The 91²Ö¿â Board of Trustees welcomed the Class of 2028 during its regular quarterly meeting held Sept. 18 in Crawford Hall, the new home of the university’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship that recently opened for fall semester classes. The Board congratulated the university administration for this year’s strong enrollment. 91²Ö¿â marks the highest freshman class enrollment on the Kent Campus (4,304 students) since 2019, returning to pre-pandemic levels, and its eighth-largest freshman class ever.
91²Ö¿â received a record number of applications (more than 28,000) this year. Applications increased 9% over last year and 17% compared to two years ago.
This year’s freshman class on the Kent Campus is the most diverse in the university’s 114-year history and boasts an average high school GPA of 3.61. Among the freshman class, 34% of the students are first-generation college students and 21% are underrepresented, which includes African American, Hispanic, Native American and multiracial students. Nearly 80% of the freshman students are from Ohio, and 4% of the students are international.
91²Ö¿â’s retention rate of returning first-year students to the Kent Campus increased to 82.0%, the highest retention rate the university has experienced since 2015 and the second-highest retention rate ever. 91²Ö¿â’s Regional Campuses saw a 20.6% increase in transfer students, much of this due to the closure of Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville and Youngstown, Ohio. Enrollment in 91²Ö¿â’s College Credit Plus program continues to grow with more than 3,600 students choosing 91²Ö¿â to start taking college courses, up 10.4% from last year.
Enrollment for the fall semester is 34,012 for 91²Ö¿â’s eight-campus system, a 1.4% increase compared to last year, and 25,530 for the Kent Campus alone. Altogether, the university’s current enrollment boasts students from 49 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and 102 countries.
Board Approves Planetarium Naming, Hears Other Naming Actions
In recognition of the generosity and commitment of Mark V. Bloom, Ph.D., for his gift of $140,000 to support improvements and upgrades for the university’s planetarium, the Board approved naming the planetarium located in Smith Hall the Dr. Mark V. Bloom Planetarium. Bloom earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1977 from 91²Ö¿â. He later earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Biology and led a distinguished career in the field of science education, earning national and international recognition through his work for Biological Sciences Curriculum Study. The upgrades provided by Bloom’s gift will enhance the planetarium’s traditional presentations in astronomy and astrophysics and improve it to present content for aeronautical engineering, art, health sciences and architecture, strengthening the Department of Physics’ ability to engage an even larger segment of people in the community. The Board expressed sincere appreciation to Bloom for his generosity.
The Board also heard two naming actions that have been approved by the university president, who has the Board’s delegated authority to approve philanthropic naming opportunities with a total value or cost under $100,000. Both naming actions will recognize donors who gave in support of renovations and capital improvements to the 91²Ö¿â Museum in Rockwell Hall.
The Dr. Linda L. McDonald Office of the Curator recognizes a $50,000 gift from Linda L. McDonald, Ph.D., a two-time graduate of 91²Ö¿â. She is a strong advocate for and member of the 91²Ö¿â Museum and has supported several museum initiatives. In addition, the Linda Harper Elevator recognizes a $50,000 gift from Linda Harper, a passionate supporter and member of the 91²Ö¿â Museum, where she has supported museum exhibitions and other initiatives.
Board Approves Roof Replacement Project for Kent Student Center
The Board approved a replacement roofing assembly for the high roof section of the Kent Student Center that is out of warranty and has sustained considerable damage. The new roof assembly will provide a minimum 20-year warranty on this section of the high roof area over the ballroom, offices and executive sections of the building after it was permanently damaged by severe weather and high wind events.
The project cost is estimated to not exceed $5.4 million and will be funded by approximately $928,139 in property insurance claims proceeds with the remaining project cost funded by Kent Student Center renewal and replacement funds. Construction will begin in summer 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year.
Board Praises President Diacon in Annual Review
Board members commended 91²Ö¿â President Todd Diacon for his outstanding, steady leadership. This is Diacon’s fifth review as university president. He began serving as 91²Ö¿â’s 13th president on July 1, 2019.
In reviewing Diacon’s 2023-2024 goals and accomplishments, the Board recognized 91²Ö¿â’s impressive progress in student success and affordability, academic and research programs, community impact, fundraising and stewardship of organizational resources.
The Board has determined that Diacon has earned the full amount of the annual performance incentive in his employment agreement effective April 29, 2019, and that his employment shall continue as previously authorized by the Board with a 2% increase in base salary for the 2024-2025 year. 
Among other Board actions:
- The Board confirmed the conferral of a total of 5,359 degrees from spring 2024 on those 91²Ö¿â students who have been officially recorded by the University Registrar as having completed the requirements of their respective programs of study during the period of Dec. 17, 2023, to May 12, 2024.
- The Board approved a 1.5% adjustment to the pay structure for unrepresented classified civil service staff, unclassified administrative and professional exempt staff and unclassified nonexempt staff not represented in a bargaining unit for Fiscal Year 2025. The pay structures associated with the compensation plans are reviewed and amended periodically to reflect changes in economic and market conditions. The structure adjustments are effective with the pay period that includes Oct. 1, 2024.
- The Board ratified the amendment of approval of vendor selection for athletics medical services and sponsorship for 91²Ö¿â with a commencement date of June 30, 2024, instead of July 1, 2024, as originally authorized by the Board at its May 2024 meeting. The multiyear agreement with Cleveland Clinic was successfully executed on June 28, 2024.
- The Board approved the second phase of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) project and classroom improvements at White Hall, home of the College of Education, Health and Human Services on the Kent Campus. The HVAC systems on floors three, four and five of White Hall are original to the building’s 1966 construction and in need of replacement. The project also will address renovations to classrooms. The total cost of the phase in the project is $10 million, which is available from the university’s state of Ohio capital appropriations from House Bill 2.
- The Board approved tower renovations and elevator modernization at the University Library on the Kent Campus. The University Library’s elevators are original to its 1960s construction, inefficient and increasingly difficult to repair in a consistent manner. The project will be phased to allow continuous occupancy within the library. The total cost of this phase in the project is $6 million, which is available from the university’s state of Ohio capital appropriations from House Bill 2.
- The Board approved elevator modernizations for accessibility on the Kent Campus. Many of the Kent Campus academic buildings still have elevators original to their construction that are beyond the useful service life and do not fully comply with code, life safety and local fire jurisdictions. The elevator modernization project will be phased with a focus on summer construction to allow continuous occupancy with minimal disruption to building operations and accessibility. The total cost of this phase in the project is $4 million, which is available from the university’s state of Ohio capital appropriations from House Bill 2.
- The Board approved information technology network access enhancements in academic buildings. The university’s network is aging and in need of updates to ensure reliability and keeping pace with demands for educational purposes. In addition, as global instability has increased the likelihood of cyberattacks, updated network infrastructure, monitoring and security measures are necessary. The total cost of the project is $3,588,474, which is available from the university’s state of Ohio capital appropriations from House Bill 2.
- The Board approved the replacement of a central chiller plant on the Stark Campus. The existing chiller plant, which provides cooling for six campus buildings, is more than 20 years old and past its useful life. The new chiller plant will improve energy efficiency and savings through deferred maintenance improvements and a new controls system. The total cost of this phase in the project is $1,452,392, which is available from both the university’s state of Ohio capital appropriations from House Bill 2 for $652,392 and $800,000 from local funds.
- The Board authorized the sale of 9.782 acres of vacant land located on Carpenter Road in Ashtabula, Ohio, for $42,000, an amount equal to the most recent appraisal value of the acreage. The land has been identified as part of the surplus real estate assets by the university that are available for disposition.
- The Board authorized university officials to continue participation in the Local Administration Certification Program for capital facilities projects and agreed to all of the program stipulations. The program allows institutions of higher education to administer state-funded capital facilities projects pursuant to Section 3345.51 of the Ohio Revised Code without the supervision, control or approval of the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. 91²Ö¿â has participated in the program for the past 18 years and has maintained certification from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission in all bienniums, allowing the institution to manage state of Ohio-funded construction improvements on the Kent and Regional campuses. At 91²Ö¿â, the Office of the University Architect is responsible for the local administration of projects, and its staff is certified by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
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Photo Caption:
91²Ö¿â students who make up the Class of 2028 pose for a group photo forming a K on Manchester Field, an annual tradition following Convocation.
Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595