Immigration’s importance as a social issue is rivaled only by its complexity. However, public discourse on the topic rarely reflects that complexity. Too often we get facile slogans rooted in poor information and shallow reasoning, expressed with deplorable incivility. OSU is uniquely well placed to raise the level of discourse by bringing students, scholars, public officials, organizations within civil society, and the general public into dialog with one another. Indeed, the interlocking array of issues posed by immigration is practically pan-disciplinary, making it an ideal choice for a university-wide academic initiative. The moral urgency of these issues makes it an incumbent choice for reaching beyond the university. In 2010, the Center for Ethics and Human Values Innovation Group proposed its first COMPAS Program, a year-long “conversation” on the topic of immigration during the academic year 2011-12.
COMPAS Conferences
Each COMPAS program is able to support two conferences, one in the fall and one in the spring.
- October 20-21, 2011
 Fall COMPAS Conference
 "Immigration: What's at Stake?"
 
- May 10-11, 2012
 Spring COMPAS Conference
 "Immigration: Moving Forward"
- Keynote Address
 "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant"
 Jose Antonio Vargas
COMPAS Colloquia
Each COMPAS program puts together a number of "Colloquia" which involve individual speakers and small panels discussion on the COMPAS theme.
- November 7, 2011
 "The Immigration and Absorption of Jewish Immigrants from Eastern Europe: A Model for Later Immigrant Populations?"
 Speaker: Hasia Diner, Ph.D., New York University, Hebrew and Judaic Studies
 Commentators: Robin Judd, Ph.D., OSU, History and Steven Fink, Ph.D., OSU, English
 
- November 18, 2011"The Looming Transition to Diversity in Western Societies: Challenge and Opportunity"Speaker: Richard Alba, Ph.D., City University of New York, Sociology
 
- January 26, 2012
 The Changing Face of Citizenship
 Speaker: Professor Susan Bibler Coutin (Anthropology and Criminology, Law and Society, UC Irvine)
 Organized by Theresa Delgadillo (Comparative Studies/Women's Studies)
 
- February 4, 2012
 The Brothel and the Factory: Staging Immigration and Women's Labor
 Organized by Ana Elena Puga (Theatre/Spanish and Portuguese) and Leslie Ferris (Theatre)
 
- April 4, 2012
 Translanguaging and Transnational Literacies in Multilingual Classrooms: A Biliteracy Lens
 Speaker: Nancy Hornberger (Penn)
 
- June 8, 2012
 The Paradoxical Origins of Anti-Immigrant Sentiment in America
 Jointly sponsored with the Initiative in Population Research
 Event Flyer
Throughout the university, many events were held related to the COMPAS theme of Immigration. COMPAS regularly co-sponsors and advertises these events in an effort to bring further University resources to the forefront of the COMPAS conversation.
Buckeye Book Community/First Year Experience Events
- October 10, 2011
 Keynote Lecture: Warren St. John, Author of Outcasts United
 
- September - October 2011
 Buckeye Book Community's First Year Experience.
 Events associated with the selection of Outcasts United as the first year book for entering undergraduates.
 
- November 15, 2011
 Luma Mufleh Lecture
 Founder of Fugees Family, Inc.
Wexner Center for the Arts Events
- October 20-22, 2011
 "World Fair"
 A dance performance by L'A./Rachid Ouramdane, the acclaimed French choreographer of Algerian descent.
 New Worlds: Immigration on Film
- January 5, 2012Film: El Norte 
- January 12, 2012 
 Film: In Between Worlds
- January 12, 2012
 Film: Man Push Cart
 
- January 20 - February 3, 2012 
 Film: La Harve
- January 26, 2012New Worlds: Immigration on FilmFilm: Lamerica
Other Events around Campus
- September 22, 2011
 Sponsored by WOSU and the Humanities Institute"Prohibition: An Evening with Ken Burns - Civility • Immigration • Democracy"
 Pandel Discussion: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, Kevin Boyle (OSU, History), and Michael Neblo (OSU, Political Science)
 Moderator: Fred Andrle
 
- October 6 - October 27, 2011
 Sponsored by College of Arts and Sciences Swing Space Gallery
 IMPACT—Immigration Projects: Art, Culture, and Tradition
 
- January 9, 2012
 Sponsored by Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum and OSU LibrariesReading and discussion of:
 Four Immigrants Manga: A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1924 by Henry (Yoshitaka) KiyamaFacilitated by Dr. Jared Gardner (Ohio State, English)
 
- January 23, 2012
 Sponsored by Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum and OSU LibrariesReading and discussion of:
 The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
 Facilitated by Dr. Jared Gardner (Ohio State, English)
- January 27, 2012
 Sponsored by The Institute for Korean Studies, The East Asian Studies Center & The Center for the Study of Religion
 Korean Diaspora, Korean Christianity, and Cultural Challenge
 Speaker: Young-chan Ro (Religious Studies, George Mason University)
 
- Febuary 6, 2012
 Sponsored by Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum and OSU LibrariesReading and discussion of:
 American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
 Facilitated by Dr. Jared Gardner (Ohio State, English)
 
- February 20, 2012
 Sponsored by Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum and OSU LibrariesReading and discussion of:The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. (Love and Rockets Library, Locas Book 2) by Jaime HernandezFacilitated by Dr. Jared Gardner (Ohio State, English)
- March 2, 2012
 Im/migration and Ohio: Local Perspectives
- March 5, 2012
 SBS Postdoctoral Fellows Lecture Series
 "We Don't Have Any Problems": Black-Brown Relations in the 'New South'
 
- April 10, 2012
 Immigrants and Health Care Reform
 Speaker: Dr. Randy Capps
 
- April 13-14, 2012
 OSU Arab World Film Festival: Resistance and Awakening
- May 4, 2012
 Proportionality: The Struggle for Balance in Immigration Law
 Speaker: Michael Wishnie (Yale, Law)
 
- May 15, 2012
 SBS Diversity Postdoctoral Fellows Lecture Series"Immigration and the Labor Market Outcomes of Natives in Developing Countries: A Case Study of South Africa"Speaker: Nzinga Broussard, Ph.D.
- May 16, 2012Seoul Train: Screening and DiscussionJim Butterworth, Producer and Director
 
- May 23, 2012
 The Recent Wave of Immigrants: Myths, Realities, and Proposals for Reform
In addition to events around the university, the COMPAS Program works to bring its theme to the Columbus Community at large.
- October 24, 2011
 Hosted by the Women's Fund of Central Ohio, WOSU, and the Puffin Foundation.An Evening with Abigail Disney: discussing her PBS mini-series, Women, War, and Peace
 
- January 7, 2011 (repeating every Saturday in January)Fall COMPAS Conference AiringWOSU OHIO (Ohio Channel)
 
 
   
   
  