eInside Briefs

Title IX: Raise a Red Flag to Prevent Gender Discrimination

Title IX is not limited to athletic programs, but applies to the entire campus community and campus visitors

Through the "Raise a Red Flag" campaign, Kent State is
reminding faculty and staff about their responsibility to report
gender discrimination, including sexual harassment and
sexual assault, against a student, faculty or staff member,
or visitor.

Kent State University continues to work toward maintaining a campus environment free of discrimination and harassment. Title IX of the federal Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of a person’s gender in educational programs or activities operated by recipients of federal funding, such as Kent State.

While it is often thought of as a law that applies only to athletic programs, Title IX is much broader and protects all students, employees and visitors to campus from gender discrimination. Sexual harassment, including sexual assault, is a form of gender discrimination and is strictly prohibited by federal and state law, as well as university policy.

As part of an awareness campaign for faculty, staff and students, “Raise a Red Flag” table tents will be displayed this week in all dining halls on the Kent Campus.

What Is Your Role?

All Kent State employees are required to report incidents of gender discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, against a student, faculty or staff member, or visitor, to Kent State’s Title IX coordinator Loretta Shields, who is Human Resources’ director of benefits and compliance. Sexual assault cases should also be reported to the police. Students and campus visitors also are expected to report such incidents.

“It’s not enough to only know the law, but to also act on it by reporting any cases of sexual harassment or assault,” Shields says. “At Kent State, we strive to maintain a safe campus, which means that our faculty and staff have the responsibility to report such incidents if they witness or hear about them.”

In August of 2010, Kent State created the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) to provide anti-violence programming and support services, and to encourage all community members to speak out when witnessing violence. Faculty and staff members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the services offered to students through SART, including a Web page specifically designed for them titled “Recognizing a Student in Distress.” Find out more about SART by visiting www.kent.edu/sart/index.cfm.

Raising a Red Flag:  Filing a Title IX Complaint

You can file a formal or informal complaint with the university through Shields or one of the deputy coordinators at 330-672-2038. Whether you choose to file a formal or informal complaint, the matter will be investigated by the coordinator or a deputy coordinator.  The coordinator/deputy coordinator will make use of university and community resources to attempt to end any harassment, prevent its reoccurrence and help you to feel secure on campus.

You may also choose to file a report with Kent State University Police Services or to the local police. For emergencies and immediate assistance, call 911; otherwise Kent State Police can be reached at 330-672-2212. 

For more information about acts that constitute sexual harassment and sexual assault, steps to take following sexual harassment/assault cases, on-campus resources, and contact persons and information, visit the SART website at www.kent.edu/sart/index.cfm. Information is also available on the HR website at www.kent.edu/hr/aa/titleix.cfm.

Danielle O’Banion Named Kent State Women’s Basketball Head Coach

Kent State Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen has announced the hiring of Danielle O'Banion as women's basketball head coach. O'Banion takes over as the fifth head coach in the 37-year history of Kent State women's basketball after spending the last four seasons on staff at Memphis.

Former Memphis associate head coach becomes the fifth coach in program history

Danielle O'Banion, formerly associate head coach at Memphis,
speaks during a press conference announcing her as head coach
of the Kent State women's basketball team.

Kent State Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen has announced the hiring of Danielle O'Banion as women's basketball head coach. O'Banion takes over as the fifth head coach in the 37-year history of Kent State women's basketball after spending the last four seasons on staff at Memphis. 

"Danielle possesses the characteristics we look for, not only as an institution, but within our department," says Nielsen. "She's a very driven person and someone who's very confident in her abilities. Her reputation as a winner and a proven national recruiter are sure to bring energy and success to our women's basketball program."

An 11-year coaching veteran, O'Banion takes over the Kent State program following her four-year stint in Memphis, including the last two as associate head coach. Owning the reputation as a proven national recruiter, she served as designated recruiting coordinator for the program, helping the Tigers ink three nationally-ranked recruiting classes. The highly-touted classes fostered by O'Banion have lived up to their billing on the court as well, guiding the program into the postseason each of the last three years. 

With her guidance, Memphis has accomplished just as much in the classroom during her tenure. The program has graduated 29 consecutive seniors from its roster, not including the five-member class of 2012 (two of which already have their respective degrees). Just this last fall six student-athletes from the team achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

"I hold the responsibility of representing the Kent State Community in high regard and I am eager to help young people realize their dreams in the blue and gold," says O'Banion.  "I could not be more excited to be here. I want to thank Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton, Provost Todd Diacon, Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen and Deputy Director Tom Kleinlein for giving me this great opportunity."

Classroom success and deep runs through the postseason are nothing new to the Arlington, Va., product. In 10 years as a collegiate coach, she has been on staff for nine postseason teams, including a Final Four and two Sweet 16 berths while on staff at Minnesota from 2003-2007. In addition, she has been a part of two other NCAA appearances with the Golden Gophers in 2006 and at Harvard in 2002.

The 33 year old first joined the staff at Memphis in 2008 and was then promoted to associate head coach in 2010. During her time on the Tigers' bench, she helped head coach Melissa McFerrin put the cornerstones in place for three straight 20-win and postseason squads, signing 15 players over two years. Those players helped Memphis to the finals of the 2010 Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) and into the field of the 2011 and 2012 Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) each of the last two seasons. 

In addition to serving as the Tigers' recruiting coordinator, O'Banion coached the perimeter players and directed the Memphis defensive attack with a pressure-oriented, full-court defense that quickly became the calling card for the program. Under her watch, the team has averaged more than 11 steals per game the last three years including a league best 11.8 spg in 2011-2012 when the Tigers also led Conference USA with more than 20 forced turnovers per contest.  

O'Banion also assisted in the development of guards Brittany Carter and Ramses Lonlack. Carter is currently in the WNBA's Connecticut Sun training camp following a three-time first team All-C-USA career that was capped off by a Lowe's Senior CLASS Second-Team All-America selection. Lonlack meanwhile was named the 2012 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year.

Before making her way to Memphis, O'Banion spent the 2007-2008 season coaching at her alma mater, Episcopal High School in Virginia, where she was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. Prior to her return to her alma mater, she spent five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. Her time with the Golden Gophers marked her first opportunity to work alongside Coach McFerrin. Together they coached the Minnesota guards, most notably WNBA All-Star and Kodak All-American, Lindsay Whalen. The Gophers appeared in the postseason all five seasons of O'Banion's time in Minneapolis, highlighted by a 2004 NCAA Final Four and two NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances. O'Banion also served as the team's academic liaison at Minnesota, helping to establish women's basketball as the Big Ten leader in Academic All-Big Ten honorees.

O'Banion first entered the coaching profession in 2002 as an assistant coach at Harvard University where she helped legendary Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith's Crimson squad win the Ivy League championship and earn an automatic NCAA tournament berth in her only season on staff.

As a student-athlete she played for Boston College from 1997 to 2001. With O'Banion in the line-up, the Eagles captured the first two NCAA berths in school history in 1999, and in 2000 advanced to the second round in both tournament appearances. A team co-captain as a senior, she earned a degree in psychology in 2001, receiving Big East Academic All-Star honors.

O'Banion is committed to growing and giving back to the basketball community. She is an active member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and serves on two WBCA award committees. A 10-year member of the Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA), O'Banion will serve as president of the nearly 6,000 member organization until 2013. She is also a proud graduate of the Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) program, co-sponsored by the NCAA and the BCA. O'Banion is the daughter of Julia and Delancie.

Two Kent State Professors Receive Farris Family Innovation Awards

Two Kent State faculty members have been awarded the Farris Family Innovation Award for their research projects.

Aaron Jasnow, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychology, received the award for his project titled “Understanding Emotion: From Molecules to Mind.” Melissa Zullo, Ph.D., of the College of Public Health, was awarded for her project titled “Quality Improvement Initiatives in the Gynecology Robotic Operating Room.”

The Farris Family Innovation Award rewards faculty members who combine scholarship of teaching, discovery and application in new and effective ways. After recommendations by the provost, applicants are reviewed by the Provost's Advisory Council and then sent to the president for final approval.

Winners of the award each receive up to $8,000 for up to three years. The money from this grant covers expenses in undergraduate research, graduate student stipends, equipment expenses and travel associated with faculty projects.

For more information on how to apply for next year's Farris Family Innovation Award, visit http://fpdc.kent.edu/services/f_support/index.html.

Kent State Professor Examines Link Between Parental Time Pressure and Depression

Kent State Associate Professor Susan
Roxburgh examined the association between
depression and parental time pressures among
employed married parents.

A recently published paper by Kent State University Associate Professor Susan Roxburgh examines the association between depression and parental time pressures among employed married parents.

Roxburgh is a sociologist who has been with Kent State since 1994. The Journal of Family Issues published her paper “Parental Time Pressures and Depression Among Married Dual-Earner Parents” in its most recent issue (November, 2011).

In a telephone survey of 250 parents, Roxburgh finds that concerns about having enough time to spend with children are associated with higher depression among both fathers and mothers. Her research also reveals that job experiences play a role in influencing the link between parental time pressure and depression. Parents who report high job demands feel more parental time pressure, which in turn increases their depression.

“Even though other research shows that American parents are actually spending more time with their children than they were 20 years ago, the results of this survey shows that parents worry about the time they spend with their children and that these concerns are associated with higher depression,” Roxburgh says. “We have very high expectations for parents, and many people may worry that they are not living up to these expectations.”

The study also finds that mothers who report high job control are less likely to be depressed by parental time pressures. This relationship is not observed among fathers, which suggests that good working conditions may be particularly important for employed mothers’ well-being. 

Roxburgh reports that social support from partners does not reduce the association between time pressure and depression among parents, but household income is a significant moderator of the depression-parental time pressure link. This means that irrespective of marital quality, parental time pressures are associated with higher depression, but that affluent mothers and fathers who report high parental time pressure experience less depression than low-income mothers and fathers.

Even as other studies show that American parents, particularly fathers, are spending more time with their children, the results of this study indicate that concerns about the amount and quality of time with children is a significant source of stress for working parents, especially those in low-paying, high-demand jobs.  

“On the one hand, these findings are consistent with other studies that report that fathers expect to be actively involved in their fathering role,” Roxburgh says. “On the other hand, this study also suggests that there is growing pressure on parents to live up to this ideal of being a very engaged and involved parent and that this stress is associated with higher depression, especially among less well-off parents.”

Roxburgh’s paper can be viewed online at
http://jfi.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/11/08/0192513X11425324.abstract.

Important Information About Final Grading of Spring 2012 Classes

Online final grading for Spring Semester 2012 courses meeting in full term, F3 (3/26 - 4/29), H2 (3/1 - 4/29), and W2 (3/5 - 4/29) parts of term begins Friday, April 27, via FlashFAST. Grading is also now available for any Spring 2012 course section that was flexibly scheduled. The deadline for grading submission is midnight on Tuesday, May 8.

FlashFAST is accessible from any Internet-capable computer that has the cookies function enabled. To access FlashFAST, log in 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 FAQ may be found on the Office of the University Registrar's website at www.kent.edu/registrar/facstaff/facresc.cfm. Faculty members that need 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.

Submit Nominations for the Outstanding Teaching Awards

Sponsored by the University Teaching Council, the Outstanding Teaching Awards honor outstanding teaching by nontenure track and part-time faculty.

Share your praise! To submit a nomination or to learn more, visit www.kent.edu/utc/teaching_award.

Deadline for nominations is June 30.

Kent State Gives Away iPod to Celebrate 30,000 Facebook Fans

Edward Farnbauch, senior systems
administrator for the Division of Information
Services' server support, won a brand new
iPod for participating in a drawing that celebrated
the university’s achievement of 30,000 fans on
Facebook.

Kent State University is always striving to get its community of students, faculty and staff connected. Ever-popular social media spaces add one more way, aside from campus activities, to make those connections. Kent State’s social media participation has grown significantly since its early starts. At the beginning of April, Kent State’s YouTube presence and videos had garnered approximately 139,380 YouTube views, more than  5,000 Flickr views, more than 2,429 Twitter followers and more than 30,000 Facebook fans.

The university’s Facebook page, which launched in August 2008, is becoming one of the biggest Kent State social media connections where faculty, staff and students can learn about upcoming events, sports and news. They can also participate in various contests. While some contests  are restricted to students, others expand to involve the entire Kent State community — faculty, staff and past, current and future students.

Recently, Kent State awarded Edward Farnbauch, senior systems administrator for the Division of Information Services' server support, with a brand new iPod for participating in a drawing that celebrated the university’s achievement of 30,000 fans on Facebook. The 8GB iPod Touch (4th Generation) features retina display, HD video recording, a game center and the personalized engraving, "Kent State University."

This Spring Semester, Kent State had the Spring Break Squirrel contest, where people said what their plans were for spring break. The Kent State community voted on their favorite submissions and the three winners got a stuffed black squirrel to take with them on spring break.

To keep updated on social media contests and opportunities to win prizes, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to stay connected to Kent State’s Facebook page.

In addition to the university’s Facebook page, the majority of colleges and academic departments also maintain Twitter and Facebook presences. Find a full listing of Kent State social media presences at http://social.kent.edu. This smash up of universitywide social media is also accessible from the social media icon at the bottom of all www.kent.edu Web pages.

To become a Kent State Facebook fan, visit www.facebook.com/kentstate?ref=ts.

OhioMeansInternships.com Helps Ohio Businesses and Students Connect

Finding high-quality internships and experiential learning opportunities can be an important part of an Ohio student’s career development, as well as an important component of a company’s business plan. OhioMeansInternships.com can help students connect with interested businesses.

Students who register with OhioMeansInternships.com will be sought out by employers who also register with OhioMeansInternships.com to search for student talent. Students will be able to search internship positions that have been posted.

“Our goal is to educate students and move them from the classroom to the quality jobs in the workforce as quickly as possible,” Chancellor Petro says. “This website will help students find internships that they can use to gain experience and hone their skills, as well as help them identify career pathways.”

The website is more than a listing of internships; it serves as a comprehensive solution that will provide information useful during the students’ educational planning stages. One of the features is a portal page specific to students looking at internships. The portal includes analytics to identify career pathways and smarter career choices that work for all segments of the student job seeker population.

For more information, visit www.ohiomeansinternships.com.