Today's Update: Monday, March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Dear Student Life team, 

Every spring, universities across the country join together to celebrate our graduate and professional students to let them know how much we appreciate all they do.

It was started in 1993 by the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students as a way to honor their contributions and impact on college campuses. I am proud to add my voice to those saluting them.  

Several events are planned in the coming days to acknowledge and express gratitude for the efforts and contributions of Ohio State graduate and professional students, presented by the Council of Graduate Students, Inter Professional Council and Ohio Union Activities Board Grad/Prof Committee. 

Events planned include Dinner and a Show Wednesday evening, a Relaxation Station in the Ohio Union on Thursday, April 3, and a special Night at the Museum at the Columbus Museum of Art on Friday, April 4. Monday, April 7, is Donuts with the Deans from 9-11 a.m. in the Graduate School lobby on the second floor of University Hall.  

I want to especially express my gratitude to our Student Life Graduate Teaching and Research Associates, known as GAs. We are fortunate to have several dozen GA’s each year working across Student Life, and it’s no exaggeration to say they are each integral to our operations.  

Our GAs combine the lessons they learn in the classroom with the skills they obtain working in a real-world environment, setting them, and us, up for success for years to come.  

I hope you take a moment to stop and appreciate the graduate and professional students in your life. Write them a note, take them for coffee or simply say thank you. We could not do what we do in Student Life without the contributions of our graduate and professional students. We learn from our GAs as much as they learn from us, and we should all be Scarlet and Grateful for the many ways they help the Ohio State community thrive.   

  

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD  

Senior Vice President for Student Life  
The Ohio State University