eInside Briefs

Dean of Kent State East Liverpool and Kent State Salem Resigns

Kent State University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert G. Frank has announced that Jeff Nolte has resigned from his position as dean of Kent State University at East Liverpool and Kent State University at Salem. Nolte is leaving his role as dean immediately due to personal reasons.

“Jeff has served Kent State for 14 years and led both campuses in tremendous growth,” Frank says. “His leadership will be missed.”

Frank has appointed Wanda Thomas to serve as interim dean of the university’s Columbiana County campuses. Thomas currently serves as Kent State’s Regional College dean and associate provost for Kent State system integration. Susan Rossi, assistant dean at Kent State East Liverpool, and David Guy, interim assistant dean at Kent State Salem, will assist Thomas on the day-to-day management of the two campuses.

For more information on Kent State East Liverpool and Kent State Salem, visit www.col.kent.edu. 
 

President Lefton Reiterates Commitment to Timely Graduation

President Lester A. Lefton speaks about the importance
of timely graduation during his recent State of the University
Address.

Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton reiterated his commitment to improving retention rates at Kent State during his recent State of the University Address. Lefton says that the university must improve student persistence to timely graduation, which includes developing a more deliberate and comprehensive retention strategy.

“We have written a stunning success story when it comes to enrolling students,” Lefton says. “We must achieve equal success in helping students reach the academic finish line. Because retention and graduation affect the future of our students, our state and our society, I ask … that for the next 12 months we focus on retention.”

Watch the video to see Lefton talk about the retention strategy.

Important Information Regarding Midterm Grading for Freshmen

Online midterm grading for freshmen in full-term Fall 2011Semester courses begins Thursday, Oct. 13, via FlashFAST. Please remember that midterm grading applies only to courses that meet for the full semester. The deadline for midterm grade submission is midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

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 Office of the University Registrar's website at www.kent.edu/registrar/facstaff/facresc.cfm. Any faculty members needing personalized instruction on submitting 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.

New PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge: Kent State in Sports Face-Off With Akron

Kent State will play The University of Akron in
15 NCAA varsity sports in the PNC Wagon Wheel
Challenge.

Show your spirit, put on your Kent State gear and turn out to support the Golden Flashes

A new competition, The PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge, pits Kent State against The University of Akron in a series of sports challenges that further expands an intercollegiate athletics rivalry dating back more than a half-century between both schools.
 
The PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge is based on a time-honored competition for the historic wooden Wagon Wheel Trophy awarded originally in 1945 to the winner of the annual Akron-Kent State football game.  For the 2011-2012 academic year, the PNC-sponsored rivalry will broaden the competition to include 15 NCAA varsity sports, with victories in each sport adding one point to the challenge standings.

“PNC’s new athletic challenge will spark more excitement in a broad range of sports between these rival schools,” says Kevin O. Thompson, PNC regional president for Akron, Canton and Wooster.  “By showcasing the talents of student-athletes, we will further engage alumni and the community to support our schools.”
 
In keeping with tradition, the annual winner of the football contest will gain possession of the historic wooden Wagon Wheel trophy, while the school that accumulates the most total points in all varsity matchups for that academic year will receive an overall series trophy.
 
“College athletics is built on strong rivalries, and we're fortunate to have one of the closest in the country with Akron,” says Kent State Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen. “We're very appreciative of PNC’s support of the Wagon Wheel Challenge – this model has worked very well with other schools and it can only help grow this rivalry and make it even stronger.”

Competitions this fall include an Oct. 21 women’s soccer game at Kent State’s Zoeller Field, a Nov. 11 volleyball match, also at Kent State, and a Nov. 12 football game at the University of Akron’s InfoCision Stadium. Kent State fans, including faculty and staff, are encouraged to show support for the Golden Flashes by attending these games.

For more information about the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge, including a full game schedule, the scoring system and more, visit www.wagonwheelchallenge.com.

Kent State Departments Hold United Way Candy Bar Fundraiser and Garage Sale

The Honors College is holding a candy bar sale to support Kent State’s United Way campaign. Hershey’s and M&M/Mars candy bars are on sale for a dollar at the Honors College office located on the lower level of Stopher/Johnson Halls during regular office hours. All proceeds benefit the United Way. For more information about the candy bar sale, contact Judy Yasenosky at 330-672-2312.

Additionally, the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs will be holding its United Way Garage Sale on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. -3 p.m. at room 306 in the Kent Student Center. Silent auction items will also be available.

The division is soliciting donations of gently used items that include antiques, appliances, baby items, baskets, books, CDs, DVDs, electronics, clocks, collectibles, cookware, dishes, games, household items, jewelry, luggage, movies, pictures, purses, sporting goods and tools. Clothing and shoes are not desired items. Donations can be dropped off from now through Nov. 14, at the following locations:

• The welcome desk at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center
• Rm. 119 Twin Towers
• Rm. 250 Kent Student Center
• Rm. 257 Michael Schwartz Center
  

For more information about the garage sale, contact Barb Boltz at 330-672-1306 or Jeanette Jones at 330-672-0506. For Kent State’s United Way campaign calendar of events, visit www.kent.edu/unitedway/events.cfm.

Kent State launched its campaign to raise $180,000 for the United Way of Portage County. To learn more about how you can give and support the campaign, visit www.kent.edu/unitedway/howtogive.cfm.

Local Firefighters Receive Valuable Training in Vacant Residence Hall

Local firefighters completed nearly 600 hours of training
in Kent State's vacant Heer Hall. Heer Hall is awaiting
renovation into office space for the university.
Photo Credit: Kent Fire Department.

In just six weeks, more than 120 firefighters from 11 different departments completed nearly 600 hours of training, thanks to a vacant Kent State University residence hall.

“Kent State University’s mission is to teach and train,” says Tom Euclide, associate vice president of facilities planning and operations. “While we are not performing the actual training, we are providing a perfect facility for the training.”

Local firefighters used the unoccupied Heer Hall to perform a variety of drills and skills training this summer. Euclide expressed what a rare opportunity this was for public safety officials to operate in a facility that is adaptable to their purpose.

Heer Hall is awaiting a full renovation into office space for the university, so it provided an ideal opportunity because concerns that the building might be damaged from the training were minimal, according to Euclide.

In the past, Kent State has offered local police and fire departments many of its vacant buildings for SWAT, search and rescue and law enforcement training, so Euclide approved the initiative when the city fire department approached him to use an empty building.

“This [training] has been irreplaceable,” says Gary Lane, an instructor from the City of Kent Fire Department. “A huge thank you to [the staff] that have made this possible for not only the City of Kent Fire Department but all the other area departments as well.”

Other fire departments that trained in Heer Hall include Brimfield, Akron, Garfield Heights, Streetsboro, Mantua-Shalersville, Ravenna City, Aurora, Brady Lake, Rootstown and Youngstown. Training will continue throughout the semester while the residence hall remains vacant.

For more information on the Kent Fire Department, visit www.kentohio.org/dep/fire.asp.

Nominations Being Accepted for 2012 Diversity Trailblazer Award

Nominations are now being accepted for the Annual Diversity Trailblazer Award. Criteria for the nomination and a nomination form are available at www.kent.edu/diversity/trailblazers.cfm.

The deadline for nominations is Monday, Oct. 24, and can be sent to Diane Matasek at Room 252 in the Kent State University Library or by email to dmatasek@kent.edu. 
 
The annual Diversity Trailblazer Award recognizes diversity pioneers associated with Kent State, Northeast Ohio’s largest university and one of the nation’s 77 top public research institutions.  

For more information, contact Matasek at 330-672-8540.
 

World Vision Leader, Youth Activist to Speak at Kent State

The Rev. Adam Taylor, vice president of
advocacy for World Vision, U.S., will
discuss what it means to re-invent and
revitalize activism for a younger generation.
Taylor will speak on Oct. 20, at the Kent
Student Center.

The Rev. Adam Taylor, vice president of advocacy for World Vision, U.S., will share his vision and present, "The Future of Social Justice Activism for a Post-Civil Rights Generation" at Kent State University on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. The fall symposium is hosted by the Center for the Study of Information and Religion in the School of Library and Information Science. The talk will take place in Room 317 of the Kent Student Center.

Taylor in his book Mobilizing Hope, draws upon the heritage of faith-based activism to encourage young people to be politically engaged and to fight for justice and human rights.

After earning degrees at Emory University and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Taylor founded and served as executive director of Global Justice, an organization that mobilizes students around issues of global human rights and economic justice. He went on to become a senior political director at Sojourners and a White House Fellow in the Office of Cabinet Affairs, Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Obama administration. He is also an ordained minister at First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

Taylor's presentation will focus on what it means to re-invent and revitalize activism for a younger generation. He will build on lessons from previous movements like the civil rights and anti-apartheid movement while focusing on new methods and strategies that will be effective in today's society.

"I will draw upon concrete examples both from my own career, as well as from other young leaders and activists who have been successful in changing policies, laws and budgets at the local, national and international level," says Taylor.

Taylor hopes his talk at Kent State will help students, faculty and staff better understand that they can play a critical role in combating injustice and inequality in today's society.
"I hope that they will leave the presentation feeling challenged, inspired and empowered to use their voice, gifts and influence to impact some of the most pressing justice issues facing our nation and world," he says.

As a child, Taylor grew up fascinated by the civil rights struggle, often feeling he was born in the wrong era.

"Over time I realized that my generation inherits the unfinished business of that and other movements for human dignity and justice," Taylor says. "I wrote Mobilizing Hope to draw lessons from previous social movements that can be applied to the most pressing injustices today while also offering new wineskins for activism that fit the current political and economic landscape."

Taylor has been involved in justice for most of his life, but it wasn't until graduate school that he formally connected his activism with a legitimate form of discipleship and ministry.

"Through my studies and experiences I've learned that the majority of the most successful social movements were anchored in and fueled by faith," he says. "My faith centers my perspective in the struggles and aspirations of the least, the last, and the lost and helps me avoid the temptation of accessing power for personal gain or selfish motives."

The Center for the Study of Information and Religion is a research initiative of the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University. The center was founded in 2009 with the goal of facilitating research on the various institutions and agents of religion and their effect on social knowledge through the use, dissemination and diffusion of information.

For more information, visit www.kent.edu/slis/research/csir.cfm.

College of Public Health Partners With Summit County Health Department to
Identify Infected Mosquitoes

Kent State College of Public Health students helped
identify West Nile virus infected mosquitoes in the
Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

With help from Kent State University College of Public Health students, the Summit County Health Department discovered West Nile virus infected mosquitoes in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park this summer.

Through partnerships with local health departments, the College of Public Health offers many opportunities for students to work in the public health field. Students work with faculty members to assist in community health needs assessments and various other services.

“We’re here to train the next generation of public health professionals and to serve the local health departments in their efforts,” says College of Public Health Assistant Dean Ken Slenkovich.

As part of the public health program at Kent State, students are required to gain practical experience working in a public health field. These practicums allow students to network in the community to expose them to local health issues.  

“We’ve already had some success in students landing jobs as a result of those field experiences,” says Slenkovich. “One of our students has just been hired by the Stark County Health Department as an epidemiologist.”

Terry Tuttle, Summit County Environmental Health supervisor, says Kent State students help the department’s efforts across the board, whether assisting with preventing rabies outbreaks or environmental disease identification.

“They’ve been pretty helpful and useful,” he says. “We’d like to continue our relationship with the Kent State College of Public Health.”

For more information about the College of Public Health, visit www.kent.edu/publichealth.