March 30, 2001
KCTCS President Michael B. McCall focused on the 100th anniversary of the nation's two-year colleges during the March 29 President's Forum, his monthly meeting with system office employees. Dr. McCall noted that, 100 years ago in Joliet, Illinois, school board officials decided to offer postgraduate courses in the township's high school and, from that experiment, the nation's first two-year college was born.
Dr. McCall said that the creation of two-year colleges provided new access to postsecondary education and helped dispel the concept that higher education was only for the wealthy and elite.
"There are now 1,132 community, technical and junior colleges that serve 10.4 million students," he said, "and America's system is looked on favorably throughout the world."
Dr. McCall reported that the 2001 session of the General Assembly produced very little legislation that directly impacted KCTCS. He reminded his audience that Governor Paul Patton was very pleased with our accomplishments and, in a recent letter to Dr. McCall, had written, "KCTCS may be looked upon as the 'crown jewel' of our system for the immediate future."
The KCTCS president briefly discussed the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) annual meeting, reporting that several members of the KCTCS team plan to attend. He also said that a formal announcement would be made in April about an expanded "British Experience" partnership among KCTCS, Georgetown College and England's Oxford University.
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Plans for the next President's Leadership Team (PLT) Budget Development Work Session were discussed during the March 27 meeting of the President's Cabinet. The session has tentatively been scheduled for April 3.
The President's Leadership Team decided last week that some peer team representatives would serve as extended members of Strategic Priority Teams (SPTs) until the SPTs can assess membership needs. Consistent with that decision, the Cabinet agreed to also name members of the President's Council as extended members of SPT teams until membership needs are determined.
The April meeting of the President's Council has been cancelled. Vice President Dr. Candace Gosnell will arrange for a R. S. V. P. team training session at the May 8 President's Council meeting.
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The Pine Mountain Community Development Corporation, a Rural Community College Initiative partnership that includes Southeast Community College and five area banks, recently was recognized as a "Benchmark Practice for Local Economies."
Developed by Regional Technology Strategies, Inc. (RTS), the "Benchmark Practices" award is part of a three-year project financed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fund for Rural America. It is designed to identify and disseminate information about exemplary programs and practices at community colleges that have had a positive impact on local economies.
RTS received 144 nominations from
around the world for the award and an international panel selected 43 to be
designated as "benchmark practices." RTS is writing profiles of each
of the 43 practices and will publish them in hard copy and on a web site later
this spring.
"The Bridge", a student newspaper that is a joint project of Somerset Community College and Somerset Technical College, received nine awards during the recent Kentucky Intercollegiate Press Association annual convention at Eastern Kentucky University. Advisors for the newspaper are Jon Burlew, Somerset Community College, and Stuart Simpson, Somerset Technical College.
Students can now earn teaching certificates at the Henderson Community College campus thanks to a partnership between Henderson CC and Murray State University. Those in the 2 + 2 program enroll in the community college for the first two years of the program. During the final two years, classes still meet at the community college but the coursework is provided by Murray State University. Dr. Arlene Alexander, Henderson CC professor, is the program coordinator.
Owensboro Community College and the Elizabeth Munday Senior Center are partnering to offer senior citizens the opportunity to learn computer skills. Classes are taught by Vicky Hughes and include word processing, e-mail and how to use the Internet. Greg Labyak, dean of academic affairs at OCC, worked with the center to set up the classes. Craig Miller and Neil Hamilton rebuilt and installed five computer stations and an overhead projection system at the Center. Two classes already are underway and 20 additional students are on a waiting list.
Ashland Technical College students will receive fiber optics training from Jentel Telecommunications, Inc., under an agreement signed March 26. Interim KCTCS Ashland District CEO Carl Barnett and Joe Sum, a co-owner of Jentel, approved a plan through which students can earn a certificate in telecommunications equipment installation by successfully completing a three-week training program at Jentel. Jack Trautwein, evening coordinator for the Ashland TC campus, is the college coordinator for the program.
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Dr. Bonnie L. Rogers |
The Hopkinsville Community College nursing program has been accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. The national accreditation was announced during a press conference at the Hopkinsville CC campus on March 27. Participants in the press conference included Dr. Bonnie L. Rogers (photo at left), Hopkinsville CC president; Pat Bush (photo at right), Hopkinsville CC professor and nursing program coordinator; and Nelson Barlow, associate professor of nursing. |
Pat Bush |
Mike Riggs, associate professor of Culinary Arts at Bowling Green Technical College, was recently nominated by the mayor and appointed by the city commission to serve a three-year term on the Bowling Green Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors.
Ashland Technical College and Ashland Community College are two sponsors of a community job fair that is scheduled for April 16 at the Ashland Town Center. About 40 companies had booths at last year's inaugural event, which was attended by more than 500 job applicants. Anyone wanting information regarding the job fair can contact Nancy Menshouse at Ashland Community College.
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 851 and its associate organization are providing three $250 scholarships to Hazard Community College. Students who attend Perry County Central, Buckhorn or Hazard high schools, and who are children or grandchildren of Vietnam veterans, are eligible to apply for the scholarships. For more information about the scholarship program, contact Mike Strickland or Tom Neace at Hazard CC.
Ten Maysville Community College faculty and staff members attended the recent 25th annual National Association for Developmental Education Conference in Louisville. The conference brought together educators from across the nation who want to ensure that all students receive high quality instruction and support. Nancy Hunter, as past president of the Kentucky Association of Developmental Education, participated in planning the conference. Dr. Nancy Corbett, Title III curriculum coordinator, moderated two sessions on curriculum; English instructor George Vaughn and mathematic instructor Dana Calland discussed the implementation of the Kellogg Institute tutor-training program; and Calland and Pat Webb worked at the registration desk. Other conference participants from Maysville CC included: Bob Biddle, Title III activities director; mathematics instructors Darrell Abney, Barbara Lott and Marty Muenks; and English instructor Steve Thomas.
Beginning this fall, Mayo Technical College will offer an associate of applied science degree in surveying and mapping technology, and students can begin the program while they're high school seniors. High school students in the program will attend classes at the college for three hours each school day, and earn about 17 credits toward the AAS degree during their senior year. The program was established at Mayo with the support of the Kentucky Association of Professional Surveyors.
Hopkinsville Community College - in cooperation with the Housing Authority of Hopkinsville, Christian County Schools, Office of Minority Recruitment, and the NAACP Youth - will host its second annual minority student leadership conference on April 21. The free conference targets youth ages 13-19. The event will include sessions on such topics as education, money matters, law issues, career options, leadership, goals and vision.
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Somerset Community College President Dr. Jo Marshall (see photo) was the keynote speaker for the Alpha Epsilon Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa during a recent meeting in Paramus, New Jersey. She spoke on the 2000 Honors Study Topic, "Water: An Ingredient in American Literature." Dr. Marshall is currently a member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society board of directors. |
A student ambassador program was recently established at Somerset Technical College. Students were nominated by their instructors and selected by a committee. They will represent the college at various community and state events. Advisors for the program are Bruce Gover, associate professor; Belinda Jones, associate professor; and Steve Phillippi, director of public relations.
A unique concert will be held April 6 at the Cumberland campus of Southeast Community College. The event will feature Lauren Pelon, who will play music from the first to the 20th century on a variety of instruments, some of which are rarely seen outside museums. Pelon also will tell stories about the development of musical instruments.
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