Announcing establishment of the School of Peace and Conflict Studies
黑料网 establishes
School of Peace and Conflict Studies
in the College of Arts and Sciences
黑料网鈥檚 Center for Applied Conflict is transforming into a new School of Peace and Conflict Studies within the College of Arts and Sciences effective in August, 2017.
The Center was established in 1971 as 黑料网鈥檚 original 鈥渓iving memorial鈥 to the four Kent State students who were killed by the Ohio National Guard on May 4, 1970 during a demonstration against the US war in Vietnam and Cambodia. Throughout its long history, the Center鈥檚 mission has been to promote constructive and peaceful mechanisms of social and political change.
The School of Peace and Conflict Studies will have seven full-time faculty members, two of whom were just hired for the School鈥檚 start. The School will initially be headed by long-time Center Director, Dr. Patrick G. Coy. A national search for an ongoing Director will be conducted in the fall of 2017, bringing the School鈥檚 faculty total to eight to in 2018.
Dr. Coy reports that: 鈥淓stablishing a School of Peace and Conflict Studies is the logical next step for Kent State, which had the foresight to make a substantial leadership commitment to this field back in 1971. We have a vibrant, award-winning faculty researching and teaching about the critical issues facing our communities in the 21st century, including violence, conflicts and peace with justice. With the higher profile and increased resources of a School, even more can, and will be done in these important areas, further cementing Kent State鈥檚 leadership role.鈥
The School faculty will deliver the College of Arts and Sciences popular undergraduate Applied Conflict Management major and minor, teaching courses in Mediation, Cross-cultural Conflict Management, Nonviolence, Negotiation, Conflict in the Workplace, Environmental Conflict Resolution, Gender, Power and Conflict, International Conflict Resolution, and much else.
In cooperation with the Division of Student Affairs, the School will support and staff the campus-based Student Mediation Services program, and continue to house a peer-reviewed series published since 1977 by Emerald Publishing of the UK.
Kent State鈥檚 undergraduate program is one of the country鈥檚 oldest and largest degree programs in Peace and Conflict Studies, enrolling over 1,000 students in its classes each year. Students are taught applied skills in the constructive management of conflicts on the international, community, workplace and relationship levels. School faculty will also teach in the Political Science PhD degree program, which offers a track in Conflict Analysis and Management.
The School will also promote working groups centered on constructive conflicts themes that faculty and students can affiliate with. For example, a faculty research group on identity-based conflicts is already forming to spur research, external grant applications, and impactful publications.
For more information:
Patrick G. Coy--330 672 2875; pcoy@kent.edu