FAQs

Having the right faculty is of utmost importance and they will be extensively trained. The content will include an in-depth review of the learning objectives, curriculum and lesson plans; defining and understanding sense of belonging, and how to create/build a community, etc. The Center for Teaching and Learning is leading the training development.

This year, the training academy will take place on, May 18^th and 19^th, 9:00-4:00 both days. Instructors will be trained every year.

We will need to staff over 100 sections across all campuses. We are developing the training agenda and will identify the space soon.

Some instructors will be permitted to teach two sections. Once applications are in, we will determine whether we need to do an additional call for applications.

Sections will be assigned before the training takes place. Part of the application process will be your dean or supervisor signing off on the commitment to allow you to teach a section.

During the extensive revisioning process, students indicated that they wanted to be with students who were from different majors, so many sections will be open or general sections. For 2023-24, we will offer some college specific sections. However, the purpose of Flashes 101 is to develop sense of belonging and help students feel part of a caring community. We will work with advising deans and coordinators to determine how content that is not aligned with the learning objectives can be shared with students.

Intentional advising during DKS. Sections will be identified as college-based or open.

Flashes 101 will be graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U).

This is developing! We did a small assessment of the pilot in Fall 2022 with questions on the SSI, and also completed a pilot of a fully online section in Fall 2023. The evaluation plan will include formative assessment for instructors, assessment for the university level course, and focus groups to understand the student experience.

No. Common Reading is not part of the Flashes 101 curriculum.

We want instructors who are committed to undergraduate student success, whether they are faculty or staff. A job description can be found here. Per University Policy 3-02(B), instructors must have at least a master’s degree.

We may add summer sections if there is a need.

No. College-specific sections will still be offered. Student Success Programs will work with colleges to determine the number of college-based sections. However, some students want the opportunity to choose a section with students outside of their major so some sections will allow for this choice. The curriculum in each section will be the same, regardless of whether it is college/major specific or not.

Yes. The curriculum and instructor requirements will be the same for all sections, regardless of the campus on which they are taught. Colleges may have instructors for college-based sections that are taught by someone not in the college.

Many programs used FYE as an “introduction to the profession” course.  However, the purpose of Flashes 101 is to help students develop a sense of belonging and build community and connection to Kent State, so the content is designed to focus on these goals and section size will be limited to 30 students. The Flashes 101 leadership team is currently working with advising deans and coordinators to determine how advising and other transactional content can be shared with students outside of Flashes 101.

Having the right faculty is of utmost importance and they will be extensively trained. We are in conversation with the Provost about paying a stipend in order to pay faculty to be trained over the summer. The content will include an in-depth review of the curriculum and lesson plans; defining what belonging is and how to create/build a community, etc. Center for Teaching and Learning is partnering with University College to develop the training. This year, training is scheduled for May 18-19, 9:00 am -4:00 pm.

Full-time faculty and staff who meet HLC instructor requirements will be able to apply to be an instructor for the course. The committee is open to considering including part-time faculty as well.

Yes. The committee had several conversations with Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Kevin West, about this issue. Each department had their own method for assigning load for FYE. This will not change with Flashes 101.

SSP will continue to schedule sections for the Kent campus. Regional campus coordinators will schedule sections for their Regional campuses.

Overload approval should not be happening in any college. We are following up with supervisors to make sure applicants have been approved by their department/college to teach.

GAs cannot teach if they do not have a master’s degree unless they are supervised by a full-time tenure-track faculty (this is university policy). Co-teaching by GAs is not recommended.

No. Everyone who wants to teach Flashes 101 must apply and meet the requirements as outlined in the Instructor Information.

Tested experience is typically reserved for extraordinary or exceptional circumstances. For example, in cases where a department would like someone with many years of experience in a particular field to teach a course. These cases would be considered on a case-by-case basis by the University College - College Advisory Committee (UC-CAC).

Anyone who wants to teach Flashes 101 must apply, be selected, and be approved by the UC-CAC, regardless of whether they have taught before.

All instructors will be selected through the application process. Regional campuses coordinators will be given access to applications to select instructors. However, all selected instructors (at all campuses) must be approved by the UC-CAC to ensure instructors meet qualifications as outlined in University Policy 3-02(B).

We are prepared to accept applications beyond the deadline if we need to do so.

Instructors are getting a $2000 stipend for participating in the training academy and assessment of the course.

You can expect to spend a couple of hours each week during the Fall semester preparing for and teaching the course. We also expect instructors to meet informally with students during the Spring semester to maintain the community of support that they developed during the Fall semester.  Instructors will also be expected to participate in assessment of the course, which will be ongoing throughout the Fall and Spring semesters.

Maximum class size is 30.