Release date: April 9, 2003

Contact: Frances Weyand, Director of Media Relations, 770-423-6203 or fweyand@kennesaw.edu

Kennesaw State University LINKS Program wins state award

The Georgia College Personnel Association recently named Kennesaw State University's LINK student leadership program "Outstanding Student Learning Program."

LINK is an acronym for "Leaders Involving Newcomers to Kennesaw." The program was created by Brian Wooten, assistant director of the Student Life Center. Wooten had a vision to develop a group of students who would assist incoming students at New Student Orientation by establishing personal contact with those newcomers and "linking" them to the KSU environment. Each new student receives a follow-up, hand-written, personalized postcard from his or her LINK leader following orientation. New students are also introduced to each other in small groups at orientation, providing them with potential friends from the very beginning.

As a result of their experiences with LINK, many newcomers to campus have chosen to get involved in student life, according to officials with the Student Life Office.

The Outstanding Student Learning Program recognizes innovative practices of a student affairs division or office, which promotes the goals of student learning and personal development.

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Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of 15,600 from 118 countries. The fifth largest out of 34 institutions in the University System of Georgia, KSU offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.