Today's Update: Setting the Stage for Success

August 20, 2026

Dear Student Life, 

Amid all the flurry of activity happening on campus right now, it's important that we take a moment to reflect on what we are really doing. 

Yes, we're getting students moved into our residence halls, preparing for Welcome Week and so much more that happens at the start of each academic year. Yet all of that is rooted in our mission this time of year: to set the stage for academic success for all of our students. 

Our job is Student Life in to roll out the Scarlet carpet to ensure that students get off on the right foot as they start – or continue – their Buckeye journey.  

I had the pleasuse of discussing our efforts with the members of the Board of Trustees Academic Affairs, Research and Student Life committee this afternoon, stressing that getting off to the right start matters for student success. I was joined by a remarkable student, Jack Swartley, a junior finance major from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, who talked about the incredible ways Jack is making an impact on campus and in the community. 

We are proud to partner with our colleagues in Academic Affairs, the colleges and throughout the entire enterprise to ensure a solid and consistent support structure that leads to retention, persistence, career development and, of course, graduation. 

Research consistently identifies the first six weeks of college as one of the most critical periods for student success. During this time, students establish connections, develop a sense of community, create habits and early study skills, and engage with campus resources - factors that are strongly linked to retention, academic achievement and overall well-being. 

Longitudinal research conducted by the Center for the Study of Student Life finds this to be true. They are following a cohort of our residential students through their academic journey.  

The research finds that having strong social interactions – both in terms of the number of interactions and quality of interactions - and feeling a sense of community in the first six weeks of the semester is strongly associated with increased feelings of student satisfaction and a sense of community; and decreased loneliness by mid-semester. 

This is why Student Life takes an intentional, research-informed approach to the opening weeks of the academic year.  

Our goal is not simply to host events. Our goal is to create early points of connection that build community, reinforce expectations and introduce students to the resources that support their success. 

Whatever your tasks this time of year, the impact you are making at the beginning of the academic year on student success is real. And that is a Scarlet and Great mission.  

 

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD      
Senior Vice President for Student Life       
The Ohio State University