Bev’s Accomplishments
PHOTOS BY
Chris Spegal & Nate Manley / The Kent Stater
1. KENT STATE’S HEALTHY CAMPUS
Words by Shelbie Goulding
Thanks to Beverly Warren’s ambition in launching a series of wellness initiatives, Kent State received the prestigious 2018 Healthy Campus Award for being one of the healthiest universities in the nation. “We know that the habits formed during the college years often travel with our graduates when they leave the university and shape their quality of life for years to come,” Warren says in a prepared statement. “To assist students in making healthy choices, both on and off campus, we have strategically enhanced our wellness initiatives to include the creation of innovative programs and the expansion of services supporting overall health and well-being.” One initiative included creating a smoke-free, tobaccofree university in July 2017. Warren envisioned a campus providing safe and healthy learning, and clearing the air helped initiate a more productive and comforting environment for students, faculty and staff.
After five years, President Beverly Warren is leaving Kent State in July. In an email to staff and students in October, Warren states she wants to “shift [her] focus to family and personal considerations,” a decision she says was difficult to make. The Burr would like to take this space to recognize Warren’s accomplishments since she came to Kent State from Virginia Commonwealth University. There are a plethora of things Warren has done during her presidency we simply cannot fit in this space, but these are five accomplishments we know will live on after she leaves.
2. KENT STATE RANKS AMONG THE TOP 100 PUBLIC COLLEGES IN THE U.S.
Words by Molly Spillman
Kent State has landed a spot in the top 100 public schools in the U.S. News and World Report ranking for 2019, WKYC reported in September 2018. Under Warren’s leadership, Kent State has soared into its highest collegiate ranking in years. In the 2017 fiscal year, Kent State reported it’s highest fundraising record to date with over 20,000
alumni supporting and $11.4 million dollars in private support. “Across all of our campuses, we’re focused on providing opportunities and experiences that develop the whole student in order to create graduates who are poised to change the world,” Warren says in an October 2017 press release from Kent State. This financial support and these rankings earned under Bev’s tenure speak to Kent State’s accomplishments, as well as Warren’s superior leadership and ability to bring the Kent State community together. “We are a truly distinctive university, not only because of what we have accomplished, but for our deep commitment to working together under the common causes of learning, discovering purpose and creating positive change in the world,” Warren says in a September 2018 press release.
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