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Dear Golden Flashes Family –

First and foremost, my hope is that this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. During these unprecedented times, Kent State’s administration has been working tirelessly to protect our entire Golden Flash community. With eight campuses, hundreds of study abroad programs, and wide array of community-based internships and clinicals, there have been many details to manage. But, without hesitation, every decision we’ve made has been to protect the health of our students and employees. As you know, at Kent State, Flashes take care of Flashes.

In that spirit, I write to you today with an opportunity to help us support our students who are unexpectedly finding themselves in financial need as the result of the pandemic. Along with the uncertainty we are all facing, students and families are dealing with unexpected costs including travel, food and housing, technology needs and, in some cases, lost wages of the student and parents. A gift to the Pay it Flash Forward Emergency Fund will help our most vulnerable students stay on track for graduation.

Across our campuses, we are doing everything in our control to offer a safe and productive path for our students to successfully complete their semester. We ceased face-to-face classes on the evening of March 10 and were able to transfer 9,279 courses to remote instruction by March 16. Though our faculty and staff have been working remotely since March 16, the services offered to our students have remained robust, proactive and flexible. We’ve hosted Facebook Live Q&A sessions, maintained our One Stop for Student Services, now called the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center to answer student and family questions, and moved 6,400 students out of the residence halls in less than two weeks, with refunds coming soon.

In addition to caring for our students and employees, Golden Flashes have been helping the communities we serve as well. Several of our Nursing and Allied Health programs, as well as faculty in the College of Public Health, have provided campus lab supplies, biosafety suits and protective equipment to local hospitals during this time of need. Our food pantries have offered meals to neighbors in need. And though our College of Podiatric Medicine has also moved to remote instruction, as future medical professionals, students are participating in this public health crisis in ways that benefit their medical education and the world around them.

I can proudly say that this community has pulled together in nearly every way possible to ensure that our talented and diligent students can stay healthy as well as on track to earn their degrees. Though we must delay commencement this year, rest assured, those eligible to graduate will earn their diplomas. Students will have earned the accolades coming their way, and I look forward to congratulating them in person at a future date.

Finally, I want to acknowledge our Kent State alumni around the world who are serving on the front lines of this global crisis. From health care professionals and first responders, to retailers and grocers, to media professionals and more, Golden Flashes are making this world better in meaningful ways. Please know how proud we are of your service.

On behalf of everyone across our Kent State campuses, I wish you safety, health and some moments of peace.

#FlashesForever

Todd Diacon
President