Briefly Speaking for the Week of June 11, 2007

Financial Engineering Students Take Top Prize at Exchange Competition

Earlier this year, eight students from Kent State’s Master of Science in Financial Engineering program attended a pilot trading competition at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. And they all came out on top.

The April event was divided into two parts: a short-term competition and long-term competition. Kent State students Ankit Doshi, Sushant Khot and alternate Wen-ting Chou finished first in the short-term competition, while Christopher Hunt, Seth Chute, Vani Rao and Robert Skupinski prevailed in the long-term contest.

Designed to highlight the practical aspects of financial engineering, the short-term competition at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange emphasized the trading of derivative contracts, which are financial contracts that get their value from underlying assets or reference rates. Not only did the competition enable Kent State students to use an industry-standard trading platform at the exchange’s e-learning center, it enabled students to trade in a competitive environment with actual trading tools and live data feeds.

The long-term competition, which took place on two days in March and April, focused on hedging effectiveness. The teams targeted a perfect hedge, which would be a portfolio that would earn a “riskless” rate of return.

In addition to the competitions, Kent State students had the opportunity to speak to Jim Oliff, vice chairperson for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; take a tour of the trading floor and talk to a number of professional traders at the exchange.

You can learn more about this College of Business program on the Master of Science in Financial Engineering Program Web site.

Do Good, Feel Good: Make This A Summer of Service

Want to lend a helping hand this summer? Kent State students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in the new Summer of Service program. Volunteers can choose from one-time-only and on-going projects during a variety of times and dates to accommodate busy schedules.

Current volunteer options range from working with children at the King-Kennedy Community Center to providing arts and crafts activities to the City of Kent to helping out at area community service agencies.

Participants will receive a certificate of involvement based on number of service hours performed. Service hours are to be self-reported.

If you’d like to get involved or have questions, please contact Matt Haramis at mharamis@kent.edu, 330-672-8010, or Ann Gosky, agosky@kent.edu, 330-672-8004. Or visit 226 Kent Student Center for more information.

Register for June 22 Podcasting and iTunes U Conference

To launch the Kent State community into the exciting world of podcasting and iTunes U, Educational Technology and Distance Learning invites you to its kick-off conference, “Podcasting and iTunes U at KSU: What, Why and How?” on June 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Moulton Hall.

The event will feature a keynote address, a panel discussion and how-to sessions for using iTunes U and new kinds of digital programming to enhance learning at Kent State.

Lunch will be provided at the event, as well many exciting door prizes. (Hint: think lots of iPods.) Faculty who attend the conference will be eligible for a new minigrant program that will provide support and release time to integrate podcasting into their teaching.

Registration is available on the “Podcasting and iTunes U at KSU: What, Why and How?” conference Web site. On-site registration on the day of the event begins at 10 a.m.

For more information about iTunes U or the conference, contact David Dalton at ddalton@kent.edu or Jay Fr ye at j@kent.edu .

Get Frontline Employee, Your Impact Employee Assistance Newsletter, Online Now

Check out this month’s edition of Frontline Employee, which features advice, news and updates on a variety of health and professional topics. Highlights from the June 2007 issue include:

• Staying safe at your late-night job
• Recovering from a disappointing review
• Don’t overlook career counseling
• Good-bye to homesickness at summer camp
• Overboard with ‘role overload’
• Facing the loss of your home
• Putting on a positive attitude
• Depression by the numbers

Frontline Employee is a monthly newsletter provided by the IMPACT Employee Assistance Program. You may contact IMPACT 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-227-6007 or visit the Division of Human Resources’ Employee Assistance and Work/Life Program Web site to learn more about the IMPACT Program offerings.

The newsletter provides useful information regarding personal and professional work/life matters in a quick-read format.

Football 101: Kent State Athletics Offers Football Clinic for Women

Women: have you ever asked what PAT stands for? Wanted to know what’s so special about special teams? Or wondered what the big deal was with fourth and inches? Well, you’re not alone.

On July 26, Kent State Athletics presents Football 101: the Doug and Vicki Martin Football Clinic for Women at Dix Stadium. The program offers lectures and hands-on training on offense, defense, special teams, officiating, football equipment, nutrition, and strength and conditioning.

Not only will participants tour the facilities (Dix Stadium and Field House) and run out of the tunnel onto the field, Kent State Football Coach Doug Martin will also lead a session to answer all of your football questions.

Each participant will receive a complimentary gift, dinner in the Varsity “K” Room, and a photo with Coach Martin, Vicki Martin and Kent State’s mascot, Flash.

The clinic costs $25 per person. Registration details and more information are available on the Kent State Athletics Web site or by calling 330-672-8414.

Impact on Wellness Shines Light on Summer Sun Safety

Don’t miss the June/July issue of Impact of Wellness, the health and wellness newsletter from your IMPACT Employee Assistance Program and the Kent State University Division of Human Resources Benefits Office.

Impact of Wellness is issued bimonthly, and you may refer to the newsletter for information on:

• Health promotion, including educational articles and events
• Healthcare services offered on Kent State’s eight campuses
• Disease management information and services
• Kent State insurance benefits and information

The June/July issue includes information you should know about skin care, sun block and staying safe in the sun this summer. In addition, this issue of Impact on Wellness gives tips to help men stay healthy at any age.

For more information about Impact on Wellness or the IMPACT Employee Assistance Program, contact the Kent State University Division of Human Resources Benefits Office at 330-672-3107 or Impact at 1-800-227-6007.

You can also access all archived editions of the newsletter on the Division of Human Resources’ Impact on Wellness Web page.

Are You Up to Speed on the New Shape-based Postal Rates?

Unsure about how the increased postal rates and new shape-based rates will impact your budget and mailings? Understand how the definitions for a “letter” have changed? Need to learn about “flexibility” and how it applies to mailing?

You can learn more about the shape-based rates, which the United States Postal Service implemented on May 14, 2007, at a free information session to be held Wednesday, June 20, from 10 to 11:15 a.m., in Room 310AB of the Kent Student Center.

Employees from University Mail Services, along with mail piece design analysts from the United States Postal Service in Akron, will be on hand to explain the new rates, shape-based and flexibility guidelines, and answer your questions.

Departments are encouraged to send a representative to learn more about the new postal rates and to hear about suggested changes that can minimize postal expenses.

Those planning to attend this session should R.S.V.P. to Anna Pascarella at 330-672-8703 by Friday June 15.

New and Improved Policy Register Debuts

An updated version of the University Policy Register is now available online at www.kent.edu/policyreg . Consisting of more than 240 policies in nine chapters, the Policy Register represents the official rules and regulations of Kent State. The revised Web site has several new features:

• A revised numbering system to allow for flexibility when adding or rescinding policies;
• Improved search capabilities;
• Interactive links between policies and the applicable law;
• Easier download compatibility with word processing programs;
• Easier identification of university, administrative or operational policies, based on the numbering format.

As the university transitions to the new numbering system, you may want to check your department’s internal materials, forms and Web sites to ensure that any references to policies are updated.

The old site will remain online through the summer, but updates will only be made to the new site.

If you have questions, contact Michael Pfahl , assistant university counsel, at mpfahl@kent.edu .

Kent State Trumbull Hosts Sizzlin’ Summer Info Night

On Wednesday, June 20, the Kent State Trumbull Campus will host Sizzlin’ Summer Info Night: an opportunity to learn more about going to college and how to pay for it. Potential students and parents of potential college students should attend.

Because of recent company buyouts and layoffs, the session will also offer information about retraining the workforce and Complete to Compete initiatives. Holly Clark, coordinator for the bachelor’s degree in general studies, will be on hand to explain the degree and answer individual questions.

For more information about Sizzlin’ Summer Info Night, visit the Kent State Trumbul Campus Web site or call 330-675-8860.

Attention all Key Administrators: Is Your Department’s Online Telephone Listing Up-to-Date?

All managers are responsible for ensuring that their unit’s information is online. In order to provide the university community with the most complete and up-to-date print and online directories, University Communications and Marketing is asking each key manager or designated representative to update the preferred, enhanced listing for his or her respective office or department by Friday, June 29. The department updates are made online and will appear in the online directory immediately. After June 29, the information online is downloaded for the print directory. Please help us in this effort by entering or updating your department’s online directory listing.

The benefits of having complete and accurate online and printed departmental listings are numerous. Here are just a few:

1. Prospective students, alumni and other visitors can locate or contact campus offices more easily.
2. Help Desk personnel and other staff members can assist callers and direct deliveries with greater accuracy to your office.
3. And callers have the option of reaching key office personnel directly.

If this will be your first time to participate in the online department updates , please visit the Online Directory Updates - Departmental Listings page and follow the directions listed there.

For those who participated last year in the department updates , the same URL and passwords apply. If you have forgotten the URL or your department login name and password, revisit the Online Directory Updates - Departmental Listings page and follow the directions listed there.

Please note: Kent State offices will need to coordinate the entry listings for nonuniversity offices or offices in other cities, with which they are affiliated (i.e., Urban Design Center, the Columbus programs, etc.).

Although updates to departmental listings in the online directory can occur at any time, only those department updates made by June 29 will be reflected in the printed directory.

Thank you for helping to ensure complete and accurate departmental and office directory listings.