Norman Jones, vice provost and dean for undergraduate education, will host a Q&A event 6 p.m. Thursday in Enarson Classroom Building. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Lantern File Photo
Ohio State’s Undergraduate Student Government — also known as USG — is taking steps to further its goal to “bridge the gap” between students and university officials.
In honor of Academic Identity Week, USG is hosting a Q&A session with Norman W. Jones, Ohio State’s vice provost and dean for undergraduate education. The event will take place Thursday at 6 p.m. in room 354 of the Enarson Classroom Building.
“Academic Identity Week is meant to help students explore and discover academic pathways that fit their interests,” Jones said in an email.
Jones said he hopes to raise awareness among students of the many opportunities available on campus, whether they are educational or professional in nature.
“It’s wonderful to have so many options here, but it can also be overwhelming at times,” Jones said. “I’m hoping to help students navigate the many possibilities we offer. I will talk for a bit at the beginning of Thursday evening’s event, but I will save most of our time together for conversation with the attendees so students will have plenty of time to ask questions and share ideas.”
Araceli Leon — the event’s organizer and director of USG’s Academic Affairs committee — said the session will be held in a relaxed environment to allow students to ask personalized questions and voice academic concerns.
“We want it to be like a focus group — we’ll have committee members taking notes on what students are saying and we want to conduct this research in a simpler way,” Leon, also a second-year in philosophy, politics and economics, said.
Leon said she believes the close access that the Academic Affairs committee has to USG’s chief office should be used to consistently facilitate dialogue between the dean and student body.
“When I first came in as director, I knew I wanted to open things up for students to be able to talk to more higher-ups in the same way we can,” Leon said. “This is the perfect stepping stone for them to talk to someone who really holds power.”
For more information on the Q&A and other USG events aimed at amplifying student voices, students can visit USG’s website or Instagram page.
