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Lexington Herald-Leader
March 18, 2005
Names cut to five for merged colleges
The consolidation of Lexington Community College and Central Kentucky Technical
College will mean finding one name that represents both institutions. The list
of potential names has been narrowed down to five out of 391. The choices are:
• Bluegrass Community and Technical College
• Bluegrass Technical and Community College
• Central Kentucky Community and Technical College
• Commonwealth Community and Technical College
• Central Kentucky Technical and Community College
The five names will be posted Web site www.bluegrass.kctcs.edu/namechange/
for comment.
The Daily Independent
March 16, 2005
ACTC grad one of top 50 scholars named to U.S. list
ASHLAND A decade into her career as a secretary, Susan Adams opened her eyes
one morning and said to herself, I'm going back to school.
With a husband, a son in elementary school and a full-time job, that was a
tough goal, but Adams, 37, managed to graduate from Ashland Community and Technical
College last December with a four-point average.
She has since transferred to Marshall University, where she is majoring in
anthropology. But Phi Theta Kappa, the academic honorary society she joined
at ACTC, has named her a New Century Scholar, one of 50 community and technical
college students in the country so honored this year.
Adams won the award by receiving the highest application score in the state
and has been invited to represent Kentucky at the American Association of Community
Colleges annual conference in Boston in April.
Where some non-traditional students struggle with the return to classes and
homework, Adams thrives. It helps that she loves her chosen discipline: "I
love archaeology and studying cultures," she said.
More than that, Adams just plain loves learning and going to school. "Every
class you take, you meet new people, students and professors, and learn something
in a different area," she said.
That may explain why she joined PTK, which is open to students with at least
18 credit hours and grade-point averages of at least 3.25, according to academic
advising coordinator Danny Bailey, who is advisor to the ACTC chapter.
The honorary blends intellectual stimulation with community service.
"It's a good group of students, intelligent, highly motivated, gifted
people," Adams said.
While active in the chapter, she worked on projects like the American Cancer
Society's Relay for Life and others.
When he saw how active she was in the honorary, not to mention her top grades,
nominating her for the award was a natural next step, Bailey said. "She's
always been a joy to work with, a positive person with lots of enthusiasm about
learning," he said.
The honor to Adams reflects on ACTC, said college President Greg Adkins. "It's
her honor and she's worked for it, but we're so happy that students like her
who attend community and technical colleges demonstrate that they can succeed,"
he said.
Her husband, Jim, has backed her college studies, calling her planned second
career "his retirement plan," she joked.
Her son J.D., now at Verity Middle School, also finds pride in his student
mom, who even, when he was at Poage Elementary, hosted an archaeological dig
for his class in her back yard.
A bachelor's degree in anthropology isn't enough for Adams, who plans to pursue
master's and doctoral degrees and then remain in academia as a professor.
"The day my dream will be realized is the day I'm teaching my first college
class and someone approaches me and says, 'I love what you're teaching,'"
she said.
The Gleaner
March 16, 2005
HCC students lament tuition increase
The 6.5 percent tuition increase that goes into effect at Henderson Community
College next fall isn't as large as campus officials had expected, but five
of the six students interviewed at random Tuesday predict it will pose a hardship
for some people.
Of the price hike that will see the cost of a credit hour rise from $92 to
$98 for in-state students and those participating in a reciprocity arrangement
in southwestern Indiana, work study student Tommie Butts said, "It'll make
it harder for some students who don't get Pell Grants (or other financial assistance)."
Loria Bryan, who is studying to become a certified medical assistant, said
she's come back to school after 20 years and had no idea how costly it had become.
The tuition increase, she said, "will make it harder for people, especially
students who have kids.''
Told that it earlier had appeared it might be necessary for the Kentucky Community
and Technical College System to implement a double-digit increase, Mandy Blackwell
said, "A lot of us would be out if it were double-digit." The 6.5
percent unanimously approved by the KCTCS Board of Regents last Friday will
be difficult enough for some to manage, Blackwell said.
Frank Magias, a graphic design student, expressed concerns about rising tuition
and said that financial aid isn't keeping pace with tuition increases. Nearly
80 percent of the school's students receive some form of financial aid.
One student, however, said she doesn't have to worry about tuition "because
my parents pay for my schooling."
HCC President Patrick Lake, who has lamented the need for continuing tuition
increases, said this week he's "pleased that it wasn't more than it was.
There was the potential for it to be quite large, given the uncertain terms
of the state budget."
Lake said that situation was averted by General Assembly action that put an
additional $45 million in the state budget in base funding for the state colleges
and universities.
Cynthia Reed, chair of the KCTCS Board of Regents, said that with the additional
state money, "We were able to set an affordable tuition rate that allows
us to continue our momentum and offer our students the highest education value
in the Commonwealth."
As Lake noted, the community and technical college tuition rate still will
be "the most economical" in comparison to other state-funded higher
education institutions in Kentucky.
The current HCC/KCTCS tuition rate of $92 per credit hour is significantly
lower than current rates at the following schools: University of Louisville,
$210; University of Kentucky, $208; Western, $198: Murray State, $166; Kentucky
State University, $161, and Eastern Kentucky, $158.
Lake said tuition increases are taking place throughout this state and nationally
"because of the growth of higher education and the challenge to state governments
to provide adequate resources to help respond to that growth."
KCTCS schools have seen the following per-credit-hour rates over the last four
years: 2001-2002 academic year, $60; 2002-2003, $64; 2003-2004, $79, and 2004-2005,
$92 (a 16.5 percent increase over the prior year).
There was some fear that the tuition hike for this academic year would have
an adverse effect on enrollment, but those qualms proved unfounded as the school
set a fall enrollment record of 1,986 students. The number of full-time equivalent
students did, however, drop a bit more than 3 percent.
KCTCS sponsored public hearings at each of its 16 community and technical colleges
regarding tuition increase, but Lake said only two students came to the local
hearing last month.
The Messenger
March 18, 2005
Mining jobs draw hundreds of applicants
About 400 people showed up Thursday at the JobNet Center to apply for mining jobs
with Alliance, Charolais and Peabody coal mines.
“There is a big need for miners,” said applicant Will Harper. “That’s
where the money is right now.
“This is putting your name in the pot for all the coal mining companies
and they will decide who they think will be suitable,” he said.
There were cars with license plates from five states in the parking lot and
long lines — mostly men, although there were a few women — were waiting
to get in before the doors opened for the two application sessions that lasted
two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.
The open call for applicants was intended to give the coal companies a better
idea about the level of interest there would be, not only in employment, but
also in potential further education at the planned Energy and Advanced Technology
Center at Madisonville Community College.
“All the mining companies in the area are interested in finding out who
is interested and what the labor pool is,” said Kenny Allen, general manager
of Patriot Coal, a subsidiary of Peabody Energy.
“There’s been a lot of talk about a shortage of coal miners in the
state,” Allen said. “There is somewhat of a shortage of experienced
miners.”
Mines are working with the state and the new tech center to put together a
program that will provide training for miners and an employment service, Allen
said.
“It’s mandatory by the state for miners to complete a 40-hour training
program,” Allen said. “We want to go further with additional training.
“We’ve put a lot of effort in it,” he said “We’re
all excited about what’s going to take place for the whole western Kentucky
area.”
Many new jobs will be opening up in coal mining. Construction will start in
May at the new Elk Creek Mine, which is expected to create 255 jobs. Allen said
Patriot Coal might be hiring in the foreseeable future.
“Everybody takes a screening test after they fill out the application,”
explained Bob Simmons, a faculty member from MCC who stood at the door asking
everybody who wanted to apply to show a photo I.D. “The screening test
covers general knowledge,” he said.
“The test was common sense,” Harper said. “Knowing me, I probably
didn’t do that well on it, but I’m hoping.”
Some who were applying for jobs were out of work, but many others, it seemed,
were working at other jobs and hoped to change to coal mining.
One who preferred not to give his name, because he doesn’t want his current
employers to know he was applying, said, “I’ve got two jobs right
now. I’d like to have one instead.
“I’ve been dealing with the mines since I was 13 working for a place
that makes bits. My whole family is in the coal mines,” he said.
He said he thought that would help him get hired. “I’ve got a feeling
I can get a good job,” he said. He thought it would pay in the neighborhood
of $18 to $20 an hour.
“The bad thing is nowadays you have to know somebody to get in,”
he said. “It’s not what you can do or anything like that. It’s
who you know. It’s not just here. It’s pretty much anywhere. If you
know somebody, you’re better off than if you don’t.”
Roy O’Bannon, another applicant, said, “I went to the mining school
and I’ve been filling out applications.
“I’ve got a little boy on the way and I’ve got two little ones
and a wife and I’m losing everything I’ve got. I need a job real bad,”
he said.
“We have some great opportunities,” Allen said. “Mining provides
good wages and benefits and it is one of the safer occupations now.
“It always had the reputation for being dangerous, but we’ve made
great strides over the last two decades with regard to safety and health,”
he said.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
March 18, 2005
Senate Approves Budget Resolution That Would Raise Pell Grant and Restore
Programs Bush Wants to Cut
The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a budget plan for the 2006 fiscal year
that calls on Congress to raise the maximum Pell Grant by $450, to $4,500, and
to maintain several federal student-aid programs that the Bush administration
has put on the chopping block.
Those provisions were added to the budget resolution in an amendment that was
narrowly approved over the objections of the chamber's Republican leadership.
Six moderate Republican senators joined all 45 of their Democratic colleagues
in voting for the amendment, which was sponsored by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy,
a Massachusetts Democrat.
The full resolution was passed by an equally small margin Thursday night.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved its own version of the budget resolution
on Thursday. The House plan does not include any additional money for Pell Grants.
The Senate vote in favor of the amendment was largely symbolic because budget
resolutions, which Congress attempts to pass each year, are not binding. They
set only the broad parameters of how much money the federal government may spend
in a given year. But the resolutions do give an indication of lawmakers' priorities.
Symbolic or not, advocates for colleges and students, who have spent the last
week rounding up support for the amendment, hailed the vote. "This is a
huge victory for students," said Cynthia A. Littlefield, director of federal
relations for the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. "I hope
the House gets the message loud and clear that investing in student aid is the
right thing to do."
The resolutions this year are especially important because they pledge Congress
to attempt "budget reconciliation," in which lawmakers would have
to make cuts in federal mandatory programs, such as Medicare, Social Security,
and student loans, to reduce the federal deficit. The last time that Congress
engaged in the process -- which is often contentious because such entitlement
programs affect so many people -- was in 1997.
The House resolution does not specify how much money it seeks to save from
the loan programs. Instead, it directs the leaders of the House education committee
to cut $21-billion over five years from all of the mandatory programs that the
panel oversees. According to college lobbyists and student-loan-industry officials
who have been briefed by aides to the education panel, about a third of that
amount would come from the loan programs.
The Senate plan would seek greater savings from the loan programs but would
use only a small part of those savings for deficit reduction. Under the resolution,
most of the savings would be used to pay off a $4.3-billion shortfall in the
Pell Grant program's budget and to create a $5.5-billion reserve fund that lawmakers
could use to increase spending on student aid if they succeed in this year's
effort to renew the Higher Education Act, the law that governs most federal
student-aid programs.
The plan calls on Congress to require that some of that money be used to finance
a new program that would forgive up to $4,000 in student-loan debt for Pell
Grant recipients who graduate within four years.
The leaders of the Senate Budget Committee had also included a provision to
increase the maximum Pell Grant by $100, to $4,150, for the 2006 fiscal year.
But the amendment, sponsored by Senator Kennedy, that was approved on Thursday
calls on Congress to provide an additional $1.5-billion in spending on Pell
Grants, to raise the maximum to $4,500 in 2006. It would also provide Congressional
appropriators with $1.6-billion to keep alive several higher-education programs
that the Bush administration has proposed eliminating, including the Perkins
Loan Program, which gives colleges money to lend to needy students at a fixed
interest rate of 5 percent; Upward Bound and Talent Search, which are part of
the federal TRIO programs for disadvantaged students; and Gear Up, which focuses
on helping financially needy middle-school students.
The amendment called on lawmakers to pay for those proposals by eliminating
certain tax loopholes.
Senate Republican leaders opposed the amendment, saying that Mr. Kennedy's
plan would unnecessarily raise taxes. "We should not break the budget and
impose more taxes on the American people," said Sen. Judd Gregg of New
Hampshire, who is the chairman of the Budget Committee.
After the vote on the amendment, Mr. Kennedy praised the Republican senators
who had sided with him. "Today Democrats and Republicans worked together
on behalf of America's students," he said.
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