AIKCU President Gary S. Cox, board chair John Roush, and chair-elect Bill Huston testified this morning about the role of independent education in Kentucky before the House Postsecondary Budget Review Subcommittee. They were invited to testify by Rep. Arnold Simpson, the subcommittee chairman.

Dr. Cox provided a sector-level overview of the diversity of Kentucky’s independent colleges, the importance of Kentucky’s investment in student financial aid, the return on that investment for the Commonwealth, and ways that AIKCU campuses are innovating and collaborating to contain costs and focus on student success. [Download the handouts: AIKCU Presentation to Budget Review Subcommittee, 2/25/10 (PDF)]

President Roush (Centre College) and President Huston (St. Catharine College) talked about their very different institutions. The presidents talked about some of the successes and challenges they see from both ends of the independent college spectrum and challenged legislators to think about ways to increase the role of the independent sector in Kentucky.

Following the formal presentation there was a very positive and extended conversation between legislators and the presidents about the critical roles that Kentucky’s independent colleges can play in helping the state meet the goals of the landmark 1997 House Bill 1 postsecondary reform act.

AIKCU made its annual report to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education during the September 10 CPE meeting at Western Kentucky University. AIKCU Board Chair John Roush, president of Centre College, Vice Chair Bill Huston, St. Catharine College president, and AIKCU president Gary S. Cox delivered AIKCU’s annual report to the Council. Several other AIKCU presidents also attended the meeting and participated in the subsequent question and answers session.

AIKCU’s annual report to the CPE is required by statute and provides a summary of the role private colleges play in the state’s effort to meet postsecondary education goals; explores ways in which their role can be further enhanced and challenges they face in that effort; and provides an opportunity for Council members to ask questions and offer suggestions to private college and university leaders.

The slideshow that accompanied the report to CPE is below.

AIKCU President Gary S. Cox recently appeared on “Dialogue on Public Issues,” a public affairs program hosted by John Chowning, Campbellsville University Vice President for Church and External Relations. Chowning’s long-running program was recently picked up by KET for broadcast on their Kentucky Channel (KET KY). The show is produced by CU’s own television studio and features local and national guests, ranging from candidates for statewide elections to national subject matter experts, talking about current issues in a one-on-one, conversational format.

The episode featuring Dr. Cox and Chowning discussing the role of independent higher education in Kentucky can be seen in its entirety here. Other episodes of “Dialogue on Public Issues” can be accessed from Campbellsville’s site.

Congratulations to Bellarmine University President Joseph J. McGowan, who was sworn in today as the 2009 Chair of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) at the association’s annual meeting in Washington, DC.

President McGowan has long been a strong voice for independent higher education at the local, state and national levels. We look forward to his leadership during these challenging and important times for independent colleges and universities.

Dr. McGowan was appointed as Bellarmine University’s third president in 1990.  He came to the position  having served for twenty-two years at Fordham University in New York as a vice president and dean.  Prior to that he was an admissions and financial aid officer at the University of Notre Dame.  He received his doctorate in higher education from Columbia University in New York and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Notre Dame.  He also is a graduate of Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management.

NAICU serves as the unified national voice of independent higher education. Since 1976, the association has represented private colleges and universities on policy issues with the federal government, such as those affecting student aid, taxation, and government regulation. NAICU serves nearly 1,000 members.

Governor Steve Beshear’s appointments to task force and related groups assembled to address affordability and access issues include presidents of Berea, Campbellsville and Kentucky Wesleyan; students from Alice Lloyd, Centre, and Kentucky Wesleyan; and AIKCU president.

In October Governor Steve Beshear announced the formation of the Higher Education Work Group to wrestle with the complex issues of affordability and access to higher education in Kentucky. The Governor convened the 25-member panel to help ensure that no qualified Kentuckian should be denied access to a postsecondary education because of financial barriers.

“It’s my belief that no person in this state with the drive and ability to succeed should be denied access to a college education because he or she can’t afford it,” Gov. Beshear said. “Yet because of cost, the door of opportunity is closed or beyond reach for too many of our children.”

The Governor’s Higher Education Work Group has been charged with studying a number of issues surrounding affordability and access and making two sets of recommendations to the Governor. Its first report, due January 15, will address short term cost saving opportunities in areas like textbook costs and increased campus efficiencies. The final report due in September, 2009, will include recommendations on long-range strategic issues like financial aid, tuition, and public funding policies and will hopefully lead to a more predictable and affordable outlook for higher education in Kentucky.

Governor Beshear, recognizing the integral role that independent colleges and universities play in postsecondary education in Kentucky, appointed independent college representatives to the Work Group and to two advisory groups that will inform the Work Group’s efforts from stakeholders’ perspectives.

The independent college representatives on the Presidents and Student Advisory Committees join their colleagues and peers from Kentucky’s eight public universities and the community and technical college system.The independent sector representatives include:

Presidents Advisory Committee:

• Dr. Larry D. Shinn, president of Berea College (Berea)
• Dr. Michael V. Carter, president of Campbellsville University (Campbellsville)
• Dr. Cheryl D. King, president of Kentucky Wesleyan College (Owensboro)

Student Advisory Committee:

• Kodi Faine, an Alice Lloyd College (Pippa Passes) sophomore from Knott County, Ky.
• Matthew Ruark, a Kentucky Wesleyan College (Owensboro) senior and student government president from Brooksville, Ky.
• Jacob Raderer, a Centre College (Danville) senior and student government president from Louisville.

Gary S. Cox, president of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU), was appointed to the Work Group, where he serves on both the affordability and strategic planning subcommittees. Cox brings with him nearly 40 years of service to Kentucky students, families, and postsecondary institutions in the Commonwealth in both the public and independent sectors. Prior to his tenure at AIKCU, which began in 1997, Cox was the Executive Director of the Kentucky Council on Higher Education (the precursor to today’s Council on Postsecondary Education) from 1986 to 1997. During his tenure at CHE Cox helped set the stage for postsecondary reform and in 1997 played a key role in the development and passage of House Bill 1, Kentucky’s landmark postsecondary education reform act.

The Governor’s Higher Education Work Group also includes a number of influential leaders from around the Commonwealth with ties to independent colleges and universities. The Work Group is chaired by Mira Ball of Lexington, who has served on the Midway College board in addition to chairing the University of Kentucky Board, and Pete Mahurin of Bowling Green, who serves on the Lindsey Wilson College board. Others with ties to AIKCU member institutions include State Auditor Crit Luallen (Centre College alumnae and board member), former Governor Paul Patton (Pikeville College Board Member), Governor’s Cabinet Secretary Larry Hayes (St. Catharine College alumnus), Louisville businessman David Grissom (Centre alumnus and board member), and several other business leaders with independent college connections through board service or other relationships.

Kentucky’s 20 independent, nonprofit colleges and universities have committed to doubling the number of transfers they enroll and bachelor’s degrees they produce by 2020 as part of Kentucky’s ambitious “Double the Numbers” public agenda. Independent colleges produce about 22 percent of Kentucky’s bachelor’s degrees and high proportions of graduates in key fields like teaching, math and science, and the health sciences. Independent college students receive about $53 million in state student financial aid, or just under 4 percent of the Commonwealth’s annual investment in higher education. Kentucky’s independent colleges are strong values, providing high quality educations at low average tuitions in comparison to national and regional private college averages. AIKCU member institutions offer extensive institutional student financial aid totaling more than $150 million each year.

For more on the Governor’s Higher Education Work Group, including meeting schedules and materials, visit http://www.finance.ky.gov/hewgov.htm.

AIKCU made its annual presentation to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education at the CPE’s September 28 meeting. AIKCU president Gary S. Cox was joined during the presentation by AIKCU board chair and Centre College president John Roush, Transylvania University president Charles Shearer, Mid-Continent University president Bob Imhoff, St. Catharine College president Bill Huston, and Kentucky Wesleyan College president Cheryl King. The group discussed the important role that AIKCU and its members play in helping Kentucky meet the CPE’s ambitious 2020 goals. The AIKCU leaders spoke of the importance of a strong public and independent sector and the need to enhance collaborations in order to accomplish the state’s goals.

View the AIKCU Annual Report to CPE (PDF)

AIKCU President Gary S. Cox reports emphasizes to legislators the important return on investment the independent sector provides to Kentucky.

Campbellsville, KY — A recurring theme was prevalent during the September 8 meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Education: Kentucky’s independent colleges serve public purposes and provide a vital return on the state’s investment in student financial aid.

The regular meeting of the legislative committee, made up of members of both the Kentucky House of Representatives and Senate, was held on the campus of Campbellsville University. Senator Ken Winters, committee chair and former president of CU, presided over the meeting.

Campbellsville University president Michael V. Carter and student government president Shajuana Dittoe welcomed legislators to Campbellsville. Dittoe, a native of Meade County majoring in sports ministry and minoring in athletic coaching at CU, thanked legislators for their commitment to public service and for their support of financial aid in Kentucky. She told the committee members that their support of Kentucky’s student financial aid programs was crucial to students like her in a difficult economy.

“Thanks to you and your generous contributions students like me are able to better themselves through higher education and achieve their dreams,” said Dittoe. “Student financial aid is an investment not only in students’ futures, but Kentucky’s future through a more educated workforce and economic growth that in return will make Kentucky have a better and brighter history.”

Senator Winters thanked Dittoe and said that hers was “the kind of testimony that wants to make us work for Kentucky and for the future of America.”

During the meeting a resolution honoring retiring 51st District Representative Russ Mobley, a former Campbellsville University professor, was read by Senator Winters and approved by the committee. Dr. Carter also presented a certificate from Campbellsville University honoring Mobley’s many years of service to both the university and the Commonwealth.

After the regular business of the Committee, President Carter was asked by Chairman Winters to provide an overview of Campbellsville University to the membership. In his presentation Carter said that independent institutions provide important options for students and emphasized that Campbellsville is a “private institution with a public purpose.” Carter enumerated Campbellsville’s numerous public service, outreach, and economic development activities that go hand in hand with the university’s central educational mission. He cited a recent economic impact study that found Campbellsville University was responsible for $76 million in economic activity in Taylor County alone.

AIKCU President Gary S. Cox followed the Campbellsville presentation with an overview of Kentucky’s independent colleges and universities. He emphasized that the $53 million dollars invested by the state in student aid to AIKCU students results in a tremendous return on investment for Kentucky. State aid to AIKCU students equals less than 4 percent of the state’s total spending on postsecondary education and in return, AIKCU institutions produce 22 percent of Kentucky bachelor’s degrees.

Cox said that Kentucky’s “big three” student aid programs - the College Access Program (CAP), Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG), and Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) - are effective and critical pieces to a funding partnership that involves institutions, the state, and the federal government. AIKCU institutions are by far the largest providers of financial aid to their students.

Cox said that while liberal arts continue to underlie independent higher education, today AIKCU institutions are preparing graduates to fill the needs of Kentucky employers. Using the medical field as an example, Cox noted that AIKCU instituitons produce more than twice as many graduates in the health sciences than they do in history. He also pointed out that the cost to Kentucky to educate students in high cost programs like nursing at independent colleges is limited to whatever state student financial aid the students receive.

Download AIKCU Presentation to Interim Joint Committee on Education (PDF).

Centre students meet with legislators to discuss state-funded financial aid programs (Centre.edu)

DANVILLE, KY—Financial aid is a key factor in the decision-making process for many high school students embarking on their search for the right college. With possible cuts to educational funding in Kentucky’s proposed budget for the coming year, aid programs such as the Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG), the College Access Program (CAP) and the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship Program (KEES) all could face reductions in the next fiscal year.

In the support of continued funding for these programs, Milton Reigelman, J. Rice Cowan Professor of English; Ned Frazer, associate director of admission; and eight Centre students who receive benefits from state-funded student aid participated in the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) Legislative Day on Wednesday, February 13, in Frankfort.

Despite a widespread blanket of ice and snow, the group made their way to the state’s capitol to meet with legislators. State-funded aid programs enable the students on the trip, as well as many others, to attend Centre College without the threat of excessive loan repayments after graduation.

Kyle Longton ‘08, of Louisville, has depended on merit and need-based financial aid for all four years of his Centre education.

“While the College provides me with significant support, I’ve also received state grants,” Longton says. “My KEES Scholarship money was one of the reasons I stayed in Kentucky for college, and I’ve been able to keep full funding all four years.”

Longton says he fears that reduced funding to KEES will result in more students leaving the Commonwealth with fewer benefits for staying. He says, “We could see not only a financial drain, but also a brain drain.”

This possibility is also alarming to Reigelman, who says that Kentucky spends only four percent of its educational funding on private higher education, versus 96 percent for public schools. But that small percentage is still important to Centre students who, he says, rely heavily on the Kentucky Tuition Grant program and the KEES money they’ve earned.

Morgan Lynn ‘11, of Marion, Ky., looks at the larger picture. “Student aid from the state makes it possible, and definitely easier, for students to bear the burden of rising tuition costs at private colleges,” she says. “In turn, students in small liberal arts schools like Centre go on to become highly motivated, productive members of society.” Continue reading the full article.

Below are just a few of the pictures from the 2008 AIKCU Legislative Day. Click here to see a slideshow of all 282 photos from AIKCU Legislative Day.

These and the rest of the day’s pictures are all available for campus use on AIKCU’s page on the free photo sharing website flickr.com. Videos from the luncheon are available on AIKCU’s YouTube channel.

[AIKCU Members - To download an image for campus use from flickr: 1. Double click the image. 2. Choose "View photo page." 3. Choose "All Sizes" 4. download the size you need. Need help or just want a single .jpeg emailed your way? Email us.]

Both the Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives approved resolutions yesterday proclaiming February 13, 2008 Independent, Nonprofit Higher Education Day in the Commonwealth. Representatives from almost every AIKCU campus braved the inclement weather to come to Frankfort to celebrate independent higher education and thank legislators for their support of Kentucky’s student financial aid programs. The full text of Senate Resolution 112, introduced on the floor by Senate Education Committee Chairman (and former Campbellsville University president) Ken Winters, appears below. The resolution was cosponsored by all 38 members of the Senate and adopted by voice vote.

A similar resolution (HR 121) was introduced in the House by Speaker of the House Jody Richards, a Kentucky Wesleyan College alum, and adopted by voice vote.

A RESOLUTION recognizing Kentucky’s nonprofit, independent colleges and universities and their students and alumni.

WHEREAS, Kentucky’s 20 nonprofit, independent colleges and universities educate almost 29,000 students annually; and

WHEREAS, 22 percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the Commonwealth are awarded by these institutions; and

WHEREAS, 25 percent of Kentucky’s bachelor’s degrees in teaching and nursing and even larger percentages of other bachelor’s degrees produced in math and science are awarded by these institutions; and

WHEREAS, small classes, individual attention, and an emphasis on preparation for life and work are hallmarks of these institutions; and

WHEREAS, these colleges and universities meet the high standards set by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, arguably the toughest regional accreditation standards for higher education in the United States; and

WHEREAS, these nonprofit, independent colleges and universities have committed to playing a major role in Kentucky’s 2020 “Double the Numbers” efforts; and

WHEREAS, Nobel Prize winners, governors, justices, congressmen, and distinguished members of the Kentucky General Assembly were educated on these campuses; and

WHEREAS, about 100,000 independent college and university alumni live, work, pay taxes, and vote in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of classrooms and laboratories, libraries, theaters, dormitories, athletics facilities, and related structures valued at well over one billion dollars are provided to educate students and serve communities at no cost to the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, these 20 institutions are major employers and economic development partners that, when taken together, would rank 18th among Kentucky’s 25 largest public corporations; and

WHEREAS, these institutions enhance the economic and cultural viability of communities across the state from Pikeville to Mayfield and points in between; and

WHEREAS, tuition, on average, is 35 per cent lower than the national independent college average and 25 percent less than the Southern average; and

WHEREAS, these institutions provide another $130 million in financial aid to their students annually; and

WHEREAS, these colleges and universities serve the Commonwealth and its students and communities, while receiving only four percent of the state’s postsecondary education appropriations in the form of student financial aid; and

WHEREAS, students, faculty, and staff are visiting the Capitol today to thank members of this august body for their support of student financial aid;

NOW, THEREFORE,

Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

Section 1. The Senate salutes the outstanding contributions Kentucky’s 20 independent colleges and universities and their students and staff make to the Commonwealth and its future.

Section 2. The Senate recognizes Wednesday, February 13, 2008, as Independent, Nonprofit Higher Education Day in the Commonwealth.

Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate shall forward a copy of this Resolution to Dr. Gary Cox, President, Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities, 484 Chenault Avenue, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, for sharing with the Commonwealth’s 20 independent colleges and universities.