News Briefs

Return to Issue of Oct. 26, 2009

United Way Events This Week Keep the Campaign Momentum Going

The United Way campaign, underway since late September, is not only a way to raise vital funds for social service agencies in Portage County, but also a way foster team spirit and fun at work.

Many areas of the university are getting in the spirit with events and challenges for their own areas, or for the university at large. Over at Intercollegiate Athletics, a Penny Wars competition is underway until Oct. 30. For those not familiar with the concept, a Penny War empties your pockets of loose change and builds team spirit within a department with simple, easy competition.

“A little bit of change can really help make a change,” says Angie Seabeck, program director of student-athlete development for Intercollegiate Athletics.  “We hope this will be a fun, convenient way to raise awareness and donations for the United Way. Any and all loose change is welcome!”

The Division of Business and Finance has issued a pledge incentive challenge for that division. Two lucky winners will each receive a Giant Eagle gift card, good for the purchase of groceries or gasoline. Pledges must be made by the campaign’s end to qualify for this competition.

At the College and Graduate School of Education, Health and Human Services, a gift basket raffle will be held Oct. 27. The college is assembling fun, creative baskets to raffle; all the proceeds benefit the United Way of Portage County. Stop by the Food 4 Thought Cyber CafÉ in Room 213 of White Hall between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. to check out the offerings and enter the drawings. Tickets will cost $1 per chance; it is expected that at least a dozen baskets will be available. For more information, contact Carolyn Hartman at 330-672-0568.

A listing of benefit meals would not be complete without the annual Spaghetti Dinner. Scheduled this year for Nov. 13 from 5 to 8 p.m., the event features the ever-popular pasta and meat sauce, salad, rolls, dessert and a beverage for a $10 advance purchase ticket. Senior adults and students are $7 and children between the ages of five and 11 are $5.50. Children under five are free with an adult admission.

Tickets for the spaghetti dinner go on sale Oct. 30. New this year is a take-out option: support the United Way when you pick up a hot meal for your family. Gift baskets are also being assembled for a raffle at this event. Tickets can be purchased from Peta Denno in the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration. Denno can be reached at 330-672-6322.

Nov. 13 is also the night of the Kent State basketball home opener, so if you have or are considering purchasing tickets to the game, you can take care of mealtime right on campus by including the spaghetti dinner in your evening plans.

Anyone who has business to conduct at the Michael Schwartz Center on Oct. 30 should bring a few dollars with them to purchase treats from the Office Financial Aid, which is holding a Halloween bake sale to benefit United Way on that date. The treats will be on sale from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

For general information about United Way events, contact Denno at pdenno@kent.edu.

To donate to United Way, go to the Web site.

Kent State Activates Its Emergency Operation Center to Respond to H1N1 Pandemic

Mary Reeves

In response to widespread cases of H1N1 flu in Ohio and the increased activity on campus and in the community, Kent State University has initiated its campus pandemic plan by activating the Kent State University Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The goal of the EOC is to provide management as the university transitions from the pandemic mitigation and preparedness phases to a response phase of operations.

“We have been expecting H1N1 flu to reach our campus community and have been preparing for it,” says Mary Reeves, director of University Health Services and Student Accessibility Services. “Now that we know it’s here, we need a higher level of planning and implementation, which includes formalizing our planning process to distribute the H1N1 vaccine when we receive it.”

The EOC’s Incident Command Structure has been enacted to facilitate management of the current pandemic emergency on the Kent Campus in order to minimize institutional effects, enhance the effectiveness of recovery and maintain university operation with a minimum of interruption. These actions follow the lead of the Portage County Health Department, which enacted its departmental emergency operations center and the state proclamation that a public health emergency exists.

University business will continue as usual. Activating the EOC is a management tool that allows the university to manage its resources and to respond and make decisions quickly.

“The Incident Command Structure is needed to ensure timely collection, analysis and dissemination of information for the university’s response to the H1N1 virus on the Kent Campus,” says Matthew Radigan, Kent State’s police support services manager who will lead operations for the EOC. “It is required at this time to accomplish operational strategies through accountability and unified decision making.”

Members of Kent State’s Incident Command Structure include:

  • Incident Commander – Mary Reeves
  • Deputy Incident Commander – Gretchen Julian, director, Recreational Services
  • Public Information Officer – Tom Neumann, associate vice president, University Communications and Marketing
  • Safety/Service Officer – Dennis Baden, manager, Occupational Health and Safety
  • Liaison Officer – Chris Woolverton, professor of public health and director, Center for Public Health Preparedness
  • Operations Chief – Matthew Radigan
  • Planning Chief – John Gosky, executive director of administration, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
  • Logistics Chief – John Flasco, director, Procurement
  • Finance and Administration Chief – Jeannie Reifsnyder, associate vice president for finance, Financial Affairs

Students, faculty and staff are reminded to be extra diligent about washing their hands and covering their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing. The university encourages everyone to take advantage of the hand-washing stations found in university buildings and residence halls and to get a seasonal flu shot.

Those who get sick with flu-like symptoms are asked to stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Most people with 2009 H1N1 flu have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs. The same is true of seasonal flu.

For updates and more information regarding seasonal and H1N1 flu, visit www.kent.edu/flu.

The Start of a Smoke-Free Campus? Learn how to Quit in November

“OneWellU Briefs” appear in e-Inside monthly to keep faculty and staff informed on health issues and events. Content is provided by University Health Services, whose mission is to provide the highest achievable level of healthcare, health education and counseling to the Kent State University community.  An archive of Health Briefs from 2009 is available online.

University Health Services and OneWellU encourage Kent State faculty, staff and students to kick their nicotine addiction and kick it for good with Smoking Cessation classes and the Great American Smokeout.

Smoking Cessation
The Smoking Cessation program runs year-round and consists of six one-hour classes over the course of six weeks. Sharon Briggs, University Health Services health educator, will teach one-on-one or group sessions upon request, and meeting times and dates can be tailored to fit the participant’s schedule.

The classes will provide smokers with professional resources such as Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists, Ohio Chemical Prevention Specialists and Certified Health Education Specialists.  Participants will work to identify smoking triggers, create an action plan and reduce stress in order to ultimately quit smoking.

Information about smoking cessation aids such as Chantix® and nicotine gum will also be readily available to participants. The cost of the program is $5 for students and $10 for faculty and staff.
 
Great American Smokeout
OneWellU’s Wellness for a Lifetime program is sponsoring the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 19.
 
The Great American Smokeout is a national event that encourages people to stop smoking for 24 hours.  To help smokers prepare for this event, University Health Services will provide faculty, staff and students with informational materials from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 18 in the Kent Student Center first floor lobby.

OneWellU’s Wellness for a Lifetime program is designed to lead Kent State’s faculty and staff in making educated and positive health decisions for themselves and their families. Some tips for quitting smoking include identifying reasons for smoking and for quitting, making a plan for quitting, seeking support, managing stress and rewarding good actions, says Briggs.
 
For more information about the Smoking Cessation program call 330-672-8267 or e-mail Briggs at skbriggs@kent.edu. To read more about the Great American Smokeout, visit http://www.cancer.org.

Dix Stadium Pewter Ornament Now on Sale for Holiday Enjoyment

 

Make your holiday season memorable with the 2009 commemorative pewter ornament featuring the renovated Dix Stadium.

The Alumni Association is once again offering this ornament so that fond memories of Kent State University can be included at one of the most festive times of the year. This ornament, a great gift idea, is the 21st issue in the Kent State University pewter holiday ornament collection.

To purchase this limited-edition ornament, contact Adams and Adams at 800-338-4059 or order online at Commemoratives Adams and Adams Inc. The price for the 2009 edition is $20.99 plus $2.79 for shipping and handling.

Limited supplies of ornaments from previous years are also available from Commemoratives Adams and Adams Inc.
 
For additional information, contact the Alumni Association at 330-672-5368.

Coming in November: Workshop on Hiring International Employees

The Office of University Counsel will sponsor a half-day seminar titled What You Need to Know When Hiring International Employees on Monday, Nov. 16, from 9 a.m. - noon in the Moulton Hall Ballroom. The program coincides with the national observance of International Education Week.
    
The seminar will cover a wide range of topics related to hiring international employees including:

  • Basic terms and current issues;
  • International faculty and professionals;
  • Student employees;
  • Postdocs and other exchange visitors;
  • Employment of foreign nationals as independent contractors; and
  • Kent State’s Permanent Residency Assistance program.

Presenters for the seminar are Michael Pfahl, associate university counsel; David Di Maria, director, international student recruitment, admissions and advising; Lisa Heilman, manager, Payroll Services, and Phil Eichorn, an attorney and secretary of the Ohio chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

The seminar is open to the university community; Kent State faculty and staff who are involved with the hiring of employees for their department are encouraged to attend. Registration is required and can be completed online at www.kent.edu/hr/register. Once there, look for the facilitator-led learning opportunities link and then search for University Counsel events.

If you have questions about the seminar, contact Pfahl at mpfahl@kent.edu or 330-672-2982. If you have registration questions, contact Carla Wyckoff at cwyckof1@kent.edu or 330-672-5857.

Kent State Night at Cleveland Browns Game Showcases Former Flashes

 

A special offer is being extended for the Kent State University community to enjoy a Cleveland Browns game for a reduced price – with a free hot dog and soft drink added to sweeten the deal.

The Browns are offering a discount of $5 per ticket for designated seats at the Browns vs. San Diego Chargers game at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Dec. 6. Kickoff is at 4:05 p.m. Those who purchase tickets through this offer will receive the free meal.

The game will feature three Kent State alumni – Josh Cribbs, Abram Elam and Antonio Gates.

Tickets must be ordered by Nov. 25. Orders received within 10 days of the game will be held at the will call window. All tickets are subject to availability. Orders will be filled as they are received.

To purchase tickets, complete and return the form online at http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/tickets/kentstate.pdf.

For additional information, contact the Center for Student Involvement at 330-672-2480.

Research and Sponsored Programs Announces Proposal-Writing Workshop

The Division of Research and Sponsored Programs is holding a one-day workshop on Nov. 17 on proposal writing for faculty members in social sciences, humanities and the arts. The workshop will focus on grant opportunities for funding research and scholarly activities in areas other than sciences and medicine. Emphasis will be on the development of strong proposals, strategies for success and common mistakes to avoid. The workshop will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 316 of the Kent Student Center.

The workshop will be conducted by Kent State scholars who have been successful in securing extramural funding, and those with experience in proposal writing and the review process of organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Science Foundation, Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio Arts Council, among others. The presentations will be followed by discussions.
The workshop is open to faculty from Kent State University. A limited number of participants from other educational institutions in northeast Ohio will be accepted.
 
Interested participants should register before Nov. 7 by going to the registration link.

Veterans Day Observance Slated for Nov. 12

The event honoring our veterans takes place Nov. 12.

Kent State’s annual Veterans Day observance will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 3:30 p.m. in Room 306 of the Kent Student Center. This year’s theme is “Honoring All Who Served…A Tradition of Service.”  
 
In keeping with the university’s celebration of its Centennial, the program will include remarks from President Lester A. Lefton and a look back at the history of the Army and Air Force ROTC programs at Kent State. A reception will follow the program.

The observance is open to the university community, with a special invitation to faculty and staff in the military or who have family members in the military. Please RSVP to Joshua Rider at 330-672-0510 or jrider@kent.edu by Nov. 6.

Grades Coming Due This Week

Online final grading of H1 (first seven weeks of the term, Aug. 31 to Oct. 21) fall 2009 courses began on Thursday, Oct. 22, via FlashFAST. Online final grading of W1 (100 percent online first seven week courses, Aug. 31 to Oct. 16) fall 2009 courses is now open via FlashFAST. The deadline for final grade submission of both groups is midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

FlashFAST is accessible from any Internet-capable computer that has the cookies function enabled. To access FlashFAST, login to FlashLine and click on the Faculty and Advisor Tools tab. The link to your grade roster is located in the Faculty and Advisor Toolbox, under the Submit Grades heading.

Grade processing tips and deadlines may be found on the Registrar’s Office Web site. Any faculty member requiring personalized instruction on submitting grades should contact their campus Registrar’s Office during normal business hours for assistance.

Also, as a helpful tip, it is recommended that you clean out your cookie and cache files regularly to help your computer run faster, and to potentially restore and/or improve your access to FlashFAST and/or FlashLine by improving your connection to the server. The Helpdesk is prepared to offer assistance with these issues. Please contact them at 330-672-HELP (4357) for assistance.

If you have questions, contact Jeff Gardner, associate registrar, at 330-672-1615 or jgardn11@kent.edu.

Calling All CommonSpot Users: Take Advantage of Open Labs to Help With Your Site Redesign Now through January 2010

By now you’ve heard the news! Current CommonSpot clients and a whole new set of CommonSpot clients will be working to migrate their Web sites into the university’s new Web design, which was unveiled Sept. 30.

The university’s goal is to have all current clients, colleges and academic Web sites transitioned to this new look, via its free content management system, by Feb. 28, 2010. In some instances, this deadline has been accelerated. For example, the College of Arts and Sciences and academic departments in that college should have their sites complete by Dec. 23.

Because this redesign brings with it the need to move every page in existing CommonSpot Web sites to a new database, and will require new uses of the content management system, even current users will need a CommonSpot crash course. To keep the project moving, a weekly series of open labs will be hosted to support end users and provide ongoing training. Each session will take approximately two hours. Training materials will also be available online.

Seating is limited, so be sure to register. However, keep in mind that you must meet with a University Communications and Marketing Web team member prior to registering for an open lab session. These initial meetings will allow the Web redesign team to migrate current CommonSpot sites into the design on a rolling basis.

The open labs will be held in Room 333 of the Kent State Library,from Nov. 18 through Jan. 25, 2010:

  • Nov. 18, 1 - 3 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m.
  • Nov. 23, 9 - 11 a.m. and 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • Nov. 30, 1 - 3 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m.
  • Dec. 10, 9 - 11 a.m. and 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • Dec. 16, 9 - 11 a.m. and 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • Dec. 22, 9 - 11 a.m. and 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • Jan. 5, 1 - 3 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m.
  • Jan. 14, 1 - 3 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m.
  • Jan. 19, 9 - 11 a.m. and 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • Jan. 25, 1 - 3 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m.
Register online at: http://www.kent.edu/ucm/

Contact webteam@kent.edu for more information.
 

Student Recreation and Wellness Center Collects Winter Clothing Items

The Student Recreation and Wellness Center is a collection point for winter weather wear to benefit the needy in Portage County. Donations of new or gently used coats of all sizes can be made in the lobby of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.  The drive lasts through the end of October.

Also welcome are other cold-weather items such as hats, scarves, gloves, mittens and ear muffs.
Donations may be dropped in the boxes in the building lobby during regular operating hours.
For more information, contact Community Services chair Jessica Hairston at 330-672-0466 or at jhairsto@kent.edu.

Human Resources Question of the Week: Where can I go for information about the health benefits being offered to employees for 2010?

The annual Open Enrollment period for eligible faculty and staff to select medical, vision, dental insurance and other benefits-related options for next year is underway and will run through Nov. 8. The booklet detailing the benefits selections is available online at the Open Enrollment Web site.  You will also find many other resources including a list of informational sessions, details on the university’s new vision and dental providers, a medical comparison chart and a medical and dental contribution chart for 2010. If you are unable to attend an Informational Session, you can watch a video presentation which is also available on the Open Enrollment Web site.
 
Employees will complete the Open Enrollment process through FlashLine, the university’s secure portal. Detailed instructions on the process can be found on the Web site.  Faculty and staff who wish to keep their current benefit elections for next year do not need to go through the Open Enrollment process; your current coverage will default for 2010. If you have a Flexible Spending Account, reenrollment is necessary for next year.
 
If you have questions about Open Enrollment that are not answered through the above resources, call the benefits hotline at 330-672-MyHR (6947) or send an e-mail to benefits@kent.edu.

View the HR Question of the Week archive.

Return to Issue of Oct. 26, 2009


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