Dr. Angela Spalsbury, Dean and Chief Administrative Officer of Kent State University Geauga and former Regional Academic Center, announces that the name of the Regional Academic Center has been officially changed to Twinsburg Academic Center, effective immediately.
What’s in the name change? Clarity! Since 2012, Kent State University's Regional Academic Center on Creekside Drive in Twinsburg has been a second location for the Geauga regional campus. Neither the name of the educational facility nor its association to Geauga County spoke to its sense of place and its expanding role within the Twinsburg community.
In an email to faculty, staff, and advisory board members, Dean Spalsbury explained, “The University felt including a geographical identity in the name of the Kent State Twinsburg location was important to the community, our students, faculty, and staff. This change will specifically help our students to select classes more effectively (regarding location on the searchable schedule) and will confirm the identity of the building to the Twinsburg community.”
The website is being updated with the name change and new logo, while new external and internal signage is being installed. In the Spring, a celebratory event for the name change will be held for the campus and Twinsburg community.
Since the inception of the Regional Academic Center in 1991 at the Chrysler plant in Twinsburg, it has played a vital role in enriching the surrounding community with course offerings in business, accounting, and computer science. Additional programs range from associate’s and bachelor’s degrees to online master’s degrees, plus executive and workforce development courses. In 2012, a modern, LEED-certified facility was built to house the ever-expanding enrollment of the now Twinsburg Academic Center.
This name change dovetails nicely with the Twinsburg Academic Center's mutually beneficial partnership with the city of Twinsburg and its mayor. Mayor Ted Yates — who is both a Kent State alum and a member of the Twinsburg Academic Center Advisory Board — often says that he wants Twinsburg to be known as a college town. He believes that bringing collegiate-level academics and enrichment opportunities into the community has created a special atmosphere in Twinsburg.
Several new initiatives have resulted from this partnership. For one, the campus’ Kent State of Wellness priority is being realized at the municipally-owned Twinsburg Fitness Center, where students, faculty, and staff receive free, 24-hour access. Future plans call for a downtown redevelopment corridor that will route more people to the Twinsburg Academic Center.
Mayor Yates accepted a Friend of the Campus Award on behalf of the City of Twinsburg last Spring, in recognition of the city’s service and support to the university's mission, its faculty, students, prospective students, and programs.
Upon announcing the name change, Dean Spalsbury said, “Consider this a signal of just how invested and committed we are to the people of Twinsburg. We will be rolling out upcoming initiatives that will help bring residents to the Twinsburg Academic Center for special events that will enrich the lives of all involved."
This alliance between the City of Twinsburg and Twinsburg Academic Center is now reflected in the new name. It’s clear that Twinsburg is at the heart of it all.