eInside Briefs

Annual Celebrating College Teaching Conference Takes Place Oct. 27-28

The 18th annual Celebrating College Teaching Conference takes place Oct. 27 and 28 at the Kent Student Center. New this year is a pre-conference workshop, “The Next Generation of Support for Distance Learning at Kent State,” at Moulton Hall on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 1:30 – 4 p.m. The pre-conference workshop will explore different roles in online teaching.

This year, the conference features internationally recognized speakers, including Dr. David L. Katz, a board certified specialist in both internal medicine and preventive medicine/public health and adjunct professor at the Yale University School of Medicine; Associate Professor Tim Moore, Dean Emeritus, College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State; and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Kent State John (Jack) Gargan.

The conference opens on Thursday, Oct. 27, with the Read Distinguished Lecture, “Feet, Forks and the Fate of Our Species,” delivered by Katz at 7 p.m., in the Kent Student Center Kiva.

On Friday, Oct. 28, the conference continues at 8:30 a.m. with the Provost’s continental breakfast, followed by refereed round tables, invited round tables, a panel discussion on assessment and evaluation of teaching and learning with related round tables, poster displays, the President’s Luncheon and Glenn W. Frank Lecture. The conference culminates with a dessert reception at 2:30 p.m., to honor recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Awards and the Outstanding Teaching Awards and other awards that celebrate teaching excellence at Kent State.

Moore will present the Glenn W. Frank Lecture, “The Four Pillars of Advising and Teaching,” and Gargan will host the Emeritus Round Table, “The Relevance of Military Paradigms for Contemporary Higher Education.”

Celebrating 18 years of relevance, the annual conference on college teaching focuses on the four pillars of a Kent State undergraduate curriculum — knowledge, insight, responsibility and engagement.

All events are free and open to the public. However, registration is required for the breakfast and luncheon. To register, click here.

For more information about the conference, contact Kim Peer at 330-672-0231 or kpeer@kent.edu.

Posted Oct. 3, 2011

back to top

Governor Appoints Student to Kent State Board of Trustees

Chelsea M. Knowles of Hudson, Ohio, has been appointed by Gov. John Kasich to serve as a student member of the Kent State University Board of Trustees. Her term began Sept. 20, 2011, and ends May 16, 2013.

Kent State’s Board is composed of 11 members who are appointed by the governor of the state of Ohio, with the advice and consent of the state senate. Knowles joins Brady Ruffer, a Kent State senior majoring in integrated social studies, as the two student trustees – one graduate and one undergraduate – appointed to the board.

Knowles is a graduate student who is studying public administration with a concentration in public policy. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in managerial marketing from Kent State in May 2011.

Knowles has been very active on the campus, especially in the College of Business Administration. She served as the student representative on the Undergraduate College of Business Curriculum Committee; a member of the Kent State chapters of the American Marketing Association, Financial Management Association and the College Entrepreneurs Organization; a member of the Business Professionals’ Roundtable, an advisory committee to the business dean’s office; a social networking administrator for the Honors College; a student associate in the First-Year Experience course; and a student tutor in writing and math. She currently is a graduate assistant in the university’s Academic Success Center.
 
Knowles replaces Katherine F. O’Brien, who completed her two-year term in May 2011.

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Kent State. By Ohio law, the Board is responsible for selecting and appointing the president; setting the operating budget; approving personnel appointments; granting all degrees awarded by the university, including honorary degrees; establishing tuition and fee rates; approving contracts; and approving all rules, regulations, curriculum changes, new programs and degrees of the university.

For more information about Kent State’s Board of Trustees, visit www.kent.edu/bot.

Posted Oct. 3, 2011

back to top

Save the Date for International Education Week, Nov. 14-19

Kent State’s International Education Week will take place Nov. 14 – 19, with a variety of activities and events lined up.

A joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. Kent State University uses the opportunity of International Education Week to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences in the United States.

“This year, we have a great line-up of activities and events to celebrate International Education Week,” says Tori Nethery, Education Abroad advisor at Kent State. “During this week of celebration, we want to raise awareness about the benefits of a global education and promote the global community that is Kent State.”

The weeklong celebration will feature a variety of events, such as the International Cook-Off, International Karaoke, Passport Fair, International Amazing Race, International Celebration and featured guest speakers, including U.S. Ambassador Philip Reeker. Other events include language coffee hours, an international film festival, photography exhibitions and contest, and more.

For more information about International Education Week or how your college can host an event, contact Nethery at tnethery@kent.edu.

Posted Oct. 3, 2011

back to top

Dining Services Welcomes Kent State Alum Michael Fiala to the Schwebel Room

Kent State alumnus Michael Fiala has been hired by Kent State University Dining Services to serve as the new executive chef of the Schwebel Room. The university looks to Fiala for fresh ideas to add to the Schwebel Room menu and is confident in his experience and professionalism.

Fiala graduated from Kent State University in May 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He continued his education by attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Fiala has worked for some of Northeast Ohio’s most prestigious restaurants. From Moxie in Beachwood to The Inn at Turner’s Mill in Hudson, to most recently, Samira in Cuyahoga Falls, Fiala has displayed resilience and dedication in his career and to the establishments which he represented.

“We’re excited to have Fiala on board with us and we’re confident he will be a valuable asset to our department,” says Richard Roldan, Dining Services director. “Dining Services hired Fiala with confidence in his potential to continue to grow a business at the Schwebel Room.”

“I am excited to be back at Kent State University and my goal is to put the Schwebel Room back on the map,” says Fiala. “Most importantly, I want to put a breath of fresh air into the crown jewel of Dining Services. A lot has changed in the 20 years since I started attending Kent State University. The style and creativity that I am going to put on the plate will complement the new development and upgraded environment on campus.”

The Schwebel Room is located on the third floor of the Kent Student Center and is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Click here for more information about the Schwebel Room.

Posted Oct. 3, 2011

back to top

Kent State Gospel Choir Holds Fundraisers for International Performances

Kent State University Gospel Choir is raising funds for a trip to England next year. The choir will hold a car wash fundraising event on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Katie’s Korner Homemade Ice Cream on 1412 South Water St. in Kent, from 1-5 p.m.  Donations will also be accepted during its fall concert on Friday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m., in Cartwright Hall.

Professor of Music Education Linda Walker, Ph.D., and the Kent State University Gospel Choir were invited to perform in the first International Gospel Festival with Festival Director Jirka Kratochvil, Ph.D., and Music Director Raymond Wise, Ph.D., as part of Prague Proms.

Although Kent State student members of the choir were unable to travel, a 280-voice choir, representing 11 countries, performed a concert of gospel music in Smetana Hall with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Walker served as one of the festival clinicians.

“Gospel music made a tremendous impact in Europe many years ago and the Kent State University Gospel Choir was blessed to be on the cutting edge with its first invitation to perform internationally in 1998 in Italy,” Walker says.

The Kent State Gospel Choir has previously toured Prague, Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria, Paris, France; Nitra, Slovakia; Budapest, Hungary; and the Bahamas.

For more information on how you can support the Kent State Gospel Choir, contact Walker at lwalker@kent.edu.

Posted Oct. 3, 2011

back to top

Kent State University Safety Tour Ensures Campus Security

With a phone in one hand and keys in the other, a pedestrian walking along the Kent State University Esplanade at night must consider personal safety, as well as the safety of others. In response, university personnel work hard to ensure pedestrians are aware of their surroundings and available safety resources.

To reinforce campus safety, the Undergraduate Student Government and seven participants from various university departments recently came together to complete the Safety Tour, a full campus environment evaluation.

“For Student Government, ensuring that our students have a safe environment is a top priority,” says Kevin Papp, executive director of the Undergraduate Student Government. “Knowing the level of concern that our administration shares on this goal is important and this walk was a great way to partner to ensure that our campus remains a safe environment for all students.”

The tour began at Risman Plaza on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m. and made a full circle around campus, returning at 10:30 p.m. Members of the Kent State community, including staff from the Office of the University Architect, Residence Services, Parking Services, University Facilities Management, Police Services and student representatives, joined in the regular safety check of campus after dark.

The security assessment focused on the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), a multi-disciplinary approach to safety and security. The program is designed to discourage dangerous behavior and encourage people to be attentive on campus through natural surveillance, lighting design, access control, maintenance and territorial reinforcement.

“We’ve been doing this for more than 10 years and we get outstanding cooperation from the departments on campus,” says Bill Buckbee, staff lieutenant for the Police Services Division of the Department of Public Safety. “It’s a true safety team and we all contribute in the effort to make the campus a safe place to be.”

Safety Tour participants looked for areas that could use safety improvements and focused on the effectiveness of blue-light emergency phones, lighting levels, landscaping, pedestrian routes and the maintenance of existing facilities and grounds.

Additional safety precautions included upgrading, replacing or eliminating older-style light fixtures in order to provide a more appealing look to campus, as well as enacting more energy-efficient methods. The Safety Tour is planned at least once a year and this year, Buckbee hopes to conduct another tour in the spring.

For more information about the annual Safety Tour, visit www.kent.edu/news/video/safetywalk.cfm.

By: Heather Thomas

Posted Oct. 3, 2011

back to top

Faculty Recognition Reception to be Held Oct. 20, in Conjunction With Faculty Club

As a way of recognizing faculty members who have received tenure or promotion within the past year, Kent State University Libraries is holding its Faculty Recognition Program.

University Libraries is inviting honorees to select a book that they feel has been supportive in their achievements or that is significant to them in some way. If not already part of the Libraries’ collection, the book will be purchased, if available. The book will then be plated in their name, with a decorative label pasted inside the front cover listing the honoree’s name and the year of awarded tenure or promotion. In addition, honorees will be invited to submit a statement describing the book’s personal significance to them, which will be included in a commemorative booklet. The selected books will be on display in the University Library in the future.

Honorees are also invited to attend the Faculty Recognition Reception that will take place on Oct. 20, during the Faculty Club gathering, from 5 – 7 p.m., in the Schwebel Room in the Kent Student Center. All university faculty, especially those honored, are invited to partake in this evening of food, friends and conversation.

For more information, contact Diana Sperko at dsperko@kent.edu.

Posted Oct. 3, 2011

back to top

Kent State University Museum Opens Exhibit of Civil War Fashion

On the Home Front: Civil War Fashions and Domestic Life is now on display at the the Kent State University Museum through Aug. 26, 2012. The exhibit focuses on the daily life and experiences of the American civilian population during the Civil War and the years immediately following.

The pieces on exhibit, including women's and children's costumes, supplemented with related photographs, decorative arts and women's magazines, are organized thematically. Far from being a simple, trivial diversion during such a critical period, fashion provides a unique window into the experience of Americans during the Civil War. Despite being far from the battlefields, women and children were deeply and immediately touched by the conflict.

Kent State University Museum Director Jean Druesedow says the exhibit, which marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, showcases material circumstances and domestic life during the Civil War and the years that followed.

One of the highlights of the exhibit is the Keckley quilt, made by Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, a former slave who served as Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker. The quilt is believed to have been made from scraps of Mrs. Lincoln’s dresses. Also on exhibit are Civil War uniforms, cloaks and wraps including a paisley shawl, underwear including corsets and crinolines, four wedding dresses, numerous children's outfits, accessories such as bonnets and shoes and examples of hair jewelry. The exhibition is drawn primarily from the Kent State University Museum’s world-class collection of historic fashion, and also includes loans from the Western Reserve Historical Society and the Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives.

The exhibit is accompanied by a full-color catalogue with close-up, detailed images of many of the highlights of the show, available in the museum store.

The museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive, at the corner of East Main and South Lincoln streets, in Kent, Ohio 44242. The museum is open to the public Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. - 8:45 p.m.; and Sunday from noon - 4:45 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children under 18.

The museum is free with a Kent State ID, free to the public on Sundays and offers free parking. For more information, call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum.

Posted Oct. 3, 2011

back to top