eInside Briefs

Kent State Sets 2014-15 Tuition

To enable Kent State University to continue its multifaceted efforts to provide students with a high-caliber educational experience, the Kent State Board of Trustees on May 28 increased tuition by 2 percent for undergraduate and graduate students on the university’s eight campuses. The increase, which is in keeping with a state-mandated limit on full-time, in-state undergraduate tuition increases for the 2014-15 academic year, is expected to leave Kent State’s tuition ranked in the middle of Ohio’s 13 public universities.

Effective Fall Semester 2014, undergraduate tuition for students at the Kent Campus will increase $98 per semester (from $4,908 to $5,006). Graduate tuition will increase $104 per semester (from $5,222 to $5,326).

Trustees noted that more than half of the new tuition revenue will be allocated to increases for student scholarships.

The Board also authorized changes in a variety of course fees and other student fees. The changes include both the elimination of fees (e.g., 17 fees in the College of Nursing were eliminated) and fee increases (e.g., the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology increased 11 fees related to its helicopter-training program).

Board Approves University Budget for Fiscal Year 2015

Commending the university’s leadership for continuing to demonstrate responsible and strategic management, the Kent State Board of Trustees approved a $648 million ($648,100,738) operating budget for the university’s eight-campus system for fiscal year 2015 (July 1, 2014–June 30, 2015). Priorities addressed in the budget include additional investments in student financial aid; costs associated with contract agreements with employees represented by bargaining units; compensation increases for unrepresented employees; anticipated increases in health-insurance costs for employees; investments in facilities repairs and improvements; support for library collections; and support for international programs.

Approval of Kent State Complete College Ohio Plan

As part of a state and institutional commitment to increasing the number of Ohioans with college degrees, the Kent State Board of Trustees approved the Kent State University Complete College Ohio Campus Completion Plan.

The plan is required by the Complete College Ohio Act, which was passed by the Ohio Legislature a year ago and which includes a core recommendation that all public institutions of higher learning in Ohio develop and implement institution-specific action plans. The 130th Ohio General Assembly subsequently passed Amended Substitute House Bill 59, which requires that the board of trustees of each higher-education institution adopt an institution-specific strategic completion plan designed to increase the number of degrees and certificates awarded to students.

Kent State’s Campus Completion Plan details the university’s mission, student body profile, barriers to persistence and completion, completion goals and strategies, and workforce-development priorities and student success. It was developed in consultation with the President’s Cabinet, Kent and Regional campus deans, the Faculty Senate and its Executive Committee, and the University Retention Task Force.

Board Honors Service of President Lefton, Bestows “President Emeritus” Status

The Kent State Board of Trustees was unanimous in passing a resolution of appreciation that recognizes Kent State President Lester A. Lefton’s eight years of “extraordinary contributions to Kent State, Northeast Ohio and the field of higher education.” The Board also awarded him the title “president emeritus,” effective July 1, 2014. Lefton, Kent State’s 11th president, will retire as president on June 30.

The resolution commends Lefton for his deep commitment to excellence in academics and all aspects of university operations and points to a leadership legacy that includes “increasing student retention and graduation; setting new records in enrollment and fundraising; elevating the university’s academic strengths and standing; completing the successful Centennial Campaign; increasing Kent State’s international presence; and modernizing facilities to meet the aspirations of our students and their families through the historic 'Foundations of Excellence: Building the Future' initiative.” The Board also noted Lefton’s key role in the award-winning transformation of downtown Kent, noting that “he has forged a new era of town-gown collaboration, remaking Kent as one of America’s best college towns and physically connecting a vibrant campus with a newly vibrant city.”

Click here to see additional board actions taken by the Kent State University Board of Trustees on May 28.

Kent State Vice President Gene Finn Embraces New Opportunity Following Record Successes

Steve Sokany named interim vice president of institutional advancement

Gene Finn is departing from his role as
Kent State University’s vice president of
 institutional advancement and executive
director of the Kent State University
Foundation for a similar position with
Columbia University in New York.

Gene Finn is departing from his role as Kent State University’s vice president of institutional advancement and executive director of the Kent State University Foundation for a similar position with Columbia University in New York.

During his tenure at Kent State, Finn led the successful completion of the $250 million Centennial Campaign, which raised more than $265 million for the university’s endowment, capital projects and current-operating funds, with particular emphasis on student scholarships. Most recently, Finn managed the foundation’s construction of the new Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center that opened last year in downtown Kent, Ohio. 

Finn’s final day with Kent State will be July 31, 2014.

With Finn’s departure, Steve Sokany has been named the university’s interim vice president of institutional advancement and executive director of the Kent State University Foundation, effective Aug. 1, 2014. 

Sokany currently serves as Kent State’s senior associate vice president for institutional advancement, a role he has held since 2002. He first joined the university in 1993.

“Steve Sokany knows firsthand the positive impact that the Division for Institutional Advancement has made on the university, and he’ll continue that momentum,” says Kent State President Lester A. Lefton. “Steve is a strong, personable leader, and he is well-versed in the needs of our university community and in the relationships that have led to strong success for the division and the Kent State Foundation.”

Steve Sokany has been named Kent
State University’s interim vice president
of institutional advancement and executive
director of the Kent State University
Foundation, effective Aug. 1, 2014.

Sokany earned his Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in nonprofit management from Kent State in 1996, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from the University of Detroit Mercy in 1990. He also has served as a board member for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland since 2006 and is currently co-chair of the Board of Directors for Gay Games IX, which will be held in Cleveland and Akron this summer.

Sokany lives in Cleveland.

Finn was appointed Kent State’s vice president for institutional advancement in April 2007. As a member of the president’s Cabinet, he is responsible for the university’s Office of Institutional Advancement and Office of Alumni Relations.

For more information about Kent State’s Division of Institutional Advancement, visit www2.kent.edu/advancement.

For more information about the Kent State Foundation, visit www2.kent.edu/advancement/ksufoundation.

Bradley Bielski Selected as the New Dean of Kent State University at Tuscarawas

Bradley A. Bielski, Ph.D., has been
named dean and chief administrative
officer at Kent State University at
Tuscarawas. Bielski's selection comes
following a national search. 

Bradley A. Bielski, Ph.D., has been selected as the new dean and chief administrative officer at Kent State University at Tuscarawas. Bielski was named after a national search. He currently serves as vice president for academic affairs and dean at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

“Brad Bielski’s lengthy experience at a fine liberal arts college and his kind, caring and positive personality will combine to make him an excellent leader of the Tuscarawas Campus,” says Todd Diacon, Kent State’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Students, faculty, board members and community leaders are excited by his selection, and I am especially glad that he accepted our offer.”

Bielski succeeds Gregg L. Andrews, Ph.D., who announced in October 2013 that he would be leaving the dean post effective July 1, 2014. Andrews will work with the associate provost and Regional College dean and teach at Kent State Tuscarawas with the intention to retire July 1, 2015, after 30 years of service to the university.

“I am honored to be selected as the dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State University at Tuscarawas,” Bielski says. “I wish to thank the entire Tuscarawas Campus community, the university and the truly invested members of our region. Kent State Tuscarawas has made great strides under the remarkable leadership of Dr. Gregg Andrews. During his tenure, the university brought forward new academic programs along with capital investments to support those programs and made the campus a cultural center in our community. We have a wonderful institution due to a talented and dedicated faculty, invested staff and students with a passion for learning.

“I have already met many people in the region and have been very impressed by how strongly our community values Kent State University at Tuscarawas and education at all levels,” Bielski continues. “I am excited about where we are today and even more energized by the momentum we have moving forward. Working collaboratively, we can serve the needs of our students and advance communities in which they live. I would also express my sincere gratitude to Kent State President [Lester A.] Lefton and Provost Diacon for offering me this incredible opportunity.”

Bielski first came to Thomas More College in 1995. Since 2004, Bielski has served as the academic vice president and dean of the college. His areas of responsibility include all traditional academic departments, accelerated education (TAP), graduate studies, the Office of the University Registrar, Lifelong Learning, Institutional Planning and Effectiveness, the Library and Retention Services. From 1995-2004, Bielski served as a member of the chemistry department, teaching physical chemistry, general chemistry, undergraduate research and selected analytical courses. He served as the chair of the department from 2002-2004 and also as the chair of the Faculty General assembly.

His research interests included quantum statistics (Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac), statistical thermodynamics and quantum chemistry, as applied to both low-temperature and high-temperature systems. He is published in Spectrochimicia Acta, The Journal of Applied Spectroscopy and The Journal of Analytical and Atomic Spectroscopy. As a faculty member, he received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Center for Integrated Science and Mathematics, George Renaker Charitable Trust, Acer Inc. and Cinergy. He has continued to work collaboratively on external funding, contributing to grants received from the James Graham Brown Foundation Inc., the U.S. Small Business Administration, Cinergy (Duke Energy) and U.S. Bank.

Bielski is active in several professional and community organizations, serving or having served as chairman of the board for the Brighton Center Inc., chairman of the board for the Northern Kentucky Council of Partners, chair of the AIKCU Chief Academic Officers Association and a member of the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities, Strive Partnership, Leadership Northern Kentucky, Vision 2015 and the Board of Trustees of Thomas More College. 

Bielski received both his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and his doctorate in the area of physical chemistry from the University of Cincinnati.

He and his family will be moving to the New Philadelphia, Ohio, area from Newport, Kentucky.

For more information about Kent State Tuscarawas, visit www.tusc.kent.edu.

Denise Seachrist to Serve as Interim Dean of Kent State University at Stark

Denise Seachrist, Ph.D., director of the
Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent
State University, has been named interim
dean and chief administrative officer of
Kent State University at Stark, effective
July 1, 2014.

Denise Seachrist, Ph.D., director of the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University, has been named interim dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State University at Stark, effective July 1, 2014. Todd Diacon, Kent State’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, made the announcement recently. Kent State Stark is the only public university in Stark County and the largest Regional Campus of Kent State.

Seachrist succeeds Walter F. Wagor, Ph.D., who has decided to return to a faculty position after having served successfully as dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State Stark for the past four years.

“Denise Seachrist is a special person who combines the highest level of experience on both the Kent and Regional campuses with an engaging personality that befits a campus of Stark’s stature,” Diacon says.

Seachrist expressed her excitement in joining the Stark Campus.

“Kent State University at Stark is a very vibrant and exciting place,” Seachrist says. “I am honored to have been asked to serve as interim dean. I look forward to promoting the campus’ excellent work and expanding our connections in the community.”

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Seachrist has served as the director of Kent State’s School of Music since 2008 and holds the rank of professor. She has served as interim associate provost, interim dean for Academic and Student Services, Regional Campuses and as interim assistant dean of Kent State University at Trumbull.

Seachrist’s work as a faculty member and administrator has been recognized. In 2004, she was the recipient of the Trumbull Campus Outstanding Administrator Service Award. In 2001 and again in 2003, she received the Trumbull Campus Dean’s Award for Leadership and Service. In 1999, she received the Trumbull Campus Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Service Award and was selected as one of four delegates to represent Kent State in a 17-day educational exchange to China. She served on the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra’s Board of Trustees from 1998 to 2005, is a past-chair of the University Teaching Council and was a member of the 2004-2005 university’s Leadership Academy.

A specialist in the music of both historical and living German religious communities in Pennsylvania, Seachrist serves on the board of the Communal Studies Association. She is a member of the editorial board for Pennsylvania-German History and Culture book series published by Penn State Press. She is the past series editor of the WorldMusics series published by Kent State University Press, which is part of a joint effort by Kent State University Press, Indiana University Press and Temple University Press.

She has authored 25 refereed journal articles, two book chapters and entries in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: Allgemeine Enzyklopädie der Musik, second edition; The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition; and The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, vol. 3, “the United States and Canada.” Seachrist is the author of Snow Hill: In the Shadows of the Ephrata Cloister (2010) and The Musical World of Halim El-Dabh (2003), both published by the Kent State University Press.

Seachrist received her Ph.D. in musicology-ethnomusicology from Kent State and a Master of Music in vocal performance from Youngstown State University. She also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Heidelberg College.

Seachrist resides in Rootstown, Ohio.

For more information about Kent State Stark, visit www.stark.kent.edu.

Kent State Brings Fashion Show to Museum, Honors Macy’s Executive

Tom Cole (left), Kent State Fashion School Hall of Fame
inductee and former Macy's chief administrative officer,
accepts his award from J.R. Campbell (right), director of
the Fashion School.

Kent State University’s Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising (the Fashion School) held its annual Fashion Show on Saturday, April 26, dazzling an audience that included Macy’s executives and prominent designers mixed in with students, parents and faculty.

For the first time, the fashion show was held in the Kent State University Museum, and the setting lent the presentation an unprecedented intimacy. The runway snaked through six of the museum’s galleries, and the audience, seated within inches of the models, was treated to an immense richness of detail, privy to the subtleties of garments’ textures, movement and construction.

The show featured the work of 34 student designers, who presented a broad spectrum of evening wear, active wear and lingerie.

The show was capped by an awards presentation that included the induction of Tom Cole, former Macy’s chief administrative officer, into the Fashion School Hall of Fame. In receiving this honor, Cole, a Kent State alumnus, joins the ranks of past inductees, such as Estee Lauder, Elsa Klensch, Allen Questrom, Michael Weiss, Ralph Rucci, Oscar de la Renta, Leonardo Ferragamo and Dana Buchman.

“Sitting here today and looking at the designs that walk down this aisle, I continue to be so impressed with what the Fashion School has done,” said Cole, upon accepting his award at the event. “The first person I’m going to call is Allen Questrom, who is a former CEO of Macy’s and will be thrilled to know that I’ve joined him in the Fashion School Hall of Fame at Kent State University.”

Several Macy’s executives were in the audience to celebrate Cole’s induction, including Terry Lundgren, CEO and chairman, and Molly Langenstein, executive vice president of men’s and children’s product development (also a Fashion School alumna).

The late Margaret Clark Morgan was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Margaret Clark and her husband, Burton D. Morgan, were champions of education and the arts, and launched scholarship and technology endowments at the Fashion School.

J.R. Campbell, director of the school, says, “Alongside Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman, whose gift enabled the establishment of the Fashion School in 1983, the Morgans and Morgan foundations represent the most generous donors in the Fashion School’s history.”

Mary Morgan-Graves and Suzanne Morgan accepted the award on behalf of their mother.

The school presented its Outstanding Alumni Award to Vicki Jennings, vice president of sales at the Jones Group, before announcing this year’s nine student design awards, each of which carried a cash value between $250 and $1,000.

The following design students received awards for their contributions to this year’s fashion show: Kimberly Patton (sportswear/casualwear category), Leslie Schaefer (evening/formalwear), Susy Mei (flat pattern), Amy Tieferman (draping), Lisa Conrad (TechStyleLAB Award), Anastasia Iafrate (couture/conceptual collection), Jade Steger (SUEDEsays™ Award), Kaitlyn Dugan (most market-ready) and Jay Lewis (best in show).

As in years past, a team of industry professionals reviewed student submissions in March to select the pieces appearing in the show. Among these “designer critics” were several Fashion School alumni: Laura Boes, vice president of design at Tea Collection; Brie Bourdo, senior designer of activewear at Lane Bryant; Jacqueline Hughes, design director of knits and sweaters for Lauren Brands; Michael Cunningham, head designer for Joan Voss; and Matthew Zink, owner and designer of Charlie by Matthew Zink.

Photos from the fashion show and awards ceremony are viewable here.

Kent State Hosts the 2014 Ohio Higher Education Computing Conference

Kent State University hosted the Ohio Higher Education Computing Council’s 2014 Conference from May 21–23 at the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Kent. The theme for this year’s event was “Embracing the Cloud.” More than 300 information technology professionals attended the annual conference.

“Kent State was excited to host this important and valuable conference of IT professionals,” says Paul Albert, executive director of information services at Kent State. “At past conferences, I’ve enjoyed meeting colleagues from across the state, learning how they go about solving the issues they face, and having the opportunity to see and experience the different university campuses and communities.

The keynote speaker for the conference was Ken Spangler, senior vice president of information technology at FedEx Services and chief information officer at FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight Systems.
Spangler is responsible for coordinating all information technology services for FedEx Ground, FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx SmartPost, FedEx Freight and FedEx Custom Critical in the U.S. and Canada.

Spangler embraces a collaborative approach, working across a large team. By emphasizing the creative and analytical abilities of team members, he keeps his team challenged and innovative. His inclusive approach to developing and implementing IT solutions reflects his philosophy: “There is no ‘they’ or ‘them,’ only ‘we’ and ‘us.’”

The Ohio Higher Education Computing Council was formed in the early 1970s to foster communication between higher education information technology professionals across the state of Ohio. Initially, the conference was focused on senior management at the core schools, but over the years was broadened to support the full range of IT roles.

At the annual gathering, computing professionals, faculty and others give presentations on topics ranging from current use and delivery of technology within higher education to future trends and prospects. Vendors and manufacturers of computing hardware, software, communications and networking devices and other technologies were invited to participate as sponsors and to exhibit and demonstrate the use of their products in higher education.

For more information about the Ohio Higher Education Computing Council’s 2014 Conference, visit http://ohecc2014.kent.edu.

For more information about Kent State Division of Information Systems, visit www.kent.edu/is.

Kent State School of Art Students Exhibit Work at ASM International’s Geodesic Dome

Graduate and undergraduate students from Kent State
University’s School of Art will have their work displayed
at ASM International’s architecturally stunning international
headquarters in Geauga County, now through Jan. 20,
2015.

(Photo credit: Scott Pease)

Seventeen graduate and undergraduate students from Kent State University’s School of Art will have their work displayed at ASM International’s architecturally stunning international headquarters in Geauga County. The show runs now through Jan. 20, 2015.

This is the second year that ASM International (formerly the American Society for Metals) has partnered with the School of Art to display student artwork at the organization’s headquarters, a breathtaking modernist structure highlighted by a large geodesic dome located at 9639 Kinsman Rd., Materials Park, Ohio.

The show’s curator is Kathryn Shinko, a Kent State M.F.A. student in textiles and graduate assistant to the gallery director. Shinko says many of the selected works suggest a technical or spiritual kinship with ASM International, a society for materials science and metal engineering.

“The pieces in this year’s show explore materiality and showcase the variety of work being made by School of Art students,” says Shinko. “Innovative techniques and new technologies, such as 3D-printing and laser-cutting, are being used to make work that is visually stunning and conceptually intriguing.”

The 20 works in this year’s show include ceramic art, paintings, prints, wire sculpture, wood sculpture, dyed textiles, weavings and handmade netting. During the opening reception on May 14, the featured artists were awarded $100 honorariums for each accepted artwork.

The ASM Show features work by the following graduate and undergraduate students:

Graduate Students:
Miwa Neishi, “Bubbles” and “Cosmos”
Mike Nold, “Highlight”
Ryan Osborne, “Torso”
Michael Sanata, “Ebb & Flow”
Rachel Smith, “90% Guarantee” and “Nature and Nurture”
Trey Snowdon, “Walker”
Jess Todd, “Geodesic”
Zachary Wollert, “Salt-Fired Vase with Lid”

Undergraduate Students:
Jacob Coleman, “Rhino” and “The Island”
Kevin Daigle, “Specula”
Hunter Elliott, “Lace”
Trey Gehring, “Don't Be Cruel”
Lindsey James, “Pitcher Plants”
Tyler Joy, “Test Run 2”
Erin Miller, “Color Study on Silk”
Stephanie Mote, “Reticulate”
Jasmine Sampson, “Cocoon”

Kent State Men’s Basketball Summer Camps

The Kent State Men's Basketball program is excited to announce another summer of basketball camps. Area youngsters are invited to join the 2014-2015 Kent State Golden Flashes Basketball Team for a fun-filled summer. Come spend some time with the Kent State players and coaches, as they help develop your game, and have a blast doing it.

Camp registration is open to all youngsters who are energetic and excited about improving their game.

To register, visit www.kentstatemensbasketballcamps.com.

Summer Technology Camps for Students, Grades 1-6

Kent State University’s Research Center for Educational Technology is hosting a technology camp series for students in grades 1-6 in the center's AT&T Classroom, a high-tech classroom located in Moulton Hall. Campers may choose from a variety of topics including LEGO WeDo Robotics, Stop Motion Animation, Minecraft, game design, and computer coding and programming. Camp sessions run from June through July.

“Kids are very inquisitive about technology,” says Annette Kratcoski, Ph.D., director of Kent State’s Research Center for Educational Technology. “We design the camps to build on that curiosity by providing the participants with hands-on experiences with the latest technologies, as well as opportunities to use those tools to create projects that have personal meaning and significance. We focus on tools and apps that are free and accessible online so that after completing a camp, the child can use the skills they have learned in the camp and continue to create and design with those tools.”

Discounted registration rates are available for children of Kent State faculty and staff. Registration is open online at www.rcet.org.

For more information about Kent State’s Research Center for Educational Technology, visit www.kent.edu/ehhs/centers/rcet.

Kent State’s Department of Recreational Services Hosts 14th Annual PEAK Summer Camp

Participants get creative at the Kent State University PEAK
Summer Camp that is hosted by Kent State's Department of
Recreational Services. 

This summer marks the 14th consecutive year of PEAK Summer Camp, hosted by Kent State University’s Department of Recreational Services. 

Beginning June 9, children ages six to 12 can participate in up to nine uniquely themed weeks of fun and character-building activities, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Campers will be entertained throughout the summer and learn about dinosaurs in the Camp Before Time, play a multitude of sports during the five days of X-Treme Fun and explore the mysteries of wild animals during Zoofari.

A Leaders-in-Training program also will be available for 13- to 15-years-olds.

“The social interaction campers get with other children is the most important part,” says Phelan Fletcher, camp director. “They get a varied experience. Campers get to swim and have a great time with a little bit of learning mixed in – in a fun environment.”

The camp counselors are trustworthy and responsible Kent State students. They undergo mandatory training that lasts a week and a half and includes American Red Cross CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer, first-aid training and must undergo a background test, Fletcher says.

Kent State faculty, staff, students and members of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center can enroll their children at a discounted price of $135. In addition to the regular camp hours, parents have the option of registering their children for before-care, 7:30 to 9 a.m., and after-care, 4 to 5:30 p.m., at an additional cost. The camp is open to the public for $160 per child. There also is a $15 discount for the second child from a household enrolled in the same session of camp.