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Herald-Leader
September 18, 2003
New digs for administration
KCTCS EMPLOYEES TO MOVE TO EX-SITE OF TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
VERSAILLES - The growing enrollment in the Kentucky Community and Technical
College System is expected to reap benefits for the Woodford County seat in
multiple ways.
Next summer, Versailles will welcome 200 KCTCS administrative employees moving
into the former Texas Instruments building. And local and KCTCS officials are
already talking about the possibility of a college going into leftover space
that the KCTCS administration won't need.
"There will be continuing growth in the community college and technical
college system," said state Rep. Joe Barrows, D-Versailles. "So it's
not a far stretch to imagine that there will be classrooms on that location."
The 130,000-square-foot interior of the former Texas Instruments plant has
already been gutted. By Nov. 1, workers will begin readying the space for KCTCS,
whose employees are now spread out over several locations in Fayette County.
The renovation is a $6.3 million project.
"It's like taking the administration of a university with 70,000 students
and placing it here," Barrows said.
The availability of the Texas Instruments building and its location between
Lexington and Frankfort made this "a match made in heaven," said KCTCS
President Michael B. McCall.
"The location is ideal. It's very accessible from Blue Grass Parkway and
Interstate 64."
The project has raised hopes in Versailles, which had been devastated by the
final closing of Texas Instruments in 2001. The 500-employee factory had been
the first significant manufacturing employer for the rural community when it
opened in 1954, and had provided jobs for scores of farm families.
And then it was gone.
"It was like losing a member of the family," said Woodford County
Judge-Executive Joe Gormley.
So there were smiles all around Monday when Gormley and other officials formally
welcomed KCTCS staffers at a luncheon.
McCall pledged to those assembled that the system would not "be tucked
away in some building," but would be engaged and involved in civic affairs
and community projects. Which prompted Gormley to say, "Here, we're gaining
a member of the family."
The Woodford Sun
September 11, 2003
Tech college system's home coming together
A $6.3 million renovation of the facility that formally housed Texas Instruments
on U.S. 60 in Versailles will be unrecognizable when it becomes the new administrative
home of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) next year.
The KCTCS offices are currently housed in three different buildings in Lexington
-- two on Iron Works Pike and one on Newtown Pike. The administration coordinates
the operation of 19 two-year colleges located throughout the Commonwealth of
Kentucky. The KCTCS entity was created by the Kentucky legislature in 1997 to
develop a more comprehensive, flexible and responsive community college system.
According to KCTCS President Michael B. McCall, the move to Versailles will
allow the college system to consolidate its administrative offices in one location,
thus improving efficiency as well as availability.
"We've been looking for a while for a place to consolidate our staff,
many of whom are working in cramped quarters," said McCall. "This
is a good move for us and one that will be permanent."
McCall said he and his staff of nearly 200 employees are excited about the
move to Versailles.
"The staff members have had a lot of input into the design of the new
office space -- they even helped select the furnishings," said McCall.
"We want this to be a transition for them rather than a traumatic change."
McCall said many of the staff members commute to their jobs from other cities
and counties, so the change will not be particularly drastic. He hopes that
the citizens of Versailles will appreciate the fact that a clean industry is
moving into town. He also believes that "our people will be good citizens."
"I've already been over to have breakfast at Debbie's Café on Main
Street," he said. "I have a good feeling about this."
Nearly 72,000 square feet of the structure is to be renovated as office space
as well as state-of-the-art meeting rooms that will be made available to the
public. Thirty thousand additional square feet of space are being saved for
future growth -- specifically for use as a college campus.
"It is our intention to establish an extension of Kentucky Technical College
in Versailles," he announced. "We would do it right now if we could
afford to renovate the entire building."
The KCTCS acquisition of the property was made possible when the City of Versailles
received it as a gift from Texas Instruments last year on the condition that
it be used for just such a use, explained City Attorney Bill Moore.
"The beauty of this arrangement is that it is not costing the city a single
penny," Moore said. "The negotiations were simplified by the formation
of a legal entity to acquire the title and handle the financial and administrative
aspects of the deal."
Officially known as the City of Versailles TI/KCTCS Public Properties Corporation,
this group of businessmen and civic-minded citizens oversees the financial transactions
which will allow KCTCS to become full owners of the site in 20 years.
"I believe the KCTCS family will be an appealing addition to our community,"
said Mayor Fred Siegelman. "We thank Texas Instruments for their generosity
and KCTCS for their commitment."
The Messenger
September 18, 2003
Community college system reports record enrollment for fall semester
Fall enrollment in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System has set
another record, topping 71,000 students.
KCTCS reported to the Council on Postsecondary Education an enrollment estimate
of 71,061 students, up 4.8 percent from fall 2002 official enrollment. The enrollment
estimate reported by the community and technical colleges of KCTCS comprises
students already in class and those who will enroll in course sections that
will open in the coming weeks.
KCTCS will report final, official enrollment to CPE in early November. In each
of the last two years, the final enrollment submitted in November has exceeded
the September estimate.
The estimated enrollment for this fall exceeds the 2002 final enrollment of
67,812 full- and part-time students in credit programs. KCTCS colleges have
increased enrollment by 56 percent since fall 1998.
At Madisonville Community College, estimated fall enrollment has been increased
to 3,548, according to Dean of Students Scott Reynolds. That's 50 more than
the initial projection.
Estimated enrollment is 5.5 percent higher than fall 2002 official enrollment
of 3,363.
"We're very pleased with our enrollment this semester," Reynolds
said. "We still have until Nov. 1 for the Council for Postsecondary Education
census date. We'll be putting enrollment in until that point."
Dr. Michael B. McCall, KCTCS president, attributed the most recent enrollment
increase to several factors:
* Colleges in KCTCS are sharing and implementing best practices in enrollment
management, such as marketing and recruitment plans.
* Colleges are working with secondary institutions to enroll high school students
in college courses. The practice is spreading statewide, but is particularly
successful in such partnerships as "Explore College" at Southeast
Community College and "Discover College" at Owensboro Community and
Technical College.
* Partnerships with business and industry are increasing enrollment in work
force training courses.
* While enrollment of full-time students remained steady, enrollment of part-time
students increased more than 8 percent.
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