Student Support Since 2019
Flashes of Success
Welcome to the home of University College’s Flashes of Success. Below, you will find demonstrations of how we have successfully supported Kent State students since Fall 2019.
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Community Engaged Learning partnered with the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, which hosted a group of ten Kent State University participants and leaders and facilitated an incredible learning experience for alternative winter break in Jackson, Mississippi.
Support for First-Generation Students is featured in the NASPA Center for First-Generation Student Success Blog. Melanie Jones, Director of Academic Diversity Outreach, and Alexandra Henry, an intern, worked together to highlight the support given to First-Gen students at First-Gen Forward Institutions by writing a blog that was recently promoted on the Center’s social media..
Underserved students, including first-generation students and students from limited-income backgrounds who will enroll in Fall Semester 2022, will continue to receive support through student success initiatives through the Key Connections program due to a new gift of $200,000 from the KeyBank Foundation.
Exploratory Program students are given amazing opportunities via the Flash Connections Program which has been recognized as a NASPA Excellence Award - Gold recipient.
Kent State's Football team and other Kent State students volunteered at Campus Kitchen's March food distribution in collaboration with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Wednesday, March 17, at Dix Stadium. This volunteer opportunity will continue on the third Wednesday of every month through June, thanks to a food bank grant from Feeding America. Additionally, Campus Kitchen student volunteers hold food pantries in Tri-Towers three times per week as well and support the food pantry within the Office of the Dean of Students.
Kent State's Football team and other Kent State students volunteered at Campus Kitchen's March food distribution in collaboration with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Wednesday, March 17, at Dix Stadium. This volunteer opportunity will continue on the third Wednesday of every month through June, thanks to a food bank grant from Feeding America. Additionally, Campus Kitchen student volunteers hold food pantries in Tri-Towers three times per week as well and support the food pantry within the Office of the Dean of Students.
CommUNITY Lab is a new four-year cohort program coordinated through Community Engaged Learning that offers scholars a network of care and resources while removing financial, academic, and personal barriers to success. Participants reside in a Living-Learning Community located in Lake Hall on the Kent Campus where they learn through specially selected courses, plug into campus resources and co-create individualized achievement plans with their support networks.
Students at Kent State get expert career insight from our Senior Career Advisor Krittika Grau, a member of the ACPA Commission, who has just been awarded the Distinguished Commission Award for 2021. Her commission was recognized for working with the resources it had at its disposal and demonstrating distinguished leadership by providing balanced, innovative and sustainable products, projects and services within or across the commissions and to ACPA.
Assisting Exploratory students with confidently declaring their major is the goal of the Exploratory Program's Major Action Program (MAP). The MAP has just been selected as the recipient of the 2021 NASPA Excellence Bronze Award in the Academic Advising, Careers, Graduate Professional Category. The program connects students with intentional action items based on their career readiness, thus informing how, what, where, and why they may explore majors that align with their strengths and career interests.
Kristin Williams, the Executive Director of Career Exploration and Development, will be sharing these developmental student internship experiences with regional employment leaders at the SIM Cleveland panel discussion on November 8th.
Young professionals benefit from personal and professional development through Engage! Cleveland. Katie Kimble assists in this endeavor as a member of the leadership council for Engage! Cleveland.
Assisting Exploratory students with confidently declaring their major by connecting with intentional action items is the goal of MAP. The MAP has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 NACADA Outstanding Advising Program Award. The NACADA Outstanding Advising Program Award recognizes advising programs that are innovative and/or exemplary practices resulting in improvement of academic advising services. The Outstanding Advising Program Award application was judged on the following criteria: innovative quality, creativity, currency, institutional commitment, impact evident by assessment and transferability.
PNC Foundation Awards $75,000 in support of student success. Students to be supported with immersive opportunities centered on service and career-related experiences. CommUNITY Lab is a new four-year cohort program coordinated through Community Engaged Learning that offers scholars a network of care and resources while removing financial, academic, and personal barriers to success. Participants reside in a Living-Learning Community located in Lake Hall on the Kent Campus where they learn through specially selected courses, plug into campus resources and co-create individualized achievement plans with their support networks.
Transfer students find their home at Kent State, feel supported and graduate as Golden Flashes with the help of Barb Miller-Harris who has been awarded the Tom Vandermeulen Award. Her contributions have enhanced relationships among people of diverse cultures, ethnic groups, first-generation students and students with special needs.
Kent State Exploratory students experience award-winning advising with the Major Action Plan (MAP): Start to Finish Program. This program, which recently received the NASPA Region IV-East Innovative Program Award, uses innovative advising strategies to assist students in declaring their major.
Over 325 students pre-registered for a Suit-Up event hosted by Career Exploration and Development in partnership with JCPenney. Discounts were available to all students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Jody Patterson and Aryanna Sciranka planned the virtual shopping event and hundreds took advantage, resulting in thousands of dollars in savings on professional attire.
Students have endless volunteer opportunities with University College's Campus Kitchen. The Campus Kitchen, in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, won the 2021 Campus Race to Zero Waste case study competition in the “Summary of Waste Reduction Efforts” category.
Flash Connections are enhanced sections of the Exploratory First Year Experience course that include an exclusive out-of-class and overnight experience either before the start of the semester or during the semester. Students are supported by a collaboration of the college and campus partners including Community Engagement Learning, Career Exploration and Development, Student Success Programs, University College Dean’s Office, the Department of Recreation Services and more! The Flash Connections program has been recognized for the second year in a row and awarded NACADA Region 5 Innovation in Advising Award.
Students at Kent State are provided amazing Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leaders in various courses. Our SI Leaders Mark Abunda, Torrance Gaskins, and Ben Rininger from the Academic Success Center recently led a Fresh Perspectives Webinar Series Session entitled "Using SI Techniques to Develop Fellow SI Leaders", hosted by the International Center for Supplemental Instruction. At the session, facilitated collaborative discussion and activities across institutions to develop SI Leaders' and SI Mentors' skills.
Flash Connections are enhanced sections of the Exploratory First Year Experience course that include an exclusive out-of-class and overnight experience either before the start of the semester or during the semester. Students are supported by a collaboration of the college and campus partners including Community Engagement Learning, Career Exploration and Development, Student Success Programs, University College Dean’s Office, the Department of Recreation Services and more! The Flash Connections program has been recognized for the second year in a row and awarded NACADA Region 5 Innovation in Advising Award.
As a result of helping students make the shift to accessing academic success resources remotely during the pandemic, Amanda Shah, Rachel Cordy, Samantha Spitak, and DeAnn Zalom published a manuscript, “Leading through change: Four perspectives, one team,” in TLAR’s special September edition Rising to the Challenge: Navigating COVID-19 in Higher Education Learning Centers.
Kent State University International students can benefit from the expertise of Career Advisor Krittika Grau, who has recently published a book review of International Encounters: Higher Education and the International Student Experience.
When Krittika Grau is not guiding our Flashes to career success, she spends her time serving on the American College Personnel Association Commission for Career Services Directorate Board, committed to the future success of college students.
Students have lots of questions about interview questions. Julie Paskiet is helping them and as a result published “How to Answer Common Interview Questions” in the 2020 American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) Job Search Handbook.
In order to serve students at a higher level, Julie Paskiet serves on the Pennsylvania Education Regional Consortium Regional Board and served as the 2019 Job Fair Coordinator for the American Association of Employment in Education.
Kent State’s Academic Success Center helps students achieve academically under the leadership of Director Amanda Shah, who was recently named as a member of The Learning Assistance Review’s editorial board, the scholarly journal of The National College Learning Center Association.
Kent Campus is not the only place Assistant Dean Liz Piatt excels in her work. Liz has recently published with Dr. Akbar (former UC Assistant Dean), a chapter titled, Learning and Coping: The (Mis)Education of Lip Gallagher in the book, Shameless Sociology: Critical Perspectives on a Popular Television Series as well as publishing “The Segregated Gun: Racism and Representations of the Gun in Film.” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (formerly Palgrave Communications)” with two other additional authors.
First-Generation, Low-Income, and Underrepresented Students have on-campus advocates through Dr. Liz Piatt and Dr. Eboni Pringle. The duo published The Role of Science Identity Salience in Graduate School Enrollment for First-Generation, Low-income, Underrepresented Students in the Journal of Negro Education with two additional authors.
KSU’s commitment to make civic learning and democratic engagement a part of every student’s college education was recognized as Kent State was designated as a NASPA LEAD Institution. The efforts to achieve this title were led by Assistant Director of CEL, Craig Berger.
Kent State’s institutional efforts to help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process were recognized as KSU was designated a Voter Friendly Campus, thanks to Craig Berger.
Kent State students benefit from Community Engaged Learning work on civic learning and democracy led by Craig Berger. Berger is dedicated to students’ democratic engagement, recently co-authoring an article published in the eJournal of Public Affairs, “Tools for Living Democracy: Putting the CLDE Theory of Change into Practice” and a publication in a NASPA issue of the Leadership Exchange Magazine entitled “Infusing CLDE Theory of Change into Student Affairs: New Thinking about Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement”.
Students can enjoy Community Engaged Learning coordinated by Imani Reynolds, who co-authored and published an article entitled: “How do North American child and youth workers view cultural diversity?” in the CYC Advocate.
Dedication to academic success and racial equity for students at Kent Campus and beyond. Dr. N.J. Akbar, former Assistant Dean, recently had three book chapters accepted for publication. His chapter, Discussing Student Achievement and the Family in V. Seeburg’s Black American Students’ Achievement in the Suburbs: Academic Success through Family Engagement is expected to be published in December 2021. In May/April 2021, his two chapters of A Race-Conscious Pedagogy Future: Essays that Forge a New Path for Equitable Schools will be published, titled Fixing the System, Not the Student or Family: Dismantling Racism and Institutionalizing Equity by Leveraging Your Board’s Leadership and Underresourced, Underfunded, and COVID: Schools seeking Racial Equity during a Pandemic.
LGBTQ+ students at Kent State are being advocated for on and off campus by Dr. N.J. Akbar, who became Advocate Magazine’s Champion of Pride of 2020 because of his dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Students benefit from the career advice of career advisor Felicia Johnson, who was elected President of the Ohio Career Development Association for the 2020-2021 year.
Students in the Exploratory Program at Kent State University find academic success under the leadership of Director Nicole Kotlan, who is currently serving on the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Undecided & Exploratory Students Advising Community Steering Committee.
Students can transfer to Kent State University in a flash thanks to Assistant Director Barbara Miller-Harris. Barbara has also been elected to serve as the Secretary of the Executive Board of the Ohio Transfer Council (OTC), an organization committed to sharing information between institutions to better serve students.
Helping others help students. With his experience helping our Kent State students, Student Support Services Director Adam Cinderich, who currently serves as President of the Ohio TRIO Educational Opportunity Association (EOA) Board of Directors was selected as a mentor for the TRIO Works SSS Directors Group continuing a commitment to provide access to higher education.
Outside of his work guiding Kent State students to success within Student Support Services, Jim Piascik serves as Treasurer of Ohio TRIO, currently serving his second term after being re-elected to the position. Ohio TRIO is a professional organization of TRIO professionals from across the state of Ohio.
As a result of her contributions to Kent State students’ career exploration, Kristin Williams received the 2020 Ohio Career Development Association (OCDA) Bob Windle Leadership Award. This award is presented at the annual Ohio Career Development Association (OCDA) Conference in recognition of a true leader in a career field.
Helping students goes one step further. Peter Jeffy recently received the James B. Hamilton and Thomas G. Mortenson TRIO/EOP Professional Research Award. This $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a TRIO/EOP professional for research consistent with the goals and purpose of Educational Opportunity Association.
Students at Kent State are given the resources to achieve success academically through the Academic Success Center, which recently earned a three-year certification from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Kent State University is one of 41 certified programs across the United States. The ASC also earned a renewed Level I certification and new Level II International Tutor Training Program Certification from the College Reading and Learning Association, allowing students to benefit from our vast network of tutors.
Kent State students have access to knowledgeable and nationally trained tutors to help them succeed academically. Program Coordinator Samantha Spitak has renewed her Level I certification and implemented continued training to acquire Level II certification through the College Reading & Learning Association’s International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) through 2022 for ASC’s Tutoring Program, enabling our tutoring program to contribute to student success.
The Student Support Services Tutoring Program has been fully revamped by Brittany Capp and recently received a 5-year Level I recertification through the College Reading & Learning Association’s International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC). The application reflects a single, comprehensive tutoring program spanning all disciplines, a significant change to our operation since 2015.
Over 80% of this Fall’s Exploratory students were able to connect with Major Action Plan (MAP) resources at the MAP: Start to Finish program held virtually by the Exploratory Program. One step closer to confidently declaring their major!
KSU Students were engaged politically during the Don’t Hate-Debate (AND VOTE)! virtual teach-in event sponsored by the College of Information, School of Peace and Conflict Studies, Division of Student Affairs, and the Division of Academic Affairs. Dr. Liz Piatt, Amanda Woodyard, and Craig Berger gave sessions at the event.
Pamela Jones, Academic Program Coordinator for Academic Diversity Outreach maintains her commitment to college students beyond Academic Diversity Outreach, serving on the Training and Best Practices committee for the Consortium of Coaching in Higher Education
814 Kent State students attended a successful synchronous, virtual fall career fair held by the Career Exploration and Development team to prepare themselves for future success.
Students now have the opportunity to volunteer in-person together for 1.5 hours on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons through Community Engaged Learning’s new Service in a Flash program. Activities have included upcycling t-shirts to make tote bags for food pantries and cutting fabric to make face masks for all students in Kent local schools.
Students can now attend educational, volunteer, and activism events through a new series called Weeks of Change organized by Community Engaged Learning where one week every month will be dedicated to a particular social issue.
50 Student volunteers engaged in Community Engaged Learning’s annual Make a Difference Day, planned by Imani Reynolds, Coordinator of Community Engaged Learning, and Maggie Allphin, Graduate Assistant.
Student Support Services and McNair staff are committed to assisting students beyond Kent State, recently contributing to the Educational Opportunity Association Conference. Jim Piascik presented “Expanding budgets in the time of COVID” with over 100 attendees and Siobhán Hicks, along with Dr. Kelly Cichy, presented “Addressing the mental health needs of TRIO-eligible students” with over 250 attendees.
The Exploratory academic advisors at Kent State help guide students through career, major and personal exploration. As a result of their hard work and dedication to our students, the team has just been selected as the recipient of the NACADA’s Region 5 Innovation in Advising Award for the Major Action Plan (MAP): Start to Finish program.
Over 4,000 incoming Kent State students attended a Virtual Destination Kent State Orientation over Summer 2020. Maghan Larkins, Assistant Director of Student Success Programs, received the honor of the 2020 President’s Award of Distinction for her crucial role in transitioning the event from in-person to virtual orientation.
Our Student Success Program Coordinators are dedicated to education and leadership both on and off Kent campuses. Cody Holland and Tyler Verma presented at the virtual National Leadership Educator’s Institute and shared the great work they are doing within the Peer Leadership Training Course put on by ACPA, NASPA, OCPA, and NCLP.
Many of our Flashes volunteer for Kent State’s Campus Kitchen, run by Community Engaged Learning, which raised over $25,000 in donations to fund a mobile food pantry, making operations more effective and impactful.
The I AM FIRST Celebration honored first generation students, staff, and faculty with a week of university-wide events. Attendees from all parts of the Kent State community enjoyed the week’s in-person and virtual events.
242 students (42% first-generation, 26% under-represented, and 47% Pell-eligible), were offered more than $250,000 in support this year by Career Exploration and Development. The average award for students is $940 per term.
Completing a Flashternship through Career Exploration and Development gives KSU Students the opportunity to increase their networking connections by up to 300% and their earning potential by over 250%. Students who complete a Flashternship are retained at a higher rate compared to off-campus employment opportunities and provide a clear path to future careers.
174 KSU job candidates attended Education Employment Week organized by Career Exploration & Development, where 55 employers from 16 different states offered employment opportunities. 143 positions were offered to candidates.
Over 800 Kent State students attended Career Exploration & Development’s Virtual Career Week where 130 employers offered job opportunities.
100% of McNair Scholars admitted to graduate programs received full funding totaling $250,000 in awards.
More than 320 new students positioned themselves well, engaging in the “Start Strong to Finish” program by taking a reassessment of their placement tests with Judy Huber.
Destination Kent State welcomed 4,088 Incoming students into the Kent State community through the DKSmobile app and website between May and August 2020. The Destination Kent State New Student Orientation program helped our new Flashes find their home at Kent State, prepared them to excel academically, and introduced them to student organizations.
Kent State welcomed 824 new transfer students over 19 orientation dates through the Transfer Kent State Orientation Program.
Seventy-nine students were welcomed to the Provost's Leadership Academy and will spend the year working with university leadership to identify projects that will positively impact the student experience at Kent State.
More than 600 students enrolled in the Peer Leader Training course this academic year (57% were first year students, 30% underrepresented students, and 35% first generation students).
Helping those in need, Kent State’s Campus Kitchen provided 4,500 hours of service, 81,321 lbs. of food, and 28,294 lbs. of food pantry distribution to community members in need.
Our Flashes have continued providing community service virtually through the Kent State Together program provided by Community Engaged Learning. Over 700 student volunteers wrote 1,400 welcome notes to incoming KSU students and provided 500 United Way Literacy Kits for a local elementary school.
1,278 Kent State students have contributed 9,080 hours of community service and raised $246,976 through Kent Community Services provided by Community Engaged Learning. 26% of these program participants were underrepresented students: nearly twice the percentage of underrepresented students in the entire student body.
214 students received more than $114,000 in tuition, book, course supply, and other aid from Academic Diversity Outreach.
URS Students are predicted to have a 6-yr graduation rate of 54.5% in the Key Connections program from Academic Diversity Outreach.
Our volunteers at Campus Kitchen have raised over $10K for their Giving Tuesday campaign, $20K for Campus Kitchen Renovations, and received $2K from the Portage Foundation’s Rapid Response Fund Grant.
Undergraduate student research is now supported by the McNair Scholars Program, which raised $10K during the Inaugural Regional McNair Research Conference.
Kent State students receive $2.63 million in support in the core areas of academic success, personal and professional development, and advocacy and support from a 5-year federal grant award awarded to Student Support Services.
Students are now eligible to receive $10,000 from the Randi E. and Thomas L. McKenzie Gift through Academic Diversity Outreach at Kent State.