eInside Briefs

Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science Receives National Accreditation

Celebrates 50 Years of Accreditation

Kent State's School of Library and Information Sciences
is celebrating 50 years of continued accreditation from the
American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest
library association in the world.

The School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University has received continued accreditation from the American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library association in the world. The announcement came from the ALA’s Committee on Accreditation (COA) after the organization’s midwinter meeting in Dallas.

The ALA COA has evaluated educational programs to prepare librarians since 1924. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes ALA COA as the authority for assessing the quality of education offered by graduate programs in the field of library and information studies. Currently, there are 63 ALA-accredited master's programs across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, and three programs seeking initial accreditation. Most employers in libraries and other information professions require an ALA-accredited master's degree for professional-level positions, and some states require an ALA-accredited degree to work as a professional librarian in public or school libraries.

Stanley Wearden, Ph.D., dean of the College of Communication and Information, says, “I am very pleased that the School of Library and Information Science has been reaccredited. This is a tribute to the excellent faculty in the school. I want to acknowledge the hard work of Athena Salaba, Ph.D., associate professor, who chaired the self-study committee, and Don Wicks, Ph.D., interim director of the school. Without their leadership, this could not have happened. Finally, it’s important that we express our gratitude to the ALA Committee on Accreditation, a dedicated group that invests many hours in the accreditation process. Their guidance is invaluable in our pursuit of excellence.”

ALA accreditation indicates that the program has undergone a self-evaluation process, has been externally reviewed and meets the Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies, established by the ALA’s Committee on Accreditation and adopted by the ALA Council. COA evaluates each program for conformity to the standards, which address mission, goals and objectives; curriculum; faculty; students; administration and financial support; and physical resources and facilities.

The accreditation process occurs every seven years, unless evidence persuades COA that the review should be conducted at an earlier or later date. The COA requires accredited schools to submit annual statistical reports and biennial narrative reports.

Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science began offering graduate courses for a Master of Arts in library science in 1949, then received its first ALA accreditation in 1961-62. With that, it became the 33rd school in the nation and the second in Ohio (after Case Western Reserve University) to offer an accredited graduate degree in library science. In 2000, the school received university approval to change the name of the master's degree from Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) to Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.), reflecting the increasing influence of technology and information science on the profession.

Today, the School of Library and Information Science has the only ALA-accredited M.L.I.S. program in Ohio. Case Western Reserve University closed its library school program in 1986. Courses are offered in Kent, at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus and in a fully online M.L.I.S. option. With more than 650 graduate students, the school has one of the largest programs in the country and ranks among the top 20 library schools in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. Its children’s librarianship program ranks 13th.

For more information about the school, visit www.kent.edu/slis.

School of Visual Communication Design Professors Develop Inspire Camp

Inspire, a summer creative camp, was developed by 
Gretchen Rinnert and Jillian Coorey, both assistant
professors in the School of Visual Communication Design.

Gretchen Rinnert and Jillian Coorey, both assistant professors in the School of Visual Communication Design, have developed a summer creative camp called Inspire that will take place this summer.

The day camp is for students who have completed their freshman year of high school, are between the ages of 14 and 19, and have an interest in design, photography, illustration and creative thinking. There is no requirement of previous experience, transcripts or a portfolio to attend this program. Taking place the last week in July, from Monday through Friday, the camp will provide students with an overview of graphic design disciplines such as 2-D print, 3-D print, image making, motion and interaction. By covering a different discipline each day, Coorey says they want to keep each session fresh and exciting for the students.

The idea for the camp has been in the making since 2009, but major planning began this past summer. Coorey and Rinnert have high hopes for the success of the program. With only a handful of similar design camps in the country and nothing similar in the area, the directors hope the camp will become an annual event, eventually turning into an overnight camp with multiple sessions in order to reach out to more than just the local community.

Not only will students in attendance be able to either add to their portfolios or begin creating one, they will also be able to learn about careers in the field.

“So many students come to college and change majors,” Rinnert says. “The earlier students can learn about programs, the better it is for them.”

Coorey adds that the camp will act as both an introduction to the field and serve as a college experience for the students. She says, “some people don’t understand the impact that graphic design has." 



"The term ‘design’ is an umbrella for so many things,” Rinnert says. She adds that the term design is “so overused.”

In addition to adding to the knowledge students will gain, Coorey and Rinnert want to begin creating a community that involves high school students and visual communication design students and faculty. Coorey says that helping with the camp is a great tool for the school’s graduate students who will lend a hand during the workshops.

For more information about the camp, how to donate or sponsor students, or to register for the program, high school students should download an application at www.inspirecamp.com. Spots are available on a first-come first-served basis.

Important Information Regarding Midterm Grading for Freshmen

Online midterm grading for freshmen in full-term spring 2012 courses begins Thursday, Feb. 23, via FlashFAST. Please remember that midterm grading applies only to courses that meet for the full semester. The deadline for midterm grade submission is midnight on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

No midterm grade can be reported after the deadline. The Grade Change workflow cannot be used to report midterm grades after the fact, and the Office of the University Registrar will not accommodate other late submission requests.

FlashFAST is accessible from any Internet-capable computer that has the cookies function enabled. To access FlashFAST, log in to FlashLine at http://flashline.kent.edu and click the Faculty & Advisor Tools tab. The link to your grade roster(s) is located in the Faculty & Advisor Toolbox, under the Submit Grades heading.

Grades Processing Tips and FAQ may be found on the Registrar's website at www.kent.edu/registrar/facstaff/facresc.cfm. Any faculty member needing personalized instruction on submitting their grades via FlashFAST should contact their campus registrar's office during normal business hours for assistance.

Also, as a helpful tip, it is recommended that you clean out your cookie and cache files regularly to help your computer run faster, and to potentially restore and/or improve your access to FlashFAST and/or FlashLine by improving your connection to the server. Our Helpdesk is prepared to offer assistance with these issues. Please contact them at 330-672-HELP (4357) for one-on-one assistance and technical issues.

Kent State Psychologist Shares Tips for Overcoming Seasonal Depression

Dr. John Schell, senior psychologist at
Kent State’s University Health Services,
offers tips for overcoming seasonal
depression.

As the weather changes along with the seasons, some people may start to also see a change in their moods.

Although a mood change to sadness may seem normal as the weather gets cold and dreary, what people might not know is that they may have an actual medical condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), sometimes referred to as seasonal depression.

Typically, in the winter months, people have a tendency to feel down and with that comes symptoms that are consistent with depression, such as loss of energy, motivation, an increase in appetite and the need for more sleep. With that, behavioral changes can occur. People tend to be less active, less involved and have a diminished sense of interest in being active. These symptoms can cycle throughout the winter months.

“If you have a tendency where you notice within yourself this recurrence of depressive symptoms over the winter months, you should start to consider seasonal affective disorder as a possibility,” says Dr. John Schell, senior psychologist at Kent State’s University Health Services.

Schell shares some tips for anyone dealing with SAD or any of the symptoms mentioned above.

• Eat a healthy, normal and balanced diet. Do not alter your diet and give in to the increased appetite and cravings you may have, especially for carbohydrates. Eat a healthy, balanced diet because eating a higher proportion of carbohydrates isn’t going to be healthy in terms of healthy weight and also won’t give you the good energy you need throughout the day. It gives you that rush of energy and then you become tired and you fall back into that cycle of not having the energy that you need to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle during the winter.
• Stay active and involved. Physical exercise can help relieve some of the symptoms of depression. It can also make you feel better about yourself, which can help lift your mood. Try to exercise outside or in an environment that is bright and sunny. Getting out and exercising outside during the daylight hours is ideal.
• Check up with your doctor. You should always see your doctor and make sure all your other levels are as they should be. Sometimes the symptoms can be caused by low levels of Vitamin D, which can be easily treated. Also, the more severe the symptoms, the more aggressive the intervention – treatment such as light therapy, psychotherapy or anti-depressant medication may be recommended.
  

“Seasonal Affective Disorder can mimic typical depression in the sense that people become very down, very depressed, very hopeless, and it can even reach the point where people become suicidal,” Schell says. “So, it’s certainly not something to ignore, but again the specific level of concern is determined by how severe the symptoms are.”

This spring semester, the Women’s Center at Kent State will have a SAD lamp available on a daily basis for the university community. The SAD lamp helps to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder through light therapy.

2012 Kent State University Summer Reading Book Announced

Program Seeks Facilitators for Book Discussions

The Summer Reading Advisory Board and
The Office of Student Success Programs have
selected The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
as this year’s Summer Reading book.

The Summer Reading Advisory Board and The Office of Student Success Programs are pleased to announce the selection of this year’s Summer Reading book: The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore.

The Other Wes Moore is a narrative on the choices made in two individuals’ lives that resulted in two drastically different fates. Having grown up in similar neighborhoods, with similar childhoods and even the same name, one Wes grew up to be a decorated combat veteran, Rhodes Scholar and White House fellow, while the other Wes is serving a life sentence in prison for allegedly killing a police officer. 

The Other Wes Moore presents the necessity of personal responsibility and the inevitable influence community, neighborhood and family can have on one individual’s future.

All new Kent State students will discuss the book with faculty, staff or community members on Aug. 24, during Destination Kent State: Welcome Weekend. The program, as a whole, will build a supportive and encouraging atmosphere that will ease the transition to university life. The book will be available for purchase at the University Bookstore for $10.50 in March.

The Summer Reading Program is currently seeking 200 faculty, staff and community members to facilitate book discussions during Destination Kent State: Welcome Weekend. The Summer Reading program will involve a one-hour discussion on Aug. 24, in the afternoon. Prior to the actual discussion, discussion leaders will be provided with a copy of the book, a training session and discussion materials. There will be several training sessions that will be held throughout the summer for new and returning discussion leaders.

Sign Up
Faculty and staff interested in serving as discussion leaders should sign up at the following link: www.kent.edu/success/faculty/reading/index.cfm. You will be asked to provide the following information: 

• Name
• Position/department
• Summer address for book delivery
• Best phone number to reach you
• Email
  

Sign-up deadline is Friday, June 8.

Kent State University is committed to advancing student success. This year’s summer reading book selection will:

Inspire Knowledge by exposing students to diverse experiences and outcomes. Through the summer reading discussion, students will also be able to learn about themselves, peers  and discussion leaders, and begin to make a stronger connection to the university community; 

Provoke Insight by encouraging students to develop respect and gain curiosity about differing perspectives. Students will find valuable lessons and wisdom by comparing the Wes Moore stories and their own; 

Encourage Responsibility by challenging students to actively seek mentors and build mutually-supportive relationships that help them to achieve their goals and dreams; and

Ignite Engagement by inviting students to create a plan and leave a legacy. The Summer Reading Program will immerse students in a simulated classroom discussion that will foster success for their future Kent State academic career and lifelong love of learning. 

The Summer Reading Program is designed to welcome and connect incoming students to the Kent State academic community. Reading the book is expected to provide common ground for new students to share with their peers. The objectives of the project are:

• To help students get acclimated to the academic life of the university;
• To provide students with an understanding of the university values, principles and standards; and
• To build and maintain relationships that foster success with peers, faculty, staff, administrators and community members.
  

For more information, contact Meghan Cisar at mcisar@kent.edu.