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STUDENT SUCCESS
More than 100 Kent State freshmen are receiving extra personal attention this fall as part of the Pathways Program, a pilot project designed to promote academic success, a healthy lifestyle and a rewarding career. As participants in the Pathways Program, the students are encouraged to take advantage of special academic, internship, wellness, and physical fitness opportunities. The university hopes to raise $5 million in private support over the next several years to make the Pathways Program available to more students.
"The concept of Pathways is that a strong body and strong mind lead to success in life," said William M. Williams, who donated $100,000 this year to launch the pilot program. Williams, retired chairman of the Akron Coca-Cola Bottling Co., served as a trustee of Kent State University under three presidents (1969-78) and is former chair of the KSU Foundation Board.
The idea for Pathways began when Williams talked to a friend named Dr. Dennis E. Coates, who had developed a "Success Style Profile" as a tool for business executives to capitalize on their unique strengths. Similar profiles will be administered to each freshman in the Pathways Program as a tool for academic advising. "A mentor will help that person select the courses that best reflect their aptitudes and personality traits," Williams said. A holistic approach to wellness is another important part of Pathways. Students receive a complete health and fitness assessment, along with an exercise plan tailored to their needs.
The Pathways Program is expected to increase student retention and success at Kent State, where more than 61 percent of freshman come from families in which one or both parents did not graduate from college. This is well above the national average for public universities, which is about 49 percent for first-generation college students.
"Pathways has got great potential," Williams said. "It will have a very strong impact on students' lives."
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