INTERDIVISIONAL SUPPORT FOR PART I
INITIATIVES
The University's Strategic Plan for Academic and Student Affairs
identifies seventeen major initiatives for implementation during the next
three to five years. Although the service and support divisions provide
assistance that, directly and indirectly, affects every aspect of University
operations, the following section speaks to those efforts in which Business
and Finance, Human Resources, University Relations and Development,
and Intercollegiate Athletics have been and will continue to be involved
most closely and most appropriately.
1. Continue to build a sense of community among students, faculty,
and staff.
For a University as large, complex, and richly diverse in human and
physical resources as Kent, regular, easily accessible, clear, and relevant
internal communication is imperative for building a sense of community.
Therefore, the divisions will strive for ongoing, interdivisional and
University-wide collaboration to better communicate student, faculty,
staff, and unit contributions and accomplishments at all campuses; to
maximize responsiveness to concerns of the University community; and to
convey University goals and progress toward them. In seeking better
ways to share information, the service and support divisions will evaluate
the effectiveness of internal publications and radio programming, and will
explore the use of new communications technology, including electronic
mail and related applications.
Appropriate staff members of the service and support divisions, who
interact with virtually every sector of the University, will continue to seek
opportunities to improve relations with internal and external
constituencies. The divisions will maintain their commitment to working
with all constituencies to identify and provide support in meeting goals,
objectives, and special needs. They also will establish cross-
divisional/departmental teams to involve more staff in problem solving
and decision making.
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will help foster community
spirit by promoting athletic events more effectively throughout the
University community and by encouraging student participation in and
support of athletic programs.
2. Complete and implement an enrollment and retention plan that
will increase the quality and diversity of the student body.
During the next three to five years, the recruiting environment will be
characterized by a pool of high school graduates that is not expected to
increase significantly in the areas from which Kent draws the majority of
its students. Furthermore, it is reasonable to anticipate increasing
competition to enroll students among two- and four-year colleges and
universities. Thus, it is critical that Kent enhance its reputation for high-
quality academic programs and services.
The public relations and media relations sectors will intensify their focus
on University initiatives that address student needs. They will also expand
proactive efforts to promote distinctive programs as identified in Part I of
the Strategic Plan and to publicize services tailored to the needs of
traditional and nontraditional students.
Marketing and advertising efforts will be planned carefully and in close
consultation with admissions targets and recruiting calendar. Kent's
service and support divisions will vigorously pursue their student service
orientation as an important factor in retaining students.
The Alumni Association will extend its longstanding commitment to
student recruitment by continuing to support the alumni-dedicated
recruiter in the Admissions Office, who works closely with the alumni
staff, councils, chapters, and the association board in recruiting quality
students.
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will work to enhance
opportunities for students from traditionally under-represented groups to
attend Kent through athletic grants-in-aid. The department will also
expand efforts to help nearly 600 student-athletes succeed academically
with assistance from the academic counselors and tutors of its academic
support unit.
3. Restructure certain administrative functions to facilitate student
success and ensure that student concerns are addressed at the
highest administrative levels.
The service and support divisions remain committed to providing high-
quality, efficient, and effective planning and physical, financial, and
human resource support. For example, a student-information system will
be implemented that provides students and administrative units at all
campuses with access to general University information, and that provides
students and their advisers with up-to-date, student-specific data.
4. Build on the strengths of the eight-campus Kent State University
System.
The service and support divisions are committed to increasing the quality
and frequency of communication among Kent's eight campuses and the
communities they serve. This will involve continuous improvement in
internal and external publications and radio programming and provision of
public and private funding, infrastructure, facilities, and staffing for a
fiber-optic network that will support distance learning.
In addition to helping build systemwide information bridges, the divisions
will intensify efforts to inform external constituencies of the numerous
contributions the Kent State University system makes to the economic,
recreational, and cultural vitality of the region.
Further, they will stay in close contact with the advocacy network of
faculty, alumni, community leaders, and government officials about the
status of the University, including changes in mission, goals, and
objectives and about potential changes in federal, state, and local
legislation, and their potential effect on the University.
5. Create a positive learning environment in which diversity is
understood and appreciated.
A learning environment that fosters an understanding and appreciation of
diversity extends beyond classrooms, libraries, and laboratories to the
offices and facilities with which students interact regularly. Such a
positive environment hinges on a diverse, well-trained, sensitive corps of
faculty and support-staff members. Among the most significant and far-
reaching objectives of the service and support divisions is providing the
University with such a workforce. This will be accomplished, in part, by
providing guidance and training for all Kent employees, and by working in
close consultation with the offices of Cultural Diversity and Affirmative
Action.
The divisions will lend their expertise in human resources and mass
communication to develop vehicles for increased participation in diversity
initiatives by all members of the University community. Because positive
messages of inclusion are often conveyed indirectly, the service and
support divisions will continue to demonstrate sensitivity to the diversity
of students, faculty, and staff in publications, programming, and
advertising.
In addition, they will maintain and enhance diversity in representation on
divisional and interdivisional boards and committees.
6. Enhance the University's living-learning environment.
Kent's service and support divisions help enhance the University's living-
learning environment by providing the physical, infrastructure, financial,
and human resources needed to maintain high-quality programs and
services. In doing so, they must respond to changing student and employee
needs, expectations, and lifestyles.
To meet the trend of increasing regulation, the divisions will enhance
facilities, operations, and training to comply with the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, as
well as other state and federal requirements. Ongoing efforts to provide all
campuses with clean, energy- and cost-efficient classrooms, offices,
recreation areas, and other facilities will be expanded.
The safety and security of all who study, live, and work on Kent's
campuses will continue to be a priority, as the service and support
divisions work with University Police and other relevant units to
continually improve crime-prevention and safety-awareness efforts
throughout the campus community. Should a crisis arise, the service and
support divisions will provide expert advice and coordination of crisis
communications for the internal and external campus communities.
They also will continue striving to keep students, faculty, and staff
members well-informed about University activities, sporting and other
events, services, facilities, and available faculty and staff expertise.
Further, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will work to enhance
the cooperative use of athletic facilities such as the Field House and
Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.
7. Continue to increase the quality and diversity of the faculty while
striving to build a stable cadre of teacher-scholars for the twenty-
first century.
Competition among colleges and universities for high-caliber faculty
members has become just as vigorous as competition for students. As with
students and their families, a regional and national reputation for high-
quality programs and services is an important factor in the University's
ability to attract and retain faculty members with varied backgrounds.
Therefore, Kent's service and support divisions will work toward
publicizing the distinctive undergraduate, graduate, and research programs
identified in Part I of the Strategic Plan. They will communicate internally
and externally the University's appreciation for faculty contributions in
teaching, research and creative activity, and public service.
The same service attitude that bolsters student satisfaction is likely to be a
factor in helping the University retain faculty members. The divisions will
work with faculty to identify and pursue funding sources in areas of
expertise and identified needs, and will monitor and keep faculty apprised
of changes and potential changes in regulations and faculty-support funds.
Faculty will be afforded access to state-of-the-art technology and
related services to the fullest extent possible.
8. Identify, develop, and publicize a select number of distinctive
undergraduate programs for which Kent State University would
be known regionally.
Once these select programs are identified, the service and support
divisions will play integral roles in securing public and private funds for
program endowments, scholarships, and other educational enhancements,
and by ensuring that all facilities needs are met.
The divisions will work proactively to publicize these programs
throughout the region and beyond and will assist departments in
developing their own comprehensive publicity strategies. They will
continue to offer internships to provide opportunities for students to
experience the varied roles of professionals in the public and private
sectors.
9. Review and revise curriculum to ensure quality, relevance, and
the timely completion of academic programs.
The service and support divisions will provide support and assistance as
appropriate in achieving this initiative.
10. Assure Liberal Education Requirements (LER) as a program
achieve liberal arts purposes.
The service and support divisions will provide support and assistance as
appropriate in achieving this initiative.
11. Continue to reinforce the importance of the scholarship of
teaching and enhance University support for teaching
development.
Public relations and media relations functions will be expanded to educate
the public about what faculty do through publications, news releases, and
radio features that focus on teaching, and its complementary relationship
to research and creative activity, and service contributions. Efforts will
continue to publicize the activities, accomplishments, and contributions of
full- and part-time faculty members and of graduate students who teach.
12. Enhance access, teaching, and learning by utilizing state-of-the-
art instructional and communication technologies.
Service and support division staff will play a vital role in planning,
coordinating, implementing, and evaluating the instructional and
communication technologies that will enhance teaching and learning in the
years to come. Major initiatives include the renovation of Moulton Hall as
a distance learning center that will allow classroom interaction among all
eight campuses, and a fiber optic network that will provide current
information throughout the University system.
Appropriate division staff members will receive ongoing training so that
they are able to help students, faculty, and staff members at all campuses
use new technologies to their fullest advantage.
The growing role of technology in higher education means that the
divisions must increase efforts to secure public and private funds for
technology, library resources, electronic linkages, and other enhancements
as identified in Part I of the Strategic Plan. A fund-raising campaign
for Moulton Hall will be an immediate priority.
13. Develop more focus in graduate programs with attention to those
of particular importance to the State in general and Northeast
Ohio in particular.
In collaboration with the academic departments, efforts to publicize these
outstanding graduate programs identified in Part I will be expanded, as
will efforts to publicize accomplishments of faculty and graduate students
associated with these programs.
The service and support divisions will continue to support graduate
programs by helping to secure public and private funds for program
endowments and other educational enhancements, and by ensuring that
facilities needs are met.
14. Reinforce Kent's leadership role in research and creativity at
state and national levels through the attainment of Carnegie
Research II status.
The maintenance of Carnegie Research II status will be supported through
a variety of functions: coordinating annual reviews of uses of federal
award funds and follow-up reviews and testing; providing timely
information and other support as needed to external funding and regulatory
agencies; actively seeking enactment of legislation for increased support
of basic and applied research; assisting principal investigators in securing
public and private funds for prominent research and creativity programs as
identified in Part I of the Strategic Plan; translating and disseminating
research results; and expanding publicity and outreach efforts which
showcase the many ways Kent faculty members use advanced knowledge
and research results to help solve societal problems.
15. Be a partner with communities and local and state governments
in facilitating community and economic development through
technology transfer and outreach.
The ability to maintain and strengthen government and community
relations will remain critically important to the future of Kent State
University. As noted in the environmental analysis chapter of Part I of the
Strategic Plan, the University must be prepared to satisfy an increasing
number of time- and labor-intensive requirements imposed by local, state,
and federal regulatory agencies. Service and support division staff
members will ensure compliance with all these regulations; will monitor
and project the implications of regulatory changes; and will continue to
serve as legislative agent for the University and as liaison with the Ohio
Board of Regents and Inter-University Council for government affairs.
Staff members will be encouraged to maintain a long tradition of
community involvement and volunteer service. They will also continue
and expand efforts to inform the internal and external campus
communities about educational, cultural, recreational, health and fitness,
and other programs available through the University, and about the
economic impact the Kent State University system and its counterparts
have at the local, state, and national levels.
WKSU-FM will continue to support and broadcast a comprehensive range
of cultural programming.
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will expand the availability of
athletic facilities to the communities served by the University.
16. Provide leadership in the development and implementation of
lifelong educational opportunities for the citizens of Northeast
Ohio and surrounding communities.
As the University works to provide lifelong educational opportunities
throughout the region, its service and support divisions will continue to
provide the requisite facilities and infrastructure for educational and
cultural programs, services, and events. In recognition of the
tremendous potential of new communications technology, the service and
support divisions will help secure funding for Internet over cable and
fiber-optics to provide distance learning in homes and businesses.
The divisions' commitment to lifelong learning and public service will
continue through WKSU-FM, which provides national, regional, and local
programming; through enhanced career planning services for alumni; and
through the provision of information, art, and printed materials that help
the College of Continuing Studies publicize its programs.
17. Promote cooperative efforts and collaboration with other four-
year institutions, community colleges, and secondary and
elementary schools.
In addition to working collaboratively on an interdivisional and
systemwide basis, the divisions will continue to initiate and support joint
educational and/or cultural ventures with other colleges and universities,
and area secondary and elementary schools, including hosting conferences,
symposiums, and other special events.
Staff members will be encouraged to build external ties through continued
active involvement in local, state, and national professional organizations.
Other cooperative efforts will involve working with University
government relations officers to monitor and generate legislation to
enhance higher education; developing collaborative funding opportunities;
and pursuing additional funding sources.
Collaborations with Kent's higher education counterparts will be expanded
as part of an ongoing effort to educate the public about the contributions of
Ohio's public universities.