Orientation Goes to Dinner

Students have learned about class and internship opportunities. They had the chance to rate which classes and internships they want to take. After the week is over, Peter will work to get students’ permission for class and get enrolled.

Wednesday evening we headed to the Gateway to have dinner at Cazuela’s. Caden was surprised when the restaurant sang him Happy Birthday. We celebrated with cupcakes.

It’s Orientation Week!

We have welcomed 9 new freshmen to Ohio State who are in full swing of orientation activities. We also have 8 other students deciding what college might look like for them!

Monday night a group of current TOPS students and alumni led a tour of campus. During orientation week, we do a lot of walking on campus for students to begin to familiarize themselves with where the landmarks are. On the tour, students passed through the oval to go from Ohio Union to Thompson Library. They also stopped at the RPAC. Did you know, the RPAC is one of the largest recreation facilities in the country? It is also only one of many recreation facilities on campus to which students have access. There were many other sites on campus for students to see!

 

It’s Orientation Time!

Nine students are on campus for our Campus Orientation and Transition Assessment (COTA) program. So far, students have done a ton in a few short days. They worked on navigating campus using the Ohio State app on their phones. On a campus this size, navigating will always be a work in progress. Students are eating in one of the university cafeterias and on-campus restaurants. These locations are all-you-can-eat so students have an opportunity to make choices about the food they consume both in type and amount. Today, students rode the campus bus, CABS for the first time. Students have accessed their student accounts and email using their OSU logins. This isn’t always the easiest.

Students have met alumni and current students, as well as a mentor, James. James helped students with the assessments they were completing with the program this week. Students started to think about career potentials but before that how would they learn more about working at Ohio State. Students learned about classes they can take. They were able to make choices about specific classes they were interested in taking.

Students attended the Orientation Resource Fair. This event was very busy and a bit overwhelming. While there students were able to find out about different resources on campus. These resources include dining services, health insurance at OSU, recreational sport, wellness, and so many more.

 

IPSE Day 2022

Join us on May 15, 2022 to celebrate Inclusive Postsecondary Education Day (IPSE) Day!

IPSE Day is a day to raise awareness and spread the word about inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) options for students with intellectual disability. IPSE means that students with intellectual disability can go to college, regardless of their test scores and high school diplomas, just like their peers and siblings.

Students with and without intellectual disability can go to college together. All students learn more academically and socially when taught together in inclusive classrooms (Taylor et al., 2021). “Faculty observed that the inclusion of college students with ID benefited the students themselves, but also benefited other college students, the classroom environment, and the instructors” (p. 6-7).

Today, there are about 5,300 colleges and universities in the U.S., and just over 300 have options for students with intellectual disability. While there are more options now than ever before, we still have work to do. So many students, parents, teachers, and college staff don’t know that college is an option for students with intellectual disability.

IPSE gives students with intellectual disability the opportunity to dream bigger. On May 15, help us tell a new story about inclusive postsecondary education! Share your #IPSEDay2022 story on social media.

Visit Think College to learn more about what you can do to expand inclusive postsecondary education options for students with intellectual disability.

#IPSEday banner with blue background and white foreground

Ohio State Day of Giving

Today, May 3rd, is Ohio State’s Day of Giving. Join our Buckeye community as we create pathways to an affordable, accessible education on Day of Giving. TOPS provides scholarships annually to students, helping them to succeed while at Ohio State. Give now at: Give To OSU. Search for the TOPS Fund (#313451).

Day of Giving for Scholarships 2022