OSU attempts to combat 'sophomore slump' with new housing proposal

Sophomores slumping and muddling through their second year has long been a topic of discussion - even during President Gordon Gee's college days.

But now some higher education experts said a lack of university support could be partly to blame for sophomores underachieving or not eventually graduating, creating what they call a "lost year."

"For first-year students, there is a lot of focus on them, a lot of celebrating their arrival on campus," said Sue Mosley-Howard, dean of students at Miami University in Oxford.

Miami University will begin requiring sophomores to live on campus next fall, and sophomore-specific programs are being developed.

"We really make sure first-year students feel welcome, we cater to them, we develop a lot of programming around them. And at a lot of colleges that drops off after freshman year," she said.

Gee recently proposed requiring OSU sophomores to live on campus, and Student Affairs Vice President Richard Hollingsworth indicated sophomore-specific programs could follow. Experts say such steps could help regain the "lost year."

No one is saying OSU suffers from a "sophomore slump" or a "lost year," even though the university is considering taking action.

"I don't have enough evidence to know (if such a problem exists)," Gee said, adding that "in my days" sophomore slumps were a topic of discussion.

"We're doing great things in our freshman year, and trends look very good throughout the four-year experience," Gee said. "I'm very focused on putting our students first, and that's one of the reasons I made that proposal."

Gee stressed his proposal was designed to help build community at OSU, rather than address a specific sophomore problem.

Building community, though, is one way to address sophomore struggles.

Molly Schaller, an OSU graduate and assistant professor at the University of Dayton who researches second-year college experiences, said universities typically offer programs that help freshmen pick majors and get acquainted with the university, but none that support commitment to their majors or help students strengthen their identity with the university.

Schaller said a second-year residency requirement - when combined with tailored academic, professional and social services - could advance the "academic integration and social integration" crucial to student persistence toward graduation.

"How do we get them in a major, and how do we make them feel successful in their major? That's academic integration," Schaller said. "The residency requirement is a component of social integration. Making Ohio State feel like it is 'my' place. People to study with, people to struggle with, that's what the residence life requirement is all about. You increase those things, and retention rates shoot through the roof."

While Gee said Ohio State already enjoys high retention rates, Hollingsworth and Provost Joseph Alutto pointed to other areas where OSU could improve.

During January's Board of Trustees meeting, the two described how programs such as living and learning communities could support on-campus residence life. They also pointed toward increased student safety and academic support, such as tutoring and leadership opportunities, as added benefits of requiring students to live on campus.

And Hollingsworth said sophomore-specific support could be on the way.

"Housing more students on campus, including sophomores, will certainly provide the opportunity to enhance existing services and to create new programs specifically designed to support second-year students," he said in an e-mail.

hoffine.3@osu.edu