The
Kent Stater
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
High: 56 Low: 31
@kentwired KentWired.com
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016
More students, more problems: Kent State lacks funds to hire more advisers
568 to ONE
Amani Williams / The Kent Stater Students stand around the bonfire held after the official announcement of Kent State's rebranding on Monday Feb. 1, 2016. The university signed a $2.3 million contract to rebrand itself.
New branding campaign draws student support Sierra Allen Student Life Reporter
In the College of Arts and Sciences, the ratio of students to advisers is 568 to one.
Actual Student/ adviser ratio
Alyssa Ronyak Regionals Reporter Denise A. Seachrist was named the new dean of Kent State Stark campus on Feb. 1. Seachrist's history with the university goes back nearly 30 years. During that time, she has been associated with both the regional campuses and the main campus. Originally from Rootstown, Ohio, Seachrist earned her Ph.D. in musicology-ethnomusicology from Kent State in 1987. “I’ve been at Kent for a long time, as a student, as a faculty member and as an administrator,” said Seachrist. As a late add-in candidate dur-
U
s
KS
die tu
rgr a
du
ate S
nc
es
ts
sallen38@kent.edu
Un
de
Dig
ita
lS
cie
Ar
lth
He a
ng rsi
Pu b
lic
CC I
Nu
ED EH an HS d Bu Scien sin c ess es Ad mi n Ar
ts
CA
T
Ideal Student/ adviser ratio (300 to 1)
Seachrist selected as dean of KSU Stark
Photo courtesy of Kent State at Stark
would be in the situation.” Graham thinks there might be more to the problem. “Last semester, when I spoke with (my adviser) about the issue, I could tell she was overwhelmed,” she said. “She was speeding me through. I was supposed to have a 30 minute block, but it ended up being 10. She seemed stressed and overworked to me.” Despite her bad experience, Graham still believes required advising is beneficial. “Honestly, even though there are time restraints, I think (required advising) is important,” Graham said. However, she emphasized that it has to be meaningful “because I have talked to many people and from what they said, they have been misled in one direction or another. They were just left to think they were fine and then are telling me now they have to add another semester.”
Kent Campus 2015-2016 Student/Adviser Ratio
ES
Lack of availability, unfamiliarity with their students and a constant turnover with personnel — Kent State students have a laundry list of complaints with advisers. Some colleges at Kent State dealt with limited budgets for their advising staff, according to Steven Antalvari, director of university advising. “When I went down to do my advising (at Kent campus) I was sent (to Stark campus),” junior political science major Courtney Suder said. When Suder got in touch with her former adviser, he told her that he was out on medical leave. "So for a month, I was going back and forth between Stark and the advising downstairs in Bowman (Hall) and got nowhere,” Suder said. Fortunately for Suder, she ran into a faculty adviser who was able to grant access for her to be able to take classes. But, in some aspects, it was too late. “I never ended up talking to the undergraduate adviser, so the whole thing seems pointless,” Suder said. “If you are going to mandate that we see an adviser, you need to make sure there are enough to go around.” Suder said her experience showed a major communication problem that exists with advising. “The whole thing is backwards and counterproductive because they are going to make people graduate later,” she said. “The classes I need may not be offered every semester.” Suder is not the only one who has had a bad experience with advising. Angela Graham, a sophomore early childhood education major, had a damaging experience with advising.
Graham planned on changing her major for quite some time to early childhood education, but until she did, she wanted to take classes that would not hurt her chances of graduating in four years. “The most important thing is graduating in four years,” Graham said. Like many students, she is paying for her own college, so graduating on time is a must. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication with her schedule. “Three out of the five classes meant nothing,” she said. Graham struggled to meet with her adviser to work through the anxieties and questions that she had about her new major and what she has to do to be on track. “(My adviser) was either busy or canceled on me,” she said. “If I wasn’t canceled on and got a chance to talk to her and had her be able to answer some of my questions, I don’t think I
CA
Ben Kindel Political Correspondent
Source: Kent State RPIE
Kent State students attended the unveiling of #UndeniablyKSU, the university’s new brand on Monday. A live band opened the celebrations before guest speakers from the faculty explained how Kent State has impacted their lives and what the university means to them. After the speeches, the audience was introduced to President Beverly Warren who declared how important Kent State is to her and disclosed the reasoning of the university’s new brand. “A brand is truly, simply telling our story insistently and telling it well ... it’s up to us to tell that genuine Kent State story ... Here, we will welcome you with open arms and push you out with an open mind,” Warren said. “When we tell our story effectively, good things happen. We attract talent to this great university. We want students (and) future students to see and feel what we know about our great university." Students at the event were supportive of the university’s new brand. “I feel Kent State is my home away from home honestly and I love the fact that President Warren is doing this rebranding," said senior hospitality manage-
ment major Darnell Griffiths. "I feel good about this ... new branding means new signage, new looks for Kent State.” “I was blown away by the whole (promotional) video," said Katherine Jacobs, a junior special education major. "It gave me chills and I’m so excited to see what the future brings us through Kent State and the new branding. Although some students couldn’t attend the new branding ceremony due to class or prior engagements, the message was still well received campus wide" Senior communication studies major Jowan Cole did not attend the launch event, but was excited about the new #UndeniablyKSU. “I think the branding of Kent State plays a really big role in how students, alumni and potential students might perceive it," Cole said. "If the branding is good and conveys who Kent State really is as a whole, then more people will be more adamant and get involved and do things with the university.” Following the ceremony in the ballroom, Kent State’s “Light The Night” bonfire was held on Manchester Field where students ate s’mores and received free t-shirts.
ing the search for a new dean, she won the community over. Seachrist is excited to serve her community as the permanent dean. “I was thrilled to have the opportunity to participate,” she said. Seachrist has the support of the Kent community said Todd Diacon, Kent State’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Chosen as the result of a national search, she brings an outstanding mix of external relations skills, administrative experience and scholarly accomplishments," Diacon said. "We value our Stark campus family and are happy that Denise has agreed to accept this important assignment.” With all the excitement of the newly affirmed dean, the decision for Seachrist wasn’t always an option when the search first started. She served as interim dean of Stark campus since July 2014, and applied for the job when the search first started. However, she wasn’t considered for the position until winter 2015. As dean, Seachrist is now responsible for the chief administrative offices and total oversight of the Stark campus. “I’m responsible for all the budgeting, academic programming, and running the campus," she said.
SEE STARK / PAGE 2
SEE ADVISER / PAGE 2
No shadow means early spring
Alex Ledet / The Kent Stater John Griffiths, a member of the Punxsutawny Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle presents Phil, a groundhog, to a crowd gathered at Gobler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. People gathered at the Knob to witness the goundhogs prognostication mark its 130th year on the Feb. 2, 2016. Punxsutawney Phil is believed to predict the weather for the rest of winter by seeing or not seeing his shadow upon being removed from his burrow. This year he did not see his shadow, thus predicting an early spring.
Nathan Shively / The Kent Stater Kent State President Beverly Warren speaks to a large crowd at the university rebranding event on Monday, February 1st in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The event unveiled Kent State’s new brand “Undeniably Kent State.”