eInside Briefs

What You Need to Know About FERPA 

If your job at Kent State deals with student information, you should be familiar with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.

The Office of the General Counsel will sponsor a two-hour workshop, FERPA 101: What You Need to Know, on Friday, Oct. 26. The workshop will be held at 10 a.m. in Room 340 Franklin Hall on the Kent Campus.

During the seminar, representatives from the General Counsel and the Registrar’s offices will provide an overview of what faculty and staff need to know about FERPA, including:

• The definition of an educational record and who can access it,
• The type of  records that can be released with a student’s permission,
• The type of records that can be released without a student’s permission, and
• How to handle requests for student information.
  

If you have any specific questions you would like answered on this topic, please send them to legal@kent.edu prior to Oct. 26.

Registration for the seminar is required if you are going to attend in person. The program will also be streamed live to all Kent State locations. You can register online at www.kent.edu/generalcounsel/seminars.cfm. The link to the live stream will be posted on this website on the morning of the workshop.

Questions should be directed to Nichole DeCaprio at 330-672-2982 or ndecapri@kent.edu.

DeWeese Health Center Open House and Flu Clinic

On Thursday, Nov. 1, University Health Services will host an open house and flu clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. at the DeWeese Health Center. Kent State faculty, staff and students are invited to come view the newly remodeled front and side entrances to the health center. Refreshments will be served.

Flu shots also will be available at the open house. If you are interested in receiving a flu shot, please follow the instructions below:

Kent State employees and their dependents (over six years old): Click here to register.

Please remember to bring your Anthem or Medical Mutual insurance card so that your fee can be billed to the appropriate insurance company.

Kent State students: please walk in (no need to sign up ahead of time)
Cost:  $20 cash or check made out to Kent State University Health Services. It can also be billed to the student’s bursar account.

For more information about University Health Services, visit www.kent.edu/uhs/index.cfm.

University Libraries is an Election Hub for Portage County

University Libraries is a resource for
voters during election season.

University Libraries provides great services for the university and the community. The library also serves as a resource during election season.

The library is a place that people can request absentee ballots* and fill out voter registration forms. The library has served as a place to fill out voter registration forms since 2000.

“We take voter registration forms year-round,” says Kara L. Robinson, head of reference services at University Libraries. “The deadline we were focusing on this year was to be registered in time to vote in this November's election.”

This year, volunteers from Undergraduate Student Government staffed a table at the library for voter registration during the library’s annual Late Night at the Library event. Ohio’s voter registration deadline was Oct. 9 at 9 p.m.

“We are a designated federal depository library,” says Robinson. “As such, we are required to provide information and services to our congressional district. The voter registration service grew out of that.”

The library also works closely with the Portage County Board of Elections to make sure the services they provide are done with the “same level of integrity and professionalism” as the Board of Elections.

In total, almost 2,000 voter registration forms were processed by University Libraries and delivered to the Portage County Board of Elections.

“University Libraries is centrally located on campus, non-partisan and open to all members of the university and local community,” says Robinson. “It makes sense for us to serve in this role.”

University Libraries works directly with Undergraduate Student Government, the Daily Kent Stater and the Portage County League of Women Voters.

“We will continue to work with the Portage County Board of Elections to be the campus site for voter registration,” says Robinson.

*Absentee ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections in the county from which they are sent.

Cornhole for a Cause

The annual United Way Cornhole Tournament is open to
all Kent State faculty, staff and affiliates of the university.
This year's tournament, benefiting the United Way, will
take place on Nov. 8.

The Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs will hold its fourth annual United Way Cornhole Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Check-in begins at 3:15 p.m. and play begins at 4 p.m., and is open to all faculty, staff and affiliates of the university, including friends.

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. The entire registration fee benefits the United Way.

“Cornhole is known for being a friendly competition, so what better way to represent your department or organization than by competing  and raising money for an effective organization like the United Way? It’s an organization that makes a difference right here in Portage County,” says Barbara Boltz, project director for Enrollment Data and Systems Support in the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.

The United Way is a non-profit organization that works with nearly 1,300 local United Way offices throughout the country in a partnership with charitable organizations to raise efforts in fundraising and support.

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

Information Services Matchmaking Event Supports Supplier Diversity

Kent State’s Division of Information Services met with
nearly 40 regional businesses at an IT Supplier Diversity
Matchmaker Event on Oct. 18 in the Kent Student Center.

In an effort to maximize diversity partnerships, 16 managers from Kent State’s Division of Information Services met with nearly 40 regional businesses at an IT Supplier Diversity Matchmaker Event held on Oct. 18 in the Kent Student Center.
 
The event was designed to encourage minority-owned information technology-related businesses to speak with Information Services managers, matching needs with the services offered by the businesses.
 
“We're proud to be an early participant in the supplier diversity program,” says Ed Mahon, vice president for Information Services and the university’s chief information officer. "Our efforts during the matchmaker event were well received as we shared with prospective vendors the university’s IT strategic initiatives along with our daily routine IT needs.”
 
The matchmaker event was part of a broader effort led by Kent State's Procurement department to continue to develop strong relationships with minority and women-owned businesses.
 
For the Information Services event, invitations were extended to businesses registered with Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE). The businesses specialized in fields such as Web and software development, multimedia, networking and telecommunications and security.
 
Vendors were paired with Information Services managers whose areas fit the profile of each business.  These vendors may also be called on for future technology-related projects for the university.
 
“Our aim and focus is to support Kent State's commitment to supplier diversity,” says Veronica Cook-Euell, supplier diversity program manager. “A key component is building stronger community connections that better reflect our region's diversity. That’s why we are so happy that the Information Services Matchmaker event was a huge success.” 
 
Information Services continues to encourage diversity among its suppliers and its employees through the division’s Diversity Committee, which meets monthly to organize diversity lunches, events and awareness within the division and university community.
 
For more information about supplier diversity at Kent State University, contact Cook-Euell at 330-672-9195, vcook3@kent.edu or visit www.kent.edu/procurement/diversity.

Important Information about Final Grading of F2 - Second 5 Weeks Fall 2012 Classes

Online final grading for F2 - Second 5 Weeks Fall 2012 courses meeting in F2 (Oct. 1, 2012 – Nov.  4, 2012) part of term begins Thursday, Nov.  1, via FlashFAST. Grading is also now available for any Fall 2012 course section that was flexibly scheduled and has an end date no later than Nov. 6. The deadline for grading submission is midnight on Tuesday, Nov.  6.

FlashFAST is accessible from any Internet-capable computer that has the cookies function enabled. To access FlashFAST, login to FlashLine at http://flashline.kent.edu and click the “Faculty & Advisor Tools” tab. The link to your grade roster(s) is located in the “Faculty & Advisor Toolbox,” under the “Submit Grades” heading.

Grades Processing Tips and FAQs may be found on the University Registrar's website at www.kent.edu/registrar/facstaff/facresc.cfm. Any faculty member needing personalized instruction on submitting their grades via FlashFAST 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. Our Helpdesk is prepared to offer assistance with these issues. Please contact them at 330-672-HELP (4357) for one-on-one assistance and technical issues. 

Kent State University’s Annual Food Drive Ends Oct. 23

Kent State University has the goal to collect 8,000 pounds of food during this year’s Make a Difference / Change Hunger food drive. The university’s food drive began Monday, Oct. 8, and will end on Tuesday, Oct. 23. Donations benefit food pantries and homeless shelters in Portage County. Pet food and supplies benefit the Portage County Animal Protective League.

Bins and boxes have been placed in campus departments and buildings to collect donations. Departments that receive donated items after Oct. 23 can drop them off with Mail Services before noon on Friday, Oct. 26.

“With the assistance of Kent State employees, the university has continued to collect more than 5,000 pounds of food every year for the past eight years,” says Vicki Ladd, administrative assistant with Kent State’s Business Administrative Services, who is helping to coordinate the drive. “Every can, every box and every packaged food item makes a difference. Please know that those families (and animals) in Portage County that are served appreciate your efforts.”

Monetary donations, check and cash, will also be accepted.  Checks should be payable to either Change Hunger or Portage County APL. Gift cards should indicate the value on the back of the card (unless the value is pre-printed on the card). All monetary donations should be delivered to Vicki Ladd in Room 232 at the Schwartz Center. Receipts will be given for all monetary gifts.

“Last year, Kent State collected more than 7,000 pounds of food that benefited the hot meal programs and food pantries in Portage County.  This year the need is so great,” says Ann Gosky, senior special assistant, Quality Initiatives and Curriculum at Kent State, and coordinator for the Campus Kitchen at Kent State. “We also have students soliciting in neighborhoods around campus, and who will assist Change Hunger with sorting and delivery to pantries. “

For more information about the food drive, contact Ladd at vladd@kent.edu.

Homecoming Office Decorating Contest Winners Announced

The College of Communication and Information Dean’s
Office had a tailgating party office decoration theme, and tied
for first place with the Department of Recreational Services,
which took the contest judges on a trip through time.

The Kent State University Alumni Association announced the winners of the Homecoming Office Decorating Contest on Friday, Oct. 19. Tying for first place were the Department of Recreational Services and the College of Communication and Information Dean’s Office.

“We were very impressed with all of the entries we received,” says Emily Horne, alumni relations practicum student and office decorating contest chair. “This was a fun way to motivate offices to show off their Kent State pride and spirit.”

The Department of Recreational Services took the decorating contest judges on a trip through time as staff members dressed in costumes from different time periods, used props from those eras and provided Kent State trivia relevant to the time period. The College of Communication and Information Dean’s Office treated judges to a tailgating party complete with a football field, a tent, grills, cornhole, cheerleaders and a referee.

The winners were recognized with coffee and doughnuts, as well as a trophy and plaque. Photos from the contest can be viewed on the alumni association’s website. 

Is Your Department Celebrating a Milestone in 2013?

If your department or college is celebrating a milestone anniversary in 2013, Kent State Magazine  would like to highlight any planned activities. Please send an email message mentioning  the anniversary year, any events planned and a link to information on your website to Ramona Stamm at rstamm@kent.edu by Nov. 1.