Greetings—
As the fall semester begins to wrap up and campus slows down, I am reminded of the many ways in which we support students each day on their educational journey. I believe strongly that it takes a village to support students to meet their individual needs. We as educators read articles, attend seminars and training sessions, and work as educator teams to prepare for a variety of situations. And we do this work because we care. At Kent State, we have a saying: Flashes take care of Flashes. This phrase has been a rallying point during the pandemic, but we have also found this to be true to our core of who we are and what we aspire to be. We care about one another, and we care about the students we serve.
There are a few examples of how Kent State demonstrates this belief that I would like to share with you.
- CARES Center: Kent State expanded services this year and created a CARES center, which stands for crisis, advocacy, resources, education, and support. Originating from our Great Place Initiative, the center provides support to students' basic needs that consist of mental wellbeing, food insecurity, homelessness and financial insecurity. This new resource has made a positive impact on students this fall and is one way we are responding to changing student needs.
- Flashes take care of Flashes fall call campaign: This November, faculty and staff from across the university called students who started at Kent State in August to help answer questions or connect them with resources. Prior to calling students, I imagined leaving a lot of voice mails and not hearing back. But instead, students were so appreciative of my call. They talked about their fall experience, how they have registered for spring classes and expressed their excitement to be home for Thanksgiving to see family and friends. From our effort, there is one quote that stood out from a parent. The parent stated:
“When we visited campus, I kept hearing over and over again this 'Flashes take care of Flashes.' You guys are really doing it. You’re really putting it into action.”
As your fall semester winds down, I wish you a safe and healthy winter break. I hope you can relax and enjoy some downtime with family and friends. Take care and have a wonderful new year.
Sean Broghammer, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management
Kent State University