Faculty/Staff News Now: Basketball Open Practice; Geauga Students Learn Sustainability; Kent Chorus Seeks New Members; All You Care to Eat Returns; Student Class Registration

Golden Flashes Open Practice to Faculty, Staff

It was a b-ball bonanza. Last Thursday, Kent State’s hard-court hoopsters held an open practice for faculty, staff, families and friends at the MACC.

Some 100 employees took full advantage of a rare opportunity to see the basketball team in action during an event hosted by the Division of Human Resources.

Head Coach Rob Senderoff put the Golden Flashes (13–3) through a series of drills focused on dribbling, shooting, rebounding, defense and fast breaks. Guests enjoyed complimentary food and beverages courtesy of Brew Kettle, and registered for a chance to win gifts, including a KSU-branded umbrella, backpack, swag bag and a basketball autographed by coach Senderoff.

An animated Flash posed for pictures with guests. Afterwards, coach Senderoff and his staff and players thanked guests for their support, and encouraged attendance at upcoming home games.

Complimentary tickets were given to the first 50 attendees for the basketball double-header last Saturday, when the women (8-6) defeated Western Michigan 75-63, and the men beat Central Michigan 79-73.

The men’s team currently holds the top spot in the Eastern Division of the Mid-American Conference, while the women rank fourth.

View a photo slide show of the 2020 open practice. Go Flashes!


Geauga Students Learn Sustainable Solar Homes are Feasible, Affordable

Sean Thompson, adjunct faculty and Geauga Campus Advisory Board member, took his architecture students to visit the region’s first net-zero, solar-powered home to get a first-hand glimpse of what’s possible with sustainability. Learn more.


Kent State Recognized for Employee Wellness Program

Kent State ended 2019 by striking gold x 2! The American Heart Association and Healthy Business Council of Ohio have awarded Kent State’s employee wellness program with its highest honor, the Gold Achievement Award.

“Though Kent State is no stranger to receiving recognition by the American Heart Association as part of their Workplace Health Achievement index, having received Silver Level in 2017 and 2018, receiving the Gold Level recognition for 2019 was wonderful news that all faculty and staff should be proud of,” said Kim Hauge, director for Employee Wellness at Kent State.

Kent State University was honored by the AHA’s highest level of achievement, “for taking significant steps to build a culture of health in the workplace.” The award letter further indicated that, the Index uses science-based best practices to evaluate the overall quality and comprehensiveness of workplace health programs. Studies show that worksites with a culture of health with comprehensive, evidence-based policies and programs, and senior leadership support are more likely to have engaged employees and a healthier, more productive workforce.

One of the unique features of the AHA Index is that it calculates an average heart health score for employees of participating companies that securely submit aggregate health data. Employers in turn receive benchmarking reports, which allow them to identify potential areas of improvement so they can advance their annual performance and recognition.

“This allows us to use the benchmark information toward our continuous improvement as it relates to improving lifestyle measures that impact cardiovascular health, such as smoking, physical activity, weight, blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure,” said Hauge. “On the heels of being notified of the AHA Gold Achievement Award, we received a congratulatory letter from the Healthy Business Council of Ohio (HBCO) notifying us that Kent State is being awarded its highest level of achievement.”

“Worksites that are recognized this year should be especially proud of their accomplishments knowing they have provided their employees with nationally competitive and well-rounded programming that supports healthy lifestyles,” said Laurie Cadmus, co-chair for the HBCO Healthy Worksite Award Committee. “This year’s application was more comprehensive and aligned with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Worksite Health Scorecard so that worksites could more effectively become competitive with national trends in workplace wellbeing programming.”

“It is a great honor knowing that Kent State continues to receive national recognition from the American Heart Association – this year at the Gold achievement level,” said Jack Witt, vice president for Human Resources at Kent State University. “Moreover, the Health Business Council of Ohio has now added its highest-level award. This all confirms the dynamic and comprehensive approach to employee wellness and health taken here at KSU.”

Kim Hauge will receive the HBCO award on behalf of Kent State University later this month as part of the Health Action Council 2020 Annual Symposium in Columbus. The AHA has also published all silver- and gold-level award winners in Forbes Magazine

For more information on Kent State’s employee wellness program and resources, visit our website, or email wellness@kent.edu.


Kent Chorus Seeks New Members

Can you carry a tune? If so, please consider joining the Kent Chorus, comprised of a friendly group of students, staff, faculty and community members with previous choral experience who love to sing great works. 

This spring, the chorus will perform “Requiem in C Minor” by Luigi Cherubini, “Song of Jubilation” by Andrew Rindfleisch, and “Ave Verum Corpus” by Mozart. The spring concert is Sun., Apr. 26, at 3 p.m. in Cartwright Hall.

There is no formal audition, only a desire to be part of a fulfilling musical experience.

Spring semester rehearsals are Tuesday evenings from 7:15 – 9:45 p.m. in room C304 at the Kent Center for the Performing Arts. Performances are at the end of each semester. Participation fee (not for credit) is $30.

New members can register before rehearsals from 6:30 – 7:15 p.m. on Jan. 14, 21 or 28. To learn more, contact Dr. Scott MacPherson, director of Choral Studies at 330-672-2909, or smacpher@kent.edu.


Blue and Gold Fridays All You Care to Eat Returns

Beginning Fri., Jan. 17, Dining Services is again offering Blue and Gold Fridays throughout the spring semester. Faculty and staff can enjoy a $5 door rate for an all-you-care-to-eat breakfast, lunch and dinner meals at Eastway Fresh Food Co., Prentice Cafe or The Market. Cash or credit/debit cards accepted at point-of-sale.


Important Information Regarding Student Class Registration

As we begin the new semester, the Office of the University Registrar asks for your assistance in making sure that all students are properly registered for their Spring 2020 courses.                                        

As per University policy, only officially registered students are permitted to attend courses. Go to Faculty & Advisors/Faculty Dashboard to find the link to official class rosters in FlashLine. Students who are not officially registered within the appropriate time period WILL NOT receive a grade or earn credit for the course even if they attend the entire course and complete all required work.

Registration and schedule adjustment deadlines for courses can be found in the Detailed Class Search. To access the Detailed Class Search, visit the Registrar's website, click the Schedule of Classes quick link, and select Spring 2020, or in FlashLine, go to Faculty & Advisors / Resources / Courses and click on the Registration Deadlines and Tuition Credit Search Link.

Instructors are asked to remind students that it is important to finalize and verify their registration within the proper timeframe. After the published deadlines, adjustments in registration will require faculty and Office of the University Registrar approval.

Grades Submission Information
The deadline for submitting final grades can be found on the Registrar's website.

Incomplete Mark Workflow:
The instructor must create and submit an Incomplete Mark contract via the workflow.  Instructors are no longer be able to select the incomplete mark (IB+, IC+, IC-, etc.) from the final grade roster in FlashFAST (Self-Service Banner).  The primary instructor must initiate and submit the contract using this new workflow process, which mimics the old paper process.  Once the contract has been accepted by the student and approved by the department chair/campus dean, the student’s grade will be updated automatically.  The primary instructor will be able to initiate and submit the contract for a student after the deadline to withdraw (10th week of a regularly scheduled section in fall and spring, or prorated for flexibly scheduled sections) through the end of final grading.

Access the Incomplete Mark workflow in FlashLine from the Faculty Dashboard under Grading Resources or Faculty Workflows.

NF/SF Administrative Marks:
The administrative mark NF (Never Attended–Fail) denotes that the student neither attended one class session nor formally withdrew from the course. If a student has never attended your course, mark the student as “Not Started” on the Academic Presence Verification Roster, and the NF will automatically populate to your Final Grades roster.

The administrative mark SF (Stopped Attending–Fail) denotes that the student stopped attending the course and did not formally withdraw and must be accompanied by a date of last attendance in the course. If a student has stopped attending your course the SF can be entered on the Final Grade Roster along with the student’s last date of attendance.

For complete information on university grading policies including Incomplete Mark and NF/SF grading policies, procedures and timelines, please visit the Grading Policies and Procedures section in the University Catalog.

POSTED: Monday, January 13, 2020 07:55 AM
Updated: Thursday, April 16, 2020 07:51 AM