Creators of a new university-level initiative presented One Stop Student Services at the Faculty Senate meeting Monday.

This advising service combines the registrar, bursar, financial aid and financial wellness in order to make the resources more accessible to students rather than students going to these individual services. This will not replace academic advising, said Jameka Peake, the associate director of One Stop.

“(This is a) huge tool for our students,” Iris Mirelez, the director of One Stop, said.

This service includes an in-person and virtual service. Students can join a cue through text, phone call, the website or by waiting in person to talk to One Stop counselors. Virtual advising will come later.

The mission statement of One Stop Student Services is as follows: “Kent State University’s One Stop for Student Services is a ‘Student First’ initiative. The One Stop counselors provide holistic advising for registration and student records, financial aid, billing and payments and financial wellness. Innovative methods are practiced to ensure high quality student service in a welcoming environment.”

A Flashline announcement will be sent to students about the service later this week, according to Associate Provost Mandy Munro-Stasiuk. One Stop will open June 5 on the first floor of the University Library along with Destination Kent State and will remain open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Faculty Senate also discussed the possibility of establishing a two-day fall break in the eighth week of the fall semester. The Senate voted to return this proposal to committee, meaning the plans need further discussion before returning to the Senate in the future.

The idea stemmed from multiple reasons, one being the spike in the use of health services in the months of September and October; however, some senators pointed out these numbers aren’t all for mental health services, and this spike may also be due to other factors, such as midterms.

Some senators oppose, while others are in favor of a fall break, making note of both the desire for an extra break and the rush professors currently face to complete required curriculum.

Senators proposed different solutions to make this break work — adding an extra week to the school year, taking either from the summer or winter break, picking which days of the week to implement the short break — Monday and Friday or Thursday and Friday — or simply extending Thanksgiving break to a full week.

The Senate did pass the motion to make the Wednesday before Thanksgiving a full day off from school as opposed to a half day. This motion has to go through other committees before it is implemented for Fall 2017.

The Senate also conducted an election of officers.

While George Garrison, a senator and Pan-African Studies professor, did run against current Chair Deborah Smith, he urged the Senate to vote for Smith during his pre-election speech.

“I encourage all of you who had planned to vote for me to cast your votes for our current president … as I intend to do myself,” Garrison said.

The Senate re-elected Smith, Vice-Chair Kathryn Wilson and Secretary Kathryn Kerns for the following school year. Edward Dauterich will be the at-large, replacing current At-Large Tracy Laux, who was not up for re-election.

“I am honored to serve,” Smith said following the results.

The next Faculty Senate meeting is Monday, May 8.

Megan Ayscue is an administration reporter, contact her at [email protected].