SPECIAL FEATURES
In its mandate that all public state universities and colleges
develop Functional Mission Statements, the Ohio Board of Regents
observed that a functional mission ... identifies the distinctive strengths of
the college or university. The purpose of the Special Features section of
the Kent Institutional Characteristics (KICS) statement is to speak
specifically to nine special defining characteristics of the University:
Historical Strengths (Education and Liberals Arts); the Kent State
University System; Applied and Basic Sciences; Health and
Behavioral Sciences; Community Development and Design; Visual
and Performing Arts; Communication; Business and Commerce; and
Internationally Related Activities.
Kent State University
... was established in 1910 as Kent Normal School.
Since its inception, Kent has maintained its commitment
to provide national leadership in what have been
Historical Strengths of the University, professional
education and the liberal arts. (KICS)
From its normal school roots,
Kent has a rich tradition in the preparation of teachers
and is among the leaders nationwide in research related
to teaching and learning. (KICS)
Principally through its College of Education, Kent State University does
indeed have a rich tradition in the preparation of teachers. The University
is a member of the prestigious Holmes Group, a collection of
distinguished universities committed to teacher education reform. The
College of Education continues to be a leader in research, as evidenced by
the over four and one-half million dollars it received in external support
during the 1993 fiscal year. Recent planning activities within the College
of Education have identified six overarching priorities: working in at-risk
settings; fostering culturally diverse environments for learning; developing
the college as an educational community; facilitating collaborative
partnerships; engaging in systematic inquiry; and developing improved
processes of evaluation. To address these and other priorities more
effectively and efficiently, the college has reconfigured its three academic
departments.
As it continues to address priorities, the College of Education will
Goal: Continue programmatic consolidation within and
across newly reconfigured academic departments.
Objectives
Encourage faculty to continue to examine program
missions, curriculum content, and standards of
accreditation to identify points of common need,
purpose, and interest.
Involve faculty more flexibly across programs.
Reduce the number of program specializations
while preserving the integrity and quality of
selected programs.
Goal: Focus outreach efforts to achieve professional impact,
enrollment management, and leadership in education
reform.
Objectives
Select key communities, schools, and colleges for
comprehensive educational partnerships, integrating
field work for undergraduate and graduate students.
Use faculty resources more effectively through
integration of teaching, inquiry, and service
partnerships in communities.
Goal: Utilize instructional technologies to improve education
and make it more accessible.
Objectives
Link electronically schools, colleges, and
community agencies with the University for
collaborative research and reform initiatives.
Link electronically the Kent and Regional
Campuses to deliver in-service work to teachers in
service areas.
The University
... stresses the importance of a strong liberal arts base
through its Liberal Education Requirements and
maintains distinguished doctoral programs in selected
areas of the humanities. (KICS)
The humanities have major responsibility for helping students to think
critically, read interpretively, and communicate effectively, and they
promote an awareness of achievement in world civilizations. Research in
the humanities focuses on the discovery, recovery, preservation,
interpretation, and critique of cultural, historical, and artistic heritages
from all corners of the globe and throughout time. Humanities faculty
serve their professions and communities through interaction with local
school districts, providing workshops and short courses for special
constituencies, and bringing important cultural and artistic events to all
Kent State University campuses.
As the acknowledged leader in educational programs in the
humanities in Northeast Ohio, Kent State University will
Goal: Maintain strength and sharpen the focus of the
University's humanities programs.
Objectives
Strengthen the Department of English's doctoral
program in the key areas of composition studies,
minority and ethnic literature, creative writing, and
literary theory by using the opportunities provided
through department vacancies to reallocate some
faculty positions to these areas.
Further develop the Department of English's Master
of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second
Language through the Institute for Applied
Linguistics.
Emphasize and expand external funding in
humanities areas where public interest and support
exist, such as for the Public History program.
Encourage cooperation in history at the M.A. and
Ph.D. levels between Kent State University and The
University of Akron.
Support the distinctive modern language translation
and Applied Linguistics programs within the newly-
restructured Department of Modern and Classical
Language Studies to emphasize the role of language
in international business, cultural differences, and
cross-cultural communication.
Enhance the cultural diversity offerings of LER and
upper division courses in the humanities and
integrate them into the University curriculum.
Capitalizeon the use of computerized
classrooms and laboratories as an important new
tool for teaching in humanities departments such as
Philosophy.
Ensure that more full-time faculty in the humanities
teach in lower-division and LER courses.
Kent State University fully recognizes that it holds a special place
in history as a result of the tragedy of May 4, 1970. The Kent Institutional
Characteristics statement captures this role in observing,
From the events of May 4, 1970, Kent State University
inherits a unique leadership role in promoting the
peaceful resolution of conflict through education.
(KICS)
The University has sponsored important forums to discuss major issues
surrounding conflict and has promoted the peaceful resolution of conflict
through education. The University will
Goal: Play a national leadership role in promoting an
awareness of and resolution to major, potentially
divisive issues confronting society.
Objectives
Continue annual forums to analyze and discuss
major societal issues and to reflect on the events and
implications of May 4, 1970.
Support periodic national May 4 conferences at
Kent on major societal issues.
Goal: Provide expertise on conflict resolution to companies,
client groups, agencies, and other organizations.
Objective
Develop workshops through the Center for Applied
Conflict Management and evaluate success in
attaining revenue generation targets.
As the senior public university in Northeast Ohio, Kent State
University serves a region with a population of more than four and a half
million, in a geographical area that is both urban and rural. The University
affirms the importance of serving residents throughout Northeast Ohio:
With its Kent Campus and seven Regional Campuses,
located at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem,
Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, the Kent State
University System makes a university education
accessible to all segments of Northeast Ohio. (KICS)
The eight-campus Kent State University system is the largest regional
campus system in Ohio and one of the largest in the nation. A variety of
associate degrees and selected upper-division and graduate courses are
offered at the Regional Campuses, which provide a transition to
bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs offered at the Kent
Campus. Characterized by a small-college atmosphere, the Regional
Campuses serve a large number of students who might not otherwise have
access to higher education, including many nontraditional students. The
campuses provide a broad range of cultural and recreational resources and
offer numerous professional development and advanced training programs
in response to community needs. The University intends to
Goal: Build on strengths represented by the eight-campus
Kent State University system.
Objectives
Enhance electronic linkages between the eight
campuses.
Develop a limited number of upper division
programs and graduate programs to be offered
selectively at the Regional Campuses.
Further promote Regional Campus involvement
in outreach, technology transfer, and community
service.
Strive to meet the service expectations established
by Ohio Board of Regents in its Securing the Future
report by offering career/technical programming;
providing developmental education services;
developing partnerships with industry, business,
government, and labor; offering noncredit
continuing education opportunities; providing
college transfer programs; developing linkages with
high schools; providing convenient access; keeping
fees low; and ensuring community involvement.
Continue to emphasize associate degree programs
and baccalaureate programs based on community
needs and faculty talents.
Maintain library linkages and deliveries among all
eight campuses.
Consider establishing the umbrella Northeast
Ohio Technology Education/Extension Center to
respond to educational demands to the year 2000
which cannot be easily met through current college
and school missions and structures.
Because it is home to many corporations and the NASA Lewis
Research Center, Northeast Ohio is noted for research and development
activities in science and engineering. The University recognizes that
Its location gives the University a special mission in the
Applied and Basic Sciences exemplified by the
internationally renowned research conducted at Kent's
Glenn H. Brown Liquid Crystal Institute. (KICS)
Kent State University has notable strengths in the applied and basic
sciences and confers doctoral degrees in most science fields. Kent offers
prominent programs in reproductive physiology/endocrinology,
environmental studies, aquatic ecology, computational sciences,
mathematical analysis, nuclear physics, condensed matter physics,
separation science, surface chemistry, and paleontology/sedimentology.
The Glenn H. Brown Liquid Crystal Institute is a national academic center
devoted to liquid crystal research. In consortium with two other
Northeast Ohio universities, Kent is home to the Center on Advanced
Liquid Crystalline Optical Materials, Ohio's only National Science
Foundation Science and Technology Research Center. The Water
Resources Research Institute promotes interdisciplinary research in the
applied sciences.
The University will
Goal: Stress the development of selected applied and basic
science programs which build on existing strengths and
geographical advantages, have the potential of
generating significant external support, and can attain
national levels of distinction by the end of the decade
with just modest additional investment.
Objectives
Continue to support and emphasize the premier
efforts in liquid crystal research.
Focus research development on selected programs
involving Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics and
Computer Science with particular attention to those
research areas that link with or appropriately
complement liquid crystal research, or other
forefront areas.
Encourage further research development and
increased sponsored program activity through the
Water Resources Research Institute and in
appropriate supporting areas in Biological Sciences,
Chemistry, Geology, and Geography.
Encourage faculty in applied and basic sciences to
collaborate with researchers in private and public
sector corporations, organizations, and agencies
(e.g., The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company,
NASA Lewis, the LORAL Corporation, etc.).
Reinforce "clusters" so that pockets of strength can
be established and maintained in selected research
and academic programs in applied and basic
sciences.
Kent State University is located in a broad metropolitan area
encompassing Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, and Warren. The
region has renowned medical and health-related research facilities that has
enabled Kent to build upon
... geographical advantages to offer nationally
recognized programs of study and research in the
Health and Behavioral Sciences. (KICS)
Kent is an established leader in Northeast Ohio in undergraduate and
graduate education in the health and behavioral sciences. It offers
nationally recognized programs of study and research in a variety of units
and interdisciplinary programs including biological sciences; nursing;
clinical and experimental psychology; biological anthropology; speech
pathology and audiology; exercise, leisure and sport science; rehabilitation
and community counseling; health education; and medical sociology.
Kent's School of Biomedical Sciences offers graduate degrees in a
unique consortial arrangement with The University of Akron, Youngstown
State University, and the Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine
(NEOUCOM). This impressive group of programs--many of which are
interdisciplinary--produces annually in excess of ten graduate degrees and
$2,000,000 in extramural grant support.
Kent State University will
Goal: Emphasize and build upon strengths in selected areas of
the health and behavioral sciences.
Objectives
Explore and develop doctoral programs in one or
two additional health science fields such as nursing,
in collaboration with a neighboring university, if
feasible.
Develop a limited number of additional
undergraduate and master's level allied health
programs that are of particular interest to students or
serve as completion programs in Northeast Ohio
such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, and
radiation technology.
Expand outreach (including electronic outreach) and
continuing education efforts to reach practicing
health professionals in the field.
Focus research and program development in health
and behavioral sciences on units which will with
modest additional investment attain national
prominence by the end of the decade such as the
Department of Psychology, the Department of
Biological Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the
School of Speech Pathology and Audiology.
Continue the development of integrated health
sciences curricula at the Regional and Kent
Campuses in fields like nursing.
Review administrative structures for health-related
programs to determine if a clustering of selected
health and human performance units might better
serve the needs of students, foster faculty
collaboration, and provide more visibility for
health-related programs.
Kent State University
... has long been devoted to improving the quality of life
in the region by emphasizing Community
Development and Design, illustrated by the leadership
role its School of Architecture and Environmental
Design plays in the Northeastern Ohio Urban Design
Center. (KICS)
Expertise and programs developed by Kent State University faculty and
staff have helped and are intended to aid communities in Northeast Ohio
as they endeavor to solve complex economic, social, and physical
problems. The Northeast Ohio Employee Ownership Center, the
collaborative Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio, and the
Transfer are examples of on-going university initiatives designed to aid
local communities in resolving complex societal issues and in planning for
the future. As a partner to Northeast Ohio communities, the
University will
Goal: Capitalize on its unique location, special expertise, and
skills in community development and design to help
communities in Northeast Ohio resolve issues and plan
for the future.
Objectives
Continue to support the mission of the School of
Architecture and Environmental Design to educate
and graduate students who can make major
contributions in environment and facility design,
heritage preservation, and community development
and design.
Continue the development of the Urban Design
Center into a unit recognized nationally for creative
design solutions to urban planning and facilities
development while maintaining a complementary
applied geography component in urban and
economic planning.
Encourage leadership from units like the Northeast
Ohio Employee Ownership Center and the School
of Technology in aiding communities to adjust and
respond to changing circumstances in
manufacturing processes and management.
Cultivate partnerships with local governments by
offering and developing expertise in public
administration.
Facilitate the development of initiatives from
Student Affairs and other units to involve students
in meaningful, major volunteer service to
communities.
Enhance involvement of faculty from Departments
such as Criminal Justice Studies, Geography, Pan-
African Studies, Political Science, Sociology, and
Anthropology in applied research on societal issues
and culture preservation as well as in helping
communities address political and social concerns.
The fine arts have long been an important feature of Kent State
University.
As a major cultural resource for Northeast Ohio and
prominent player in fine arts activities at nearby
Blossom Music Center and Porthouse Theater, Kent is
committed to maintaining excellent programs in the
Visual and Performing Arts. (KICS)
The University offers established programs of study and scholarship and
creativity in art, visual communication design, architecture, music, theatre,
dance, fashion design, and interior design. The summer Kent/Blossom
Arts Festivals, located on the Kent Campus and at nearby Blossom Music
Center, Eells Gallery, and Porthouse Theatre, attract talented students from
across the nation, who come to study in visual art, music, and theatre with
resident faculty and visiting artists of national and international stature.
Kent's Porthouse summer theatre program is well known throughout
Northeast Ohio. The Kent State University Museum houses a distinctive
collection of fashion apparel and art objects, and also serves as a valuable
resource for students in fashion design, theatre, and history. Kent State
University will
Goal: Continue to be a major cultural and fine arts
resource.
Objectives
Seek additional collaboration with neighboring
universities and fine arts organizations to assure
students have a sufficient array of educational
opportunities.
Seek additional private sector support to aid the
further development of selected areas in the literary,
visual, and performing arts.
Review the administrative structure in the visual
and performing arts to see if current configurations
might be altered to provide more effective use of
resources, additional visibility, and further
collaboration among units (e.g., a "clustering" of
units to promote collaboration and visibility).
Review options and degrees offered in visual and
performing arts programs to determine if more
focus (such as on performance and production in
theatre) and resource consolidation might better
ensure long-term quality and vitality.
Continue commitment to the summer Blossom
Programs in art, music, and theatre.
Northeast Ohio is the home of numerous corporations, firms, and
agencies involved in telecommunications, information sciences, and
communication-related activities. Building on the strengths of the region,
... Kent offers well-recognized programs in several
fields of Communication, including established
programs in print and electronic journalism and
information sciences. (KICS)
Communication studies and print and electronic journalism are examples
of nationally and regionally recognized academic, research, and
professional programs in communication fields at Kent State University.
The Kent broadcast and production environment is enriched by the
presence of WKSU-FM, a nationally acclaimed public radio station, and
WNEO/WEAO, a public television consortium of Kent State University,
The University of Akron, and Youngstown State University. The School
of Library and Information Science, Ohio's only American Library
Association-accredited school of librarianship, has one of the largest
master's degree programs in the nation. The Kent State University Press,
founded in 1965, is a member of the American Association of University
Presses. Each year it publishes books and journals consisting of
significant works of scholars from across the country.
Kent State University will
Goal: Encourage focused development in information
sciences, mass media, and communications programs.
Objectives
Encourage the "clustering" of information sciences,
mass media, and communications programs in an
effort to facilitate more collaborative work among
faculty.
Feature undergraduate and master's level studies in
most communication and information science
programs.
Provide opportunities (internships, co-ops, arranged
summer work) for students to experience the varied
roles of professionals in the private and public
sectors.
Continue the Ph.D. program in Communication
Studies as the primary vehicle for students who
wish a terminal degree program in communication.
Determine the feasibility of offering concentrations
under the Communication Studies Ph.D. that
incorporate material from other units in the
communication cluster.
Curtail the rhetorical studies option under the
Communication Studies Ph.D by suspending
admissions.
Manufacturing, international trade, health care, leisure service
management and tourism, banking, retailing, agriculture, and countless
small enterprises pervade populous Northeast Ohio. Acknowledging the
University's obligation to serve business and commerce,
... Kent's programs in Business and Commerce are
designed to serve area executives and business
professionals as well as prepare students for productive
careers in a global economy. (KICS)
Executive programs and topical seminars are offered to working
professionals by the College of Business Administration in Cleveland,
Akron, Kent, and other regional locations. The College offers programs
leading to baccalaureate and master's degrees to students aspiring to
positions and careers in business and commerce. Kent is the only public
institution in Northeast Ohio offering the Ph.D. to prospective faculty and
others seeking a terminal degree in business administration. The College
of Business Administration collaborates with other major units on the
Kent Campus in programs such as hospital administration, hospitality food
service management, and library science. The Northeast Ohio Employee
Ownership Center in the Department of Political Science is dedicated to
helping enterprises which are wholly and partially employee-owned to
succeed. A proposed collaborative Ohio School of International Business
involving Kent and three other Northeast Ohio public universities is
intended to educate and prepare individuals for success in international
trade and enterprise. The School of Technology fosters the use of
technology in small businesses, corporations, and enterprises.
Continuing its leadership role in business and commerce education,
the University will
Goal: Ensure that Kent is the premier public university in
Northeast Ohio serving students aspiring to careers
requiring business administration expertise.
Objectives
Make undergraduate programs in business
administration more distinctive and assure long-
term vitality of remaining programs by
consolidating and reducing baccalaureate majors.
Ensure the strength of the Business Administration
Ph.D. program by developing greater focus and
reducing options consistent with resource
constraints.
Continue to enhance research and scholarly activity
in business administration units in support of the
Ph.D. program.
Become even more involved with the Northeast
Ohio business community.
Continue to strengthen and renew the M.B.A. to
ensure that it remains the flagship business
administration program offered on the Kent Campus
and at other locations throughout the region.
Continue the development of executive and
professional programs.
Goal: Facilitate the involvement of appropriate units outside
the College of Business Administration in educational
and service efforts that support economic development
in Ohio.
Objectives
Encourage partnerships for economic development
among the Kent Division of Research and Graduate
Studies, other appropriate University departments,
and government, business, and industry.
Engage in applied research that has the potential to
result in product development.
The University has a responsibility to help those it serves to learn
about the impact and opportunities of an increasingly global orientation to
all walks of life. Thus
Kent State University stresses Internationally Related
Activities and participates in a number of study-abroad
programs and exchanges of students and faculty. Kent
students may explore the history, languages, cultures,
and religions of other countries and ethnic groups by
taking courses and programs offered by many academic
units. (KICS)
The Kent Center for International and Comparative Programs (CICP)
sponsors a Geneva Semester and a Kent-in-Florence program for Kent
State University students. It also coordinates numerous exchange
programs throughout the world. The Gerald H. Read Center for
International and Intercultural Education facilitates the placement of
student teachers, practicing teachers, and teacher educators in international
settings. The Department of Geography has a unique understanding with
the Arctic Center of the University of Lapland (Finland) to engage in
collaborative research. The University's newly consolidated Department
of Modern and Classical Language Studies offers a wide array of
baccalaureate and master's programs which focus on languages and
cultures from virtually all parts of the globe. The histories, literatures,
geography, cultural and social systems, and governments of other
countries and regions are studied through programs in the Departments of
Anthropology, English, Geography, History, Modern and Classical
Language Studies, and Political Science. Special services to students from
other countries who are studying at Kent are provided through a number of
offices including the Office of International Student Affairs.
In order to promote the efficient and effective development of
internationally related activities, the University will
Goal: Emphasize global and international perspectives in
appropriate programs.
Objectives
Stress the international dimension in appropriate
curricula and programs.
Maintain and develop exchange and overseas
programs which build on the curricular and research
strengths of Kent and its international partners.
Provide assistance and consultation in meeting the
needs of the broader international community.
Increase the participation of Kent students in
programs of international exchange or study abroad.
Goal: Coordinate more effectively initiatives and activities in
internationally related areas.
Objectives
Assess the feasibility of more central coordination
of internationally related activities.
Enhance services to better meet the needs of
international students.
Assess the feasibility of establishing an
international house on the Kent Campus.