eInside Briefs

Message from the Presidential Search Committee

Members of the Kent State Community,

Our search for Kent State University’s 12th president has taken important next steps, with the online release of a presidential search prospectus and placement of national advertising in major higher education publications. In these materials we believe we’ve captured Kent State’s dynamic progress, unique spirit, and bright future in ways that will be intriguing to highly qualified individuals. 

Developed with broad input from our community, the prospectus introduces Kent State to potential candidates, highlighting recent accomplishments, opportunities and challenges facing the next president, key qualifications and success factors the Board of Trustees and the Presidential Search Committee are seeking in the best candidates for the position, and how to submit applications and nominations.

National advertising begins with the Sept. 6 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education and will continue in other publications and online resources over the next few months. Members of our community can request the ads as PDFs to distribute throughout their own professional networks via email. More than 15 major research universities now are conducting presidential searches, heightening the competition and illustrating the need for everyone to get engaged in promoting the opportunity and suggesting names of highly qualified prospects.

Our recruitment efforts not only will shine the spotlight on our presidential search, they will bring a great deal of visibility to Kent State and to our history-making momentum. The search firm will distribute the prospectus widely to prospects, as well as to top leaders in academe and the public, and private sectors seeking nominations.
 
As noted earlier, these materials have been developed with input of trustees, president’s cabinet, deans, chairs and directors, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, community leaders and the public. To date, nine consultation meetings, including two open forums, have been held and a survey posted online.

The committee continues to seek and welcome input on the qualities most important in the future president and nominations for the position. Suggestions can be sent by email to presidentialsearch@kent.edu, and for access to the survey and other updates, please visit the search website.


Richard Marsh ’73
Chair
Presidential Search Committee

Kent State Establishes a New Office to Assist With Response, Referrals and Reporting of Sexual Violence

Kent State University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion has established the Office of Sexual and
Relationship Violence Support Services.

A U.S. Department of Justice study found that for every 1,000 women on campus, there are 35 rapes each academic year. Additionally, anecdotal reports find that the fall semester, particularly the first three to five weeks of the semester, are when women are at greatest risk. However, sexual assault does not just happen to women. Men can be assaulted as well.

For this reason, Kent State University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has established the Office of Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services (SRVSS Office; pronounced “serves”). Coming out of what has been known as the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), the Office of Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services was created to educate students about personal safety and violence prevention, empower them to build healthier relationships and prevent sexual violence, and to be responsive to students in need.

Located in the Carriage House at 125 Midway Drive on the Kent Campus, the Office of Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services provides a safe space to students who have experienced sexual violence (including sexual assault, intimate partner/relationship violence and stalking) to access resources, get support when participating in a criminal or conduct process and navigate support within the campus community. Faculty and staff who learn of an assault from a student are encouraged to connect the student with the Office of Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services for support in overcoming the trauma of sexual violence. The Office of Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services also can assist faculty and staff in meeting the reporting expectations of Title IX.

The office is staffed by a full-time professional who also provides training and workshops to faculty, staff and student groups in the classroom, during meetings and as part of residence hall or student organization programming. Topics include Bystander Responsibility Training, Sexual Violence Awareness and Healthy Relationships. Throughout the year, the office will sponsor many campuswide events to raise awareness about sexual violence, its impact on the community and what community members can do to stop and prevent it from happening. The office is open to all students, faculty and staff.

According to the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six women and one in 33 men will experience an attempted or completed sexual assault in their lifetime. Increasing awareness and encouraging others to step up and speak out to prevent it from happening makes a difference.

For more information or to schedule a presentation, please visit the Office of Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services website at www.kent.edu/srvss or contact Jennie O’Connell, sexual assault response coordinator, at 330-672-8016.

Support for Students: Early Alert for Fall 2013

The Office of Student Success Programs would like to welcome you back to campus. Now that the Fall 2013 Semester is underway, we wanted to send out some information on how we can work together to help support your students' success. The Early Alert system is now up and running for the semester.

Early Alert for Faculty
Early Alert allows faculty members to identify students who are struggling in class so that the Office of Student Success Programs can provide support where they need it. This online system is accessible through your FlashLine Faculty tab. The Early Alert system is designed to provide faculty members with an easy way to partner with other campus professionals to reach out to students who pose some type of concern. The areas of concern include: 

• Multiple missing assignments
• Poor class performance (exams, assignments, projects, etc.) 
• Difficulty comprehending course material 
• Poor class attendance (more than three unexcused absences)
  

For more information, visit www.kent.edu/success/faculty/earlyalerts/index.cfm.

Staff Members Only
Staff members can submit an Early Alert through our website: www.kent.edu/success/faculty/earlyalerts/eastaffonly.cfm.

Thank you for your commitment to our students’ academic success. Should you have any questions, please contact Monica Hermann, coordinator for student success programs, at mherman7@kent.edu. 

Homecoming Court Applications Due

Nominate a Deserving Student

Homecoming 2012 Queen Ann Miller and King Thomas
Ream pose for a photo with Kent State University President
Lester A. Lefton following their coronation. 

The Kent State University Alumni Association asks faculty and staff members to encourage Kent Campus seniors to apply for Homecoming Court. Members of the Homecoming Court represent the university and are chosen for their leadership abilities, academic achievements, community service and involvement in Kent State.

Faculty and staff who know a student with senior class standing, a 2.25 cumulative grade point average and who embodies the qualities listed above may provide a nomination letter for a student to apply for Homecoming Court. Details about the nomination process and the applications are available at www.ksualumni.org/homecomingcourt and due Sept. 9 by 5 p.m.

Kent State College of Podiatric Medicine Holds White Coat Ceremony for New Students

Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine students
recite the student code of professionalism at the White Coat
Ceremony for new students.

Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine welcomed its first-year class of 123 students. This year's class represents students from 29 states, plus Puerto Rico and Canada, who have chosen to pursue a career in podiatric medicine. 

"We are very excited to welcome this remarkable group of students to the College of Podiatric Medicine," says Carla Ronnebaum, director for enrollment management for the College of Podiatric Medicine. “I am confident this class will make many positive contributions to the podiatric profession for years to come.”

The College of Podiatric Medicine honored the new students at the White Coat Ceremony. The highlight of the ceremony was the student code of professionalism that the students wrote and recited as a symbolic guide or oath for their podiatric career. The White Coat Ceremony signifies the transition from undergraduate and/or pre-professional life to the start of a professional lifestyle. The ceremony is an introduction into an adherence to a code-of-conduct lifestyle, where students agree to treat each other and their future patients in a professional, dignified manner of respect.

For more information about Kent State's College of Podiatric Medicine, visit www.kent.edu/cpm.

Jewish Holiday Notice

Dear Kent State Faculty and Staff:

Welcome back to campus! The Jewish holidays fall early this year in the second week of class.

• Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 4, and ends the evening of Friday, Sept. 6. 
• Yom Kippur begins Friday, Sept. 13, and ends Saturday night, Sept. 14.
  

As many students, faculty and staff may request time off to observe the Jewish holidays, we felt it important to inform you of the dates so that you can take them into account in your planning. Traditional observances of these holidays include refraining from work/school, spending time with family and in synagogue.

While not all scheduling conflicts can be avoided, I hope you are able to takes these dates into consideration to allow members of our diverse Kent State community the ability to celebrate these holidays without being penalized. 

Please be aware that different Jewish students may observe the holidays differently; some observe one day of a holiday, while others observe two. Please keep this in mind should you have two students requesting excused absences for different lengths of time.

A 10-year Jewish holiday calendar can also be found on our website at www.kenthillel.org. Please also note that Jewish holidays begin at sundown the previous day.

We encourage you to call Hillel at Kent State should you have any questions. 

Best wishes for a safe and prosperous new year,

Jennifer Chestnut           
Executive Director
Hillel at Kent State University
330-678-0397   

Kent Student Center Post Office Offers Free Black Squirrel Postcards with Postage

The United States Post Office, located in the lower level of the Kent Student Center, is finding a creative way to advertise this semester. The Post Office is running a new postcard promotion through the end of September.  Postcards created by Signum Design Studio, promoting this year’s 32nd annual Black Squirrel Festival, will be distributed to students at events the next few weeks. The postcards can be mailed for free to friends or family by bringing them to the Kent Student Center Post Office.

“We were looking for a way to cross-promote with other departments in the Kent Student Center,” says Post Office Manager Katelyn Neff. “This promotion gives us the opportunity to not only bring people down to see us, but also to advertise Signum Design Studio and the Black Squirrel Festival.”

Postcards will be handed out during the Black Squirrel Festival on Sept.  6 from 2-8 p.m., and they can also be picked up at the Post Office while supplies last. 

Kent State University Hotel Offers Promotional Rate to Kent State Faculty and Staff

The Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center
offers an on-site restaurant and a stylish lounge for hotel
patrons.

The Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center is offering a special introductory rate to Kent State faculty and staff. Regular rates start at $139, but Kent State employees can reserve a room for only $109 now through Sept. 30. The special rate includes a light continental breakfast. Reservations can be made by using the code "Kent" online at www.kentstatehotel.com or by calling 330-346-0100.

The Kent State Hotel opened to the public on June 14 and features 94 boutique-style guest rooms, an on-site restaurant and lounge, an indoor pool and workout facility, a 24-hour business center and 5,000 square feet of event space with a 10-seat executive boardroom.

Cindy Sherman, director of sales for the Kent State Hotel, says the hotel’s Zenas Restaurant offers a sophisticated yet relaxed environment for patrons, and the 1910 Lounge offers a cozy atmosphere and a stylish bar.

“The 1910 Lounge is open daily and offers classic cocktails, such as Manhattans, whiskey sours, specialty beer on tap, and is a great location to unwind,” Sherman says. “Zenas is a full-service restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and offers a fresh, contemporary take on international cuisine. The menu has everything from pizza and pasta to rack of lamb and steak. We invite Kent State employees to come try our restaurant and lounge.”

The Kent State Hotel is located at 215 S. Depeyster Street in downtown Kent.

For more information about the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center, visit www.kentstatehotel.com.