November 17, 2002
Thirty-seven major Kentucky Community and Technical College System donors and volunteers were honored at a gala Nov. 2 at the Marriot Resort at Griffin Gate. Singled out for special recognition was American Electric Power, a top U.S. power generator with offices in Frankfort and a major donor to KCTCS. Above: Kathy Palk, left and husband Roy, president of East Kentucky Power Co-op, talked with Paulette and Dan Brewer at a pre-dinner reception. Left: Lisa Clark, left, and husband Bobby, founder/CEO of Clark Publishing, talked with Fayette District Judge Kimberly Bunnell at the party.
November 13, 2002
Hazard Community College has been named one of the top ten WorkKeys scoring centers in the nation because of high performance during 2001-02.
Jennifer Chester, business liaison and assistant professor at HCC, is the administrator of the scoring center and is a certified WorkKeys Job Profiler. She has coordinated testing and scoring of students throughout the state for high schools, community and technical colleges, and locally employees at Trus Joist. She has also profiled jobs at Trus Joist, ARH, UK Medical Center, Ball Homes, Mitsubishi in Maysville and several others. The testing includes work place essential skills, varying from areas of applied math to teamwork, noted Mrs. Chester.
Julia B. Mitchell, vice president for Community and Resource Development, noted "This started as an initiative with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) to provide information to employers about prospective employees' skill levels. We started in fall 2000 and are the only such scoring center in this area. The only other scoring centers in the state are at Western Kentucky Tech and Owensboro Community College. WorkKeys profiling and testing are being done in all of our technical programs throughout the state."
Mrs. Chester credited Myla Barrett of the Community and Resource Development staff for her work with the project along with student worker Jeremy Arnold.
"ACT values the efforts of Hazard Community College to support workforce development in the Hazard area," noted Dr. Thomas H. Saterfiel, senior vice president of Corporate Development for the Workforce Development Division of ACT in Iowa City, Iowa. "The nationwide economic slowdown is having a significant impact on employers, educators, and policy makers. Now more than ever, the importance of having a skilled workforce is evident," Saterfiel stated.
Dr. Jay K. Box, president of HCC, praised the work of Mrs. Chester and Mrs. Mitchell. "Both Jennifer and Judy consistently show they are willing to accept a new challenge. This award is proof that they not only will accept a challenge and be very successful, but they also are providing a very valuable service to the work force in the region. This is just another indication of what we are about - providing a service that no one else does, with exceptional skill. We're very proud of this award," Dr. Box said.
November 15, 2002
IRONTON -- An agreement signed Thursday between Ohio and Kentucky officials will mean cheaper tuition rates for students in one of those states attending classes in the other.
The agreement will affect students in Lawrence, Scioto, Gallia, Adams, Pike
and Jackson counties in Ohio and Boyd, Greenup, Carter, Elliott, Lawrence, Lewis
and Mason counties in Kentucky. It means students in those counties will pay
in-state tuition when attending regional campuses in the neighboring state.
It also could lead to increased enrollments at Ashland Community College, Ashland
Technical College and Morehead State University's Ashland branch as well as
Ohio University-Southern in Ironton, Shawnee State University and Rio Grande
Community College, the institutions participating in the agreement.
Gail J. Melvin, Ashland's economic development director, said the agreement means her daughter, Beth Melvin, will pay $330 per quarter or about $1,000 per year less in tuition at the OU-S in Ironton.
"It makes a real difference," Melvin said after a news conference at the Southern campus. "It's almost like getting another quarter for free."
The savings will be substantially more at Ashland Community College for Ohio residents, said Dr. Greg Adkins, chief executive officer for the Ashland Community and Technical College District.
Ohio students will get a break of $1,920 per semester or $3,840 per year, Adkins said.
"This compact is truly the triumph of vales and vision over bureaucracy and is also an excellent example of public policy which works to benefit all," he said. "There are no losers in this, only winners.
"The results of this agreement will be felt positively in our region for years to come and that makes this a great day indeed," Adkins said.
"We need to get the word out about this," he said. "This agreement gives people additional opportunities in higher education."
The agreement signed by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and the Ohio Board of Regents is effective Jan. 1. It is effective for six months, but could be extended for up to two years.
It initially was envisioned as a Tri-State reciprocity agreement with Marshall University participating. However, changes in higher education made at the state level led to West Virginia not participating and not benefiting, said Jack Connell, an official with the Ohio Board of Regents. Marshall University officials have expressed an interest in participating later, he said.
"We have 260 students from Kentucky who will be in for a pleasant surprise when they pay their tuition after the first of the year," said Dr. Michael J. Field, interim president at Shawnee State University.
"The students are the winners here," said Dr. Robert Glidden, Ohio University president. "It's just too bad we didn't do this 20 years ago."
While it wasn't part of the agreement, Shawnee State University in Ohio and Ashland Community College and Ashland Technical College in Kentucky also announced an agreement Thursday where credits from the Kentucky schools will be credited towards a four-year degree at Shawnee State.
That agreement covers concentrations in accounting, general business and health management, Adkins said.
November 15, 2002
ASHLAND - The half-dozen students strolling down the hallway at Ashland Community
College ranged in age from 19 to 40-something, and didn't look as though they'd
have anything in common.
But they've been spending about six hours a day together since the fall semester began, and by now they feel like old friends.
The students were among the 16 enrolled in the Portal Program, developed for
those who need a lot of catching up before they're ready for college-level courses.
It works by sticking the entire contingent of students in the same classroom
for an intensive array of remedial math, writing, and science courses.
The one-semester program of all-day classes is equivalent to what otherwise would take up to two years to complete, said James C. Schmidt, chairman of the ACC mathematics and natural sciences division.
The team approach and common goals motivate the students through the tough program, Schmidt said.
Too many students leave high school unprepared academically for college, and score too low on their ACT tests in the key areas of math and writing, Schmidt said.
Then they have to make it up in remedial classes, which can delay their entry
into college level programs, he said.
The Portal program includes math, writing, physics, and computer classes, he
said.
In its first full semester, the program is rigorous and requires a strong commitment, both from students and teachers, he said.
Attendance isn't mandatory, but it is nonetheless essential. "They need to be here, and we're actively engaged in keeping them here," he said.
The instructors go to the limit in making sure students get to class.
"My son is a student at Morehead State, and when one of my professors called to see why I wasn't in class, he couldn't believe a professor took the time to call his mom," said Teresa Law, 46, of Raceland, who will be seeking a degree in business management.
Advisers identify students who are potential candidates for the program, Schmidt said.
A typical candidate is one who truly wants to get through the remedial maze and is willing to accept the intensity of being in school all day, four days a week (the classes meet Monday through Thursday), Schmidt said.
That can be difficult for ACC students, many of whom are workers and parents who have other demands on their time.
It isn't good for full-time workers, Schmidt warned.
Victoria Fuller, 25, of Ashland, juggles her time between classes and her two young children. When her adviser told her about the program, she made up her mind "in about 20 seconds," she said.
She gets her kids off to school in the morning, then spends the day at ACC.
In the evenings once again she spends her time with her children, getting them
to bed by 8 so she can crack the books.
The work load is fast paced and never-ending, said David Jones, 20, of Wurtland,
who said he works well under pressure.
But that's where having a close-knit group pays off, he said. "Everybody helps everybody. Like I'm good at computers, and others are good at math, so we can help each other," he said.
The project is a Kentucky Community and Technical College System initiative funded by a National Science Foundation grant and locally by a $100,000 Marathon Ashland Petroleum grant.