The Kent Stater - Feb. 15, 2017

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BEYOND the BORDER An immigrant returns to his Mexican roots

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@kentwired KentWired.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Kent campus experiences slight drop in enrollment

962 points

471

rebounds

Taylor Robinson Recruiting and Retention Reporter Kent State released 15th Day Enrollment Statistics for Spring 2017, which showed a small drop in undergraduate enrollment compared to Spring 2016 at the Kent campus. Currently, 22,175 undergraduate students are enrolled on Kent campus, which decreased from 22,255 students last spring. Freshman, sophomore and junior classes all decreased in size, while the senior class posted a 3.38 percent gain, according to statistics. “Our enrollment remains strong and healthy across all areas of the student body, and it’s not unusual to see a slight drop in spring numbers from fall to spring," Eric Mansfield, executive director of University Media Relations, wrote via email. "As the economy increases, many non-traditional students will return to the work force and delay completing their education for the time being,” The university established specific goals for retention and aims at a first-year retention rate of 85 percent by 2020. It also aims for a six-year graduation rate of 65 percent before freshman begin in Fall 2020, according to the university's website.

Spring 2016

22,255 undergraduate students

104 assists 93 games 3

NCAA seasons

When he first missed out on a chance to play basketball at Kent State, Chris Evans knew he had to find a way back. Now, Evans is in his first year with the Canton Charge and hasn’t looked back. Photo courtesy of Kent State Athletics

Former Flash excelling in D-League Nick Buzzelli Sports Reporter

The day before he was set to open the 2016-17 season on the road in a 5,000 seat multipurpose arena in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, suburb of Walker, Chris Evans was inside the gymnasium of the Edgewood Community Center – a church/recreation center combo serving North Canton – working on his midrange game with his team’s assistant coach, Melvin Ely, on one of the facility’s six ceiling-mounted basketball hoops. Although the final Canton Charge preseason practice was all but over, Evans – whose charcoal, long-sleeved shirt was dripping with sweat – opted to stay on the court a little longer,

shooting jumper after jumper. At the same time, Ely, a former NBA center three years removed from suiting up for the New Orleans Pelicans, fed him rebound after rebound, creating a continuous cycle of 20-foot shots – some makes, some misses. Eventually, though, when Evans wrapped up his shooting routine, he grabbed his team-issued warmup gear from Michael Clark, the Charge’s manager of community relations and communications who sometimes doubles as the equipment staff when needed, and began to prepare for the five-hour bus ride departing the practice facility later that afternoon. While it may not have been ideal for Evans and his teammates to

drive 340 miles, play one game and turn around and come back shortly after the final whistle, it was the reality of life in the D-League, a 22-team conglomerate that began in 2001 with the aim of becoming the only true professional farm system for the NBA. Here, players are paid based on skill level, with the least experienced taking home a modest $19,500 for a 50-game regular season schedule and the D-League’s elite raking in $26,000 for five months of work, a sliver of the roughly $5.2 million that is the average compensation for a player on an NBA roster. If there’s one thing everyone who compete in this league is hoping for, though, it’s an opportunity to impress

Faculty Senate 22,175 talks sanctuary undergraduate campus updates

Along with the slight drop in overall Kent campus enrollment, retention rates for multiple colleges also dropped. The University College decreased in enrollment by 8.20 percent, according to the statistics. The University College has several advising strategies implemented for those students enrolled as an exploratory major to help them find their future careers and declare a major. Students pick an area of interest when they apply to Kent State as exploratory and their First Year Experience class is coordinated with a Kent Core class to align with their area of interest, Nicole Kotlan, director of the Exploratory Advising Center, said. “Exploratory majors also create an Action Plan, which they can update on their own online or when they meet with their Academic Advisor in the Exploratory Advising Center," Kotlan said. "Students create their Action Plan with their academic advisor in their first advising appointment in the fall semester and update it during their semester advising appointment on-going until they declare." The College of Public Health also decreased by 6.24 percent in enrollment. “For the most recent data, the first time, full-time Kent campus freshmen denominator was 34 students in the College of Public Health. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, four of our students did not return,” Sonia Alemagno, dean of the College of Public Health, wrote via email. Jennifer Miller, assistant dean of the College of Public Health, and the advising staff reached out to those students via email and phone, Alemagno wrote.

SEE ENROLLMENT / PAGE 2

Megan Ayscue Administrative Reporter The future of Kent State as a sanctuary campus is uncertain. At the Faculty Senate meeting Monday evening, Kent State President Beverly Warren spoke of the university’s current social environment and its resolve to remain vigilant in light of the current political climate. A petition was created by the Student Power Coalition to make Kent State a sanctuary campus, garnering over 600 signatures. The petition was in response to President Donald Trump's executive order on Jan. 27, which banned citizens from seven countries to enter the United States. The order has since been overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court. “We have long been that sanctuary of support,” Warren said.

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I have said I am willing to go to jail for our cause.”

Kent State President Beverly Warren

However, Warren isn’t convinced that becoming a “sanctuary campus” is in the best interest of the university, due to safety reasons and protecting students. Warren referred to the President of Harvard Drew Faust’s stance on sanctuary campuses: The act of naming Kent State a sanctuary campus could bring unnecessary attention and safety problems of its own, Warren said. “The sanctuary status … does not come with any legal status, and there’s no law of additional protection that a campus receives by declaring itself a sanctuary,” Warren said. In response to the petition, the administration collaborated and came up with a draft of a pledge: Kent State United. The Kent State United pledge reiterates the notions that Kent State is an environment for

SEE EVANS / PAGE 6

Kasich proposes Ohio tuition freeze extension

Spring 2017

students

their parent club’s general manager and receive a shot at the next level. But the odds of getting called up aren’t ideal. At the start of the 201617 season, only 135 rostered NBA players – or roughly 30 percent – had prior D-League experience. However, the prospect of an opportunity is why players like Quinn Cook – the guard who captained Duke to the 2015 NCAA Tournament title, Jon Horford – a former University of Michigan forward, who was a Milwaukee Bucks signee for three weeks before being waived, and Evans were willing to play back-to-back games less than 24 hours apart.

Cameron Gorman Senior Reporter

“freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas” and non-discrimination statements. The pledge mentions the public statements of support Kent State has joined in the past, including the city of Akron’s “Open Letter in Support of Our New American Neighbors.” It also addresses resources available for students, such as pro bono legal services for students covered through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Executive Order (DACA), University Stewards and psychological services, such as the International Student Success support group. Warren plans to meet with student organizations, including Undergraduate Student Government, later this week to discuss the sanctuary campus petition and the draft of the Kent State United pledge. Warren also mentioned there are parts of the petition she does not believe are in the best interests of the campus, including the urge for the university to refuse to “honor or recognize federal, state, or regional laws, statutes or regulations.” “Breaking the law is among one of the least effective ways to protect our students and affect change,” Warren said. “It’s simply an unacceptable strategy to suggest that a state university, or any university for that matter, should refuse to comply with the law as a statement of solidarity.”

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has proposed a tuition freeze for all public institutions of higher education — one that would continue the current tuition freeze in place at Kent State under Ohio’s current budget bill. “The cost of higher education has been a concern of the governor from the very beginning,” said Chancellor of The Ohio Department of Education John Carey. “He’s worked with all the presidents, including (Kent State) President (Beverly) Warren, in order to try to reduce costs to students.” The freeze will prevent the school from raising the cost of tuition for students — “freezing” it in place — and is part of Kasich’s proposed 860-page budget recommendations, which would be enacted during the 2018-19 fiscal year. The budget would allow community colleges in Ohio to award students with applied bachelor’s degrees, provide additional funding to make college more affordable and other educational benefits. “On average, our tuition in Ohio was higher, so by the tuition freeze, it brings us closer to the national average,” Carey said. “I think from the most recent report that I saw ... Ohio’s university tuition (is) about 6 percent higher on average than its counterparts nationally.” The current undergraduate tuition cost at Kent State for Ohioans is $10,012 each year and has been frozen since the 2016 fiscal year. Educational and general expenditures, however, increased $14.6 million on Kent State’s main campus from 2015-16. “The tuition freeze will hold revenues flat while costs rise due to inflation,” said Lisa Reifsnyder, senior associate vice president of finance and administration. “Even with the efficiency measures that the university has enacted, the extension of the tuition freeze will create a challenging budget environment.”

SEE SANCTUARY / PAGE 2

SEE TUITION / PAGE 2

Photo courtesy of Kent State Univeristy


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