Locations & Suggestions

This is a horrible idea. The housing market in Kent is already over satrurated with vacant bedrooms. Adding more will only continue to grow the glut of housing in Kent.

This will be particularly impactful if it's constructed such that it can function net positive. The possibility of micro-housing is very cool. Definitely need to collect diverse groups of people for design charettes to determine the most viable components of the village. The description includes so many cool options!
This is really cutting edge for a university, and could truly differentiate being undeniably Kent State!

I am in agreement with Jon R.
The preservation of Brady's Cafe and an integrated transition between the University and the downtown community is, to me, an important point to consider. Rather than a definitive line of demarcation between KSU and downtown, I would prefer to see an integration, rather than a breaking point. It is important to keep our historic landmarks while at the same time, moving into the future with new landmarks. It is important to merge the past and the future, rather than plow over/under the past with the present. Please consider keeping Brady's Cafe and other historic landmarks as you expand.

I completely agree! A parking deck either in this lot or across Summit from the Student Center is a great idea! Otherwise, there should be a limit on students parking on campus. There are cars that I see parked in the same place for weeks without moving. This is a huge waste of space on campus. (Including KSU vehicles like the 'donated all-electric truck parked by the LCI that has not moved in 4 years!) When I attended KSU in the 80s, Freshman had to park at the stadium and bus in. Is that program still in effect? If so, make it include Sophomores to improve traffic flow on campus. How about parking for faculty and staff at an off to the side lot with a shuttle that takes us to our cars and a nice walking path to the Esplanade from this lot? Or some bonus to f//s who bus in from home? We need to think outside the box for parking, and include more green options.

Tennis is the best and longest way to stay active and with only 2 courts it is very hard to do so at Kent.

It is especially difficult/impossible to run practices for the KSU USTA Tennis on Campus club tennis team on two courts. As a result, we spend thousands of dollars of our own organization's earnings each semester just to practice at an indoor facility that has enough courts to fit all of our players. Turning the four courts by Prentice Hall and the lacrosse fields into a parking lot was one of the worst things our university has done. 6-8 courts would completely satisfy our team's needs, other students recreational needs, and the needs of possible men's and women's NCAA varsity teams (which could bring a multitude of positive results to Kent State). Tennis is extremely underrated and often taken for granted. It's time for Kent State to accommodate for all students and organizations. Don't leave us out.

Please build tennis courts :)

As a KSU alumnus ('03) and current member of Kent Chorus, I strongly agree with the other comments that more space and better quality space is greatly needed. The School of Music needs a concert hall. Ludwig is a recital hall and cannot support a performance with a large choir and orchestra. These large performances are relegated to Cartwright Hall, which is a lecture hall. While this seems like a nice venue for the audience, it is crowded and downright dangerous for the performers. There is very little space on stage, and no space backstage. Performers are regularly tripping over each other and over equipment while trying to take their places on stage. While offstage, the performers are forced to keep their instrument cases, coats, and other belongings, unsecured in the stairwells. It takes a full 10 minutes to get all the performers off stage after a concert, imagine if there was an emergency? Then imagine the emergency exit stairwells being crammed with instrument cases over which to trip? This is not only unprofessional, it's a liability for the school. KSU has a rich tradition of high quality musical performances, we need a concert hall to match our talents.

LOVE this building! It is a great link to downtown and the University

I second the request to complete the renovation of Cunningham Hall. The areas that were renovated are vastly improved, but the remainder of the building is still inadequate for teaching, research, and working.

I also support the request for the renovation to be extended to areas that were not addressed. Stairwell treads are cracked and uneven, subterranean entrance drains do not work and water bleeds into the building, existing floor drains in third floor facilities leak into offices/rooms below them. The new bathrooms, teaching spaces, entrance and hallway facelift are greatly appreciated and were desperately needed. However, the resulting contrast between new and old presents a fractured disjointed commitment to students, staff, and faculty. Visiting High School groups and touring prospective students/parents who are not aware of the high level of education offered by our committed department are left with a questioning impression of the quality education available by coming to Kent State University.

The airport facility is in dire need of updates to match the quality of the Kent campus. It would be beneficial to retain the historic appearance of the maintenance hangar because it is somewhat of an icon, but it needs to be completely restored and the adjacent office building should be replaced. A classroom building should replace all of the trailers and the driveway and parking lot need to be reconstructed. Based on the results of the recent Airport Master Plan, it would be beneficial to solicit community input about the development of the property. Community engagement was identified as an area needing attention and this would be a good place to start.

During my time as a student in the School of Library & Information Science, my small group of students did a project on two-story library and design gallery that could be built at the airport. We came up with space plans that could still be used in a digital environment, converting space once used for books into teaching or lab space. This could be combined with experiential learning space for the new aerospace engineering program. As a community member, KSU graduate, and aviation hobbyist, I would love to see the University's flight school facilities upgraded.

I cannot agree with Benjamin more. I enter campus this way every day after coming down from Cleveland to campus. Pedestrians and cyclists take their life in their hands. I would like to see to see bicycle lanes, (perhaps a squirrel crossing, grin) and safer ways for our students to cross the streets. They don't always watch or hear the cars, it needs to be safer for them.

I agree with Christine and Benjamin, and add the Horning Rd / East Main St area as a safety hazard.
There isn't a sidewalk on the Newman Center and UCC properties, so pedestrian access is limited and risky. There isn't a sidewalk opposite the Newman Center on either Horning or the large campus parking lot (Jackson Dr.). The westbound traffic on Horning making the turn at the intersection of Horning and the drive to the Performing Arts building towards the East Main intersection has limited visibility of the road ahead, so cyclists and pedestrians are not safe there. Many students live and shop on East Main Street east of campus, so a complete sidewalk system would be a help to a significant portion of the Kent and KSU community.
A crosswalk on East Main St at the Acme plaza and Holly Park would be helpful, too.

This space is very underutilized across all four seasons here in Kent. I think there needs to be major efforts in creating more activities for students and residents alike here. Our suggestion I have that I think might bring more people towards downtown, especially in winter, is by creating an outdoor skating rink. I know Ann Arbor, MI has created a few outdoor ice skating rinks in some of their parks. Falls River Square in Cuyahoga Falls, OH also has a seasonal outdoor skating rink that gets people downtown.

The art building if anything needs a cosmetic upgrade that could involve the students by allowing the art school students or all student to hold a competition for best paint scheme.

While a renovation may be more prudent, I struggle to believe that it will afford enough space for our ever-growing student body and faculty. Even when numbers are low, we still have many faculty members sharing teaching spaces, and not nearly enough practice rooms for all of our young musicians. Students are currently practicing in the hallways, entrances, and outdoors (weather-permitting). Instrument and sheet music storage is also problematic, as limited space results in stacking large filing cabinets and creating offices in closets. Temperature control continues to be an ongoing problem. Rooms facing windows are frequently too hot, one room in particular has a significant humidity problem, and others are too cold. It is difficult to perform in those conditions. Instrumentalists are not able to play their instruments effectively when they are required to wear gloves to keep their fingers warm, and colder temperatures create unnecessary tension in the body, resulting in rigidity and inhibited technique for all musicians. In order to address all of the concerns with the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music, I believe it best to consider new construction.

The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music in the Center for the Performing Arts is in desperate need of renovation or new construction. Admission to the School of Music is on the rise, and that means we are outgrowing our current space. There are not enough offices to accommodate full and part-time faculty; applied lessons professors are sharing rooms. Practice rooms for students are being taken away to create more office spaces, and there were a limited number of practice rooms in the first place. Students are being forced to practice in stairwells, entryways, and elevators. There are not enough classrooms or practice rooms to hold small ensemble rehearsals for classes. There are not enough lockers for students with large instruments (tubas, sousaphones, string bass, cellos) and students are being forced to leave their thousands of dollars worth of equipment in insecure storage closets or in their vehicles on campus. Thanks to the work of the wonderful faculty at the School of Music, we are experiencing an influx of students. This is incredible and exciting; however, we now need to expand/reconstruct the building and create adequate spaces in order to retain and maintain our current state of growth. Please, for the sake of students and alumni, put the School of Music at the top of your list. Happy, motivated students are the foundation of our collegiate environment and we do not want to let them down.

Please excuse my rant. The bathrooms, particularly outside of Ludwig Recital Hall, are embarrassing and frequently in disrepair. This affects our ability to attract new students and reflects poorly on our school to community patrons. Ensemble rehearsal space is limited and there is no large room with mirrors that allows performance groups to see how they appear onstage. (Music performance is not just about sound!)

Loading large instruments onto Ludwig recital hall is hazardous, as instruments must be carried through the main hall down numerous stairs and onto the stage, i.e., need ramps. The stage itself is not only in terrible shape, but given the weight of instruments (grand pianos) and performers, it’s really not a matter of “if” it will collapse, but when that will happen. Lawsuits galore in the future, if not repaired. The organ is rarely used, so could be removed (sold?) to give more backstage space. The acoustics need attention, for sure.

Beyond these needs are the number of practice rooms, lack of office space, overbooked classrooms, and minimal availability of appropriate rehearsal space. We cannot accommodate the growing number of students we have (which would grow even faster with better facilities). The elevator often breaks down, meaning that instruments cannot be easily transported, and we have very few rooms that are on par with classrooms in other buildings across campus. The tiles in many hallways are chipping away and, given that the building is laden with asbestos, is hazardous and invites more lawsuits. In short, re-doing the windows is a mere drop in the bucket of the renovations required to make our facility competitive with area institutions (including high schools!) and reveals a gross inequity of how are department is regarded in comparison to other areas within our college (fashion, art, theatre, dance, and the museum). Please recognize that the School of Music is more than just the marching band and support our efforts with an updated facility. Thank you!

As windows are being replaced, workers are wearing protective masks and have hung "danger asbestos" tape outside the entrances.

There is a re-energization of the School in the form of our human resources-- a growing population of new students and faculty/staff. There are no small needs in this facility--all of them are major and critical to the operation of daily functioning: there is but one small performance space, practice rooms are scarce, classroom and office space are maxed out and are doubling up.
It would be difficult to find another place on campus that is in more dire need of replacement.
All one needs is to visit one of the restrooms on any floor. Despite the best efforts of the maintenance staff--and they do a very good job-- they are deplorable.
I appreciate the opportunity to give input in a space that I occupy on a daily basis. I have been working in education for 35 years and cannot emphasize more vigorously how the physical plant influences how people work and behave. There is much to be excited about in the School of Music's future--we hope that the input provided will spur further exploration and vision by the KSU community.

As a student, I feel cheated by the state of our music building. We have students that are raising the bar each and everyday and we lack the facilities to support them. We are running out of room for personal practice, classes, and rehearsal space. We have school-owned instruments that will sometimes fall apart in your hands. The School of Music is growing, just as the university is. If there will be a strong and sustained SoM program, there must be a facilities and equipment upgrade. While I will not be here to reap the benefits of it, future students will see these upgrades and be more likely to choose Kent State. These students will see this school and be able to flourish in Kent.
In short, we have incredible staff. But, we have poor facilities and equipment. We have simply outgrown our shoes. We need an upgrade to sustain the growing and energetic program we have cultivated.

I'm a music minor Kent state student and feel a new building has been a necessity for a long time. With how many musicians we put into the world every year the space simply isn't indicative of the incredible education we are receiving. As a minor I am unable to sign out a practice room until the majors have, this would be fine if there were any times available for practicing after all majors sign up for the already limited space. Since my freshman year at least two practice rooms have now become offices, limiting the space even more. When sitting in the music library where I often go to study I have seen a piece of the ceiling fall off. Kent state has this vision to be undeniable which I see in the new renovations happening on campus I feel the school of music has an opportunity to join the fold with them. When prospective students enter the building they should not instantly think of how old it looks. The lack of practice rooms and the facilities look will affect their decisions. If we want Kent to be the best of the best we have to be able to look the part as well. I love the school of music and I love Kent state a new building could be such a good thing for the university, faculty, and students.

I am not a music major, however, I have been in one of one of the honorary music organizations for some time and have participated in multiple ensambles. There is no space. For someone who is choosing to be a part of Kent State Bands in addition to pursuing a degree in a different college I can still be disappointed in the availability of practice rooms, and classrooms for not only rehearsing but also meeting and education of new members to organizations that service the bands. There isn't even adequate storage for uniforms and equipment, let alone physical music and teaching professionals. This building is used for so many things outside of music which hinders experience for the students trying to excel. I have had various health related classes be put into this building due to overflow and just the lay out is confusing and professors don't want to teach there, and shouldn't have to. The classrooms in the music building should be used for musical purposes especially considering the shortage of space for the growing student population. When I began my years at Kent state the condition of the facility was something to roll your eyes and shrug your shoulders about, but now it's absolutely unacceptable.

As a Kent State Alumnus (MM, '14) and current employee of the School of Music, I cannot emphasize the need for not only drastic renovation but also new construction. With a growing student, staff and faculty population, there simply isn't enough room. This issue of space extends to our practice facilities (roughly 12 practice rooms to serve 250 music majors as well as minors and musical theatre majors), large ensemble rehearsal spaces, storage, office space (professors and staff are having to double up) and performance space. With a single recital hall on site to host 150-200 recitals and concerts a year, scheduling is increasingly difficult. Additionally, the recital hall needs significant renovations for acoustic control, load-in and load out of equipment, storage, lighting, recording and sound equipment, climate control and stage improvements (cosmetic and structural). Currently, there is no space within the control of the School to hold large ensemble performances (orchestra, bands, opera, choirs) with appropriate acoustical and production treatment. While there is tremendous new energy at the School from faculty, staff and students, if we want to turn this hidden gem into the shining jewel it is fully capable of being, we need facilities to support these endeavors.

Simply put. We do not have enough space for the number of students we have. Further many of the facilities that we do have need major renovations to be the quality that one would expect at a major state university.

As i am finishing up my fourth semester at Kent, I strongly suggest that the School of music be rennovated. The first reason beginning with not enough practice rooms. As a music major, most of your free time is spent practicing, memorizing music, scales, learning piano, ect. There are many problems that people are running into with practice rooms. The first being there just isn't enough. The only time that there are any open practice rooms is when the school of music is locked and all students must leave the building. Students are constantly stuck trying to practice in busy hallways where they can barely hear themselves play over the busy chatter or are told to go to a practice room (which there are none open) by a professor trying to teach classes. An argument could be that they could go practice in their dorms, but you run into problems with annoyed roommates, no access to a piano, or getting documented for a noise complaint. Now there are "practice rooms" in CCF, but they are literally cubicals with a chair. No piano, no music stand, no way to decently practice. What about outside? Instruments can break down and get ruined if they are taken outside in rainy/snowy/or cold weather. So theres a small window during the semester in which you can practice outside. Obviously, the practice room shortage is one of the biggest issues in the music building, especially when you fail a lesson, and even some classes, if you aren't prepared which can be due to not having a space to practice. Another big problem is the elevator, which has been given the nickname "the hella-vator" due to the giant possibility of it breaking down at any point. I know, just take the stairs. But it's impossible to carry large instruments from one floor to another without the elevator. The elevator is also necessary in order to be handicapped accessable. But with an elevator that you always wonder when it will break next, it's really not handicapped or large instrument accessable. These are just two issues in the music building. I could go on and on about not having sufficient space for classes, needing proper technology, or bathrooms that constantly are out of order or smell like very bad BO, but i am sure those have been covered in other comments. Overall, we need a renovation or a new building.

Even as a hard sciences major here at Kent State, the Center of Performing Arts is my second home here on campus. As such I really hate seeing that students have to use random classrooms or hallways to practice their music in because there are not enough practice rooms. With the expanding interest in the Performing Arts, the building is running out of ways to contain all the instruments, backstage supplies, and uniforms that students need on a regular basis and are being forced to store them in places that could possibly be hazardous for the object or the person obtaining it.

Jennifer Luck (not verified)

Fri, 04/14/2017 - 11:37am

I have been a part of Kent and the University since 2009 and I am always incredibly amazed at the amount of time, money, and effort that have been put into both downtown and the university since I first came here. Kent state is truly dedicated to betting itself and the futures of it's students through adjustments made to it's classrooms, buildings and spaces.

I am so proud to be an alumnus of the architecture program here, even despite the fact that the program was only recently reorganized into a singular space. It was always a shame to have classes and various studio spaces split across campus. Like the architecture program, with the growing and flourishing music program, this is something that just wouldn't be suitable logistically. Just like the architecture school, the music program deserves space to expand as it needs as well continue to be integrated with itself and even all the programs that it helps to support. The school of music is constantly reaching out to various colleges for collaboration and it is always difficult to find the space in which to do these collaborations. In addition once space is found, it is in pretty sad shape. Not only does the current music building reflect poorly on the insitution and inhibit the growth of the students, but there is simply not enough space for all the things that are imperative to the education of every student in the school. The school of music desperately needs more practice rooms and rehearsal spaces as well as more space for concert and recital programming, that are all up to date, acoustically and technologically, especially considering that the spaces​ that we now have simply is not sufficient on a very basic level. I can imagine that some people might argue that the music building just underwent renovations, however, the addition of a new theater and dance spaces, while necessary and quite nice, are not enough to really get at the problem but instead is a bit of frosting on a very stale old cake.

Again I would like to remind everyone that the school of music is not just a building for a bunch of band students, but instead a very important institution to the students both in and out of the college as well as the community. It is very important to our futures, and it's about time that our spaces reflect the importance of what we do here.

Thank you for your time.

As a Kent State Music Education student, a lot of spaces need redone. Being music ed, I'm going to start with that the Music Education Resource Center is slightly small for faculty and students. The piano lab that's basically next door is small and cramped for a piano lab. There needs to be at least double the amount of practice rooms. Musical theatre needs their own practice rooms separate from the school of music. Teachers need a studio room large enough to host studio class which should be relatively the size of E103 in the current building. Studios should not have to share studio rooms. Studios should not be in repurposed practice rooms. There should be another rehearsal room that is terraced and also large enough that people don't feel cramped. Stairs need redone. The elevator needs fixed or serviced or new and there needs to be a second elevator on the other side of the CPA. The school needs some new instruments. The temperature levels of the building need to be more consistent. Also, maybe a reed making room for Oboes, Bassoons, Saxes, and Clarinets.

Mason Moore (not verified)

Fri, 04/14/2017 - 12:02pm

Having been a music major here for 5 years, as well as a student office worker, it is very clear to see that this building desperately needs to either be torn down and rebuilt, or a completely to the studs renovation. When I first auditioned for Kent State, I originally said I would never go here just based on the fact that the building looked like a really badly maintained 1940s high school. Upon completing my audition, I knew I needed to come here not for the facility, but for the amazing faculty that teach here. The Hugh A. Glauber has some of the most accomplished, talented, fantastic faculty in Ohio that deserve much more than to teach in this building.
In my five years I have seen the music program grow immensely, and seen the program start to burst at the seams storage and faculty wise. Whether full time or part time, tenured or not tenured, faculty are forced to share small rooms for their studios that can not fit more than 3 people in the space at once. Instrument storage wise, many instruments are having to be jammed into falling apart lockers with multiple other instruments. This proves to be a liability as multiple people can now have access to a locker with multiple instruments, and the chances of instruments disappearing increases greatly in those circumstances. We do not have enough classrooms for our music classes, let alone the health and science classes that are often thrown into our building as well. When high school groups come to visit for recruitment events, we don't have rooms to have them go to unless we ask for a class to be cancelled or moved. Practice rooms are an even worse situation. Currently we have around 15 practice rooms that are used for the School of Music and the School of Theatre and Dance. This leaves students to have to practice in entryways, hallways, outside, and open rooms if they are available.
In the bands office, the main place incoming students visit to talk to the Director of Bands, the carpet is only attached to the floor where it is stapled in the corners and along the walls. There have been many times they I have come into work and a ceiling tile has fallen during the night and has shattered everywhere.
On weekends when there are no custodial staff, the bathrooms by Ludwig Recital Hall is consistently flooded because they are not being constantly maintained like they are during the week.
Though our one small Recital Hall and only performance space on this side of campus is in good condition, it is constantly overbooked and recitals often have to be early mornings during the weekend, or even starting as late as 9pm on weekdays because of such a high demand. Our only other performance space is Cartwright Hall, which means our programs have to spend money to reserve trucks to transport equipment across campus. With the marching band also growing in size, we are running out of room for storage of marching instruments and uniforms. The marching band also doesn't have an indoor rehearsal space at all, with the only rooms able to hold a group that size being the theatres on the Theatre department, that we are unable to use when there is bad weather. The Jazz program is forced to share a small closet with the marching band drumline, and the room is easily overflowing.
There is so much more wrong with with building, including large amounts of abestos and mold, as well as the building not being handicap friendly. But it could easily been an hours ling conversation.

A renovation to the School of Music would be a waste of money, frankly. This building no longer serves the needs of the School and we need a new building. BADLY.

The description says it all: dust, dirt, mold, and also asbestos make this building an unhealthy place to be all day, and as a graduate music student, I am definitely here ALL DAY. The bathrooms are regularly having problems: just this past weekend, we had to deal with the embarrassing situation of a toilet overflowing in the women's restroom during an audition day with prospective students and their parents here. Bringing visiting high school students here is always shameful: we cannot be proud of these facilities. We can't tell potential students about how much we love being in this building, because we don't. Our annual events are growing more and more popular every year, but our facilities cannot meet the demand. We are to the point now that we are unable to adequately accommodate all of the students who want to attend our honor band, honor choir, and open house.

It's not just recruitment events that find us cramped and lacking for space. Scheduling classes, rehearsals, and sectionals during the day is always a struggle. As enrollment has increased and practice habits of students have improved in the last couple of years, it has become painfully clear that our facilities are stunting the growth of these undergraduate students. A day doesn't go by that I don't see someone practicing outside, in a hallway, in a foyer, or grabbing a few minutes in an empty classroom between lectures. How are we supposed to advance as a school if we cannot even accommodate students with a desire to practice and improve? How are we to advance the reputation of our ensembles when we don't even have enough rooms to hold sectionals? How are private studios to grow and flourish when almost all of the applied faculty have to share their office with another applied faculty member? If we want to see the music school continue to strive for excellence, it MUST have facilities that are conducive to learning and growing.

Please, tear down this hazardous, cramped, poorly designed, sad excuse for a music school and give this department the new building it deserves for all of the growth and improvement it has seen in recent years!

The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music must be a brand new building. There is no space in the current structure that has meets the needs of a functional collegiate school of music. Kent State University deserves a flagship music building with a spectacular concert hall, a plethora of practice rooms, rehearsal spaces, storage, modern classrooms and faculty offices to attract and retain music majors, minors and those students on campus that want to be involved in music.

I will be brief. Here are 2 main points of multiple I could make. The first is, as a former student at the KSU School of Music and a now full-time faculty member here at the KSU School of Music, I am disheartened that in a 30 year span, so little has changed. There are issues with the school that were issues 30 years ago. Adding coats of paint over and over is not solving the problem. The school is a visual and safety nightmare. The second is, we are failing our students in giving them the quality experience they deserve. As a musician, it is paramount to have an acceptable environment to succeed and we just don't come close to offering them that. The practice rooms are not only to few, but give them zero privacy to be able to focus on the aspects of being the best artist and musician they can be. The class rooms vary in temperature every day from extreme cold to extreme hot. And the rehearsal room is completely unacceptable. I truly hope it doesn't take another 30 years to decide on helping the School of Music enter the 21st century with it's facilities.

To make it short, I spend a lot of time in the building and it is going down hill. It is also small. Some students aren't coming to school here because of the building. Something needs to be done so that we can do the best work and have the best results

Even though I'm a social studies education major, I spend many hours out of the week in the School of Music practicing and rehearsing and coming to recitals. It's truly unfortunate that our facilities are in the incredibly poor shape they are, and it's getting beyond the point of simply repairing damages. Our faculty and the entire School of Music has been on the forefront of bringing prospective students to KSU, and under our faculty's leadership, all of our bands, choirs, and our orchestra have become some of the finest in the state. But there's a problem when prospective students choose to go elsewhere because our facilities are in such poor condition, when maintenance problems are so frequent, when health and safety issues could become very serious very soon. Our students and faculty are some of the hardest working people at KSU, and they deserve high-quality (mold-free) facilities, as does the entire KSU family, not just new coats of paint on a big health and safety hazard.

I echo the previous comments about the inadequate and largely outdated facilities for music, which was the case when I was a student in the early to mid 2000s. About the only improvements made to the music end of the building have been the few places where it overlaps with theater and dance. Most everything else has changed little since the building opened in 1960. The practice rooms the building does have are tired and depressing, in addition to there simply not being enough of them.

The biggest flaw I see is the lack of proper performance space. Ludwig Recital Hall, when properly maintained, is nice, but is a RECITAL hall, not a concert hall. It was built for solos and small ensembles, not for band, orchestra, and choir concerts. While the University Auditorium being renovated was certainly helpful, it is on the other side of campus and is not exclusively for the School of Music. For a university the size of Kent State, the lack of a concert hall is appalling. I did much of my undergrad at a school half the size of KSU and it had a small recital hall and a separate concert hall. I also attended Roosevelt High School in Kent and the auditorium there (opened in 1972) is better and larger than any performance space at KSU.

I am an alumni, and majored in American Studies and Social Work between 1975-1979. Even at that time the Music and Speech building was run down, and inhospitable. Now, just going to Stump, Ludwig, and any other venue is not as pleasant as it should be! Above all, I am unhappy with Stump as one with mobility issues. What is needed are railings in the theater, and in the entrance way to provide more stability. For years, the wheel chair accessible stall used only a disgusting looking curtain for privacy, while the bathrooms continue to look disgusting.

As for the venues for musical performances, I dislike Cartright most of all as the acoustics there often sound garish, and the sounds literally bounce off the walls. It can sound like a hellacious sound stage instead of a concert hall. Ludwig is much better, though outside of the hall the rest of the building shows strong evidence of the overall building's decay. Yes, we need a new concert hall that is accessible, and is a great place for every student, professors, and the public.

I am a 1991 Educator Alumni of KSU and a recent member of the Kent Chorus. I had not been in the Performance Arts Building in years and was very surprised to see the current state of the building. Bathrooms that looked the way they did when I attended KSU in the 90's! The bathrooms are old and look it. Not to mention all the other issues others above me have commented on.
I hope that the comments on this page are taken seriously and a new building is built for the School of Music.

The classrooms and practice rooms in the performing arts center do not promote learning in any way. They are cramped, dull, outdated, and simply look like no one cares about them. As a senior in high school, while I was looking for a music school to attend, I knew Kent state had a stellar faculty and a great program. However, I was tempted to choose another school that was more visually appealing because the performing arts center was a bit of a shock in its ancient appearance. Overall, there aren't many practice rooms, the practice rooms don't have good acoustics, the walls are paper thin (which makes recording sight singing for assessments very hard when you can hear other people practicing in the background of your video), and they simply look like no one really cares. The school of music looks like an after-though compared to the rest of Kent state's campus. However, because the faculty and program are so renowned, I think Kent state deserves a beautiful building for the performing arts.

This building is in desperate need of repair and renovation. The lack of adequate space frequently impacted my education, where lack of practice rooms or large enough classrooms meant adjusting and at times missing rehearsal altogether. The fact that the music side of the building is not up to disability standards surely affects interest from an important recruitment population as well as making current handicapped students' lives unnecessarily difficult. As an alumnus and music teacher it is impossible to recruit students to my former institution when upon arrival they see broken steps, mold, disgusting bathrooms, and teaching spaces that are not soundproofed. Improving the School of Music would help not only music students but also the vast number of non majors who participate in music ensembles and take music classes. Making this building accessible, healthy and inviting would greatly improve the university as a whole.

I have been on the faculty for nine years. I will never forget my first impression of the formerly named Music & Speech Building. As a candidate for the Director of Choral Studies position, I was escorted in from the back parking lot past the dumpster and up the rusting steps to the "elevator" entrance. It was not a good feeling at the time. I accepted the position here because of my belief that I could contribute to a quality program and inspire growth. I was also told by the then Dean that I would be given the tools to be successful. That has not been entirely the case. In a School of Music, as in the sciences or any other degree program at an institution of higher learning, the facilities play an extremely important role in achieving success. My number one priority is to give my students the highest degree of accomplishment in our art possible. Our facilities are simply unsustainable and work against us at every turn. Many respondents to this comment page are speaking in detail about the need for better bathrooms, more practice rooms, office/studio space for our faculty, the desperate need for a student lounge, and basic HVAC problems (which are serious!). I will second all of that and only address what I consider to be the School's most basic need: a concert hall. Ludwig Recital Hall is only adequate. It serves student recitals and small ensemble recitals fairly well; however, the stage floor is in desperate need for replace (there are at least three visible types of flooring and all of it is deteriorating--it's embarrassing). Cartwright Hall is currently our "concert hall". It is entirely inadequate. Stage space is far to small to accommodate our orchestra and choirs. These groups combine every year at the end of the spring semester to perform the masterworks of choral-orchestral repertoire--music that must be performed to give our students the proper professional training they deserve. The lighting on stage is unacceptable and numerous requests for improvement have gone unnoticed. The acoustic in the auditorium is the worst thing about Cartwright. It is a space intended as a large lecture hall with little or no reverberation. The sound is absolutely dead for our ensembles. We need a concert hall to take our School of Music to the next level and be competitive with other schools. A few years ago they renamed our building to the Center for the Performing Arts. That label works well for our Theatre and Dance School colleagues. It is an embarrassment to the School of Music.

I transferred to the school of music here last year and although the music program is great, the building obviously has its numerous flaws. There are not enough rooms for everyone to practice or rehearse in. I've seen sections practicing in between door ways and have heard instruments playing in a restroom. It would also be nice to have some sound proof material added to the practice rooms, because it gets really loud on that floor when the practice rooms are full. I felt bad when my grandma was brought for one of my performances in the recital hall because there are no handicap stalls for her to use in the restrooms. There was a lot of water on the floor as well. There's so much graffiti in the stalls as well with negative or inappropriate writing and not all of the locks in the doors work well. We pay a lot of money to attend this school and deserve a better space to prepare what we need to in a cleaner and less distracting environment.

We have outgrown our building. We use simulation and online testing and we are not able to keep up the technology because our building is not able to support it. We have offices were computers aren't working up to par because of a lack of energy (electricity voltage). We have an amazing and well respected program with a pass rate on the boards and certification well above the average. We supply 40% of the Ohio workforce and have a footprint in other states and countries. We want to continue that legacy and upgrading and expanding our space will be an important part of continuing the legacy of KSU CON!

We have state-of-the-art mannequins and equipment, but we lack adequate space to implement the equipment as effectively as we should. We desperately need to add space to our building to be able to provide for an adequate simulation experience for our students including larger facilities allowing for adequate space for all students and a debriefing room for watching video replays of their simulation and discovering changes that could be made in their practice. We are grateful for the high fidelity mannequins that we have but we know we could provide more enhanced experiences for students if we had the space to allow for smaller groups of students to go through the simulations. We could provide a more individualized educational experiences for these emerging health care providers. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our ideas and plans with the Master Planning Team and hope that our dreams can come to fruition.

Two limiting factors to our growing research and doctoral programs are physical space and technology. We need more offices to grow our faculty, storage areas for data that meet various levels of security, space for our research assistants, and space for the conduct of research (e.g., focus groups, controlled environments for performing various tests, meeting rooms for research teams) We need state of the art technology for communications around the world with our international students and graduates that would allow more team efforts.

The future of quality healthcare demands that nurses be well prepared to practice in complex environments. Additional and improved space for simulation and laboratory practice environments would allow additional collaboration with peers, and expert guidance and debriefing from faculty. Nurses prepared here at Kent State will enter into practice at some of the most state of the art facilities in Ohio, the nation, and the world. Providing instruction in state of the art, realistic, and modern facilities will aid their transition to real-world practice.
Self-care and burn out are common maladies of helping professions. Providing a dedicated space for (student and faculty) relaxation and reflection promotes stress reduction and well-being.
It would be an amazing opportunity to work with nursing students, faculty, alumni, local medical facilities, and architecture students to create the College of Nursing for the future.

The issues with technology and physical space alluded to so far are foundational to so many of the challenges within the College of Nursing. I will let my simulation colleagues address the technology and space issues with simulation but want to emphasize that this is a huge problem which directly impacts our competitiveness with other nursing programs. What I would like to talk about, however, are two space-related issues. First, there are no places for nursing students to meet to study or socialize within Henderson Hall. This may seem trivial on the surface but most undergraduate students seek a sense of belonging; a place you can count on to run into friends and to study. Henderson Hall is supposed to be the nursing building – it is where the faculty and administration are housed; yet, nursing students seem to spend little time there since many undergraduate nursing courses are displaced to other buildings across campus. This is more than just inconvenient. Nursing is a culture and students miss out when they are not surrounded by classmates and faculty. I am concerned that this impacts their identity formation as a nurse. The second issue I would like to discuss is the lack of space for research. Despite the call to increase research productivity across the University, most faculty offices are small and cannot accommodate more than two or three people comfortably. Since we often bring students into our research meetings, we are forced to compete for access to one of four conference rooms which serve all college committees and projects. Classrooms are full and usually not a suitable alternative for research meetings. As a result we have had to take research meetings to our homes, which directly interferes with our ability to engage students in research. Compared with colleagues in other colleges and departments, the infrastructure for the level of research called for by the university does not currently exist for the College of Nursing. Thank you for the opportunity to share these concerns.

Thus far, my colleagues of stated our needs well. I would like to reinforce our need for space for our students, student and faculty meeting space, additions to the simulation lab and a space for our research meetings, space to easily conduct focus groups and continue to develop our research. Thank you.

We need significant additional space in our building in many areas. Our simulation area needs to be enlarged to allow for the ability to implement state of the art simulation to our students. Simulation also needs the availability of debriefing rooms as well as rooms to view the simulation videos. The undergraduate skills lab needs enlarged to provide space for student learning. The current skills lab is too small. Additional faculty office space is needed. . Additional classroom space is needed as well as the technology to support computer online testing. The students would benefit from an area provided for them for study and socialization.Nursing is very intense and the benefit of socialization with other nursing students will facilitate student success.

Simulation is the admiral of our fleet here in the college as it is an active, safe and consistent way of teaching and learning. Luckily, we have some of the best simulation experts here in their fields. We have some of the rare simulation technologies that can be found in any institution, yet we lack the necessary space to provide the most effective environment for instruction. While faculty have done great job in getting most of with the space they've had so far, there is significant shortage in space for storage, debriefing, observation and testing. While we observe some electrical problems in the building, Henderson Hall even lacks sufficient numbers of electrical plugs per room.Some new residential settings have more plugs than our entire building, which makes it really difficult to set up contemporary technologies. All in all, it is necessary to modernize and expand our building to remain as a leader of our state in the field of Nursing. We will work hard in providing any assistance to persuading our leaders to support this effort.

I work in Henderson. The heating and cooling seem to almost always be working backward. It is often being worked on by facility maintenance with little improvement. The air blows like a frigid hurricane when its cold outside and the heat keeps us sweltering in the summer. The facility is outdated and too small, our students are sent all over campus for classes, while our classrooms are filled with students from other colleges. We have outgrown our building. Our building is outdated for technology retrofitting. An addition to increase our teaching space and reworking the HVAC is a primary need for this important college, which brings in a great amount of income to the university. While reworking the HVAC, the venting system needs to be cleaned. The ceilings are black around the air vents and many of us have allergies which activate when we walk into the building. The elevator is broken on a regular schedule. We probably spend more on repairs over time than a replacement would cost. Please consider more than a cosmetic improvement to Henderson! Thank you.

If we can move club sports to another location, such as the one discussed (old track field), I would like to see the May 4th commons reserved as a true free speech zone, without the need to ask permission to hold a rally or protest. Though this location does not have the visibility it did then (with the development of the plaza and new green and its attractiveness for such activity), it would be a highly symbolic, and actionable, move out of respect of May 4th, its victims, and what that day means to the history of free speech on university campuses and in other public places.

I would like to see dedicated intramural and club fields developed elsewhere as well (Allerton area seems like the best option) so the Commons can be just that: a common area used for general rest and recreation for anyone. The Commons have been a general gathering place for nearly 100 years now (was part of the original football field--Rockwell Field--from 1920-1940) on top of it now being part of the May 4 National Historic Landmark site.

I echo the statements about increasing intramural and club fields. The areas of the former Allerton apartments and the area immediately east of the rec center seem like obvious choices for new playing fields since they several are largely already leveled from serving as apartments and all those areas are close to the rec center (so they could be easily managed) and the existing Allerton softball fields. Further, they wouldn't need extensive clearing or further demolition since that has already happened. Add to that the current site of the outdoor track behind the Ice Arena. Even if the track remains, the field it surrounds could be upgraded for use by sports like flag football, soccer, and lacrosse.

I am a permanent resident whose property borders the relatively new disk golf course. It has become very popular, not only with students, but with the greater Kent area community. I've been told by players that it is one of the best in Northeast Ohio and they only wish it were larger. I support enlarging it in the areas closest to the houses of Allerton. Avondale and Berkeley Streets. This would provide a natural, limited use buffer to any new development of this currently open area .I would completely agree with Mr. Bailey then, that the remainder should be dedicated for the recreational/competitive green spaces that are needed for club sports and intramural sports participants as he has suggested.

* SCHOONOVER FIELD has become a major pest to those Kent residents living west of it. Many trees were cut down to make the field visible from Campus Center, allowing its LOUD SOUNDS to go directly west into the residential area. Booming voices from the public address speakers can be heard beyond Morris to the west, and up to the intersection of Morris and Allerton. THERE MUST BE SOME WAY OF SETTING MAXIMUM VOLUME (and no louder) ON THE SOUND EQUIPMENT AT SCHOONOVER (because there certainly isn't any vocal discipline from the announcers or those playing the music tapes).
****The lights of Schoonover field are elevated very high and are an unwanted intrusion into the residential area to the west. People using Schoonover often forget to turn the lights off and they blaze well into the night.
****The PARKING LOT east of Schoonover is also a problem, because (1) it acoustically reflects the booming speakers from Schoonover and propels their sound is more directions; (2) it is ugly and replaced an attractive natural field; the virtually 24-hour traffic (including industrial workers who arrive as early as 5:30 a.m.) is a distraction.
****CAMPUS CENTER DRIVE itself, near 261, has become a noisy nuisance with CONSTANT and LOUD traffic including heavy-duty industrial construction and hauling trucks. Similarly, the University cut down trees at the intersection of Campus Center and 261, increasing the visibility of traffic and street lights and sounds of industrial traffic and hot-rodders to the residents on Chadwick and Beryl.
****SUGGESTION: Move the intersection of Campus Center Drive ans State 261 500 feet east, so it comes nearer Schoonover. Plant the area between the residential area and Campus Center Drive with a forest of tall an fast-growing trees (especially evergreens) to help insulate te residential area from the unwelcome, but GROWING sights and sounds from the roads and athletic fields.
***Move ALL new ATHLETIC facilities to a less populated areas EAST of Campus proper.

As a Kent State Rugby Alumnus, it's disheartening to see that the club has been regulated to fields on campus that are not proper for the sport of rugby. They currently use the football practice field for games, but only when there are not home football games. Rugby is on of the fastest growing sports in America and the second biggest team sport in the world, behind soccer (football).

There are over 25 high school rugby programs in Northeast Ohio and many of those student athletes are choosing schools that offer programs that allow to continue in a sport they love. It would be great to recruit these toward a KSU program. At the point, Notre Dame College, Bowling Green, Miami University, Ohio University, Ball State, etc. have dedicated rugby facilities.

I'm in agreement with Greg, we need to find a place for these students to have fields that are properly built and maintained.

The KSU Rugby Team is coming up on it's 50 anniversary in 2018 and we would like to have a place to hold a reunion event, The alumni, of which there are over 400, are willing to assist in funding any project.

Thanks,

Mickey Erdos

The Kent State rugby club should have a dedicated field for Rugby use only games and practices should not have to work around the schedule of the football team.

I agree with Mr. Erdos. The sport of rugby is growing significantly in the United States. As the sport grows in popularity and participation, it would be important to have a field that is accessible to as many students as possible.

I agree with all the comments of my fellow rugby playing alumnus that KSU must provide a dedicated field for the men and women that play at Kent State. When discussing playing rugby on the collegiate level with high school seniors they are aware that KSU does not have a field on which to practice or play. Many other MAC Ohio schools have dedicated rugby only fields and are developing facilities alongside them. The game of rugby is played across the globe and it's popularity is indisputable. The sport of rugby develops strong character and a camaraderie that goes beyond teams to those whom have stepped on the pitch and share the bond of playing this great game.

Rugby is growing in popularity throughout high school in and around the greater Cleveland area. As a former Player/ Coach for Kent State I can tell you we played on less than par fields and had less to practice on. It would be an incentive for both the rugby program and the school to have designated fields for both games and practice.

Great spot for men's and women's rugby field. I love my time at Kent. A big part of that positive experience was playing rugby.

Rugby is a growing sport in high school and college. The Kent State Rugby club could utilize this area for dedicated practice fields and game day fields. These fields could also be utilized to grow the sport with the local high school rugby teams. The fields that club rugby teams use are a direct reflection on the university. It's important for player safety to have dedicated fields that can be cared for an attended to. If anyone would like to speak to me directly, please don't hesitate to reach me at my email.

Best regards,
Colin Ginley
cginley@gmail.com

As a Kent alum, former Kent rugby player and current high school rugby coach I am asked by my players constantly about going to Kent State and playing rugby. Its getting more and more difficult to tell them it has a great rugby program when they don't have a dedicated rugby pitch.

As a KSU Alumni it saddens me to see the that the club has no place to play. We have had numerous trips down to campus for Rugby Alumni events cancelled because of scheduling conflicts. This area, while not ideal for campus visibility would give the club a dedicated field and a place to call home. It would encourage high school rugby players to consider KSU, and enable the team to recruit new players from the students already enrolled. Rugby is a growing sport that combines teamwork, fitness, responsibility and respect and is a great way for people of all ages and cultural backgrounds to learn to work and play together, perfect for a college campus. KSU should follow the lead of other MAC schools like bowling green and ou and support the Rugby program with the same level of commitment it shows other organizations.

As a KSU Alumni and a former Rubgy player there I feel the need for a dedicated Rugby field is in order. I feel it will attract the needed players to have Kent improve their club.

Hi I'm Ryan McGuire I am currently a member of kent state rugby and i agree that we need a rugby pitch on the kent state campus

My name is Jaxon Buike and this is my first year as a rugby player at Kent State. Being new to this team i think that for the up coming years it would be essential to the now fast growing team to have a rugby pitch here at Kent State.

Hello, my name is Justin Birch. I am a first year rugby player and sophemore at Kent State. I quite enjoy this sport and I would like if my school showed much more support to rugby and it's future players. This new field is essential for us to grow as diverse and well-renowned college.

Hello, my name is Alan Pippin and I'm a freshman at KSU and i have some experience playing this sport before and it is a great sport for everyone to play. This is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation currently and i would love to see it grow here. Having a field at KSU would be beneficial for the team practices/games but also getting the word that KSU offers rugby.

Hi,
I am Andrew Vargo and I am a sophomore here at Kent State. I have a leadership role on the Kent State Rugby team and I think it is crucial for a growing club, especially Rugby to have its own field. The field dimensions are bigger than a normal football field and the goal post are in front of the "touchdown area". Other club teams in Ohio also have there own field or fields dedicated for rugby. And with a growing club at Kent State, men's and women's rugby, I think a field would be the best idea to benefit the club at Kent and to promote rugby throughout the campus and grow the game throughout the USA.

Hello, my name is Kurt Ludwig and I am a sophomore at KSU. I love rugby. It is one of my favorite sports. It is the only sport I know of that builds friendship among opposing teams. I believe that the University should build a new field for the rugby clubs at Kent State University. Rugby has been gaining more and more traction over the years and is becoming one of America's most played sports. In addition, the teams here at Kent State University are also very good. The Women's Rugby Club advanced very far in the conference a few years back and the Men's Club is an up and coming force in Ohio. By building a field dedicated to rugby, Kent State University could widen its appeal to upcoming freshman, transfer students, and many others.

always crowded, expand