Women of Color Collective Newest Employee Resource Group
The Women of Color Collective (WoCC) was founded in 2018 as an initiative of the Kent State Women's Center to provide a supportive space for faculty and staff women of color at Kent State University. Through professional development, supportive networking, and emotional support, the WoCC seeks to advance the needs of women of color and thereby enrich their professional journeys at the university. 
“Honestly, I was so excited when WOCC was created and I received the first invite,” said Keya Jennings, Senior Advisor I. “I thought this would be a welcoming space that I can go and network, breathe and have great discussions on various topics that we as women of color can relate to and gain knowledge to help us in our various roles. Attending WOCC is another level of my self-care as well. I feel like I can release and just be me. I love the energy and sisterhood, which helps me feel like I actually do belong because we all do.”
The WOCC has over 100 members and meets monthly to discuss various topics centered on professional development, mental health and barriers in the workplace. Due to COVID 19, the WOCC increased its meeting frequency to help provide more support to faculty and staff as they transitioned during the pandemic.
Over the past couple of months, the group has invited various speakers who serve in various leadership roles, including Eboni Pringle, Dean of University College; Sonya Williams from the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Tameka Ellington, interim assistant dean, College of the Arts and associate professor, School of Fashion.
The next WOCC session will be a Microsoft Teams meeting on July 21 at noon. For more information, or to become a member email wc@kent.edu.
College of Business Prof Awarded SIOP 2020 Jeanneret Award for Excellence
Julia Levashina, Ph.D., associate professor of management at the College of Business Administration, and a co-author at St. Mary’s University in Canada, were presented with the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2020 Jeanneret Award for Excellence in the study of individual or group assessment.
The annual award, honoring P. Richard Jeanneret, is given to the author(s) of a work judged to have the highest potential to further the understanding of individual or group assessment, especially when such assessment supports the creation of a diverse workforce. Learn more.
Timely Vacation Reporting
With vacation season upon us, please make sure you are reporting your vacation time accurately and timely. Here are some details that you may find helpful as an employee or leave approver.
Vacation is earned each pay period according to eligible employees’ years of service and job appointment (e.g., classified or unclassified). Eligible employees are expected to use vacation time for rest, relaxation and other personal reasons during the year in which it is earned. A detailed explanation of vacation accrual rates, eligibility and usage is in administrative policy 6-11.7. You also can view the accrual schedule online. According to the policy, both supervisors and employees eligible to earn vacation have certain responsibilities. 
Supervisor’s Responsibilities
Supervisors are responsible for making sure that employees submit all vacation time that is taken. Supervisors do not have the authority to “give someone the day off” without reporting it as leave.
Supervisors who allow employees to take leave without reporting it may be subject to disciplinary measures. Situations where the employee does not report to work and there is no leave request to document the absence can create legal implications for the university.
Eligible Employee’s Responsibilities
Eligible employees are responsible for scheduling vacation and alternate leave time off in advance with their supervisor, so that the workflow in the department is not interrupted. Employees are encouraged to use their vacation time, and supervisors are expected to approve reasonable requests that are made in advance.
Eligible employees are responsible for accurately reporting the number of leave hours taken and submitting the time for approval. If an employee has taken previous leave time and not reported it, time should be submitted for approval immediately. Kent State University employees should report leave through the proper timekeeping systems. The leave should be submitted at the end of the pay period in which the leave was taken.
Those employees whose salaries were subject to a reduction have been granted additional alternate leave days that may be used in lieu of, or in addition to vacation days to be taken during Fiscal Year 2021 (from July 2020 through June 2021).
If you use FlashLine to record and submit leave, pay periods are available for one month following the beginning of the pay period to record vacation, sick, personal or alternate leave time. Supervisors have one month following the close of the pay period to approve leave time. The Banner Leave Reporting and Approval training guide can be found on the Information Technology Human Resource Reference page.
Empower supervisor & employee manuals can be found on the Payroll Timekeeping web page.
If you have additional questions, please contact Human Resources Records at 330-672-8316 or hr-records@kent.edu.
Financial Wellness Webinar: Senior Scams, August 11
As part of our continuing financial wellness focus, join Victor Russel of Apprisen as he identifies some of the most targeted scams that focus on the senior population.
This webinar will be held on Tues., Aug. 11, from noon – 1 p.m. Victor will demonstrate how to identify these scams and prevent them, including strategies for seniors to protect their identity and their money. Registration is required and may be done so here.
This webinar is open to all full- and part-time faculty and staff. For full-time, benefits eligible employees participating in the Wellness Your Way Rewards Program, this session will be worth 10 points toward your Tier 2 total.
Those participating in the July Sustainability Challenge can also earn points toward their challenge total. Make sure to stay on the webinar the entire time so you will receive the verification code to enter on your Wellable Dashboard.
For questions, you may contact the Employee Wellness Office at 330-672-0392 or wellness@kent.edu.
Parents Voice Concerns About Ravenna City Schools, Board of Education
Members of the group expressed concerns regarding the district’s June 17 letter that they say lacked substance, a lack of Black history in the curriculum, low GPA eligibility, the lack of academic support for Black football players outside of the season, unequal discipline for Black and white students and a lack of Black school employees. Learn more.