Herald-Leader
August 11, 2003
Personnel File
Education: University Center of the Mountains:
Ron Daley has been named interim director of the consortium consisting
of the following originating partners: Hazard Community College, Eastern Kentucky
University, Morehead State University and the Kentucky Community and Technical
College System.
Kentucky New Era
August 9 ,2003
Tuition climbs at all of Kentucky's public colleges
A community college education may still qualify as a bargain in Kentucky, but
students who attend the two-year schools will shoulder the largest percentage
hike in tuition this year among the state's public colleges and universities.
Tuition increases for the 2003-04 academic year range from 3.6 percent at
Western Kentucky University to 23.4 percent in the Kentucky Community and Technical
College System (KCTCS).
Full-time, in-state tuition for fall and spring semesters combined at Hopkinsville
Community College, which is part of KCTCS, is $1,896, an increase of $360 over
last year.
Jason Warren, advancement officer for HCC, said preliminary figures indicate
the tuition hike will not adversely affect enrollment for the fall semester,
which begins Monday. Six days before the start of classes, 2,765 students had
enrolled at HCC. On the same date last year, 2,527 students had enrollment.
Warren speculated that the economic downturn, which typically causes more
people to re-evaluate their careers and future employment, might have helped
to offset any negative impact caused by the tuition increase. Simply put, when
the economy is weak, some people are more likely to return to college in hopes
of improving their competitive edge in the workplace.
Another factor that may offset the financial burden of rising tuition at HCC
is a new program that allows students to pay for tuition on a monthly schedule
without a finance charge. Called FACTS Tuition Payment Plan, the program is
in its second year.
Tuition is increasing at every public college and university in Kentucky this
year. At a recent hearing in Frankfort with state legislators, college presidents
defended the tuition increases and said the hikes are needed to offset two years
of state budget cuts.
The University of Kentucky has the steepest dollar hike this year. In-state
undergraduate students at UK will pay $4,547 for tuition this year, up by $572
or 14.4 percent from last year's tuition. UK also is the state's most expensive
public university.
Tuition at the state's other universities is as follows. All of the figures
are for full-time, in-state undergrads:
- Eastern Kentucky University: $3,198, up $270 or 9.2 percent.
- Kentucky State University: $3,570, up $438 or 14 percent.
- Morehead State University: $3,364, up $438 or 15 percent.
- Murray State University: $3,436, up $404 or 13.3 percent.
- Northern Kentucky University: $3,744, up $528 or 16.4 percent.
- Lexington Community College: $2,441, up $195 or 8.7 percent.
- University of Louisville: $4,450, up $368 or 9 percent.
- Western Kentucky University: $3,332, up $112 or 3.6 percent.
At Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., where in-state tuition
rates apply to Kentuckians who reside in Christian, Trigg, Todd and Logan counties,
tuition will increase to $4,022. Last year, annual tuition at APSU was $3,472.
Kentucky New Era
August 9 ,2003
HCC begins academic year with new administrators, expanded class offerings
Hopkinsville Community College will begin the fall semester under the leadership
of two new academic administrators.
Dr. Robert L. Milam was officially appointed July 1 as dean of academic affairs,
while Alissa Young was promoted Aug. 1 to associate dean of extended campuses.
Milam replaces Dr. Larry Weill, who assumed the presidency of Gordon College
in Barnesville, Ga., last year. Milam has been serving as dean of academic affairs
on an interim basis since Weill's departure.
Young's new position was created when Frank Montgomery, the former director
of Fort Campbell, requested to return to the classroom full-time.
She will be responsible for oversight of all HCC's off-campus operations and
distance education, including those at Cadiz, Elkton, Princeton, Fort Campbell,
the Murray State University regional campus and local high schools.
Additionally, students attending HCC this fall will enjoy expanded offerings
in biology and chemistry with a new pre-professional program being offered at
the local campus.
Officials said the new program is designed to allow students to complete the
prerequisite courses required for admissions into professional fields of study
such as medicine, pharmacy, veterinary science and other scientific fields related
to biology and chemistry.
Dr. Bonnie Rogers, HCC president, noted that the college also remains committed
to providing transfer opportunities for its students at both public and private
universities.
"The exciting new partnerships with high quality, public regional universities
such as Murray State and private liberal arts institutions such as Trevecca
Nazarene represent exceptional transfer options for local HCC students,"
she said.
Rogers added that career programs in technical areas at HCC will offer opportunities
for students to obtain real-world skills for immediate employment or skills
upgrade.
The HCC campus awarded 317 associate degrees last May, and officials note
that a majority of its students are satisfied with the education they receive
at HCC.
Fall enrollment at the campus is now ongoing, and counselors are on hand to
help with admissions, financial aid and the like.
Anyone with questions about financial aid may visit the office in the administration
building or call 886-3921, extension 6189. A list of class offerings is available
on the college's Web site at www.hopkinsville.kctcs.edu.
The college also continues to offer its tuition-free program for individuals
65 and older.
This program, according to officials, allows older students to attend classes
at any of Kentucky's public colleges without having to pay any tuition or fees.
Participants in the program do have to pay for their books, however.
Officials noted that HCC will continue to offer program partnerships with
Murray and Austin Peay state universities as well as Trevecca Nazarene University
in nearby Nashville, Tenn., so that students will have local options to complete
a four-year degree.
The new pre-professional program also will allow students to earn up to 76
credit hours in that program if they plan to transfer to a four-year university.
Students enrolled in the pre-professional program may earn an associate in
science degree after completing 60 credit hours.
Officials noted that advantages for choosing HCC's pre-professional program
include small class size, high quality instruction, low community college tuition
and the availability of scholarships and/or financial aid to qualifying students.
The cost of attending HCC is about one-third the cost of regional four-year
public universities, according to officials.
Yet HCC students who transfer to four-year institutions do as well or better
than students who began at the same schools, according to data provided regularly
to the campus by APSU and WKU.
For more information about the pre-professional program, contact Mike McClure
at 886-3921, extension 6130 or Larry Walston at 886-3921, extension 6143.
Information on the tuition-free program for senior citizens is available by
calling Dr. Kevin Felton at 886-3921, extension 6138 or C.J. Newcomb at 886-3921,
extension 6198.
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