Our Record of Innovation
23 national awards, four internationally certified programs, and nearly $10 million in grant funding in the last 9 years.
Designations Extramural FundingInternational Certifications
National Awards
鈥Innovative Program Award (2024)
CommUNITY Lab (Community Engaged Learning) is the recipient of the 2024 Innovative Program Award presented by Ohio College Personnel Association (OCPA).
NASPA Excellence Silver Award (2024)
CommUNITY Lab (Community Engaged Learning) is the 2024 Silver Award Winner for the NASPA Excellence Award for Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice, and related category.
NASPA Knowledge Community Collaboration Award (2024)
Community Engaged Learning (CEL) receives national award recognition from NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education). CommUNITY Lab is the 2024 recipient of the NASPA Orientation, Transitions, and Retention (OTR) Knowledge Community Collaboration Award!
John N. Gardner Institutional Excellence for Students in Transition Award (2023)
Career Navigation (Career Exploration and Development) is the recipient of the John N. Gardner Institutional Excellence for Students in Transition Award on behalf of the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.
Innovative Use of Technology Award (2023)
The Academic Success Center is the recipient of the Innovative Use of Technology Award from the National College Learning Centers Association. This annual award recognize the use of innovative technology solutions focused on student learning, improving student usage, increasing student engagement, and enhancing learning strategies.
Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award (2023)
Dean Pringle was nationally recognized for her advocacy for students and receiving the 2023 Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award, presented by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.
Read more about the award hereRegion IV-East Innovation Award (狈础厂笔础鈥2022)
Exploratory Program has been selected as the recipient of the NASPA Region IV-East Innovative Program Award, specifically, the Flash Connections program.
Advising Innovation
Award (狈础颁础顿础鈥2022)Exploratory Program selected as the winner of Global Award for the Major Action Plan: Start to Finish program for its innovative advising strategy.
Outstanding Advising Program Award (狈础颁础顿础鈥2022)
Exploratory Program selected as the winner of Global Award for the Flash Connections program for its innovative and exemplary practices.
Read Kent State Today article about the award hereExcellence Award 鈥 Gold (NASPA鈥2021-2022)
Exploratory Program selected as the Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, First-year, Other-year, Orientation, and related category Gold winner for the Flash Connections program for its innovative and exemplary practices.
Read Kent State Today article about the award hereInnovation in Advising Award (NACADA Region 5鈥2022)
Exploratory Program receives the award for the Flash Connections program for its 鈥渙utside-of-the-box鈥 innovative advising strategy.
Read Kent State Today article about the award here
Waste Reduction Efforts (Campus Race to Zero Waste鈥2021)
Campus Kitchen in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability has won the 2021 Campus Race to Zero Waste case study competition in the 鈥淪ummary of Waste Reduction Efforts鈥 category.
Innovation Program Award (NASPA Region IV-East鈥2021)
Exploratory Program selected as the winner for the Major Action Plan (MAP): Start to Finish program for its outstanding innovative program which furthers the growth of students and enhanced life on campus.
Tom Vandermeulen Award (2021)
Transfer Kent State receives the Tom Vandermeulen Award for contributions that have enhanced relationships among people of diverse cultures, ethic groups, first generation students, and students with special needs.
Outstanding Advising Program Award (NACADA鈥2021)
Exploratory Program selected as the winner of Global Award for the Major Action Plan (MAP) program for its innovative and exemplary practices.
Excellence Award 鈥 Bronze (NASPA鈥2020-2021)
Exploratory Program selected as the Academic Advising, Careers, Graduate Professional category bronze winner for the Major Action Plan (MAP) program for its innovative and exemplary practices.
Innovation in Advising Award (NACADA REGION 5鈥2021)
Exploratory Program receives the award for the Major Action Plan (MAP): Start to Finish program for its 鈥渙utside-of-the-box鈥 innovative advising strategy.
Degree Completion Finalist (APLU鈥2020)
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) selected 5X社区 as one of four finalists for the association鈥檚 Degree Completion Award (2020).
Read more about the Degree Completion Finalist Selection here
Institutional Excellence for Students in Transition Award (National Resource Center鈥2018)
Academic Diversity Outreach's Summer Advantage program - presented with the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition award.
Read more about the Institutional Excellence for Students in Transition Award here
Outstanding Advising Program Award (NACADA鈥2017)
Degree Completion receives the NACADA Annual Awards for Academic Advising, which honors individuals and institutions making significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising.
Frank L. Christ Outstanding Learning Center Award (NCLCA鈥2016)
The Academic Success Center receives award presented to Centers who demonstrate success as an interactive academic space for students to reinforce what they learn in the classroom. The award focuses on the use of technology and if it can be used as a model for other institutions.
Institutional Excellence for Students in Transition Award (National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition鈥2015)
Exploratory Program received this award for the Exploration Plan for designing and implementing the outstanding collaborative initiative, enhancing the Exploratory students' transition to a declared major.
Read more about the Institutional Excellence for Students in Transition Award here
Model of Excellence (University Business Magazine鈥2015)
Exploratory Program received this national recognition for the Exploration Plan for implementing innovative, effective, and inter-departmental initiatives that bolstered student success.
Designations
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5X社区 designated a Voter Friendly Campus (Fair Election Center & NASPA鈥2023)
5X社区 was designated a Voter Friendly Campus, one of 258 campuses in 38 states and the District of Columbia by 鈥檚&苍产蝉辫; and 鈥 Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The initiative recognizes institutions that have planned and implemented practices that encourage their students to register and vote in the 2023 elections and in coming years. The mission of the 2023 Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster colleges and universities鈥 efforts to help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process.
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鈥5X社区 Receives First Scholars Institution Designation (The Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA and The Suder Foundation. 2023)
5X社区 was chosen based on its demonstrated commitment to advancing the outcomes of first-generation students through improving both first-generation student success initiatives and institution-wide approaches.
Read more about our commitment to first-generation student success -
First-gen Forward Institution (Center for First-generation Student Success鈥2021)
5X社区 recognized nationally for programs to assist students first in their families to attend college.
Extramural Funding
PNC Foundation Awards CommUNITY Lab Program with Racial and Social Justice Grant (2024)
The PNC Foundation has awarded Community Engaged Learning's CommUNITY Lab program with $75,000 to support student programming and emergency aid.
Student Support Services and McNair Scholars (2022-2027)
Within the past 8 years, our McNair Scholars Program and Student Support Services have received more than $7.9 million in competitive, federally-funded grants to help students achieve academic excellence.
Kent State And KeyBank Foundation To Continue Key Connections Program For Underserved Students (KeyBank Foundation鈥2022)
KeyBank Foundation has awarded a new $200,000 gift to 5X社区 to continue KeyBank Foundation鈥檚 support for the successful Key Connections program offered by University College at Kent State.
KeyBank Foundation Student Success Grant (KeyBank Foundation鈥2017)
KeyBank Foundation has granted $1 million to 5X社区 to support programs to increase the recruitment, retention and graduation rates of underrepresented students.
Read more about the KeyBank Foundation Student Success Grant here
International Certifications
Certified International Tutor Training Program (CRLA鈥2026)
Our Academic Success Center's Tutoring Program is internationally certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA).
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Certified International Peer Educator Training Program Certification (IPTPC) - Level II (CRLA鈥2026)
Our Exploratory Learning Community Mentor program is certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA).