Presidential Search Committee for Kent State Taking Shape

Trustee board appoints chair for search group

The search for the successor to Kent State University President Lester Lefton is starting to take shape, as Tuesday the university's board of trustees named the chair of the search committee. Richard Marsh, a 1973 Kent State graduate and member of the board of trustees, was named chair of the search committee by the board. Marsh said the rest of the committee members, which should include representatives from the study body, faculty and community at-large, could be fleshed out within the next few weeks. "I expect the presidency of Kent State will be a highly sought after opportunity," he said. "And (it's) a process which gives the whole university community a chance to rethink their strategic vision and consider what sort of leader is …

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Around Town and Gown

Kent State Touts Lefton's Achievements

11th president of Kent State to retire effective July 1, 2014

As part of this morning's news that Kent State President Lester Lefton is retiring the university's communications office distributed a list to media of Lefton's accomplishments during his seven-year tenure thus far. Lefton's legacy is clear. He helped spark hundreds of millions of dollars in expansion projects both on campus and in the Kent community. It's a bit early to say how that legacy will endure and what it's lasting effects will be, but it's worth noting the accomplishments. There are certainly a lot of them. Here are the 14 bullet points the university distributed to local media this morning. They're worth taking a look at:  

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Kent State President's Bonus Riles Readers

Lester Lefton was awarded a $104,000 bonus this week — on top of his $417,000 salary

KSU President Shares New Photo on Facebook Page

The president is attracting more eyes on his photographs through the use of social media.

Lefton Awarded $104K Bonus by Kent State Trustees

Kent State's eleventh president will mark the start of his eighth year in office this summer

Kent State University President Lester Lefton will receive a performance bonus of $104,450 this summer when his eighth year as president of what is now Ohio's second-largest public university starts. The Kent State Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to award the president the performance bonus, which amounts to 25 percent of his current base salary of $417,799. The bonus is effective July 1. His base salary and bonus excludes deferred compensation, a car allowance and $50,000 annual housing allowance. Jane Timken, chair of the university trustees board, said the board conducted its own evaluation of Lefton's performance this year based on nine goal and metric definitions he suggested, and the board agreed to, earlier this year…

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Chris (Kit) Myers

9:19 pm on Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Well, the esplanade will look nice and the plazas look nice and parents come with their kids to check out the university and they are shown the pretty stuff and they ooh and ahh and never ask about the quality of the faculty or how much they are being paid. They then send their kids here and the university gets their tuition money and money from the state for each student. That's the way it works…   more ›

What's Not to 'Like?'

Facebook Page Gains Exposure for Kent State President Lester Lefton’s Photos

The president is attracting more eyes on his photographs through the use of social media.

What started out as a hobby at the age of 12 for Kent State University President Lester Lefton is now contributing thousands of dollars to a university scholarship fund.  To further grow his photography fan base, and to raise more cash for a Kent State student scholarship, Lefton started a Facebook page in October to showcase his photos in another light. As of Feb. 27, 2013, there were 232 Facebook users who "liked" the page. The move to social media was a natural extension of the president's already established website featuring his photos — which he launched about a year ago.  Lefton, whose father was a professional photographer, said he mostly likes to shoot landscapes and architecture with his Nikon D800 and Sony RX1. What's the …

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Amanda Harnocz

8:47 am on Friday, March 1, 2013

It would be cool to see him on Instagram!   more ›

Kent State Celebrates New Regional Academic Center (VIDEO)

Kent State University debuted it's new facility in Twinsburg on Wednesday.

The new Kent State University Regional Academic Center in Twinsburg has been holding classes for weeks, but was officially dedicated on Wednesday. Kent State President Lester Lefton along with Twinsburg Mayor Katherine Procop cut the ribbon on the new 44,000-square-foot, $24 million two-story facility on Creekside Drive. University officials said this new academic center is a great opportunity for Kent State to offer a lower-cost education to a wider-range of Northeast Ohio students. Read more:  Kent State Trustees Sign Off on $146 Million in Construction Projects

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