OTHER STARK CAMPUS ACADEMIC GUIDELINES

Kent State Stark combines the best of a major university and a liberal arts college. Kent State Stark serves our region as a key intellectual resource providing access to academic, economic, and cultural advancement through excellence in teaching and learning.

The Dean is the chief administrative officer for Kent State Stark. The Dean has broad responsibilities for academic and administrative leadership, financial management, planning, personnel actions, student life, outreach to business and industry, facilities, and all other aspects of campus operations. The Dean is the University’s representative to the community. Other administrative officers at the Kent State Stark include:

2.    Assistant/Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, who is responsible for the academic schedule construction; academic staffing and orientation; and supervision of the library and faculty secretaries. The Assistant/Associate Dean for Academic Affairs also provides leadership in the planning and implementation of new curricular initiatives at the campus, and administrative support to the Dean for faculty evaluation, reappointment, tenure and promotion, and faculty development programs. The Office of Academic Affairs also oversees the College Credit Plus (CCP) program and manages the Global, Multicultural, and Outreach Initiatives.

3.    Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management, who directs the delivery of a full range of services to prospective and current students including admissions, financial aid, registration, academic advising, student accessibility services, career services, fitness and wellness and student life. The Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management also aids in the planning and implementation of new enrollment-generating initiatives at the campus, participates in the development of the annual class schedule, assists in the orientation of new faculty, provides data in support of campus management decisions, and reports student body demographics to various internal and external constituencies.

4.    Business Services Administrator Business Services Administrator, who plans, develops, and manages the business and financial operations; and oversees the maintenance and safety of the campus. The Business Services Administrator manages campus support operations including safety and security, housekeeping, building and grounds maintenance, construction, renovations, business office, mail room, and media services.

5.   Director of External Affairs & Community Relations, who oversees external affairs and community relations at Kent State University at Stark, which includes marketing and public relations as well as The Corporate University, special events and other non-academic campus outreach functions, through a team of administrative, professional and support staff. Additionally, the Director is the liaison to the Dean’s Advisory Board and works with the Office of Governmental Affairs on local government issues.

6.      Director of Advancement, who offers a variety of ways to financially support the projects and programs at Kent State University at Stark that are important to the campus, its student body and to the community it serves.

7.    Kent State Stark has an Advisory Board, composed of area citizens whose responsibility is to express community needs and attitudes to the Dean and to communicate campus needs, university concerns, and messages to the public. The chairperson of the Advisory Board acts as the community liaison for the campus.

8.    Organizational charts for the various divisions of the University may be found on the Kent State Stark Human Resources website; it is currently at: http://www.kent.edu/stark/human-resources
 

New Faculty at Kent State Stark will likely find themselves invited to several different orientation sessions during the first months of their appointment. This reflects the need to learn simultaneously about the resources and general culture of the Stark Campus, the Regional Campuses, one’s home department, and the entire University.

The Kent State Stark administration will see that new faculty receive all necessary hiring documents per current University policy. In addition, it is expected that new hires will be informed about professional expectations that are specific to the Campus’ unique mission within the University system, as well as the procedures and criteria used at Kent State Stark in professional development and evaluation (especially the reappointment process). Department coordinators will also be disseminating similar information regarding procedures within a new faculty member’s home department.

This information will be supplemented by the assignment of faculty mentors to help new faculty adjust to the campus and the University. Campus deans and department coordinators are responsible for selecting a suitable mentor (or resource person) who has the rank and/or experience to introduce the newly hired individual to his or her campus/department, to answer questions and to generally help during the first year of appointment.

Interpersonal relations are difficult to prescribe and evaluate, and yet they set the tone and environment for the learning experience. Kent State Stark subscribes to the conduct policies set forth in the University Digest of Rules and Regulations and the University Policy Register. At a minimum, faculty should strive to achieve the following in their classrooms:

1.    The treatment of all participants, faculty and students alike, with courtesy, civility, and respect;

2.    The establishment of a climate wherein questions, relevant comments, and intellectual interaction are encouraged;

3.    The nondiscriminatory treatment of students, regardless of their personal or social backgrounds, preferences, or characteristics;

4.    The encouragement of civil conduct by considering the addition of a statement in the syllabus to that effect.
 

The University Policy Register and the Digest of Rules and Regulations outlines the procedure for addressing student complaints against instructors. Kent State Stark has a student complaint adviser, a faculty or staff member appointed by the Dean, who shall put such policy into motion when requested. When there is a failure to resolve the grievance between the student and the respondent, the officer has the responsibility of convening a hearing committee composed of faculty and student representatives. The outcome of the hearing is reported to the Dean on the proper form and in a timely manner.

The University Policy Register and the Digest of Rules and Regulations outlines the procedure for addressing faculty complaints about inappropriate student conduct. The Dean shall appoint a student conduct coordinator, a member of the Dean’s administrative staff. The Dean will also recommend at least two full-time faculty or staff members as hearing officers, who, along with student representatives, will hear cases convened at the discretion of the conduct coordinator. Such behavior as deemed disruptive to the integrity of the class or that presents an implied or direct threat to the instructor or classroom progress should be brought to the attention of the Student Conduct Officer. He or she may then initiate the formal process of a hearing to determine a student’s right to remain in the class or in the University.

Responses to cheating and plagiarism are discussed in detail in the University Policy Register and the Digest of Rules and Regulations. Appropriate punishment for each offense is an individual question and should be decided per the University Policy Register and in consultation with other authorities as necessary. Additional guidance regarding plagiarism is located on the Kent State Stark web page (under Faculty Governance, Teaching policies).

Student Accessibility Services (SAS), headed by the SAS Disability Coordinator, is in the Academic Success Center, lower level of the Campus Center (ph. 330-244-5047). The SAS Office accepts documentation presented by students to validate a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Once validated, accommodations plans are created through an interaction process with the student and the Disability Coordinator. Accommodation letters are then created outlining the approved accommodations. These letters are given by the student to the professor/instructor informing them of their approved accommodations. This interaction allows for an open dialogue between the student and professor as to how to implement the selected accommodations. Any questions regarding the proposed accommodations are to be directed to the SAS Coordinator. Accommodation letters are confidential and are not to be discussed with others. Faculty does not retain the right to review the student’s presented documentation and/or refuse or alter the designated accommodations.

Per a directive from the Associate Dean’s Office (12/6/06), which requires compliance with the “Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,” this statement or a revision circulated by the Assistant/Associate Dean, must to be included on all course syllabi:

“University policy 3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-244-5047 or visit www.kent.edu/stark/student-accessibility-services for more information on registration procedures).”

While recognizing the wide range of courses taught on our campus and the right of individual faculty members to design their courses in whatever manner they believe is appropriate, there remain professional standards, which should be maintained by all faculty. Grades in a course should be determined based on students' performance on assessments which are based on their mastery of course material. In general, use of “Extra Credit” or “Bonus” assignments is discouraged. However, if extra credit must be assigned, the following guidelines should be applied:

1.    Extra credit assignments should only be given if they are directly related to the course material.

2.    Extra credit assignments should allow students to acquire knowledge related to the course that would not be practical to obtain in the classroom.

3.    Extra credit work should not account for a significant portion of students' grades.
 

1.    Policy of the Use and Installation of Software on University Computers.

The University has a tradition and commitment to the protection of intellectual property rights. Neither plagiarism nor the unlicensed reproduction or any other unauthorized use of proprietary material is tolerated. Therefore, Kent State University will comply with all state, federal and international copyright laws regarding the use of computer software. To uphold these commitments and to protect the members of the KSU community from the liabilities of copyright infringement and the university community against charges of harassment, certain policies regarding the use of software on university-owned equipment is currently required of all faculty.

2.    Policy on University-Owned Software.

Kent owns and maintains computers and software that are used by faculty, staff, and students for administering the University's business and delivering instruction. The software is licensed on a per-copy or per-site basis. The software is University property and may not be removed from the site, copied onto diskettes or another magnetic media, nor uploaded to another site. University software may not be altered or configured by anyone in such a way as to make it unusable or unstable. All configuration changes to university owned software must be performed and/or authorized by the campus LAN Administrator.

3.    Acquisition of New Software.

The University acquires computer software either by updates to site licenses or by individual requests by faculty and staff or donations. Software requests must be submitted to the Faculty Technology Committee, which, in consultation with the LAN Administrator, will evaluate the software to ensure compatibility with existing applications and to ensure that sufficient computer hardware capacity is available to accommodate the requested application. Software requested for a new instructional program should be requested at least 60 days before the program’s classes begin to allow time sufficient for acquisition, installation and testing.

4.    Policy on Use of Software Not Owned by the University

Installing personally owned software on University-owned computers is discouraged. However, if the use of outside software is authorized, the University is diligent in ensuring that copyright laws are not violated.

Faculty who wish to install personally owned software must have the permission of the Dean. Installation must be done by the LAN Administrator. Proof of ownership must be filed with the LAN Administrator.

The University has very minimal copyright violation liability regarding the use of shareware. The author or publisher inherently assumes that payment for any widely distributed product is voluntary. Several products initially distributed as shareware have entered the mainstream market to the benefit of both users and publishers. The greater concern to the University is the potential for shareware to spread computer viruses throughout the organization causing unacceptable downtime and loss of data. University faculty and staff are required to get approval from the LAN Administrator before installing or downloading shareware on university-owned computers.

5.    Installing Freeware on University-Owned Computers.

Freeware is distributed in the same manner as shareware but the author or publisher does not request payment for use. Freeware is of the same nature as shareware but is much more prone to carrying viruses. The rules regarding the use of freeware are the same as those regarding the use of shareware.

6.    University Policy Statement Regarding the Display of Potentially Offensive Material.

The University recognizes its role as the guardian of a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas and information. Furthermore, the University also recognizes its responsibility to provide an environment for research free of hostility and to be considerate of the sensibilities of all participants. The University, while not desirous of playing the role of censor, must assure that it provides proper avenues of redress if a member of the university community feels degraded or harassed by something he or she sees on a university computer display. The University’s network system allows access to all manner of textual and graphic information from all over the World, some of which could be considered offensive by some people and acceptable by others. Individuals who display information of a graphic or textual nature in a public or private area viewable by others who consider it offensive or degrading are liable to face charges of harassment.

The University ensures that the offended party has free and open access to whatever state, local or federal grievance procedures are available. The University encourages faculty to be considerate of others in choosing what is displayed on their computer screens.