UK president works at inspiring students
MCC finalizes deal with Mid-Continent
WKYT-TV, Channel 27
Lexington
Tech School Enrollment Is Up
A strong response this year to a technical education in the Bluegrass.
Central Kentucky Technical College reports 98-percent of full time programs are full for the fall semester.
This year's enrollment numbers are expected to exceed all prior numbers.
Academic Dean Bonnie Nicholson says tech school graduates have a 95-percent employment rate. She says the public is finally understanding that technical education pays.
Evansville Courier & Press
UK president works at inspiring students
MADISONVILLE, Ky. - Daniel Nance says he encourages youngsters to "dream high and be around people who dream high."
That's why Nance, coordinator of the electrical engineering component of Madisonville Community College's engineering technology degree program, arranged for a dozen students to be in his classroom at 7:30 a.m. Friday, even though classes won't start until next week.
He wanted them to meet and hear Lee Todd, president of the University of Kentucky.
Todd and his wife, Patsy, both natives of Earlington, Ky., in Hopkins County, spent the day Friday visiting with friends and meeting with educational groups.
Todd, himself an electrical engineer with degrees from UK and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, started and sold two high-tech companies at Lexington, Ky., before becoming UK president last year.
"By going around doing these visits, he's going to inspire a lot of people," said Nance, who recalled as a student at UK 20 years ago listening to Todd, who had already left the faculty there to operate his companies, speak in a seminar setting to students and faculty.
Todd, who graduated in 1964 from Earlington High School, echoed that sentiment when he said he was encouraged to seek the UK presidency because his humble origins would allow "every kid in Kentucky to think they can make it."
But Todd said his academic and business successes - his companies pioneered high-definition projection imaging and instant communication - were mostly the result of hard work.
"When I look at all the blessings I've had," Todd said, "the Lord gave me some brain cells in the area of math and science - the rest of it was just hard work."
He recalled a two-hour grilling by Edward Teller, father of the hydrogen bomb, during a visit to UK when Todd was an undergraduate engineering student there. It led to his receiving a full scholarship to attend MIT.
"Lucky breaks are only lucky if you're prepared for them," he said. "I was prepared to answer the questions he asked because I'd studied a whole lot."
Todd said he was "scared to death" when he made the move to MIT, but he learned he was "able to cut the mustard and compete with those people."
"We found we could compete," he told the students. "It's not where you're from but what you've got and how hard you're willing to work.
"Kentucky kids don't know how to dream about the opportunities that are out there," he said. As university president, he encourages them to "lift your vision 15 degrees higher than where it is."
Once asked to contrast the differences between students at UK and MIT, Todd responded, "In the student lounge at MIT, when you walk in on Monday morning, they're not talking about basketball."
He also noted that students there don't have the "expectation that they're going to work for someone else for the rest of their lives."
Encouraging Kentucky students to dream of starting their own companies has become a goal of the new president, and last year, at his encouragement, the UK board of trustees committed $3 million to fund a venture capital source for such startups.
After listening to Todd's personal story of growing up in a small town and first attending Murray State University with an eye toward being a high school math teacher, Micah Perdue, a freshman at the community college from Madisonville, said: "He motivates you to work harder."
"It makes you realize Western Kentuckians can do something," agreed Brandon McPherson, a third-year engineering student at the community college, from Beechmont, Ky.
Last year, 81 students were enrolled in Madisonville Community College's engineering program, which awards a two-year associate degree and provides basic classes for those who want to pursue a four-year degree.
"We have a critical need for engineers," said Judith Rhoads, MCC president, who said up to 100 more could be utilized by industry moving into the Hopkins County area. School officials have met with local industry leaders to discuss how to increase the output from the program. This year, the school received an $85,000 grant National Science Foundation to fully fund tuition for up to 12 students enrolled in the two-year program.
At a program later Friday morning, organized by Lairy Nofisinger, a former teacher at Earlington High School and now assistant director of admission at Owensboro's Kentucky Wesleyan College, former classmates and childhood friends reminisced about growing up with the Todds.
They remembered the Todds as sweethearts who grew up together from the first grade. She was a cheerleader, and he was the statistician for the high school ball teams.
Friday they were escorted from the community college to a luncheon at Madisonville Country Club and then on to an early afternoon ceremony marking the official naming of U.S. 41 through Earlington as Lee Trover Todd Jr. Highway.
Comparing his current role and salary as a university president to his previous ones as a globe-trotting executive for his companies and IBM, Todd said, "I make more money than I ever thought I would when I was growing up in Earlington. I get a free car. I get a free house. And I get a chance to change Kentucky. That's what this opportunity is all about.
"Every time I walk across campus, I get paid dividends, just looking at those kids."
Madisonville Messenger
MCC finalizes deal with Mid-Continent
A new agreement makes it easier for Madisonville Community College graduates and students to transfer credits to Mid-Continent College and complete bachelor’s degrees.
“The whole focus is going to be, hopefully, enhancing service to students and opening opportunities,” said Jackie Imhoff, Mid-Continent’s Advantage Program director.
The agreement between the colleges - formally called a memorandum of understanding - is limited to the Advantage Program. This accelerated degree program admits adults 25 and older with two years of college credit. Students earn bachelor’s degrees in organizational leadership after attending a weekly four-hour class for 18 months and completing a research project.
Under the agreement, MCC’s associate of arts and science degrees will transfer to Mid-Continent as a block, as will the core general education transfer component. Associate of applied science degrees will also transfer, although some general education classes may be needed.
Up to 72 transfer credits from community colleges will be accepted by Mid-Continent.
While the agreement is important to formalize transfer of credits, students may not notice much difference in how transfer credits are handled, Imhoff said.
“I think what’s different is the visibility and the awareness of the community college advisers and counselors,” she said. “They’ll have more informed guidance. Plus, the fact that we’re going to have an office on (MCC’s) campus is going to provide better day in, day out contact.”
This will “increase the ease of communication of services and advising and financial aid,” she said.
From MCC’s perspective, the agreement offers a new option for students who work full time to complete a bachelor’s degree in
this area, said Dr. Jan Muto, academic dean. It’s a progressive way to educate adults who can’t commute to complete their education, she said.
“We look forward to working with our partner to provide educational opportunities for the citizens of this area,” Muto said. “Everyone benefits when a member of our community is able to extend their education.”
Mid-Continent is a private Southern Baptist college based in Mayfield. Similar agreements are being negotiated with two other community colleges.
Participants in the first Madisonville Advantage Program class will graduate in December.
The fourth Madisonville class - or “cohort group” - is starting now and the fifth will form this fall. The same group of adults continues through the class together, with different instructors coming in to lead the 15 instructional modules.
The program has about 66 students in Madisonville.
Information meetings for potential Mid-Continent students will be at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday and Thursday in Room 308 of the John H. Gray Building at the community college. For more information, call Mid-Continent at 1-866-MCC-GRAD.
“Adults really have a lot of anxiety about going back to school,” Imhoff said. “Once they make the decision, the hard work’s done.”