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Higher Education Administration & Student Personnel Newsletter, 
Kent State University
April 1, 2015 
Co-editors: Dr. Stephen Thomas & Damon Kimak

Worth Saying Again: Quote of the Month

  If you don't know where your going, any road can take you there.  George Harrison
Graduate Assistant Days Were Here, Again
Damon Kimak


If you were like me, you were both nervous and excited about applying for admission to the HIED program.  You applied, waited for a response, and then had to go through an initial interview process. Being a Ph.D. student, and not having had any experience with Graduate Assistant (GA) days, a two-day event, prior to this semester, I can only imagine from assisting with GA days that the experience for perspective students must be a pleasant shock to their system. It is a shock because GA days offers a rare opportunity for those applying to Kent State to have their aspirations made real even before getting into the program.  I observed in the faces of the 50 perspective students who participated the realization that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

As many of you know, the first-day of GA days consisted of a social orientation process that prepared students of what to expect of life at Kent State University, both academic and social.  The day started with perspective students meeting with our professors and existing students to better get to know the program.  A meal from a local restaurant was provided. Later in the day, perspective students were also shown around town and participated in other social events that allowed them to get to know current students and the general life in Kent, Ohio.

The second day of GA days is all about business.  To make this possible, 25 employers, spread out among a number of universities in North East Ohio, came together looking for people to fill a total of 57 potential graduate assistantships.  The event itself took up over two-third of the entire 3rd floor of the Student Center, with 12 rooms devoted strictly to GA days.  Opening remarks were provided by University President Dr. Beverly Warren, who welcomed students and discussed some of her experiences at Kent State University, as well as her affinity for the HIED program. With all of the available assistantships, there were ample opportunities for perspective students to both prove to themselves and others that they belong in Higher Education.  

Employers were not disappointed by the quality and energy present in the potential new students of the Kent State University master's Higher Education program. Perspective students where found to be professional in both appearance and actions. 

Below are a number of pictures of students who participated in GA days.

                                  
Building a Student First Mentality
for 28 Years: Greg Jarvie
Damon Kimak

Greg Jarvie, a graduate of the HIED program, has served as Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs through two University Presidents.  This Spring, after serving in his role as Vice President for 5 years, Greg Jarvie decided to retire.  In his time at the University, he has been a strong supporter of the HIED program and has frequently been a guest speaker in HIED courses.

Greg Jarvie has been a part of the Kent State University family for over 28 years.  He began his career in Higher Education as a Resident Hall Director.  After having some experience in Higher Education Administration, he entered the HIED program where he developed a strong foundation in understanding student development and University Governance.  He feels that the combination of his study and practical experience helped support him in his career.

Greg feels that the basis for his success in Higher Education has been in his willingness to believe in and trust those around him.  He stresses the importance of giving people a chance to succeed. While mistakes will be made when you trust people, he stresses that mistakes are only an issue when they are a pattern. However, by trusting your colleagues and not leaving them hanging on a limb, Greg believes that the people around you will better grow into their roles as well as help foster a family environment.  Greg also champions the need to have open lines of communication across divisions so that collaboration is more effective, stating that it is not efficient to communication only when there are problems as back and forth dialog is critical to the success 

While Greg has many fond memories of his experience at Kent State University, he holds the opportunity to work with thousands of students as his greatest contribution to the university.  He is particularly fond of the memories he has of being a Dean of Students and Ombudsman for 11 years.  Despite having to work with students at difficult times in their lives, it was professionally gratifying to work with students who were struggling, and then grew and prospered from the experience.

At the core of all the work that Greg has done at Kent State University has been making sure students had what they needed to succeed.  In addition to championing the updating of Resident Halls, like Tri-Towers, he is proud of accomplishments in not only increasing enrollment, but also in increasing the Freshman profile--the academic quality of incoming freshman--and the number of ALANNA students at Kent State University. He is also proud of the Dynamic Checklist that was created to make applying to Kent State University more clear and efficient.

Greg plans to enjoy his time off by picking up golf, fishing, and helping out on his neighbor's farm.  At some time in the future, Greg plans to sit down and begin writing about his ideas in Higher Education and looks forward to the opportunity to collaborate with others to develop his ideas.  One thing is for certain though, Greg Jarvie has left a footprint on Kent State University by trusting and supporting his colleagues and his willingness to champion causes that will help put Kent State University students first.
Bilingual Education at Kent State is Created 
through a HIED Internship
Sonia Liang

See Sonia and Krisin pictured above.
Currently, as a second semester student in the HIED program, I enjoy the beautiful marriage of work and study through my practicum experience. Being a graduate assistant in the Gerald H. Read Center of International and Intercultural Education, I benefit from taking what I learn in class to the workplace, while bringing practical issues from work to discuss in the classroom. This semester, thanks to my internship at the Career Services Office in the College of Business Administration, I have the opportunity to infuse my interests in internationalization and career development and translate them into solutions. Part of my job is to translate, literally, the instructor manual of Career Navigation, a course developed by Dr. Tracy Lara. This was necessary to allow me to prepare for my instructor role in teaching a special session in Chinese in fall 2015. The promotion of the course is greatly supported by Kristin Williams, my director at the Career Services Office. 

The second part of my internship is to assist Kristin in developing programs for international students. With her visioning the needs to respond to internationalization, I put together a workshop with the team titled "Navigate Your Global Career." Self-exploration, as an essential part of the Career Navigation course, will be introduced to students during the workshop. It is to inform them, even in the face of a chaotic, ever-changing, and competitive global job market, they possess the most important source of information to success--themselves. Internship is my favorite component of this program. You can see how the ideas burst into buds, blossom, and eventually become fruitful. 

Sonia Liang HIED Intern, Kristin Williams Site Supervisor
New Face, Our Place: Sandi Anderson

Hello! My name is Sandra "Sandi" Anderson and I am excited to be here at Kent in my first year in the master's program for Higher Education and Student Personnel. My graduate assistantship in the Center for Adult and Veteran Services affords me the tremendous opportunity to work as an Academic Advisor with non-traditional students. An integral part of my position is coordinating the LIFE (Literacy and Independence for Family Education) program for single parents attending KSU. I truly enjoy working with the parents and their children--we learn and grow together.

In May 2014, I received a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Kent State University. During my undergraduate, I worked in the Enrollment Management and Student Services Department at Kent State University at Salem. As it turned out, my student-worker position changed my life; members of the faculty and staff mentored me and helped me develop a clear picture of the path I wanted my career to take. Now my passion is helping students evaluate their academic and career goals, and together we schedule the classes that enable them to realize their dreams.

In my downtime (like grad students have any!), I enjoy spending time with my family, watching my hometown St. Louis Cardinals, visiting the wineries along Lake Erie, boating, and working out at the Recreation Center with my soulmate.

The Higher Education program here at KSU has been incredibly challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. It has caused me to reach new limits, find strength I never knew I had, and forge friendships that have strengthened me during the most difficult of times--and that's only the first year!!
New Face, Our Place: Roslynn Porch

 

Hello fellow peers and professionals!

 

My name is Roslynn Porch and I am a first year master's student in the HIED program. I am mid-way through my second semester and I am really enjoying the program. All of my courses thus far have been very invigorating and insightful and I am anxious to see where the HIED trail leads me.

 

As a proud alumnus of Kent State University, I received my Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies in May 2014. I am obviously in love with this place because I decided to stay to pursue my master's. It was in my undergraduate at Kent State were I was molded and blessed with many leadership opportunities and awesome professional mentors that encouraged me and lead me to have such a great passion for higher education.  

 

Currently, I serve as the Graduate Assistant in the Kent State Student Multicultural Center under the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I help serve in support of access, retention, matriculation, and success initiatives with students of color. Also, I act as a liaison between the SMC and cultural/heritage student groups and the facilitator of Sister Circle.  I am elated to be working in such a wonderful space that is lead by an awesome staff and provides me with room for growth and professional development in various areas.

 

I hope to one day receive my Ph.D in Educational Leadership and be a successful president of a university or college. I would like the wish the best of luck to my fellow cohorts and future professionals!

Old Face, New Place: Nicole Kotlan

 

Hello!  My name is Nicole Kotlan and I am a proud graduate of the master's in Higher Education Administration and College Student Personnel program in 1997.  I am also a graduate of the College of Business Administration with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration (BBA) with a major in marketing in 1995.  I recently transitioned from the Undergraduate Programs Office (College of Business Administration) to the Exploratory Advising Center (Undergraduate Studies) in early February.  I served for four and a half years as the Director of the Undergraduate Programs Office. 

 
As the Director of the Undergraduate Programs Office (UPO), I led all advising, recruitment, and retention functions, built a team equipped to service the needs of a highly diverse student base, facilitated collaborative relationships, and helped implement initiatives to increase retention, persistence, and graduation rates.   Additionally, I have participated in various institutional committees and developed first-time programs and events.
 
As the Director of the Exploratory Advising Center (or EAC), I am working with our undecided/undeclared students aiding them with an amazing staff to explore, engage, and declare their major in a timely period.   Additionally, the EAC also advises students who are part of the College Credit Plus program (formerly known as Dual Enrollment and Post-Secondary students). 
 
I can't wait to see what the future has in store in my new role!
You Do Not Have to go Through Life 
Not Knowing
Dr. Stephen Thomas

What are the repercussions of plagiarism?

 

Want to hear a word I just made up? Plagiarism (old joke, unknown author).

 

All joking aside, plagiarism is not funny. The impact of plagiarism can be far greater than just counseling, the writing of a related paper (hopefully original), community service, redoing or failing an assignment or course, being dismissed from a course or academic program, and/or having a university record documenting the code violation.  In fact, the loss could include the permanent loss of student, professional, or academic reputation; civil liability; and, where research based, misguided policy and practice, sometimes with severe repercussions (e.g., fabricated medical data/research).   Admittedly, plagiarism could be either witting or unwitting, given cultural differences, or the lack of knowledge regarding proper citation form.  Nonetheless, the bottom line at the graduate level is that in most instances there is no excuse.  Moreover, plagiarism is more likely than ever to be identified given increased concern by faculty and access to related software such as Grammarly, WriteCheck, SeeSources, Plagiarism Checker, and the like.  Accordingly, DON'T  be involved in plagiarism. Learn proper citation form for books, articles, letters, web sources, etc.; generate your own data when engaged in "original" research, and if you ever have a question as to proper attribution, ask. 

 

P.S.  For related information, see

http://www.ithenticate.com/resources/6-consequences-of-plagiarism

On the Lighter Side: Words of Wisdom?
Grant Opportunity

The NASPA Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge Community (AER-KC) is accepting proposals for the 2015 AER-KC Assessment and Research Grant.  The grant will be awarded to current NASPA members at the 2015 Assessment and Persistence Conference.  The maximum award for the grant is $500.  The AER-KC is looking for proposals that support the KC's mission:
"The NASPA Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge Community encourages and supports student affairs professionals, faculty and graduate students at institutions across the county and throughout the world as they systematically assess learning, evaluate programs, and research theory and practice as it relates to our profession. By providing quality education and networking opportunities for those that engage in assessment, evaluation and research in student affairs, the Knowledge Community strives to serve as a driving force in the movement towards improved student learning."
 
Grant applications should include the following:
 
1.      A cover page identifying:
  • Research proposal title
  • Investigators' names & NASPA membership numbers (at least one member of the research team is required to be a NASPA member)
  • Address
  • Institution
  • Telephone number
  • Email address
  • A statement indicating - "I agree to acknowledge NASPA AER-KC funding support in all phases of research; I will not use any portion of the project for commercial purposes (i.e., selling an instrument for profit); I will deposit the grant funds into an institutional account; and I will provide NASPA AER-KC National Co-Chairs with a written summary of my findings and a detailed account of how the funds were expended no later than 18 months after the receipt of this grant."
2.      A description of the research proposals (limited to 5 pages, double spaced) including:
  • Statement of the purpose of the research
  • Brief description of literature review addressing the question of why this research is important
  • Description of the methodology including:
    • Description of the population being studied
    • Description of any instrument(s) to be used in the study, including validation procedures as applicable
    • Description of the procedure and proposed analysis
    • Description of the audience for whom the research would be of interest
  • An indication of how the results will be disseminated to the NASPA membership
  • Description of the credentials of the researchers
  • Detailed budget showing how the requested funds will be used with a description of the level of support requested or received from other sources
 Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:
  • Connection to the mission of the AER-KC
  • Relevance to the field of assessment and research
  • Research Design
  • Proposed Budget
Please address questions regarding the NASPA AER-KC Assessment Grant and submit proposals directly to Dametraus Jaggers, NASPA AER-KC Grant Committee Chair, at[email protected].
Proposals are due Friday, May 29, 2015
 
Respectfully,
Dametraus
Theory to Practice: JOBS!
Recent Dissertations

McKenzie, Brenda. (2015, May). Leadership identity development in traditional-aged female undergraduate college students: A grounded theory.  The Dissertation was directed by Dr. Iverson.

Scherger, Stephen. (2015, May). Challenges to the understanding of God among traditional age college students of monotheistic faiths: A phenomenological study.  The Dissertation was directed by Dr. Iverson.
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HIED FACULTY

 

Dr. Paul Gaston

Professor and Former Provost, KSU

[email protected] 

213 Moulton 330-672-6003

 

Dr. Susan Iverson

Associate Professor

[email protected]

411 White Hall 330-672-0653

 

Dr. Mark Kretovics

Associate Professor

[email protected] 

411 White Hall 330-672-0642

 

Dr. Tracy Lara

Associate Professor

[email protected] 

411 White Hall 330-672-0626

 

Dr. Martha Merrill

Associate Professor

[email protected] 

411 White Hall 330-672-0646

 

Dr. Stephen Thomas

Professor

[email protected] 

401 White Hall 330-672-0654

 

Dr. Beverly Warren

Professor and President, KSU

[email protected]

Executive Offices 2nd Floor of the Library 

330-672-2210

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