eInside Briefs

May Brings FlashLine Enhancements That Impact Location of Student Account, Time Reporting and More

The newest wave of FlashLine enhancements will be introduced this month. Changes will impact students, faculty and staff and include:

• Moving the Time Reporting channel from the My Action Items tab to the My HR tab
• Time Approval will remain on My Action Items
• Renaming Student Tools to Student Tools & Courses
• Renaming Faculty and Advisor Tools to Faculty and Advisor Tools and Courses
• Deletion of the My Courses tab, with an addition of a smaller My Courses channel to the renamed Student Tools and Courses and Faculty/Advisor Tools and Courses tabs
• Addition of a My Account tab for students, which will include:
• • Information that currently appears on the Student Tools tab
  • Kent State ID number (Banner ID)
  • Expanded student account links and more immediate access to financial aid information and more
  • Single sign-on access to the residence services housing system
    

• Addition of a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) online approval link for students (location to be determined)
• My Campus updates, including deletion of Online Directory channel because it now appears in the FlashLine masthead at the top of the website/page
  

Coming Later This Year
Watch for other enhancements later this year, including:

• Single sign-on access into FLASHcard
• Single sign-on access into Flash ALERTS
• More aesthetically pleasing look and feel to Banner/FlashFAST pages
  

Definitions

• Channel – a boxed set of links or content on a tab
• Tab – a page in FlashLine with a multitude of channels (usually three columns of content)
  

Watch for more detailed updates in e-Inside, Management Update and FlashLine.

These changes were identified as valuable during research gleaned from focus groups, usability testing and an online survey conducted with students, faculty and staff. For more information, contact Lin Danes at ldanes@kent.edu.

Posted May 2, 2011 | Lin Danes

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Kent State Commemorates May 4, 1970

As a way for individuals to remember the events surrounding May 4, 1970, Kent State University will host a series of events and activities to reflect on the 41st anniversary of that historic day.

The May 4 Walking Tour documentary and the May 4 film for First-Year Experience courses are new to this year's commemoration. Individuals also will have the opportunity to visit the future home of the May 4 Visitors Center, tour the historic site with an expert guide and experience the May 4 Commemoration Ceremony, where they can pay their respects and remember the events of May 4, 1970, from noon to 2 p.m.

"In telling the May 4 story, we honor the loss of Kent State students Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder," says Laura Davis, Kent State University professor of English and faculty coordinator for May 4 initiatives. "We also serve the present and the future by providing a place for reflection on the enduring meaning of May 4, 1970 -- its place in history and its continuing relation to human experience."

In addition to the Commemoration Ceremony, other event details are as follows:

May 4 Walking Tour Documentary

Beginning on April 29, visitors will have the chance to follow in the steps of history through the new May 4 Walking Tour Documentary: May 4, 1970: Someone to Tell the Story. The documentary will give individuals a look inside May 4, 1970, by presenting 500 archival photographs never before assembled together to illustrate the historical day. The documentary is narrated by notable civil rights leader Julian Bond, and the chapters of the documentary are focused around the seven May 4 Walking Tour trail markers.

To view the film, visitors may go to the circulation desk inside the Kent State University Library entrance and then check out an iPod on which the documentary is loaded. Visitors are encouraged to bring along their own headphones to use with the iPod as they follow the outdoor walking tour.

Visitors also may access the soundtrack for the film with their own cell phones by calling 330-672-MAY4 (6294).

May 4 Visitors Center and Expert Guided Tours of May 4 Site and Memorial

While experiencing the historic May 4 site, visitors may stop in to the future home of the May 4 Visitors Center in Room 101 of Taylor Hall, adjacent to the May 4, 1970, Site and Memorial. Visitors may view the design plans for the future Visitors Center, which will tell the May 4 story set against the political and cultural changes of the 1960s. The future exhibit will immerse visitors in the events of that historic day and show the deep and broad impact of the shootings. Reflecting on the meaning of May 4 for today, visitors to the future center will have opportunity to record their thoughts, which will then be displayed in the exhibit. External grant funding and donations are currently being sought for the construction of the permanent May 4 Visitors Center exhibit.

Expert guided tours of the May 4 Site and Memorial will be offered during the 2011 commemoration. Tours will originate at the May 4 Visitors Center. The schedule for the May 4 Visitors Center open hours and tours is:

• Friday, April 29: Visitors Center open 3 to 5 p.m.; expert guided tour from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 30, through Monday, May 1: Visitors Center open noon to 3 p.m.; expert guided tour from 1 to 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 3: Visitors Center open noon to 3 p.m.; expert guided tour from 1 to 2 p.m. The Visitors Center also will be open 9 p.m. to midnight.
• Wednesday, May 4: Visitors Center open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  

May 4 First-Year Experience Film: Fire in the Heartland

During last year's Commemoration events, the executive board of Black United Students attended a film viewing of Fire in the Heartland. The film was created by Daniel Miller, a Kent State student who was present and highly involved in the events surrounding May 4, 1970.

Due to the impact of the film, the student organization's executive board members decided the film would be a powerful way to illustrate the events of May 4, 1970, to students during Kent State's First-Year Experience course for freshmen. After several months of meetings and collaboration, Fire in the Heartland became the new May 4, 1970, video for incoming freshmen to watch. Black United Students secretary Jamilia Bush said the film contains a better connection to today's students.

"The film showed more of a student's perspective and how it correlates to being students now," Bush says. "The film is also longer and, therefore, gives more detail compared to the 50-minute film, The Day the War Came Home (previous film)."

For more information about May 4, www.kent.edu/may4. For more information regarding this year's May 4 Commemoration events, visit www.kent.edu/about/history/may4/newsroom and www.m4tf.org.

Posted May 2, 2011 | Erin Orsini

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E-Inside Takes a Holiday

The e-Inside newsletter is taking a break between semesters. This is the last issue of the spring semester.  The e-magazine returns with the beginning of the summer semester during the week of June 6, 2011.

Submissions to e-Inside are always welcome. Submit story ideas via e-mail at einside@kent.edu or through the links within the publication.

Posted May 2, 2011

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Co-curricular Involvement's Positive Impact on Academic Success

The Center for Student Involvement occasionally provides additional information to the university community on issues of broad interest in student affairs through the Student Involvement Brief. This feature will appear in e-Inside twice a month during the regular academic year.

During the last few busy weeks of the semester, many students are still engaged in activities around campus. Despite the notion that extracurricular activities distract students from academics, current research now indicates that this "co-curricular" involvement has a positive influence on the student's academic performance. According to a recent study on the correlation of student involvement to academic success by Ya-Rong Huang and Sheue-Mei Chang in the Journal for College Student Development, "moderate co-curricular involvement is positively associated with academic involvement and the study found that co-curricular involvement contributed to college persistence."

Studies have also shown that getting involved on a college campus is beneficial in many different ways. According to Alexander Astin, author of What Matters in College, "student to student interaction has the strongest positive effects on leadership development, overall academic development, self-reported growth in problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills and cultural awareness." Astin also found that students who are involved are less likely to be depressed and more likely to recognize their own self-worth.

Encouraging students to get involved in college life is top a priority of the Center for Student Involvement. Many resources are available to students to find out what there is to do on campus and become more engaged. The center welcomes all students and offers guidance in joining student organizations, which can help develop their leadership skills, and is always pleased to share "What's Up" on Friday and Saturday nights.

To learn more about leadership development, campus events and student organizations, visit http://www.kent.edu/csi/index.cfm.

Posted May 2, 2011

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Parking Permit Renewals Underway

All current permit holders who are full - or part-time employees of Kent State University are eligible to renew their current parking permit online now. The last day for online renewals with the payroll deduction option is May 20. After May 20, permits must be acquired from the Parking Services office in the Schwartz Center.

Renew your faculty/staff parking permit here:
http://solutions.kent.edu/parkingservices/Login.aspx?LoginType=STAF

Departmental Service permits can be ordered online beginning May 2, 2011. Order your department permits here:
http://solutions.kent.edu/parkingservices/Login.aspx?LoginType=SERV.

For permit renewal assistance or for additional information, contact Parking Services at 330-672-4432.

Posted May 2, 2011

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Lego Robotics and Game Development sessions new to AT&T Classroom Summer Workshops for Youth

This summer, the Research Center for Educational Technology will be offering one-week summer workshops for children grades 1 through 7 in the AT&T Classroom.

Project director Thomas McNeal says the summer programs will help strengthen students' technology skills in an enjoyable manner. 

"During the school year, kids are really excited to use technology," McNeal says. "We found out they wanted to learn more and dig deeper. The summer workshops allow kids to use technology in a fun way."

Six different workshops will be offered to students, including Beginning Technology Tools, Creative Technology, Stop-motion Animation and Beginning Game Development I.

In their second year, the AT&T Summer Workshops will offer two new programs — the Lego WeDo Robotics and Game Development II.

The Lego WeDo Robotics workshop will teach students how to incorporate science, technology and engineering skills as they build LEGO models featuring sensors and motors.

The Game Development II session will build upon the skills students developed in Game Development I. Students will have the opportunity to design more sophisticated game programs and learn the use of GML programming language.

"Students don't participate because they are required to, but because they want to," McNeal says.

Each workshop is limited to a 15-student enrollment and will cost $90 per workshop.

For more information about the workshops or registration, please contact Mary Stith at 330-672-5995 or mstith@kent.edu.

Posted May 2, 2011 | Erin Orsini

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Power Disruption Reminder

As part of the annual testing of the integrity of the Kent Campus electrical distribution systems, a procedure will be performed on Thursday, May 12, affecting electrical service from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Electric service will be disrupted in some buildings for up to 2 hours, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., with another possible 15 minute outage at 6 p.m.

Every effort will be made to minimize the effects of the testing, but it would be wise for all staff to power down any equipment, especially computers, during the anticipated interruption periods to protect the devices and data. At your discretion, any office equipment that can safely and appropriately be turned off should be powered down when you leave your work areas at the end of your business day on Wednesday, May 11.

Testing will verify our ability to continue university operations in the event of a loss of electricity from the public utility. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience the testing may cause. Please send any questions or special needs requests about this project to Frank Renovich at 330-672-0775 or frenovi2@kent.edu or to Campus Environment and Operations at 330-672-2345 or ceo@kent.edu in order to address them prior to the day of testing.

Posted May 2, 2011

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Annual Steam Shutdown Scheduled for May 8-15

The annual steam shutdown will begin Sunday, May 8, at 6 p.m. and end Sunday, May 15, at 6 p.m. The Kent State University Power Plant shuts down every year after spring commencement for necessary maintenance on the boilers, steam transmission systems and electrical distribution systems.

During the shutdown, most buildings on the Kent Campus will not have hot water to sinks and showers and/or heat and air conditioning. Assistance and understanding during the process is appreciated.

Any questions about the steam shutdown can be addressed to Frank Renovich, frenovi2@kent.edu or  330-672-0775.

Posted May 2, 2011

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Grades for F3, H2 and W2 Courses Due May 10

Online grading for F3 courses (those which met March 28 – May 1), H2 courses (those which met March 3 through May 1) and W2 courses (those which meet online) is now available via FlashFAST. Grading is also now available for any Spring 2011 course section that was flexibly scheduled and has already ended. The deadline for grading submissions for these courses is midnight on Tuesday, May 10.

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 and Advisor Tools tab. The link to your grade roster(s) is located in the Faculty and 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 http://www.kent.edu/registrar/facstaff/facresc.cfm. Any faculty member who needs personalized instruction on submitting their grades via FlashFAST should contact their campus’s Office of the Registrar 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 for technical issues. 

Posted May 2, 2011

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2010 Total Compensation Statements Available

Total Compensation statements for calendar year 2010 are now available in FlashLine for all full-time employees. The statements include a summary of the employee's earned income (salary, vacation and sick leave), university contributions for health benefits, the tuition waiver, workers' compensation, Medicare and employee retirement plans (Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, State Teachers Retirement System or Alternative Retirement Plan).

Willis Walker, vice president for Human Resources, says in today's economy, it is important for university employees to be aware of the total value of their compensation package.

"Your compensation package is more than just the dollar amount of your salary," Walker says. "It also includes things like health benefits, the tuition waiver, an employee assistance program and other resources that are a significant part of an employee's compensation."

Walker adds that when it comes to health care, which is one value-added employee benefit, Kent State continues to pay the majority of the cost. “The university currently pays about 86 percent of the employee’s healthcare premium, which further adds to the value of the employee’s compensation package."

Employees can view a summary of their total compensation from two access points in the My HR tab of FlashLine. One is through the Employment Details channel; select Employee Menu and then click on the link to Total Compensation Statements. When you get to the Total Compensation page, select the appropriate year and click Display.

You can also access your statement through the Total Compensation channel by selecting the Your Total Compensation Statement link. When you get to the Total Compensation page, select the appropriate year and click Display.

For assistance with technical problems accessing statements, contact the Helpdesk at 330-672-HELP. For questions regarding information contained in the Total Compensation Statement, contact the Benefits office at benefits@kent.edu or 330-672-3107.

Posted May 2, 2011

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SLIS Launches Museum Studies Program

The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at Kent State University will offer a new specialization in museum studies beginning with Fall Semester 2011.

Museums, like libraries, are in the information business. The museum studies courses employ a holistic approach to the study of museums as institutions, like libraries, that generate and perpetuate knowledge. Students will gain an understanding of museums in context as dynamic, interactive information systems composed of people, objects and activities.

Unlike museum studies programs at other institutions, the courses and specialization at Kent State are presented from the library and information perspective. Students choosing this area of study will receive a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree.

"What distinguishes Kent State’s approach is that we place the museum, not content, at the center of study," SLIS Assistant Professor Kiersten F. Latham, Ph.D., says. "Most museum studies programs take the subject content (for example, history, natural history or art) as the focus for student training. Our courses make the study of museums their core starting point, allowing content to filter in from students’ previous degree work, other electives or research."

Because the SLIS museum studies courses are structured within a library and information science framework, students are able to cut across the spectrum of traditional academic disciplines and strengthen their skills as future museum professionals by gaining a broader perspective, a larger knowledge base and more flexibility, Latham adds.

The museum studies specialization will prepare MLIS graduates with the knowledge and skills required not only to work in traditional careers as librarians and registrars in museums, for example, but also to serve as information professionals in many additional capacities and in any type of museum.

SLIS Associate Professor Greg Byerly, Ph.D., says, "The new museum studies curriculum allows the school another opportunity to expand beyond librarianship, as we have done previously with information architecture and knowledge management, and as we are currently doing with health informatics. This approach positions museum studies as part of a greater whole – for the benefit of our students, the institutions that employ them and the library, archival and museum professions."

Byerly and Latham are primarily responsible for developing and teaching these courses, although experienced museum professionals and adjunct professors also will teach in the program.

For more information about the specialization, visit http://www.slis.kent.edu/content/view/380/177/.

Posted May 2, 2011

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Kent State is First U.S. School to Receive Charter from Sigma Nu Tau Entrepreneurship Honor Society

Sigma Nu Tau Entrepreneurship Honor Society announces that Kent State University is the first university in the U.S. to be presented with its charter to operate a chapter of the honor society on its campus. The charter was presented on April 18 by Dr. Nancy J. Church, president and executive director of Sigma Nu Tau, to professors Julie Messing and Karla Mendoza, who were installed as Faculty Advisor and Faculty Secretary, respectively, of the Kent State Chapter.  

Seven student members, five faculty members, and three entrepreneur members were also inducted as founding charter members of the Kent State Sigma Nu Tau Chapter.  The charter and induction ceremony was followed by the Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series which featured Jeff Hoffman, founder of Priceline.com

Sigma Nu Tau Entrepreneurship Honor Society was established at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in May 2009 with the mission: “to promote, recognize, honor, and reward academic excellence in entrepreneurship and to encourage and recognize the practice of principled entrepreneurship.” Regionally-accredited colleges and universities offering a major in entrepreneurship, small business management, or a related major with an emphasis on entrepreneurship are eligible to petition to establish a chapter.  

Sigma Nu Tau is the only national academic honor society dedicated to entrepreneurship.  Four categories of membership are available:  student, faculty, entrepreneur, and honorary. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to join as student members.  The membership/initiation fee is $50, and it includes a congratulatory letter, certificate, lapel pin, and a 1-year subscription to Entrepreneur magazine.  

For more information about Sigma Nu Tau, contact Church at nancy.church@plattsburgh.edu or visit www.sigmanutau.org.

Posted May 2, 2011

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Kent State Recognizes Students with 2011 Student Leadership and Honors Awards

Kent State University recently recognized the university’s student leaders who have made a significant contribution to some aspect of the campus community with its 2011 Student Leadership and Honors Awards. The 33rd annual awards ceremony was held April 18 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The Student Leadership and Honors Awards is sponsored and organized by the Center for Student Involvement.

The 2011 awards winners are:

Sherri Jo Luft Awards: Lauren Savasky; Kaitlin Crowley; Samuel Wagner; Morgan Farmer; Lindsey Reminder; Vincent Roman; Allison Misich; Jennifer Obringer; Nicholas Tietz; Karena Maitland; Elizabeth Heibertshausen; Caitlin Kilbane; Kimberly Morgason; Hannah Ibos; Rebecca Lee; Alexandra Evans; Matthew Smith; Raven Brinson; Alfredo Hildebrandt; Scott Kelsey; Matthew Rinear; Lauren Gruber; Heather Eubank; Margaret Kluk; Laura DeMarco; Rebecca Johnson; Carrie Blazina; Jason Pryor; Alison Darr; Christen Mullett; Bethany Jones

Scholar’s Medal Award: Jonathan Teitz

Organization Excellence Award: Active Minds at Kent State University; Pi Mu Epsilon; Public Relations Student Society of America

Service Excellence Award: Kappa Phi

Service Excellence Award for Philanthropy: Delta Zeta

Advisor Excellence: Eron Memaj

Cindy Bowlby Award: Brady Ruffer

John B. Beacom Award: Ben Wolford; Robin Wright

Distinguished Student Leader Award: Junior recipient: Kevin Papp; Senior recipient: Zane Powell

Eric Rackham Award: Laura Toomey

Manchester Cup: Justin Pierce

Mary Manchester Award: Chelsea Knowles

Melvyn J. Feinberg: JaRel Clay

Margaret Swanson Davis Award:  Arianne Gasser

Student Leader of the Year recipients: Mayagul Satlykgylyjova; Andrea Colella; Holly Finchum; Erin Frank; Myles Grimm; Alascia Jones; Brittany Mizelle;
Alexander Mott; Ben Wolford; Robin Wright

Nancy and Scott Leadership Award: Alexander Mott

Leadership Excellence: Taiwo Adesina; Jessica Arnold; Kyle Baker; Susan Barnish; Brittany Battle; Taylor Birney; Jillian Birum; Mark Bissler; Kate Bobak; Aerica Booker; Kallie Brown; Chad Budy; Brenynn Butler; Hayley Caldwell; Edward Capps; Emily Carle; Andrew Carr; Sam Chambers; Beth Cinadr; Lisa Cometa; Emily Cornelius; Brittni Cortright; Kyle Craven; Lisa Crea; Jennifer Cunningham; Maranda Cunnigham; Hallie D’Agostino; Patrick Dease; Brendan Desetti; Carrie Drummond; Margaret Duszkiewicz; Casey Dykes; Marcus Edie; Katelyn Erney; Mikayla Farrell; Abigail Faust; Holly Finchum; Brett Fodor; Ramone Foster; Rachelle Fraise; Emily Garber; Anthony Garrison; Evan Gildenblatt; Shirah Goldweber; Dana Graft; Emily Grein; Robert Griesse; Matthew Grimm; Troy Gunnoe; Alyssa Gwirtz; Kaitlin Gwirtz; Jeffrey Hammond; Emily Hanna; Sara Harper; Aubrey Haskins; Jennifer Healey; Elizabeth Heibertshausen; Chris Heiman; Lisa Hendrixson; Kathryn Hetz; Kaitlyn Huml; Andrew Hunt; Michael Hutchinson; Carolyn Isaacson; Matt Jackson; Kim Jeffery; Kyle Johannes; Sneha Jose; Steven Kiel; James Kirk; Amanda Kis; Alisa Kohler; Erica Kruse; Corey Kurilko; Brianna Lawhorn; Rebecca Lazarus; Leah LePar; Anna Levina; Xiangwen Li; Zach Lilly; Danielle Long; Mike Lopez; Joey Manilla; Brian Marcu; Stephanie Mathias; D’Angelo McCornell; Sarah Merhaut; Katie Milkovich; Becca Miller; Holly Miller; Shaun Minko; Brittany Mizelle; Alexander Mott; Kristin Mulcahy; Ryan Murphy; Alicia Nation; Meghan Naxar; Katelyn Neff; Omar Nemer; Michael Nguyen; Somadina Nwaokafar; Paul Odell-Scott; Jackie Oliverio; Kelly Orris; Erin Orsini; Chrissy Pahls; Kevin Papp; Jennifer Peden; Josh Perdue; Lindsey Petrillo; Justin Pierce; Rachel Polchek; Zane Powell; Margaret Preston; Julie Protich; Regina Rosato; Brady Ruffer; Lindsey Ryb; Kate Sadler; Shawn Samek; Katie Senko; Lauren Sewell; Tameka Sims; Krysten Sirmons; Audrianna Sisul; Brittney Sisul; Ally Snyder; Angela Snyder; Sierra Solomon; Darren Stevenson; Nicole Stracensky; Hexuan Sun; Jessica R. Szabo; Molly Taggart; Daniel H. Taylor; Lindsey Teitelbaum; Margaret Thompson; Jenna Titko; Stephanie Tripi; Alexander Tucker; Cristi Valentine; Callie Waterman; Heather Wells; Robin Wright; Fei Xie; Huizhong Xu; Fan Yang; Katie Young; David Zach; Yi Zhang; Yixuan Zhang; Huanyang Zhao; Steven Zoller

Posted May 2, 2011

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