3. THE STEP EQUATION
Please refer to page 4 of the STEP Student Handbook for
the full list of STEP requirements.
The STEP Student Handbook will be an important source of
information for you to complete a successful STEP year.
Please refer to it often for deadlines, guidelines, and
resources. It is also available electronically on the STEP
Dashboard as a functional PDF.
4. COHORT ENGAGEMENT
Cohort Meetings
- Cohorts meet weekly, in the same location and time as indicated on
your BuckeyeLink schedules. (Unless otherwise noted by your STEP
Faculty Mentor)
- Engagement in your cohort will keep you up to speed on all
things STEP and will help you meet all of the program
requirements.
- Each cohort is unique and you will most likely have a different cohort
experience than other students in different cohorts.
- If you have ideas for cool events/activities for your cohort to attend,
be sure to talk to your STEP Faculty Mentor!
6. FINDING A PDC
1. Think about the skills or goal you want to gain or
improve.
2. Go to www.step.osu.edu
3. Click on “Professional Development Co-curriculars”
4. Click “For Students”
5. You can search by PDC category
6. Choose and register for at least 3 PDCs to complete
by April 1st, 2020.
7. PDC REFLECTIONS
• After registering and attending a PDC, you need to
enter a reflection for that PDC on the STEP
Dashboard.
• You have 2 weeks from attending a PDC to enter a
reflection. Students are not permitted to enter a
reflection after 2 weeks have passed.
• You will receive a confirmation email once your PDC
reflection is submitted successfully.
8. PDC COMPLETION DEADLINE
ell the students that all PDCs need to be completed by April 1, 2018. Tell them there are no
exceptions to this and they will not be eligible to receive the up to $2,000 STEP fellowship if they
do not complete them.
3 PDCs
(Attended & Reflected)
by April 1, 2020
9. FINANCIAL WELLNESS
Page 6 in the STEP Student Handbook
Two-part program provided through Scarlet and Gray
Financial in the Student Life Student Wellness Center
Part 1: Online Classes
Part 2: In-Person Financial Session with a
financial coach from Scarlet and Gray Financial
10. WHEN DO I COMPLETE MY
FINANCIAL WELLNESS?
• You will receive an introductory email from
step@osu.edu about the financial wellness
component and your cohort's corresponding
deadlines. A week later, you will receive an email
from sgfinancial@osu.edu letting you know your
online window has opened to complete Part 1.
• Once the online modules are completed (must score
at least a 70% for each class) sgfinancial@osu.edu
will send you an email to schedule your in-person
meeting to complete Part 2.
11. FINANCIAL WELLNESS
COMPLETION DEADLINE
ell the students that all PDCs need to be completed by April 1, 2018. Tell them there are no
exceptions to this and they will not be eligible to receive the up to $2,000 STEP fellowship if they
do not complete them.
Financial Wellness
(Parts 1 & 2)
by April 1, 2020
12. STEP EXPO
ell the students that all PDCs need to be completed by April 1, 2018. Tell them there are no
exceptions to this and they will not be eligible to receive the up to $2,000 STEP fellowship if they
do not complete them.
Attend a STEP Expo during the 2019-2020
academic-year:
Autumn 2019: November 20, 2019
Spring 2020: February 18, 2019
15. STEP SIGNATURE PROJECT
PROPOSAL PROCESS
• After you have completed all of the requirements
of STEP (located on page 4 of the STEP Student
Handbook), you are eligible to complete a STEP
Signature Project Proposal in one of 6 STEP Project
Categories.
• Students can be granted the STEP Fellowship for up
to $2,000 to help them complete their STEP
Signature Project.
16. STEP SIGNATURE PROJECT
PROPOSAL DEADLINE
ell the students that all PDCs need to be completed by April 1, 2018. Tell them there are no
exceptions to this and they will not be eligible to receive the up to $2,000 STEP fellowship if they
do not complete them.
STEP Signature Project
Proposal by April 1,
2019
17. UPCOMING DATES
• Financial Wellness windows will begin to open.
Windows open in fall and spring semesters.
• Register, attend, and reflect on at least 3 PDCs by
April 1st!
• Attend a STEP Expo this academic year.
18. STAY INFORMED!
• Read and interact with the STEP Student
Newsletter! Lots of information and reminders will
be included in these!
• Stay connected with your STEP Faculty Mentor
• Ask questions! Email step@osu.edu
Students can reference the full list of STEP Requirements on page 4 of the STEP Student Handbook. The great thing about STEP is all of the opportunities it offers and opens up for STEP students. The requirements are designed to assist you in developing skills and competencies that research has been shown are important in the second year. Let’s take a look at a few of the requirements in a bit more detail.
In cohort meetings, students will go through activities to better understand and develop themselves and goals, connections, networking, or help with STEP Signature Project selection.
Talk about what you have planned for your cohort year – activities, excursions on or off campus and the benefits of this cohort time.
Talk about what an opportunity like STEP means to you as a Faculty Mentor and how students can utilize what they learn during cohort in their collegiate careers and then after graduation.
Give students a few tips on how to make the most of this cohort time – attend meetings and activities, get involved in the discussion, really make the effort to get to know your faculty mentor and cohort peers
Encourage students to explore activities/events that your cohort can attend together.
The Professional Development Co-curriculars are created with you, the second-year student, specifically in mind. They can help you in many ways:
By practicing or enhancing a skill, or skills, within the six identified content areas
Increasing your knowledge around the program you attended
Enhancing your personal or academic life or your career goals in some way
Tell the students that all PDCs need to be completed by April 1, 2020. Tell them there are no exceptions to this and they will not be eligible to receive the up to $2,000 STEP fellowship if they do not complete them. Encourage them to attend at least one during autumn semester. PDC offerings will continue to be added to the calendar throughout the academic year.
This requirement of STEP was included because research has shown that 7 out of 10 college students are stressed about financial issues. How many of you would say that you have some financial concerns? So, STEP was designed to help STEP participants become more aware of their financial situation, prepare them to make wise financial decisions, and help you to better manage your finances as a student and beyond.
Stress that students need to adhere to the schedule sent in the introductory email from STEP. Although the deadline is April 1, 2020, the time slots for in-person meetings fill fast so they will want to make sure to stick to their scheduled window.
Tell the students that both parts of the financial literacy need to be completed by April 1, 2020. Tell them there are no exceptions to this and they will not be eligible to receive the up to $2,000 STEP fellowship if they do not complete them.
Students must attend at least one of the expos to remain eligible for the STEP Fellowship. The expo is where past STEP participants present a poster on their STEP Signature Project. Encourage students to attend the expo this fall as it will help them form ideas about potential STEP projects.
More information about the expos will be emailed to students from step@osu.edu as we get closer to the event.
STEP Student Dashboard: This is the website where you will find a summary of your STEP progress. This site is where you will be able to submit your proposal and budget for your STEP Signature project as well as your reflections for the Professional Development Co-Curriculars you attend. You can also see the progress of your Financial Wellness Program requirement and your STEP approvals (i.e. proposal approval). We encourage you to log in to your dashboard as soon as possible to become familiar with it and all of the resources available to you. Also, your faculty member is not able to see your progress until you log in.
STEP Student Resources: This page is where you can access important documents that you may need throughout your STEP year, such as the STEP Student Handbook and proposal template. Many of these resources are accessible through step.osu.edu as well. The link to the “STEP Student Resources” page can be found at the top of your dashboard.
Most students that participate in STEP know about the up to $2,000 that you have access to, IF YOU COMPLETE ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS, to do a STEP Signature Project that will be a transformational experience. A transformational experience is something that really changes you and brings you a new perspective in your personal or professional life
Due date sound familiar? Remind them this is when all STEP Signature Projects are due as well as when all requirements need to be completed by April 1st, 2019 to be eligible for the up to $2,000 STEP Fellowship.
Refer to your STEP Faculty Mentor Resource Guide for your cohort’s specific financial wellness timeline (let them know if it is upcoming or if your cohort will not go until spring semester.
Tell students that if they have concerns, positive comments, or questions about any aspect of the program, that we really want to know. Go through the ways they can express their thoughts about STEP.