New programs, projects upcoming at KSU Tuscarawas
A concrete path along Trustees Boulevard will carry the community and campus trail toward East High Avenue.
The campus may be empty of students and most staff, but officials at Kent State University at Tuscarawas are definitely not at a standstill. Dean Brad Bielski, who is working from home at this time, said the organization is developing some new projects and programs while adjusting to the environment we all find ourselves in.
In particular many in the business community in New Philadelphia are looking forward to the positive change that will occur when dorms are added at the campus.
“We are still continuing with long-range planning even though things are kind of on pause right now from a building standpoint,” Bielski said. “We wanted to start on that at some point this year. Given where we are right now, we may have to push that back a little bit. It is still something we are still absolutely committed to.”
Dorm placement in multiple locations will be considered. Possible sites could be near the front entrance to the campus, closer to the academic buildings or at a site across from the campus on University Drive.
“We haven’t made that hard decision yet. Our board would decide at the appropriate time where those facilities belong,” Bielski said.
One of the most exciting things for 2020 will be a greater opportunity for learning.
“We’ve got some new, exciting academic programs that we are anticipating being able to market in the fall semester,” Bielski said.
Unfortunately Bielski is unable to release more information until these are officially approved, but it is definitely good news for people who want to get a great education close to home.
There are currently 27 degrees students can obtain at KSU Tuscarawas, or they may attend the first year or two and then transfer to a school that offers the degree they desire.
“Our tuition is only $6,000 a year,” Bielski said. “You’re not going to find higher value for your dollar, especially now in a time when a lot of folks are uncertain about their income or the future. We think that being at the Kent State Tuscarawas is a really wise option.”
The community and campus trail project is still on track. About one-third of the trail was completed in 2019, and they plan to complete another third this year. The trail will be dedicated at a later date to John R. Demuth for his 40 years of service to the Tuscarawas County University Foundation.
“The plan is long-term to do the entire loop around the entire campus, and that continues to move forward,” Bielski said. “We are planning to do that phase two in the spring. Probably within the next month or two, that should get completed.”
Planning for the 2020-21 season at the Performing Arts Center continues too. “We already have a number of acts under contract, or we have dates and times set up for them,” Bielski said.
The scheduled date for a graduation ceremony for students at the campus has been put on hold indefinitely.
“The students are actually going to graduate in May. That isn’t going to change. Anyone who is eligible for graduation will still receive their degree; they’ll just get it in the mail,” Bielski said.
Bielski made a promise to the students that they will have the opportunity to walk across the stage at the Performing Arts Center at some point.
“It may be in the summer; it may be in the fall. We just don’t know yet,” Bielski said. “It’s a memory that stays with people the rest of their lives, and we want to give our students that opportunity at the appropriate time. I don’t know every student that walks across the stage, but I certainly know a lot of them, and it’s a real honor to be able to present them with their degree, shake their hand and see the smiles and sometimes even the tears of joy on their faces."
The coronavirus crisis has forced everyone to redesign how they accomplish their goals.
Bielski commended his faculty, staff and particularly those that are in instructional design and technology and work services for their efforts. The team helped transition the 80 percent of their courses that were not online to remote teaching in only 72 hours.
“Our faculty are teaching their classes remotely, students are taking them remotely and we’ve even adjusted many of our business processes to be remote as well,” Bielski said. “I meet with my cabinet every day via a product called Microsoft Teams. We communicate well that way. We continue to have the other group meetings via that same product, and it seems to be working well.”
The campus is helping the community as much as possible.
“We have donated all of our current PPE to local health-care organizations,” Bielski said. “There are several of our staff and student workers who have taken the 3-D printers on campus home with them for now, and they are printing face shields that can be use by health-care workers.”
Their efforts are producing 20-30 at a time, and they are providing them at no cost while supplies last.
As we are all finding out, there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction.
“Many of our faculty and many of our students are anxious to get back to campus. There’s no question about that,” Bielski said.