eInside Briefs

Protect Yourself: Get the Flu Shot at the Flu Clinics on Nov. 1 and 2

With flu season in full swing, faculty and staff are encouraged to protect themselves and their families by obtaining the flu shot. Flu clinics on the Kent Campus are scheduled for Nov. 1 and 2, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., on the second floor of University Library.

“The flu shot is simply the most effective way to prevent the flu,” says Kent State Chief University physician Dr. Angela DeJulius. “If you’ve ever had influenza, you know that you don’t want to have it again.”

For employees and their dependents covered by one of Kent State's medical providers, Anthem or Medical Mutual, the cost of the flu shot is covered in full. You must bring your insurance ID card with you. For all others, the cost is $20, payable by cash or check.

Registration is required for the flu shots, and sign-up is available online at www.kent.edu/hr/benefits/fluprevention.cfm. Make sure to bring the appropriate forms (Flu Shot and Consent Form) with you to your scheduled appointment. The forms will be available to print when you register for your vaccine.

Flu Season Precautions
During this flu season, Kent State employees are advised to take certain precautions to avoid contracting the disease and or spreading it. These precautions include:

• Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Immediately throw away used tissues.
• Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Wash hands well for 30 seconds – about the time it takes to sing happy birthday twice. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. Remind others to do the same, particularly in situations where you are sharing equipment such as phones and computers.
• Trying to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you get sick with a combination of sore throat, fever, cough or other flu-like symptoms, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
  

“Remember that when you get a flu shot, you are not only protecting yourself, but also your students, friends and family,” DeJulius says. “Ideally, everyone would get their flu shot before all the kissing and hugging of the holiday season starts – especially if there are young children or elderly folks in your family.”

For more flu preparedness information, visit www.kent.edu/flu.

Posted Oct. 31, 2011

back to top

Kent State Achieves 30 Percent of United Way Campaign Goal and Continues With Fundraising Activities

Five Guys Burgers and Corn Hole Tournament Fundraisers Take Place Nov. 9 and
Dec. 1 respectively

Now at 30 percent and determined to achieve its overall 2011-2012 United Way campaign goal, Kent State departments continue to host events to raise funds to support the local charity.

Five Burgers and Fries Fundraiser
On Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 5-9 p.m., the Division for Business and Finance will hold a United Way fundraiser in conjunction with Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Kent.  Patrons who eat at the restaurant in Kent and present a coupon sheet will have 33 percent of the total cost of their food donated to the United Way of Portage County.

Corn Hole Tournament
The Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs will host its Corn Hole Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 4 p.m., at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The single-elimination tournament will involve a round of the best of three games. As many as 64 teams will be allowed to participate. The cost to participate is $50 per team, and is open to faculty, staff, students and affiliates of the university. All proceeds benefit the United Way.

To register, visit https://commerce.cashnet.com/uway. By registering, each team member will receive official tournament T-shirts. For more information, contact Barb Boltz at bboltz@kent.edu.

How to Support the Campaign
It is not too late to support the campaign and help members of the community where we work.
Faculty and staff can make their gift to the United Way either with a one-time donation by issuing checks, making cash or credit card payments or through payroll deductions. Payroll deduction sign-up is available via FlashLine, under the My HR tab. You also have the opportunity to designate your donations to specific agencies. Find more information about how to give or contact Terri Christensen at tchrist7@kent.edu.

Posted Oct. 31, 2011

back to top

Employee Health Services Survey

At Kent State University, we are always looking for ways to provide convenient, helpful services to our employees. Please assist us by completing a brief survey about your awareness and use of University Health Services on the Kent Campus.

Visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/UHSempSurvey to take the survey by Friday, Nov. 4. You’ll be done in three minutes.

Contact Karen Mercer at kmercer7@kent.edu with any questions about this survey.

Posted Oct. 31, 2011

back to top

Through Our Lenses: CCI Students Document Their Education Abroad

A juried photo exhibit spotlighting education-abroad students in the College of Communication and Information is now on display in the Kent State University Library.

Forty remarkable photos were selected to provide a glimpse of how College of Communication and Information education-abroad students see the world. Included are images from all over Europe and Asia.

“These photographs, all taken by College of Communication and Information students while studying abroad, show just a fraction of the depth of talent our students possess and the range of experiences they’ve had around the world,” says Deborah Davis, coordinator of international programs for the college.

Adding an extraordinary dimension to the photos and the experiences they represent is the knowledge that the college’s education-abroad students are often the first in their families to even own a passport.

“Many of our students have no family history of international travel and no easy way to finance such a thing,” Davis says. “But they have been determined to see and understand the world, and they have returned with a global perspective that will permanently change who they are and dramatically increase the contributions they will make to their workplaces and their communities as they move through life. They are quite impressive, and as the photos show, they are curious, adventurous, perceptive — and so talented.”

Information design major Chloe Makarick echoed many students’ reflections on their experiences abroad when describing her own.

“There hasn't been a day that’s gone by since I've returned that I haven't been reminded of my experiences while studying abroad," Makarick says. “The world is a much smaller place to me now; we're all connected, and it's important to be more aware of the people around you. I went on study abroad hoping to learn more about other places and other cultures, but I came home and realized how much I learned about myself.”

Exhibit photos will hang in the quiet study area of the library behind the circulation desk, as well as in the computer lab area near the reference desk throughout the year. The student photographers, along with family and guests, will celebrate the exhibit’s opening at a reception on Wednesday, Nov. 9, in the University Library.

The College of Communication and Information offers a range of education-abroad options to meet the academic and personal goals of the college’s students, including short, faculty-led courses and semester-long programs.

To see more of the college’s education-abroad students’ work and to learn more about our programs, visit www.kent.edu/ccistudyabroad.

 

Posted Oct. 31, 2011 | Anne Dudley

back to top

Office of Global Education, Dining Services Host 4th International Cook-Off

Kent State’s Office of Global Education and Dining Services will host the 4th International Cook-Off event on Monday, Nov. 14, from 6-8 p.m., at the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The event marks the start of International Education Week taking place Nov. 14-19 and is free and open to the public.

Eight student teams, representing different countries, will compete in the International Cook-Off event that promotes cultural and global awareness at Kent State.

A panel of three judges will determine the winner of the competition. A $200 dining credit will go to the first place winner, $100 dining credit to the second place winner and $75 dining credit for third place. The audience will also get in on the action by voting and awarding the majority favorite with a $50 dining credit.

This year’s judges are Kent Councilwoman Heidi Shaffer, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert G. Frank and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alfreda Brown.

“The cook-off started as a way for our international students to showcase and share their cultures with American students,” says Jessica Cohen, marketing coordinator, Office of Global Education. “With each cook-off event we’ve had, we have seen more domestic students signing-up to compete.  If you think about it, everyone has a heritage or experience to share – a recipe passed down through the family or something you ate while studying abroad that reminds you of your travels.  Sharing those cultures is what the cook-off is all about.”

This past spring’s cook-off event featured teams representing China, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Team India won the event and Team Saudi Arabia won the audience favorite award.  This fall, the competition will feature returning teams India and Saudi Arabia, and newcomers such as France, Italy, Nepal, Palestine, Panama and South Korea

The first 200 people in attendance will be given a free Education Abroad T-shirt.  Students can also earn 3,000 FLASHperks points by attending the event.

To learn more about the International Cook-Off, contact Cohen at 330-672-0916 or jcohen13@kent.edu.  Visit www.kent.edu/global to learn more about global efforts here at Kent State University.

Posted Oct. 31, 2011

back to top

Kent State’s PEAK Summer Camp Accredited by ACA

Kent State University’s PEAK summer camp program was recently accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). The PEAK summer camp, offered by the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, is designed for children six to 12 years of age, and provides a unique camper experience by tapping into campus resources.

Former camp director David Herpy oversaw the rigorous eight-month accreditation process. The Department of Recreational Services staff worked as a team to meet American Camp Association’s many standards. To ensure an excellent experience for both campers and parents, ACA grades every aspect of camp management to make sure it meets standards.

“Our camp adheres to very strict guidelines. We operate on a very high level,” says Herpy. “The safety of our campers is our absolute number one priority.”

ACA mandates that counselors be CPR/First Aid/AED-certified. Counselors undergo background checks and rigorous screening processes. Counselors participate in a full week of training as well as a six-hour child abuse recognition course through Kent Town Hall II, a subset of Portage County Family and Community Services.

John Krehnovi, intramural sports and youth programs coordinator, says last summer’s PEAK camp offered nine themed weeks of recreation, and campers participated in various competitions and received gold, silver and bronze medals.

“The kids’ enthusiasm was good throughout the summer, but when we got to the competition, it just sky-rocketed. The campers just loved that program,” he says.

Campers have the opportunity to ice skate at the Kent State University Ice Arena, and climb the rock wall and swim at the Kent State Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Each week of camp features one field trip. Past trips have included visiting on-campus sites such as the Kent State University Museum, the greenhouse and the AT&T Classroom.

“We’re very fortunate to have excellent campus resources that we can take advantage of,” says Herpy.

For more information and to plan ahead for 2012 camp enrollment, visit www.kent.edu/recservices/youth/peak.cfm or contact Krehnovi at 330-672-0460.

Posted Oct. 31, 2011 | Sarah James

back to top

The Digital Divide: Can Higher Education Keep Up with Technology?

When online enrollment is the most popular way to sign up for classes, laptops are more common than desktops and text messaging is the communication form of choice, how does higher education keep up with this fast moving technology train?

Mirroring this trend, The Chronicle of Higher Education released its 2011 Almanac in August 2011 and an entire section was dedicated to understanding the use of technology in and outside the classroom. In addition, an article titled College Tech Goes Mobile, Josh Fischman talks about “finding the ‘sweet spot’ where instruction and technology meet.” The article describes some failed attempts to integrate iPads into the college classroom.

Stanford School of Medicine lent iPads to its students to save 3,700 printed pages of course materials per medical student and there was a major backlash. Students stopped using the iPads and switched back to laptops a couple weeks into the semester because they doubted the devices’ ability to save very important notes.  However, the same technology was given to students in an anatomy class, and they found it easier to use the touch screen to draw structures with their fingers. It is all about finding where the technology can meet the students’ needs in each discipline.

Universities keep pace with the challenging trial and error of fitting emergent technologies into the classroom, and Kent State is no different. Last October, Kent State introduced its first iPhone application called KSUMobile that featured news, events, a university directory and map, as well as access to Kent State images and video. Since its release, the application has evolved to allow access to the latest athletics news, a list of courses, a virtual campus tour and a connection to the Kent State Library. According to the Division of Information Services and University Communications and Marketing, the next step will be to have bus routes available for students on the app.

To download KSUMobile on your mobile device, visit www.kent.edu/ksumobile/index.cfm. The application is available for Apple iPhone, as well as Blackberry and Droid phones. 

Posted Oct. 31, 2011

back to top

Your Students’ Clean Energy Business Idea Could Be Worth $100,000

The Clean Energy Student Challenge will award $150,000 in cash prizes to the leading student-generated business concepts with the potential to bring new clean energy technology to the marketplace.  

The Clean Energy Challenge is an annual, first-in-class business competition that awards cash prizes to top cleantech entrepreneurs in the Midwest. The student challenge offers a $100,000 grand prize and five $10,000 runner-up prizes for student teams.

Applications will be accepted through the Clean Energy Trust’s iStart portal from Nov. 1 - Dec. 5.

Click here for additional information, including submission requirements or contact Craig Zamary at czamary@kent.edu.

Posted Oct. 31, 2011

back to top

Kent State Mail Services Introduces Custom Postage Stamps

Kent State Mail Services is now offering custom postage stamps for sale. These stamps can have one of six designs that can be selected from the order form located on the Mail Services web page at www.kent.edu/mailservices.  Once on the page, click on the Custom Stamps Order Form tab. Orders will be submitted at the end of October for mid-November delivery.

To ensure that you are following best practices for mailings on- and off-campus, review the updated Addressing for Successful Delivery PDF that is located on the Mail Preparation tab on the Mail Services Web page.

Posted Oct. 31, 2011

back to top