BOR honors two KSU programs with research awards

Kennesaw State University earned two marks of distinction at the Georgia Board of Regents’ annual Awards for Academic Excellence presentation held May 7 in Atlanta‚ bringing to seven the number of times the institution has been honored among its regional and state university brethren since 2000.

Georgia (Sep 18, 2003) — Kennesaw State University earned two marks of distinction at the Georgia Board of Regents’ annual Awards for Academic Excellence presentation held May 7 in Atlanta‚ bringing to seven the number of times the institution has been honored among its regional and state university brethren since 2000.



A total of five University System of Georgia faculty members and three academic programs received either Teaching Excellence or Research in Undergraduate Education awards‚ which are meant to recognize and reward excellence at the USG’s 34 member institutions. Both of Kennesaw State’s recipients‚ Associate Professor of English Sarah Robbins and the RN to BSN Online Nursing Completion Program‚ were honored in the Research in Undergraduate Education category.



"Academic excellence is the mainstay of the university system’s mission‚" said Regent Daniel S. Papp‚ vice chancellor for academics and fiscal affairs. "We are fortunate to have a stellar group of dedicated‚ talented faculty in Georgia that is attuned to innovation and involvement with students."



Robbins‚ a faculty member at Kennesaw State since 1993‚ has helped shape the scholarship of teaching and learning through a number of nationally recognized and innovative endeavors. As director of the Kennesaw Mountain Writing Project (KSU’s National Writing Project site)‚ as well as several programs funded by the National Endowments for the Humanities‚ she has done extensive work with area teachers to improve their instruction and develop leaders in the field who can collaborate effectively with colleagues for meaningful school reform.



"The Kennesaw Mountain Writing Project serves as an exemplary national model for university−public school partnerships‚" Linda Noble‚ dean of KSU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences‚ said‚ citing Robbins outstanding leadership as a primary reason for the program’s success.



"To date‚ more than 160 teachers from area public schools have participated in summer institutes built on a teachers−teaching−teachers model‚" Noble added. "Teachers completing these institutes have in turn performed countless hours of staff development in their individual schools and districts. Dr. Robbins and the colleagues involved in her project have had a powerful effect on the improvement of teaching at all levels of education."



The RN to BSN Online Nursing Completion Program has made a similar impact on its participants‚ addressing the urgent need for more baccalaureate−prepared nurses by reaching out to those students who find it inconvenient‚ if not impossible‚ to complete their coursework in a traditional manner.



The roots of the program date back to 1997‚ evolving from a desire among faculty members in KSU’s College of Health and Human Services to incorporate modern instructional technology into nursing education. The result has been a program that allows students to take courses exclusively online if they choose‚ with the added bonus of scheduling hands−on course activities according to their own personal schedules.



"The great thing about the program is it allows registered nurses who have full−time jobs to complete their education from home‚" said David Bennett‚ chair of Kennesaw State's School of Nursing.



Three faculty members who have been instrumental in the development and implementation of the program‚ Beverly Farnsworth‚ Christina Horne and Janice Flynn‚ shared the spotlight at the awards presentation.



"I wanted them to accept the award because they have done much of the work‚" Bennett said. "They have been the leaders of this online project."

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its approximately 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status, and one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.