Greetings,

My first March in Ohio is proving true to its reputation – “in like a lion.” I sincerely hope that it ends with sunny days and the relegation of my ice scraper to the trunk of my car. Just as the snow and rain keeps moving in, Kent State is moving forward in many directions this spring. Let me share with you some of the activities that have been and are going to take place this spring.

Re-Evaluating Summer School

Continuous self-evaluation is key to providing our students with a world-class education and experience at Kent State. To that end, we were pleased to have welcomed two representatives from Noel-Levitz to Kent on Feb. 28. Noel-Levitz is a firm that provides services to assist higher education institutions fulfill their goals in the areas of enrollment, marketing and student success. The visit was geared towards enrollment and an assessment of summer school programming at Kent State.

Critical to the success of many of our students is the ability to progress through their degree requirements during the summer terms. Significant discussions during the visit enabled us to focus on how summer school can be re-engineered to become a more significant component of the university’s enrollment planning initiatives.

Summer school is also a critical component of success for the university. Because many of the university’s expenses are fixed, and continue during the summer months, we benefit from a robust summer enrollment. Thus, a viable summer semester is critical to both our students and to assuring the fiscal health of the university.

To that end, I am pleased to announce the creation of two summer programs for incoming freshmen. The President’s Summer Academy is an intensive five-week experience for high-achieving students. The academy provides 40 of the most qualified incoming freshmen with an opportunity to earn six credit hours during a five-week experience aimed at jump-starting their studies and giving them an edge on their collegiate career. As participants, they will focus their credit hours in one of three academic tracks: Science and Discovery, Communication and Creativity or People and Places. In addition to their coursework, they will participate in an undergraduate research project while working with a faculty mentor. The Academy will run from July 14 – Aug. 16 on the Kent campus.

The Kent State Academy, open to incoming freshmen, is designed to help prepare students for the academic, social and personal challenges and new experiences of college. Over a five-week period, beginning July 13, students will earn credits through coursework designed to teach them about academic success strategies, time management, student support services and financial management. The program will continue at a less intensive pace throughout the academic year with activities and student support services.

21^st Century Graduate Update

In December, the two workgroups participating in the first series of discussions on the 21^st Century Graduate project began meeting. As you may recall, Series 1 discussions center on the philosophy of a Kent State degree and the First-Year Experience. I am pleased to inform you that these two workgroups are reporting good progress and look forward to sharing their reports with the university community later this spring. As these reports are presented, I encourage you to make your voice heard by providing feedback on these vitally important Elements of Excellence.

The next two workgroups, focusing on the undergraduate curriculum and LERs, will begin meeting later this spring, followed again by a presentation of their reports to the university community with opportunities for feedback provided.

Upcoming Events and Reminders

Seminar on Ohio Ethics Laws

The University Counsel Office will sponsor a seminar on Ohio Ethics Law for faculty and staff on Wednesday, March 26 from 3 – 5 p.m. in the Moulton Hall Ballroom. If you are unfamiliar with Ohio’s ethics laws, I encourage you to attend the highly informative seminar. You can register online at www.kent.edu/hr/register. For questions about the seminar, contact Constance Hawke, associate University Counsel, at chawke@kent.edu.

Celebration of Diversity

The annual Celebration of Diversity will be held on April 12, 2008. I encourage you to attend the dinner as we celebrate diversity at Kent State. Look for your invitation to arrive in the mail this week. For more information, you can contact the Office of Diversity at 330-672-2442.

Academic Affairs Events

In addition to the events mentioned above, there is a wealth of activities taking place across our campuses this spring. From workshops to recitals to lectures, our campuses are bursting with activities that appeal to numerous audiences. I encourage you to visit the Kent State e-calendar and support the work of our students, faculty and staff by attending an event.

As you return from spring break and dive into the remaining weeks of the spring semester, I wish you continued success.

Sincerely,

Robert G. Frank
Senior Vice President for
Academic Affairs and Provost