Faculty/Staff News Now: Distinguished Teaching Awarded to Amy Fritsche, Douglas Goldsmith and Lindsay Starkey; Academic Success Ctr. Creates New Advisory Council; Anti-Racism Virtual Workshops Launch in July; IMPACT Solutions; Geauga/TAC Dean's List

Distinguished Teaching Award Recipients Announced

This year's 2020 Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA) recipients are an outstanding group of teachers who are truly dedicated to their students' success. Sponsored by the Kent State Alumni Association, the DTA is the university’s most prestigious honor in teaching. The award is presented annually to three full-time faculty members who demonstrate extraordinary teaching, whether it be in the classroom or online. Read on.


Academic Success Center Creates New Faculty Advisory Council

The Council to the Academic Success Center (ASC) at Kent Campus was established to enhance collaboration between the ASC and faculty in the shared goal of student success in learning.  The Council provides valuable faculty perspective on academic and classroom experiences and expectations to shape ASC initiatives and services to best support students.

 Council Duties

  1. The Council draws upon the expertise of its faculty members to provide advice and recommendations to the ASC director regarding
    1. academic support needs at Kent State University.
    2. collaborations with faculty, inside and outside of the classroom.
    3. new ASC programs and initiatives.
    4. identification and elimination of barriers to student academic success
  2. The Council reviews and provides feedback on the ASC’s annual assessment and evaluation reports.
  3. Council faculty members share the mission and work of the ASC with colleagues through meetings in their academic units and other opportunities as appropriate.  Council faculty members advocate for ASC collaborations across campus.
  4. The Council may invite experts to join meetings or submit information to the council in review of specific concerns or proposals.

 Council Membership

Council membership consists of minimally two to four full-time faculty members, from Tenure- and Nontenure-tracks.  Council appointments are voluntary and include a service term of two academic years. Membership may continue for three consecutive terms. 

Congratulations to the inaugural ASC Faculty Advisory Council members:

  • John Dunlosky, Ph.D., professor, Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Karen Mascolo, Ph.D., associate professor, Nursing, College of Nursing
  • Julie Nurnberger-Haag, Ph.D., assistant professor, Mathematics Education, College of Education, Health, and Human Services
  • Dr. Beverly Reed, professor, Mathematical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Dr. Wendy Tietz, professor, Accounting, College of Business Administration

Anti-Racism Workshops

Kent State is committed to being a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. In support of this commitment, a workshop series for staff has been organized by the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and HR Training and Development. All sessions will be held remotely throughout the summer. A second session will be offered in the fall.  

Staff who are accepted are required to attend all five sessions and submit reflections for each session before receiving a stipend of $1,000. All of the sessions are synchronous and will be held virtually.

Session 1: What is Equity?
Tuesday, July 6th 10 a.m. - noon
 
Session 2: Recognizing Bias & Addressing Microaggressions
Wednesday, July 14th 10 a.m. - noon
 
Session 3: Understanding Race, Racism and Anti-Racism
Tuesday, July 20th 10 a.m. - noon
 
Session 4: Safe Space Ally Training
Tuesday, August 3rd 10 a.m. - noon
 
Session 5: Creating an Inclusive Workplace
Wednesday, August 11th 10 a.m. - noon

For additional information, please contact Training and Development at hrd@kent.edu, or the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at diversity@kent.edu.


Geauga/TAC Spring 2021 President's and Dean's List Announcement

Angela Spalsbury, dean of Kent State University at Geauga and Twinsburg Academic Center, announced those students named to the Spring 2021 President's and Dean's lists.

To qualify for the President's List, students must have a 4.0 grade point average and must have completed 15 hours during the semester. To qualify for the Dean's List, students must earn a 3.40 or more grade point average and must have completed 12 or more credit hours for the semester. Congratulations!

View the full list.


Eldercare Services Provided by Impact Solutions 

Caregiving for a loved one with chronic health conditions can seem like a second job. It can be very confusing to understand and know all the available options and services for providing care while balancing the demands of work and family. Your Impact Solutions Employee Assistance Program offers resources to help caregivers address these challenges.  

Impact Solutions partners with the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging (BRI) to offer BRI Care Consultation for Kent State University employees and their families. BRI Care Consultation helps caregivers by providing guidance, coaching and information about how to deal with the challenges of caregiving. 

Keep in mind that all of Impact's services are available to full- and part-time Kent State employees, their dependents in and away from home, household members, and parents/parents-in-law. To learn more about Impact's eldercare services, or to get started with BRI Care Consultation today, call Impact Solutions at 800-227-6007. You can also fill out an online service request for work/life resources on Impact's website at www.MyImpactSolution.com.  

In addition to the eldercare services referenced above, Impact offers assistance with mental health, legal and financial concerns, parenting, medical advocacy, identity theft and recovery, and more. View an overview of available services.  

For questions related to health and wellness offerings for Kent State University faculty and staff, please contact the Employee Wellness office at 330-672-0392 or wellness@kent.edu.  

POSTED: Monday, June 14, 2021 07:42 AM
Updated: Saturday, December 3, 2022 01:02 AM