Students attended Flashes Together: A Strategic Roadmap to a Distinctive Kent State on Tuesday, which was the second virtual forum where President Todd Diacon spoke about the university’s new strategic plan.

It was open to all students as an opportunity to review and share thoughts on the plan.

“As you opine on the strategic plan, help us understand what we could do better,” Diacon asked the students.

The roadmap focuses on five key aspects: student driven, a distinctive Kent State, global competitiveness, regional impact and organizational stewardship, Diacon said. 

“It’s hard for me to imagine that a university would have a strategic plan that didn’t mention students,” Diacon said. “So, the key is not just that you say you’re students first; the key is how do you address your priorities, make strategic decisions in a way that addresses this goal of students first, and that’s what I want to do.” 

An email was sent to students asking them to fill out a survey sharing their thoughts on Kent’s mission and values.

“We are reviewing and refreshing our strategic plan to reflect our deep commitment to access, completion, inclusion and excellence and we need your input,” the email stated. 

“A lot of students have been submitting their feedback,” Talea Drummer-Ferrell, associate vice president and dean of students, said. “So, I’m excited to see the student voices reflect in what our next steps look like.”

Alton Northup is a senior reporter. Contact him at [email protected].