Reenvisioning the Kent Core

April 1, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to you today to ask for your input on identifying a new framework for our Kent Core.

Since its inception in 1983, the Kent Core has been critical to the mission of Kent State University. The Kent Core general education curricular requirements touch each of our students as they navigate through their undergraduate experience. For the last several semesters, working groups across the campus system have dedicated efforts to re-envision our Kent Core in a way that creates more meaningful experiences for our learners.

After much hard work, the committees developed three distinct frameworks in alignment with our Kent State mission for the university community to review.

Beginning in April, we will host several virtual forums where each framework will be presented. I encourage you to participate by attending a forum and providing feedback to ensure the best framework is chosen for our students. These virtual events will highlight the history of our re-envisioning process, the guidelines used to create the frameworks, and a variety of interactive ways for you to contribute to the ongoing development as we work together to create a distinct general education program for Kent State.  

We are confident that your input and our continued dedication to the process will build a Kent Core curriculum that is distinctive, innovative, exciting to our students, and forward-looking in our disciplines while also aligning with the core values and mission of Kent State.

Visit our webpage to find a full list of dates and times for the Re-envisioning the Kent Core Community Forum sessions. No registration is required.

Your voice is critical to the process, and I hope that you will find time to join us at a session!

My best, 
Melody Tankersley, Ph.D. 
Senior Vice President and Provost
 

RE-EVISIONING THE KENT CORE COMMUNITY FORUM SCHEDULE

Wednesday, April 3, 2024, 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. 
Wednesday, April  3, 2024, 1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. 
Thursday, April 4, 2024, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 
Thursday, April 4, 2024, 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. 
Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 
Tuesday, April 9, 2024, noon – 1:30 p.m. 
Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 
Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 
Thursday, April 11, 2024, 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. 
Thursday, April 11, 2024, 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. 
Monday, April 15, 2024, 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 
Monday, April 15, 2024, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 
Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 
Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. 
Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 10:30 a.m. – noon 
Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 
Thursday, April 18, 2024, 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 
Thursday, April 18, 2024, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 
Friday, April 19, 2024, 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 

YEAR FOUR: Final Proposal

• This final proposed model directly meets Ohio Transfer 36 (OT36) requirements. 
• Category names mirror student feedback. 
• Enables the required American Civics course.
• Allows flexibility to meet future needs. 

Key Features of the Final Proposed Model

Maintains institutional vision and core values, known as the “Big Six”, while meeting evolving state requirements and Higher Learning Commission standards. 

• Introduces the development of: 
  • A new Faculty Oversight Committee to oversee ongoing governance, including the revision of required courses to align with updated outcomes. 
  • Assessment plans for each outcome, guided by AAC&U rubrics. 
  • A student advisory committee for relevant and high-quality input. 
• Builds a culture of: 
  • Continuous reflection,
  • Responsive revision,
  • Continuous evaluation and enhancement of the general education program.

YEAR THREE: Refinement and Student Voice

• Community feedback contributed to the development of the final draft model. 
• Submitted to the Provost’s Office for review, where the Provost requested:
  • More input from students.
  • Consideration of ongoing institutional changes.
• Student feedback provided:
  • Renaming categories for clarity.
  • Enhancing marketing strategies and clarifying program goals.

YEAR TWO: Initial Design and Iteration

• Started the design phase with teams of faculty and staff. 
• Developed early program models that focused on interdisciplinary collaboration. 
• Mid-year update: The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) informed us that interdisciplinary general education models are not feasible at this time. 
• Response: Working groups updated their models, and community feedback was collected about the revisions. 

YEAR ONE: Foundational Vision and Identity

• Centered on institutional values and beliefs.
• Work overseen by the Distinctiveness and Design Committees.

Key Questions Discussed:

• What do we value as an institution?
• What do we want students to learn from their experience?
• Can we align academics with our vision and the state/HCL's expectations? 

Achievements:

• Identified Student Learning Outcomes (Big Six).
• Highlighted process changes required to support the vision. 
• Clarified the institution's identity and strengths. 
   

• Faculty Senate – Summer 2024 Presentation (PDF)
• Leading a Life of Impact (PDF)
• CLICK Pathways (PDF)
• Pyramid Plus (PDF)
• Summary of Community Forum Data (PDF)
• Guidelines & Procedures for Academic Program Review, Ohio Department of Higher Education
• Kent Core (General Education Requirement)
• Kent Core
• Ohio Transfer 36
• American Association of Colleges and Universities
• What Liberal Education Looks Like, AAC&U

History of Kent State’s General Education Requirement

1983: Kent State establishes the General Education Requirements. Previously, each college had separate and different general education requirements. The structure for the university-wide requirement is modeled after the one in the College of Arts and Sciences.

1985: The General Education Requirements is renamed the Liberal Education Requirements.

1990: The state-wide Ohio Transfer Module is implemented, patterned after Kent State’s general education requirements. The Ohio Transfer Module (now called Ohio Transfer 36) comprises 36-40 credit hours from five categories: English Composition (minimum 3 credit hours); Mathematics, Statistics and Logic (minimum 3 semester); Arts and Humanities (minimum 6 credit hours); Social and Behavioral Sciences (minimum 6 credit hours); and Natural Sciences (minimum 6 credit hours).

1999: The Liberal Education Requirements is reduced in total credit hours, and more course options added.

2006: The Liberal Education Requirements is revised to comply with a state mandate to align with the Ohio Transfer Module, specifically in the mathematics (foreign languages removed) and natural sciences (one lab required) categories. The mathematics category is renamed, and the Additional category is created to allow two courses from separate categories to be applied.

2010: The Liberal Education Requirements is revised to remove the restriction that students’ major courses cannot count toward the requirement. The requirement is renamed the Kent Core.

2011: Following a mandate from the state, an abbreviated Kent Core is required for all applied associate degrees (e.g., A.A.B., A.A.S., A.T.S.).

2013: The Kent Core is revised to allow courses from any category to count toward the Additional category.

2021: For the past 10 years, Faculty Senate has attempted to minimize growth of the Kent Core by requiring any new additions to be accompanied by removals, except for mathematics courses mandated by the state.

University Catalog Kent Core (General Education Requirement)​

Leadership Team

• Scott Sheridan, Interim Associate Provost and Professor
• David Dees, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Jennifer Newberger, M.Ed., Research and Evaluation, Project Manager

Steering Committee

• Edward Dauterich, Ph.D., Professor
• Mary Kutchin, MSN, RN, Associate Lecturer
• Jenny Marcinkiewicz, Ph.D., Director Center for Teaching and Learning
• Mandy Munro-Stasiuk, Ph.D., Dean 
• Liz Piatt, Ph.D., Interim Dean
• Amy Quillen, Ph.D., Student Ombuds
• C. Lockwood Reynolds, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Sean Veney, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Kathy Zarges, Assistant Dean, Advising Student Success, and Licensure

Model Sprint Team

• David Dees, Ph.D., Associate Professor (chair)
• Jenny Marcinkiewicz, Ph.D., Director Center for Teaching and Learning (co-chair)
• Andrew Barnes, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Tina Bhargava, Dr.PH., Associate Professor
• Laurie Camp, Director I
• Neil Cooper, Ph.D., Director and Professor
• Ben Hollis, Ph.D., Executive Director
• Joanna Liedel, M.Ed., Director of Academic Partnerships
• Shelley Marshall, M.T., Lecturer
• James Redfearn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Renee Roll, M.F.A., Associate Professor
• Kathy Zarges, Assistant Dean, Advising Student Success, and Licensure

Model Advisory Team

• Craig Berger, Associate Director
• Jen Cunningham, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Carla Goar, Ph.D., Director, Anti-Racism and Equity Institute and Professor
• Vicki Gutierez, Senior Instructional Designer
• Ellie Hansen, M.A., Director
• Jay Hays, Ph.D., Academic Program Director
• Jennifer McCullough, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Dirk Remley, Ph.D., Professor
• Deb C. Smith, Ph.D., Professor
• Melissa Zullo, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Professor

Budgetary Team

• Mandy Munro-Stasiuk, Ph.D., Dean (Co-Chair)
• C. Lockwood Reynolds, Ph.D., Associate Professor (Co-Chair)
• Andrew Barnes, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Alicia Crowe, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Student Services and Professor
• Brad Bielski, Ph.D., Dean and Chief Administrative Officer
• Ryan Hediger, Ph.D., Professor
• Ben Hollis, Ph.D., Executive Director
• Michael Johnson, M.B.A., Associate Vice President
• Darci Kracht, Ph.D., Professor
• Mary Kutchin, MSN, RN, Associate Lecturer
• Deepraj Mukherjee, Ph.D., Professor
• Dirk Remley, Ph.D., Professor
• Sean Veney, Ph.D., Associate Professor