Office of
First Year Experience Programs

Impostor Syndrome—the belief that you are less competent than your peers and somehow "faking it"—is felt by more than 80 percent of college students. In this session, we'll focus on ways to create positive student communities where students can address their fears head-on and embrace new challenges confidently.

Presenter: Carolyn Goerner, Aldi, Inc. Distinguished I-Core Clinical Professor, Management & Entrepreneurship, Kelley School of Business

First year students, especially those of this generation come to higher education with a different academic profile, a more diverse set of goals and concerns, and heightened expectations for themselves and their university. This session provides one model of how accomplishing the academic goals of an introductory course (S101: Social Problems & Policies: Medicine in America) can integrate active and experiential learning tied to contemporary issues on college campuses.

Presenter: Bernice Pescosolido, Distinguished Professor, Sociology

Lights! Music! Dancing! Many of our programs, particularly orientation, do a great job at sensory overload—but how do we help our students with neurodiversity needs navigate our programs more comfortably? Come hear how we developed a Sensory Guide to help students with varied needs make informed decisions about how they can participate in our programs and know what to expect prior to events. Hear from the orientation perspective on how to build programs that are more accessible and from a web developer on best practices to translate your content online.

Presenters: Virginia Cabrera, Senior Assistant Director of Orientation Programs, Purdue University and Max Dryer, Web Developer, Student Success Programs

During the pandemic, IU Corps had to shift student teamwork, student board engagement, and student community projects to a virtual format and opted try Microsoft Teams. It was a process of failing fast and learning from our mistakes, however in the middle of it all, we found our stride. Now, as we slowly transition back to our previous processes, we realized that we have not stopped using our virtual tools but expanded their use and application. Our new tools have allowed us to stay more connected, collaborate and share work efficiently both in and beyond our office, and operate in real time more so than before. Join this session for a show and tell of how IU Corps uses Microsoft Teams and its companion apps to engage students and teams with modern tools that align with their preferred communication and work styles.

Presenter: Cassi Winslow-Edmonson, Director, IU Corps

Hear from a panel of Asian American and Pacific Islander first and second year students sharing their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilitators: Melanie Castillo-Cullather, Director, IU Asian Culture Center and Sarah Stamey, Program Associate, IU Asian Culture Center

The Indiana University Excellence Academy is a comprehensive developmental program focused on the overall personal growth of IU student-athletes. This session will share how departmental tenets are woven together to create an exceptional college experience while preparing them for an outstanding life after college.

Presenters: Mattie White, Deputy Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator and Lisa Winters, Director of Leadership and Life Skills

Learn about the technology tools available to Staff at IU. Attendees will get a brief overview of software and resources to help make their work more efficient.

Presenters: Tom Mason, Principal IT Training Consultant and April Law, IT Training Specialist, UITS DEPI IT Training

Attendees will learn about the Power Conscious Theoretical Model and how it can be used in accountability conversations between students and faculty or staff where clear power dynamics exist. Acknowledging and making space to work through these dynamics can aid in the end-goal of an accountability conversation: student learning and development.

Presenter: Libby Spotts, Senior Associate Dean and Director

The IU Bloomington campus has been tasked with identifying multifaceted approaches to wellness that currently exist or are recommended. Upon completion of identifying various strategies for wellness, a user-friendly platform will be created that allows for easy access to various wellness program, services and resources. Wellness has been defined broadly and includes culture, identities, financial and other areas that contribute to the whole student.

Presenter: Denise Hayes, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Provost for Student Affairs, Director Counseling and Psychological Services

What is it like to leave your home and travel to a new country to pursue a degree in higher education? What is it like to be an international student on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University? International students have a unique experience on our campus in relation to academics, student life, and community engagement. Participate in this session, and you will hear from a student panel about what it means to be an international student at Indiana University Bloomington.

Facilitator: Adlin Iskandar, International Student Life Practicum student, Office of International Services

Student Central is Indiana University Bloomington’s one stop offering student services for financial aid, student accounts and student records. Through our interactions we have found most of our contacts come from the subject of financial aid. Students become confused by their financial aid awards, especially when there is a change. Therefore, we decided to seek a modification to plug the new award vs. old award data in the actual electronic financial aid notification that are sent to students when their financial aid award changes. The Financial Aid Student Tracker (FAST) was developed by Student Central to give students more insight into what their current aid package looks like and how we got there. Since launching FAST, it has become a dominant resource for students and staff to use when discussing financial aid award changes.

Presenters: Melissa Myers, Senior Associate Director, Office of Student Financial Assistance and Megan Walton, Senior Associate Director, Student Central

Do you wonder what substances students are using and how frequently? What to do if you suspect substance use is causing student problems? What services we have on campus to help students? Learn about substance use intervention services and how we help students be successful, including the collegiate recovery community and the coalition on substance use.

Presenter: Heather Barrett, Director, Substance Use Intervention Programs

IU Libraries has always played a large part in students’ search for academic information, but as highly collaborative spaces filled with shared services, the Libraries can help first year students develop critical information seeking skills that transfer to other areas of campus and student life. This session will outline how the IU Libraries contribute to first year student success and campus community building by creating a community of place, a community of interest, and a community of practice, reflecting on what we have learned along the way and looking toward future innovative services and collaborative efforts to bring students and campus partners together in new forms of research and scholarship.

Presenters: Mike Courtney, Outreach & Engagement Librarian, IU Libraries and Meredith Knoff, Learning Commons Librarian, Libraries

As our world and everything we knew about our work flipped upside down, our approach to new student recruitment had to quickly adapt. In this session, representatives from the Office of Admissions and the Office of International Admissions will share examples of different tactics that were taken to help prospective domestic and international students stay on their path to college and specifically to IU. We’ll look at enrollment trends between 2020 and 2021 and share information from research partners regarding the mindsets of these enrolling students. We’ll also glimpse into future terms and give examples of how our approach to recruitment and enrollment must and will continue to evolve. And as, learning agility and unwavering curiosity remain ever critical competencies in our ability to be proactive in such a changing landscape, we will invite participants to share observations and strategies from their own work.

Presenters: Rachel Salinas, Director of International Admissions, Office of International Services and Sacha Thieme, Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director of Admissions, Office of Enrollment Management

Did you know that IU Mobile has different features for different users? Join us for a walkthrough of the IU Mobile features that students use the most, with a specific focus on a feature for new students that was developed in partnership with the Bloomington FYE Office.

Presenter: Alan Milner, Native Apps Lead, UITS

This program will re-introduce you to the Center for Veteran and Military Students by providing information about its mission and future outlook. In addition, we will discuss the population that the Center serves and how you can help us help them in their educational pursuits.

Presenter: Kimberly Bloodgood, Director, Center for Veteran and Military Students

During this session we will discuss the basics of expressive speech including protected vs unprotected speech, time, place and manner and how the IU Demonstration Response and Safety Team (DRST) works with groups exercising their right to Free Speech to help them facilitate a safe and successful event.

Presenters: Kathy Adams Riester, Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs, Executive Associate Dean of Students, and Katie Paulin, Assistant Dean of Students for Student Support and Outreach

What do our institutional data and student surveys tell us about how well we serve our students? Which groups are we not serving well? How do these students enrich our campus? What can we do to serve them better? This session will include both presentation and discussion about these issues.

Presenter: Martha Oakley, Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, OVPUE

Setting boundaries is a primary element in protecting our physical and mental health in the workplace. This session will explore how to set boundaries and how to reinforce them when set.

Presenter: Tiffany Lemons, Senior Organization Development Consultant

Four generations are currently in the workforce each with vastly different expectations and norms. This creates the opportunity for innovation and strong results, but also can lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding and even conflict.  This session will explore generations, discuss potential motivations and expectations, and provide strategies to ensure you approach each relationship on a footing of trust and understanding.

Presenter: Amy Batule, Training Manager, IU Human Resources-Talent and Organization Development

In the spirit of the conference theme, this session will be exploring the past, present and future of academic support here at IU Bloomington. We will look at the history of academic support on campus and how the definition of it has changed over the years; there will also be an overview of the current landscape of learning support resources and a discussion of how to further develop co-curricular opportunities for students as part of the university’s ongoing mission of creating an excellent educational experience.

Presenter: Leslie J. Robinson, Director, Academic Support Center

In response to the most recent wave of refugees coming to Indiana, IU has formed a Refugee Task Force to make sure the educational needs of this special population are met.  We’ll briefly review the recent history of migration to Indiana, discuss admissions options, and share the coordination of services in place for them both on campus and in the community.  Questions and discussion will be encouraged.

Presenters: Rendy Schrader, Senior Director, International Student & Scholar Programs & Initiatives, Office of International Services and DeeDee Dayhoff, Assistant Dean for Student Services & Parents, Dean of Students

The Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement collects data about entering students’ prior academic and co-curricular experiences and what they expect to experience during their first year.  The Office of First Year Experience will share some of the data we found interesting including how first-generation students perceive their first-year experience.  We invite others to explore what the survey can tell us. 

Presenters: Sarah Nagy, Senior Associate Director, Office of First Year Experience Programs, Meg Tobin, Graduate Intern, Office of First Year Experience Programs

IU Bloomington Dean of Students office has responded to reported bias incidents for over 30 years with the goal to support students who are negatively impacted by incidents which directly target students.  These incidents can contribute to a student not feeling welcome by the campus community and can impact the learning process. Bias incidents are one of many types of incidents that can negatively impact a student's learning. This session will provide a brief history of bias response at IU Bloomington as well as share current trends and tips on what you can do if you are targeted, are a witness/bystander or learn about a bias incident.

Presenter: Cedric W. Harris, Assistant Dean for Student Support and Bias Education, Dean of Students Office

The “hidden curriculum” includes many of the unofficial rules, routines, and structures that guide students' journeys through college. These are the untaught lessons that can support success—knowing how to get the most out of faculty office hours, how to negotiate deadline extensions with professors, how to set up study groups, and much more. Lack of this insider knowledge can lead to inequities, especially for first-generation college students and others who lacked advanced courses and engaged advisors in high school. This session will address some simple ways instructors can add some structures and supports to their classes that reveal this hidden curriculum and support success for all students.

Presenter: Greg Siering, Director, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

This workshop will address the question that many people at IU and in the community have been asking, “what is IU doing to address the rise in reports of sexual violence.” Participants will learn about how IU responds to reports of sexual misconduct and the prevention programming that is being done on campus.

Presenter: Sally Thomas, Director, The Office for Sexual Violence Prevention and Victim Advocacy

IU Dining continues to drive towards meal plan functionality and an expanse of dietary accommodations, which students and their families appreciate. From the open access meal plan, to the ingredient and allergen database of Net Nutrition, to staff trainings on safe food preparation for those with food allergies, there are great things happening. This session will highlight what to look for in 2022. The goal of students enjoying their food, eating safely, and meeting their daily needs on a busy schedule, nutrition and usability are at the forefront of the dining program at IU. Presenters will describe the direction dining is going and advances happening to meet the needs of the campus community.

Presenters: Rachel Dolgner, MS, RDN, LDN, Registered Dietitian IU Dining and Rahul Shirvastav, Executive Director of IU Dining

Learn about the student experience, what we offer family and supporters, and how the program has evolved since the last time we hosted an in-person summer New Student Orientation program. During the session, we’ll cover NSO Canvas modules, the student program, and key messages we are sharing with students and families. Leave knowing what new students are experiencing and how we prepare them for their first semester on campus.

Presenter: Lily Oyarzun, Associate Director, Chase Wilson, Assistant Director, and Lyndsey Savard, Assistant Director—Office of First Year Experience Programs

For transfer students, the pathway to IU may take some leaps and bounds along the way. Join our discussion as we speak to transfer students about their IU graduate path. We will also review services and programs that support and enhance the transfer student experience.

Presenters: Lisa Young, Associate Director, Hoosier Link Coordinator, Office of First Year Experience Programs and Kelly Waggoner, Associate Director of Recruitment and Outreach, Office of Admissions

We know a student's attention span is shorter than a TikTok dance trend, and that students are inundated with messaging from the time they wake up until the time they fall asleep clutching their phones while streaming a show. So how do you get your messaging to stand out without being “cheugy” or cringey? Hear from a panel of campus partners about how to build a successful marketing strategy for current students and see examples of what has (and hasn’t) been successful. We’d love to hear about your experiences too! Be ready to share!  

Presenters: Jennifer Piurek, Director, Communications and Special Projects, Office of the Provost, James McHaley, Director of Marketing, Division of Student Affairs, Jessica Parry, Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing, Office of Enrollment Management, Clayton Norman, Social Media and Digital Marketing Leader, IU Studios