Summer 2023 Director's Note

At the University and in the School of Information, facilitating connectedness and a sense of belonging as students progress through their programs of study is one of our primary areas of focus. Psychologist Sally Boardman writes that “A sense of belonging is crucial to our life satisfaction, happiness, mental and physical health and even longevity. It gives us a sense of purpose and meaning.... [L]oss of belonging can create stress, feelings of isolation, depression and affect overall wellbeing."

Providing students with the support they need to excel academically and professionally while enhancing the student experience in the iSchool is a primary consideration as we look to facilitate connectedness and a sense of belonging among our students.

This past year, we made great strides in accomplishing our strategic goals. Some highlights include:

• Increased awareness and visibility of university resources for mental health, and accessibility to resources for student learning and well-being. We hosted town halls, held monthly Dialogue with the Director events and provided presentations on seeking scholarships, academic and mental health resources for students. 
• Created medical librarianship program concentration of study within the Master of Library and Information Science Degree.
• Established a new Knowledge Management advisory board and significantly revised the curriculum. 
• Initiated a User Experience program review; gathered data from peer programs; met with adjunct faculty and informally gathered feedback on course design and content; 
• Sought and was awarded initial candidacy from the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) for our health informatics program.

Our interest in extending a sense of belonging is not limited to our students. We endeavor to authentically foster a sense of belonging for our iSchool community.  

A good example of this in practice is The Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth. The Virginia Hamilton Conference perfectly aligns with Kent State University’s strategic priorities, and from its inception in 1985 has addressed the lack of diversity and representation in both youth literature and those who create it. The 35th Conference was held this spring and was a great success.

A large portion of conference attendees come from Ohio’s libraries, which are ranked at the top nationally with the highest use per capita in the nation. Conference speakers encouraged inclusive relationships and exemplified the commitment to developing positive communities. Their work helps communities, but especially youth, with empathy, understanding, appreciation and acceptance. Equally important, the conference empowers practitioners, faculty and students to engage with diverse communities and foster equitable and inclusive practices to cultivate attitudes of belonging.

One of my personal leadership goals is to facilitate the flow of information and communication and be a courageous and compassionate leader demonstrating a commitment to the ethic of care.

I welcome any suggestions you may have for how the School can best support the professional community.  Please feel free to contact me at any time.