The China Gateway partnered with Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and the Office of Student Life to host a virtual Ohio State Family Town Hall on December 11, 2021. Moderated by Jacob Chang, USG president, the conversation featured several Ohio State officials sharing campus highlights from the autumn semester, health and wellness measures, a safety overview and a preview of spring semester. More than 260 parents attended the meeting and interacted virtually with the panelists during the question and answer session.

“It is so important that we have parents and families engaged. We are grateful that we have an incredibly diverse campus and the inclusion that we try to have on campus. Our international students bring with them all the great experiences they have from the many places in which they come from,” said Danny Glassmann, dean of students and associate vice president for student engagement and support. “We’ve had an incredibly difficult year for everyone, both on the campus and globally. Our efforts have led us to an in-person experience for students both last year and this year. Our goal for spring semester is to continue to return to the core of Ohio State which is in-person classes and an on-campus experience though we continue to monitor the virus and the pandemic.”

After the presentation, the parents asked questions about students health insurance, residence renovation, vaccinations and academics. The town hall was open to all Chinese parents and included translation to Chinese Mandarin.