Enrollment Increases 128% In Six Years - Tiffin University

a new recreation center that will be constructed on
the north side of Miami Street.
Each building has 12 units and each unit has with
five single bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen,
and a living room. Also included are two multipurpose
rooms in the community which serve
as classrooms. The project restored 4.15 acres of
contaminated property.
Living-Learning Community
Remediation on the north side of Miami Street
has already begun and will be followed by
construction of the recreation center. The Living-
Learning Community and recreation center will
help increase enrollment, which in turn, means
more dollars spent at local businesses.
Two additional apartment buildings are currently
under construction on the south side of Miami
Street. When completed, approximately $25
million will have been invested in the construction
of the recreation center and the four apartment
buildings.
MIaMI STREET IMpROVEMENT
pROJECT
The federally-funded Miami Street Improvement
Project is near completion. The TU campus and
area around Jackson and Miami streets will include
decorative lighting, trees, improved sidewalks and
a landscaped median.
Miami Street Project
From Police Chief
to Teaching
At first glance, his professional experience may seem at odds with
his new post at Tiffin University. Yet, it was the influences from a
long line of teachers that propelled Kevin Cashen from police chief to
teaching undergraduates in criminal justice and homeland security
studies. A police chief in Norwalk, Ohio for seven years, second in
command for 10 years before that, a sergeant for two years and a patrol
officer for six. An Ohio State University graduate, Kevin originally
hails from Oregon, Ohio.
“I came from a long background in education and teaching,’’ he
explained. “My grandfather was a teacher and principal, my grandmother
was a teacher, my mother and two aunts were teachers.”
When Kevin was in high school, he wanted to do something different. “I wanted to do something
more exciting,” he said with a grin. “So, to my family’s chagrin, I had to go into law enforcement.” Kevin
now feels that he has come full circle in his professional life. “I’m probably where my family would
have liked me to be in the first place,” he added. “I like being back on campus, I like working with
students to prepare them for a professional career in criminal justice or homeland security,” he said.
“It’s a pleasant change from working with the other part of society.” He believes that he is helping to
create a better world by shifting to education. “I’m in a better position to help build a better society
through education opposed to a career in protecting society through law enforcement,” he said.
This isn’t Kevin’s first stint in higher education; in the 1990’s, he was an adjunct professor at Ashland
University. “I enjoyed the experience, but a family obligation made me give up teaching,” he recalled.
“After earning my first master’s degree, I started teaching online courses at the University of Maryland,
and I enjoyed that experience.
Helping his son research colleges, Kevin saw a job opening posted on Tiffin University’s website. “I
thought, ‘What the heck...I had not anticipated the speed of how things work. I got the job offer, and I
decided to retire and return to education.” During the fall semester, Kevin taught a number of classes,
such as Law Enforcement Supervision, Intelligence and Covert Action and the Constitutional Rights
of Prisoners.
He especially enjoys the classroom discussions, which have allowed him to bring out information
from his background and expertise to share with students. “I try to couple what they are learning in
class with real life experience,” he said. “I share either some of my experience with them, or from the
careers of others that I have associated with in the last 25 years. I bring with me a commitment to
lifelong learning that I hope to pass along to my students,” he said. “With today’s job market, if you are
not committed to lifelong learning, you can find yourself left behind as the market changes.”
He is excited to be part of TU as it grows in both facilities and student enrollment. “It’s exciting to be
a part of that growth,” he said.
“I know that I have a strong desire to see young people succeed,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed raising my
children (three still at home). I have three boys that play basketball, so I’ve coached basketball--we
are busy as a family, which is quite enjoyable.”
“I have learned that I enjoy teaching and coaching, and whether you are teaching on-line or face to
face,” Kevin added, “I have a desire to see all students succeed. I believe it is important for our students
to be challenged.”
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