculty and staff with their families and community members are invited. Guests are encouraged to wear costumes. Activities include bounce houses, games, trick or treating, pumpkin decorating, face painting, photos, arts and crafts and an appearance by Brutus Buckeye! Please RSVP online for Greek Shriek at https://go.osu.edu/greekshriek.

National First-Generation Celebration
You’re invited to join in the National First-Generation Celebration on Friday, November 8. Throughout the day we will be celebrating the unique experiences of Ohio State community members who identify as First-Generation. Giveaways and treats will be distributed from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Center for Belonging and Social Change (Ohio Union – first floor), Hale Hall and the Student Academic Services Building. Then at 1:15 p.m. all First-Gen students, faculty and staff can take part in a celebratory photo on the South Oval.

Dining Services Survey 
Share your thoughts about Student Life Dining Services in a confidential customer satisfaction benchmarking survey. The feedback from students, faculty and staff will be used for comparison of performance with similar universities. Participation is voluntary, anonymous and you may withdraw at any time without penalty. The survey is administered by an independent research firm and should take less than 10 minutes. Take the Dining survey online. If you have questions, please email dining@osu.edu.  

Food Trucks 
Try something new for lunch and check out one of the Student Life Dining Services partners’ food trucks parked on campus. Food truck vendors working with Dining Services include Pitabilities, Dos Hermanos, Paddy Wagon, Iron Grill, Barrios Tacos, Funnel Cake Station, Yats Cajun Creole, MediterraneYUM and Donna’s Delicious Dozen, as well as Dining’s own Thyme and Change trucks. Order through the GrubHub app. You can find the full schedule and list of food truck locations on GrubHub or the Dining Services website.

As always, colleagues, thank you for your partnership and support of Ohio State students. 

 

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD    

President for Student Life    
The Ohio State University