The Faculty Senate approved a proposal Monday to revise admission requirements for incoming freshmen to the university’s main campus and for deferred students at regional campuses who wish to enroll at the Kent State’s main campus

The admissions office proposed the revision in order to better shape freshmen classes and attract the best possible academic students. The senate revised the previous policy because it included minimum grade point averages, which limited attracting top academic students to the university, according to the Kent State admissions office. The revision does not require students to have a certain minimum GPA or ACT test score in order to be admitted to Kent State.  

Greg Jarvie, vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, said the revision was proposed in order to better the university’s academic profile. The revision will be effective fall 2014.

“We are looking to better ourselves with GPA and test scores by not having them in [the admission policy],” Jarvie said.  “This is the direction across the nation that selective institutions are going towards.”

Todd Diacon, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said the revision was made in order to increase diversity in freshmen classes.

“The advantage of the language [in the admissions policy] without having specific numbers gives us maximum flexibility,” Diacon said.  “We do not want to abandon a historic mission of teaching first generation college students and other categories of success that might not be measured in simple GPA or ACT scores.”

Rick Feinberg, faculty senate member and professor in the Department of Anthropology, supported the admission revisions.

“Our objective is to bring in the strongest possible students and the best possible mix of students,” Feinberg said.  “We are willing to take the risk that students will blossom in the context of our campus.”

The senate also elected Lee Fox-Cardamone, an associate professor of psychology at the Stark campus, as the next senate chair. Cardamone will replace computer science professor Paul Farrell as chair of the senate. Deborah Smith, an associate professor of philosophy, was elected to the vice-chair position.

The senate also approved a proposal to rename the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology. It will now be known as the College of Aeronautics, Applied Engineering and Construction Management.  This revision will be effective fall 2014.    

Provost Diacon said renaming the college was necessary because its previous name did not reflect the total makeup of the college.

“By changing the name to the one that is proposed, that captures one hundred percent what that college does,” Diacon said.  “We just think this is a better representation for students and parents of what it is that we actually provide in that college.”

The senate’s next meeting will take place May 12 at 3:20 p.m. in the Governance Chambers in the Student Center.

Contact Nicholas Sewell at [email protected].