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Exploratory students receive unparalleled support through the Flash Connections program. Flash Connections are enhanced sections of the Exploratory First Year Experience course that include an exclusive out-of-class and overnight experience either before the start of the semester or during the semester. Students are supported by a collaboration of the college and campus partners including Community Engagement Learning, Career Exploration and Development, Student Success Programs, University College Dean’s Office, the Department of Recreation Services and more!

Exploratory Program students are given amazing opportunities via the Flash Connections Program which has been recognized as a NASPA Excellence Award - Gold recipient. Students participating in Flash Connections have the opportunity to create a sense of belonging and purposeful learning around career exploration, community engagement, and personal development.

Kent State Flash Connections program is recognized for the support students receive in innovative learning through the assessment, enhancement of student life on campus through collaboration, adaptability at other institutions, and more! It is the cross-campus collaboration that has been instrumental to the success of the Flash Connections program. The Innovative Program Award is presented to an outstanding innovative program within the Region IV-East.

Congratulations to Julie Paskiet as she receives The Marshall Award from the American Association for Employment in Education. AAEE provides resources and networking opportunities for students, employers, and career services professionals in the field of education. 

Melanie Jones attended and presented at the NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education (SSHE), which convened June 26-29 in Baltimore, MD. Attendance at the conference was part of the First-Gen Forward designation program, which Kent State earned in 2020.

Congratulations to Melanie Jones, Director of Academic Diversity Outreach. She was recently accepted into the NASPA Ujima Institute. Melanie had to complete a competitive application process for this Institute. Congratulations, Melanie!

Nicole Kotlan was invited to be a reviewer for NASPA Excellence Awards.  In this role, Nicole will serve on the committee reviewing applications for Academic Advising, Careers, Graduate, Professional, and related category and Assessment, Persistence, Data Analytics, and related category to review.  As a reviewer, Nicole will be charged strategically evaluating award applications and thoughtfully selecting innovative and exemplary programs.

Nicole Kotlan has been invited to be a reviewer for a national publication, The Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship. Nicole Kotlan has been invited to be a reviewer for a national publication, The Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship.

Nicole Kotlan has been selected as a Team Lead for the review of Academic Advising Approaches: Strategies That Teach Students to Make the Most of College (2013) by NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising. Nicole is one of a group of Team Leads for the comprehensive review of this book to determine whether or not a new edition and/or new content is needed.

CommUNITY Lab is a new four-year cohort program coordinated through Community Engaged Learning that offers scholars a network of care and resources while removing financial, academic, and personal barriers to success. Participants reside in a Living-Learning Community located in Lake Hall on the Kent Campus where they learn through specially selected courses, plug into campus resources and co-create individualized achievement plans with their support networks.