eInside Briefs
News Briefs
- Summary of Board of Trustees Actions
- Apps Allow You to Keep WKSU-FM and Folk Alley With You Always
- New Director of Procurement Offers Guidance on The Sourcing Office
- Kent State Develops Writing Partnership With Local High School
- College of Education, Health and Human Services Offers 11-Day Group Trip to Morocco
- Diversity Trainings Offered in September
Summary of Board of Trustees Actions
At its Sept. 15 meeting, the Kent State University Board of Trustees took action on the following items:
Kent State's "Excellence Agenda" Reflected in Bold Plans for the Future
As part of Kent State University's Excellence Agenda, a commitment to excellence and innovation that underlies the university's strategic plan, the Board approved a number of major actions for the university's second century, including the addition or extension of 60 bachelor's degree programs at the university's seven regional campuses in the next 60 months; new partnerships with community colleges that make it easier for Northeast Ohioans to earn bachelor's degrees; and a pledge to keep college accessible by maintaining the 35 percent discount in the upper-division tuition rate at all regional campuses compared to the rate at the flagship Kent Campus, and by freezing the lower-division tuition rate at all regional campuses for the next two years, providing state instructional support remains the same. A number of actions endorsed by the Board, including the new and extended bachelor's degrees at the regional campuses, are contingent upon the support of the Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor.
In articulating a variety of actions to support academic excellence and ensure the ability of Kent State students to succeed in 21st century careers, the Board reaffirmed its strong support of a $210 million issuance of General Receipts Bonds that would allow the university to embark on major improvements to the learning environment on the Kent Campus, including new construction and renovations to science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) facilities.
The Board approved the capital-improvements bond issue, which requires the approval of the state of Ohio, at its November 2009 meeting.
Trustees noted that the time was ripe for a bond issuance because it would allow the university to take advantage of highly favorable bond interest rates. The Board stipulated that all projects funded by the bonds must align with academic priorities; that all projects must preserve the value of recent improvements and allow the continuance of university operations; and that, to the greatest extent possible, all projects must use best practices in energy efficiency.
Other actions approved by the Board as part of Kent State's commitment to excellence include:
- Entering into partnerships with community colleges, resulting in at least 10 new 2+2 pathways and articulation agreements over the next 24 months, thereby increasing pathways for urban and economically disadvantaged urban students.
- Increasing awareness of and participation in these pathways through broadened marketing and advertising/outreach efforts system-wide.
- Enhancing student financial processes and fundraising to maximize participation in financial aid, scholarships, internships and other programs, with attention to out-of-pocket costs paid by students of various income levels.
- Continuing to develop special initiatives for targeted populations especially in need, such as a pilot community college early-admission and dual-credit program now underway in partnership with Eastern Gateway Community College
Kent State at Salem Building Expansion and Addition
The Board authorized a $6.75 million project to renovate the Main Classroom Building at Kent State University at Salem. The project will be funded by $4,361,513 million in university funds, $1,694,397 million in capital funds and $694,090 in pledge funds. The building is a one-story, 79,710 gross-square-foot structure that was completed in 1971 and has had several additions over the years, including a 15,800 square-foot recreation wing that has been underused for many years.
The two phases will include the renovation of the building's existing recreation wing into a two-story academic wing for classrooms, laboratories and offices; and the renovation of existing classrooms into faculty offices and a campus bookstore. Specifically, the existing gymnasium will be converted into a two-story academic wing. Its lower level will accommodate the nursing program, including a nursing lab, sonography lab, radiology X-ray rooms, a tiered lecture room, a human patient simulator and general classrooms. The upper level will eventually house academic science labs. The renovations are scheduled to be completed by fall semester 2011.
University Confirms Investment in Downtown Kent Hotel/Conference Center
To ensure continuing progress on the construction of a hotel/conference in downtown Kent that will benefit the university and the city of Kent, the Board formally approved the university's investment in the town-gown project. The Board authorized the investment of the university's currently invested funds up to $3 million in the project.
The Board also formed a special committee comprising the Board chair, the Board's Finance and Administration Committee chair, and up to two additional trustees with expertise and interest in participating in this phase of discussion.
In addition, the Board authorized the Board chair and the Finance Committee chair to execute documents as necessary in the interim period to keep the project moving forward, with the understanding that final terms of the agreement will be brought to the next Board of Trustees meeting.
Construction of Kent Campus Student Performance Stage and Clock Tower
As part of major renovations underway to better facilitate student activities adjacent to the Kent Campus Student Center, the Board authorized a project to construct a student performance stage and clock tower.
The stage and clock tower will be located near the Summit Street end of a new, expanded lawn area that will create a new entry point to the campus. The Board stipulated that the projects, for which a fund has been established and fundraising for naming opportunities is underway, are not to exceed a total of $1.9 million.
The raised stage area will allow students, faculty and staff members, and visitors to relax while listening to performers or guest speakers, or to simply relax within gardens surrounding the platform. The area will also be used for large gathering such as graduations, receptions and other university or public events. The landscaped stage and clock tower also will serve as an important gateway icon into the heart of the campus as visitors travel Summit Street and Campus Center Drive.
Construction of this phase of the project will take place during the spring and summer of 2011
Twinsburg Academic Center
A new home for Kent State University's Twinsburg Academic Center is closer to reality with the Board's authorization of a 30-year, triple-net lease agreement and a development agreement for construction of a 42,000 square-foot building on approximately 15 acres of property located off Route 91, north of I-480, in Twinsburg. The agreement is between the university, the Summit County Port Authority and KSU Twinsburg LLC, a limited liability company controlled and managed by Fairmount Properties LLC.
The new center, which will accommodate the Twinsburg Center's growing enrollment, will provide a 21st-century learning environment complete with state-of-the-art classrooms and science, technology and medical laboratories. It also will allow expanded course offerings that are expected to attract new students who want to earn a Kent State degree; expanded workforce development and job training programs; and new community-engagement opportunities.
The project will be financed through the Summit County Port Authority through the issuance of lease revenue bonds.
Establishment of National Trustee Position
In recognition of the fact that Kent State University executes its teaching, research and service missions at state, national and international levels, and that it is widely considered a top American university (including a recent inclusion in the first tier of national universities in the 2011 edition of U.S. News Media Group's Best Colleges), the Board established the position of National Trustee.
The Board stipulated that National Trustees, who will serve three-year terms, will be non-Ohio residents who are Kent State graduates or friends of the university; have demonstrated professional success; have earned state, national or international prominence; have the ability to serve as advocates for higher education; and are willing and able to provide counsel to the university.
There will be a maximum of three National Trustees at any one time. Trustees will not be paid, but may be compensated for reasonable necessary expenses related directly to the fulfillment of the National Trustee role. National Trustees will not vote on any matters considered by the university's Board of Trustees or be eligible to serve as Board officers, but will participate in all Board activities and committees.
National Trustees will be recommended for appointment by the Board's Nominating Committee and will be appointed, and may be removed, by the Board.
Purchase of Properties to Support Kent Campus Expansion
In separate actions, the Board authorized the purchase of the following properties in the city of Kent as part of its planned expansion in the area between the Kent Campus and downtown Kent:
- Property located at 429 E. College St. and owned by Georgelle C. Heintel was purchased for its appraised value of $130,000.Property located at 329 E. Erie St. and owned by Cynthia Lavelle-Pahl was purchased for its appraised value of $175,000.
- Property located at 246 E. Erie St. and owned by Larry A. Neiman was purchased for its appraised value of $225,000.
- Property located at 128 S. Willow St. and owned by Andrej M. Petryna was purchased for its appraised value of $225,000.
- Property located at 324 College Court and owned by LKG Corporation, and property located at 132 S. Lincoln St. and owned by David and Kathy Schumann were approved for purchase following the completion of the appraisal process.
In other actions:
- The Board authorized a $5.3 million adaptive reuse project to renovate vacant Harbourt Hall on the Kent Campus. The building, which was built in 1967 as a residence hall, will become the new home of the Office of the University Architect and Facilities Planning and Operations. The completion of the project will allow space in Lowry Hall to be rededicated to academic uses for the College of Public Health.
- The Board authorized a $5 million adaptive reuse project to renovate vacant Heer Hall on the Kent Campus. The building, which was built in 1967 as a residence hall, will become the new home of the administrative offices for the division of Human Resources. The project is contingent upon approval of the bond issue.
- The Board named the expansion of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics' George L. Jenkins Academic Resource Center as the Judy Devine Wing. The action recognizes Devine, who touched the lives of countless student-athletes during her 30 years as a coach and administrator, and who made the lead gift of $150,000 to expand the Academic Resource Center for the benefit of student-athletes.
- The Board named the university's women's soccer field as Zoeller Field in recognition of alumnus, former soccer team member and National Athletic Development Council member Ron Zoeller and his family. The Zoeller family provided the lead gift of $125,000 to renovate the existing women's soccer field.
- The Board named the lecture hall in the College of Business Administration and Graduate School of Management building as the Olga A. Mural Lecture Hall in recognition of the late Akron philanthropist Olga A. Mural, whose husband was a graduate of the College of Business Administration's accounting program. Mural was a longtime, generous donor to Kent State. Her final estate gift was used to renovate and update the lecture hall.
- The Board changed the name of College Hall at Kent State University at East Liverpool to John J. Purinton Hall. The action recognizes Purinton, who dedicated his business career to improving the quality of life for East Liverpool residents. He was the grandfather of M. Patricia Burnett, a former member of the Kent State University at East Liverpool Advisory Board and a generous donor whose lead gift of $400,000 allowed for the renovation of College Hall and for enhanced learning opportunities for students in the occupational therapy assistant program.
- The Board, in separate actions, revised the university policies regarding faculty tenure and faculty promotion, effective Aug. 22, 2010. Each action addressed the procedural implications of the recent elimination of the position formerly held by the executive dean for Regional Campuses.
- The Board revised the university policy regarding the administration of student conduct to update terminology, provide for consistent application and reflect national best practices.
- The Board moved the emergency medical services technology major within the associate of technical study degree program from Kent State University at Geauga to Kent State University at Trumbull, effective fall semester 2010. The program will become part of the proposed bachelor of fire science and emergency preparedness degree program at Kent State at Trumbull, providing a clear career path from certificate to associate to bachelor's degree.
- The Board, in separate actions, inactivated the plastics manufacturing engineering technology major within the associate of applied science degree; and inactivated the master of arts degree from 11 programs in the College of Education, Health and Human Services. The actions are effective fall semester 2010.
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Apps Allow You to Keep WKSU-FM and Folk Alley With You Always
In the 1950s, radio responded to the emergence of television by adding transistors that allowed units to be smaller and more portable. Fast forward to 2010, and the growing use of "smartphones" that allow users access to not only voice transmissions but also instant connection to music through a variety of downloadable applications.
News lovers will also find on-demand audio reports from the WKSU-FM newsroom. A version of this WKSU-FM app with additional text and links in news stories is available for iPad. Android apps for WKSU-FM and Folk Alley may also be downloaded for free from the Android Market.
The WKSU-FM and Folk Alley apps were developed in-house by the WKSU-FM web development team under the direction of Information Technology Director Chuck Poulton. The apps were created by James Savage, a recent graduate of Akron's Archbishop Hoban High School who recently entered his freshman year at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind.
By Ann VerWiebe
Posted Sept. 20, 2010back to top
New Director of Procurement Offers Guidance on The Sourcing Office
Tim Konczal, the university's new director of Procurement, is responsible for directing and overseeing the university's purchasing activity. Konzal is a graduate of Kent State and most recently was employed by Supply Technologies, a division of Park Ohio Industries, in Cleveland.
Konczal's many responsibilities include contract management and compliance. Recently, representatives from the Sourcing Office, a regional buying consortium specializing in collaborative contracting for local government entities, conducted a seminar on campus to introduce their organization, discuss its services and highlight certain key contracts under its management.
While the Sourcing Office is a reputable organization, some of the contracts they maintain are not congruent with similar agreements already sourced, awarded and managed by Kent State University. Should anyone be approached or contacted by a representative of the Sourcing Office or any of their strategic partners, please contact Konczal. While Kent State may do business with Sourcing Office in the future, the university cannot endorse the use of their agreements at this time.
Contact Konczal in Procurement with any questions at 330-672-9192 or via e-mail at tkonczal@kent.edu.
Posted Sept. 20, 2010
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Kent State Develops Writing Partnership With Local High School
Fall 2010 marks the beginning of a partnership between the Kent State University Writing Commons and the students and faculty at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent to develop the high school's first writing center.
The partnership will be created through a new writing commons tutor-training course called, Introduction to Tutorial Practices, which is offered to Kent State undergraduate students. Jeanne Smith, director of the Kent State Writing Commons, created the course.
Smith hopes this partnership will help high school students meet Ohio language arts standards and develop and improve their overall writing skills. The writing center will also give high school students the opportunity to mentor each other on their writing while learning from and maintaining relationships with college students.
"I see it as good for the university, good for the community, good for the Writing Commons at Kent State and good for advancing research into community and university academic partnerships," Smith says.
Kent State students are expecting to be in the high school and begin tutoring before the end of September. Each student is required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of tutoring throughout the semester. Students taking this course will be able to bring back training and professionalization to the undergraduate tutoring staff at the Kent State Writing Commons.
Smith says the structure of the writing center at Theodore Roosevelt will ultimately depend on the needs of the school and the space provided.
"Whether they need an after-school program, tutoring during study halls or individual tutoring, the student tutors will adjust to what writing needs the high school has," Smith says.
The partnership will support the university's strategic plan for community involvement and student engagement, and work to increase university and community partnerships. Smith says the plan is to eventually involve more high schools throughout Northeast Ohio.
The project is being funded by a grant from the Office of Experiential Education and Civic Engagement. The students and faculty involved in this project will make presentations on the outcomes of the project at local, regional, national and international conferences.
For more information, contact Smith at 330-672-1788 or jrsmith3@kent.edu .
By Aubrey Haskins
Posted Sept. 20, 2010
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College of Education, Health and Human Services Offers 11-Day Group Trip to Morocco
'The Many Faces of Morocco' trip reconnects Kent State with former international scholars
Kent State University reunites with six former international scholars during an escorted group vacation to Morocco from Oct. 30 to Nov. 9, 2010. The Moroccan scholars are secondary school teachers who have spent one semester at Kent State as part of a Fulbright program. They will be part of the person-to-person aspect that enriches Kent State's TRAVEL2KNOW tour programs. In addition to the expert tour guide, these six educators will provide a personal touch to the program.
Morocco historically conjures up images of ancient walled cities, desert-crossing camel caravans, Arab sultans, Berber Tribesmen and mud-walled Kasbahs shaded by tall date palms. The Morocco of today can deliver these images and much more, including beautiful coastal areas of Casablanca, the heights of the Atlas Mountains, the majestic Sahara sand dunes and the bustling cities. But more importantly, the six Moroccan locals will be a continuous connection for the travelers on this program - e-mails and Skype contact before, during and after the trip, and each traveler will be able to correspond with students in the schools of these six scholars.
This trip package includes roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, daily breakfast and dinner, airport transfers, English-speaking professional tour guides, Sahara Desert and Volubilis excursions, entrance fees to historical sites, baggage handling, and tips for guides and driver.
For more information about this trip or other trips offered by Kent State's College of Education, Health and Human Services, please contact Dr. Linda Robertson, the university's director of the Gerald H. Read Center for International and Intercultural Education, at 330-672-0563 or lfrobert@kent.edu.
Posted Sept. 20, 2010
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Diversity Trainings Offered in September
A series of five classes and a faculty search workshop are being offered to the university community this fall.
Instructor-led workshops starting in September 2010 include:
- Americans with Disabilities: Your Rights as an Employee
- Diversity: Basic 101
- Understanding Yourself and Others: Learn your Diverse Work Style
- Diversity in the Workplace: Generational Differences
- Sexual Harassment
Questions related to the five workshops should be directed to Belinda Duncan, manager, Equal Opportunity and Diversity Training, at 330-672-8130 or bduncan8@kent.edu or sign up online at www.kent.edu/hr/register.
How to Conduct a Diverse Faculty Search Workshop
The purpose of the workshop is to give deans, chairs and hiring officials exactly what the title of the workshop promises: Effective and Efficient Techniques on How to Diversify the Faculty and Conduct Your Search.
Workshop goals are:
- Provide effective and efficient techniques on how to diversify the faculty
- Provide tools that can be used to attract a diverse candidate pool
- Debunk commonly held myths
- Examine hiring biases
- Learn how to create a welcoming environment
Registration is required and can be completed online at www.kent.edu/hr/register. Questions related to this workshop should be directed to Judith Brooks, manager, Faculty Recruitment and Retention at 330-672-8312 or jbrooks10@kent.edu.
For these trainings, there are no deadlines and participants will be prompted on registration and session availability.
Posted Sept. 20, 2010
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