Summer is flying by and I know many of you are wondering about our return to the Kent State Salem and East Liverpool campuses this fall. We are making plans to welcome you back to a fall semester that is going to be exciting for all of us. We miss you all and cannot wait to engage with all of our students again.
Our campuses will look different. There are several safety measures we have put in place and, as the semester gets closer, you will receive information about the things we are asking you to do – and the things we are doing – to make sure it is a safe educational environment.
All of our faculty members, based on their expertise in teaching within their fields, are choosing the best format and method to teach the course material. This may include chat rooms, email, open forum and discussion boards, audio and video conferencing applications, web conferencing or other synchronous and asynchronous collaboration tools.
Some courses may be completely face-to-face. It truly depends on the course and how the faculty member designed the learning environment. You will learn more about each course as the semester approaches, but please know the faculty have designed all of our courses in ways that will be very engaging, yet safe for everyone involved.
The Kent State Reopening Committee for Classroom Technology is busy working to provide the technology needed to deliver courses in a functional and flexible manner.
Each traditional/lecture-oriented instructional space will be equipped with a high-definition camera and an omnidirectional microphone that will pick up sounds from all across the space.
For those courses that are in person, faculty members will be able to broadcast their classes in real-time to students who are not physically present, as well as record their classes for later viewing by those unable to view it in real-time.
More than 300 faculty members participated this summer in training on how to make an exciting remote environment for our students. These same faculty are sharing tips and ideas with each other and creating a culture of faculty members who are really dedicated to your learning and really dedicated to making sure, that no matter how we are teaching, you are going to have a great experience on our campuses.
If you are worried about technology – no need to worry! We made our campuses WiFi hot spots and we are able to provide you with internet access if needed, as well as some technology tools that you may need.
We are here to help you keep your professional goals moving forward through your education.
Also, we know that many of you may have experienced financial hardship during this COVID-19 pandemic. We are still dedicated and committed to making college affordable for you and your family.
We have partnered with some of our most generous donors, as well as some local foundations, for additional funding in scholarships for you. So, please, do not let money be the thing that holds you back.
Contact our counselors. Contact our financial aid advisors.
We will get you financial aid help so that you can meet your dream and your vision and follow the career path you want to take.
We are all available for you, NOW. All of us are here, working and doing our best to help our students.
For your return to campus, we are asking you to become familiar with the Flashes Safe Seven. This is a list of seven basic principles that we are going to follow and guidelines we are using to make sure our campuses are safe.
Please, pay attention to these and we ask that we do this together. Remember: Flashes take care of Flashes!
We are so excited to get you back to campus!
We miss you all and, perhaps more than ever before, we are committed to helping you accomplish your personal and professional goals.
If you need anything or have questions, please do not hesitate to email us at infocolumbiana@kent.edu.
You can also visit our website at www.kent.edu/columbiana where you can find information about financial aid, advising, counseling and other services, as well as the Flashes Safe Seven. We now have a live chat box on our web page so that you can interact with someone on a personal level.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!
And we are going to make this a great semester at Kent State Salem and Kent State East Liverpool.
Remember to stay safe, take care of yourself and – Go Flashes!
David Dees, Ph.D.
Dean and Chief Administrative Officer
Kent State Columbiana County
Interim Vice President of System Integration at Kent State University