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FRANKFORT, Ky. - The fifth-annual Kentucky Private College Week will be July 14-18.

Kentucky Private College Week is a coordinated effort by the state’s 20 nonprofit, independent colleges and universities to provide students and families an easy way to explore a variety of college campuses during the summer.

A single point of registration at www.kentuckyprivatecolleges.org and common visit times at all 20 campuses - 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (local time) daily - make it easy for prospective students to plan campus visits. Some campuses will offer special times to accommodate the schedules of non-traditional students.

“We want people to see these campuses firsthand and have an opportunity to talk with staff and current students about the admissions process and financial aid,” said Mason Dyer of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities, which sponsors the event. “Many people are surprised to find out how attainable and affordable an independent college education can be.”

The 20 participating campuses serve students from all income levels. Four out of 10 students who attend Kentucky’s independent colleges and universities qualify for a Pell Grant, the federal student aid program for people with high financial need. Together, the 20 campuses provide more than $150 million annually in student financial aid and scholarships. Students attending AIKCU institutions also qualify for state student financial aid programs.

In addition to the two daily sessions, select campuses will host special evening information sessions for working adults interested in pursuing a degree. More than one in five students at Kentucky’s independent colleges is at least 25 years old.

“While non-traditional students are always welcome at all campuses, more than half of Kentucky’s independent colleges offer special opportunities for working adults,” Dyer said. “These may include degree-completion programs, evening or weekend classes, online learning, extended campuses, or participation in special programs such as Project Graduate.”

Project Graduate is a statewide initiative to help students with 90 or more credit hours finish a baccalaureate degree.

Visitors receive an application fee waiver for every campus they visit during Private College Week. Prizes to be given away during the week include t-shirts, gas cards and other items.

“Kentucky Private College Week is the perfect road-trip opportunity,” Dyer said. “Our campuses are located across Kentucky, from Pikeville to Mayfield, in great cities and towns, and in some of the most beautiful places in the entire country. With gas prices keeping people closer to home this summer, we see this as a great chance to see Kentucky while also preparing for the future.”

To learn more visit the Kentucky Private College Week blog at www.kentuckyprivatecolleges.org. There you can register, see videos featuring current students, learn more about participating campuses, get directions, and see the latest news about Kentucky’s private colleges. Or call the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities at (502) 695-5007 for more information.

The second annual AIKCU Technology Symposium, sponsored by AIKCU and hosted by Campbellsville University, was held June 5. brought together staff members from AIKCU campuses across the state, along with AIKCU technology business partners, to network and learn about the latest technological developments affecting colleges and universities. More than 70 AIKCU staff members participated. Most came from campus IT departments, but participants also included campus librarians, faculty, and academic support personnel. The symposium included a diverse range of presentation topics in three distinct tracks: Instructional Technology, Information Technology, and Help Desk (full agenda here).

Marti Harris, Research Director Gartner Higher Education, provided the keynote to kick off the conference. Her presentation, “The Impact of New Relationship and Emerging Technology on Higher Education” is available for download for AIKCU members: Gartner presentation from AIKCU Technology Symposium (PDF).

Participants were overwhelmingly positive about the event. Evaluations included many comments like these:

“Well organized, moved quickly, enabled networking among peers.”

“Excellent presentations - need more concurrent sessions…I couldn’t get to everything.”

“Thank you Campbellsville & AIKCU for hosting/sponsoring the symposium – Great Collaboration☺”

“This is a great way to get AIKCU schools talking and cooperating. While we may compete for students, we should always try to help each other and this conference lends to that.”

Thanks again to Campbellsville University for hosting the 2008 AIKCU Technology Symposium. And please check out the Symposium photo gallery hosted on Campbellsville’s website.

E.ON U.S. officials pose with E.ON Named Scholars at the AIKCU banquet. L-R: David Freibert, Director, External Affairs, E.ON U.S.; Cliff Feltham, Statewide Media Relations Manager, E.ON U.S.; E.ON Named Scholars; Ed Staton, Director, Transmission, E.ON U.S.; Jan Rose Coleman, Manager, Business Offices, E.ON U.S.

E.ON U.S. took center stage as the featured funding partner during AIKCU’s recent recognition banquet. The annual event brings together students, presidents, staff, friends, and supporters to honor AIKCU’s corporate and foundation partners.

E.ON subsidiary Kentucky Utilities was one of the founders of the Kentucky Independent College Foundation in 1952, one of two organizations that combined in the 1990s to form AIKCU. Since then E.ON U.S. has given nearly $1.4 million dollars to AIKCU in support of independent higher education.

“We’re extremely grateful for the continued support that E.ON U.S. has provided our students for more than half a century, through a number of corporate changes,” said AIKCU President Gary S. Cox. “The scholarships that E.ON and our other corporate partners fund truly is an investment in Kentucky’s future.”

E.ON has contributed $50,000 this year in support of the AIKCU Named Scholars program to fund student scholarships at member institutions located in areas served by E.ON and its subsidiaries. The Named Scholars program allows corporations and foundations to support multiple students attending AIKCU member institutions through a single gift to the association.

“Not only has E.ON been committed to turning on lights across our state, but they’ve been committed to turning on minds across the state,” said Evan Kuhl, a Bellarmine University freshman and E.ON Named Scholar.

E.ON US Chairman, CEO and President Vic Staffieri, who recently chaired the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Task Force on Postsecondary Education, addressed the assembled crowd via recorded remarks.

“In today’s knowledge-based economy, a postsecondary education is of vital importance – not just to you, the individuals who benefit directly from higher wages – but to the economic well-being of the entire Commonwealth,” said Staffieri. “Nearly two-thirds of all high-growth, high-wage jobs created in the next decade will require a college degree – a degree only one-third of Americans and one-fifth of Kentuckians have.”

“This crucial connection between education attainment and economic development is why I volunteered my time over the past year as chair of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Task Force on postsecondary education,” Staffieri continued. “It’s also why E.ON U.S. is proud to support the AIKCU Named Scholars Program – because helping you achieve your dreams will pay dividends for Kentucky businesses and for all of Kentucky.”

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President David Adkisson praised E.ON for their commitment to postsecondary education in Kentucky and lauded Staffieri’s efforts as head of the Chamber’s task force.

“Just about the time you hear and are convinced that business leaders in the country are only interested in their quarterly returns and what Wall Street thinks and about what the stockholders are going to do at the next meeting, occasionally you see a glimpse of hope in someone like Vic,” said Adkisson. “He took this on as a civic chore…because he believes in the power of higher education and wanted to do something to contribute.”

Other AIKCU Named Scholars partners recognized during the event include Ashland, Inc., the Gheens Foundation, the Keeneland Foundation, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, and UPS. For more on AIKCU and all of its funding and business partners download the 2007 AIKCU Annual Report.

Pikeville College President Hal Smith passes the chair’s gavel to Centre College President John Roush

Watch a video of the ceremonial gavel passing on AIKCU’s YouTube channel.

John Roush, President of Centre College in Danville, has been elected to serve a two-year term as chairman of the AIKCU board of directors. Roush succeeds Pikeville College President Hal Smith as chair. The AIKCU board is composed of the presidents of Kentucky’s 20 independent colleges and universities and two at-large members from Kentucky’s business community.

Chairman Smith passed the ceremonial gavel to incoming Chairman Roush during AIKCU’s annual recognition banquet on April 22. Before handing over the gavel, Smith reflected on a life and career path that began as a student at Centre College in the 1960s before leading into higher education administration at Centre and ultimately to the presidency at Pikeville, where he has served as president for eleven years.

“One might say that I’m a believer in independent higher education. And if you said that, you’d be right,” remarked Smith. “I believe in the value of the independent higher education experience. If it’s right for the student it cannot be beat. In fact, for most it’s a life-transforming opportunity.”

In accepting the chair position Roush thanked President Smith for his service as AIKCU chair and for “his leadership in independent higher education in Kentucky over his entire professional life.”

“This is an exciting time for independent higher education in Kentucky,” said Gary S. Cox, AIKCU President. “Independent colleges and universities are thriving and in a terrific position to help move Kentucky’s economy and people forward. But there are some serious challenges, and President Roush is the type of leader who can really bring our folks together to focus our efforts on our common interests.”

Kentucky’s independent colleges and universities have committed to playing a significant role in the Council on Postsecondary Education’s “Double the Numbers” plan to double Kentucky’s number of bachelor’s degree holders by 2020.

“The Commonwealth of Kentucky finds itself at a point in its history when it must decide how much it values higher education - public and independent,” said Roush. “The independent sector stands ready to provide the citizens of this state with education of the highest quality, yet still accessible to young people of lesser means. That is the tradition of private colleges and universities in Kentucky.”

Bill Huston, President of St. Catharine College in Springfield was named chair-elect and will succeed Roush at the end of his two-year term. John Weber, CFO of Graeter’s Ice Cream, KY was reelected as treasurer.

Duane Bonifer, Director of Public Relations at Lindsey Wilson College, was presented the President’s “For the Greater Good Award” during AIKCU’s annual recognition banquet.

The award recognizes a staff person from one of AIKCU’s twenty member campuses who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the organization and to the advancement of Kentucky’s independent college and university sector.

“Duane’s someone I look to when I need help with just about any situation,” said AIKCU President Gary S. Cox in presenting the award. “His hard work, ability and good humor are constant and his commitment to independent higher education is unwavering.”

Bonifer is a tireless advocate not just for Lindsey Wilson, but for the shared values of all of Kentucky’s independent colleges and universities.

“AIKCU’s strength is its members,” said Bonifer. “We are 20 great private colleges and universities working toward one common goal: changing students’ lives and preparing them to be successful and model citizens in our communities.”

“Duane is a tremendous asset to Lindsey Wilson College and to independent higher education across Kentucky,” said Cox. “With a small staff, we rely heavily on campus folks to help us get things done. We can always count on Duane, whether we need him to bring Lindsey Wilson students to Frankfort to meet with legislators or advise us on policy or public relations issues.”

Bonifer has been at Lindsey Wilson College for more than 14 years as the college’s director of public relations. He serves on the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights and he and his wife Kelli, an Adair County Extension Agent, are the parents of two young boys.

Bonifer is the third recipient of the AIKCU “For the Greater Good Award.” Last year’s recipient was Rev. John E. Chowning, Campbellsville University VP for Church and External Relations and Executive Assistant to the President. Midway College Vice President for Business Affairs Lyen Crews was the first recipient for his work with the AIKCU Benefit Trust’s self-funded health insurance initiative.

AIKCU Annual Report 2007 (PDF)- large file (5MB), right click to save to disk.

Thanks to all the campuses that made this possible by providing photos and profiles of students, faculty, and alumni.

To request a hard copies call 502-695-5007 or send us a note.

The results have been tabulated in the 2007 “Battle of the Bumpers,” and Centre College has captured the title for the fifth straight year. Centre narrowly edged out Transylvania University to retain their crown.

Each year AIKCU sponsors this friendly competition between its member institutions to see who can raise the most money for student scholarships through sales of campus-branded “Independent Higher Education” Kentucky specialty license plates. Ten dollars from the sale of each plate is returned to the named campus’s general scholarship fund.

“We’re pleased at the level of commitment our campuses have shown in promoting their plates,” said AIKCU President Gary S. Cox. “The students are the real winners here, so we want to see as many of these on the road as possible.”

Overall sales of “Independent Higher Education” plates garnered $33,610 for student scholarships in 2007. Georgetown College placed third in the contest.

The 2008 competition is under way and figures to be the most intense yet. New campus-designed plates hit the roads on January 1st, marking the first time since the program’s inception in 2002 that each campus has a completely unique plate. The new plates are available at Kentucky County Clerks offices statewide. Plates cost $44 upon initial issue, including the $10 for student scholarships (because these new plates replace the previous version, all Independent Higher Education plates will be $44 during the first year). Renewal is $31 in subsequent years.

For more information about the new license plates, see: Redesigned “Independent Higher Education” Kentucky license plates available in January

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.

The Spotlight Job & Internship Fair, a collaborative job and internship fair for students from AIKCU’s twenty member institutions and Hanover College (IN), will be held on Tuesday, February 26, 2008, from 2-6 PM eastern at the Lexington Center (next to Rupp Arena). For details visit http://asp.symplicity.com/spotlight.

The 2008 AIKCU Legislative Day in Frankfort will be held Wednesday, February 13. Students from AIKCU member campuses will set up displays on the second floor of the Capitol during the afternoon to greet legislators and meet with other independent college friends and alumni.

AIKCU Legislative Day
Wednesday, February 13
11:00 - 1:00 EST – Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History
1:00 - 3:00 EST – Kentucky State Capitol, 2nd Floor
Directions/Parking

Directions to the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, 100 West Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601.

Parking - is available in the lot directly across Broadway from the History Center. Map of the Kentucky Historical Society campus.

We will travel directly to the Capitol from the History Center at the conclusion of the kick-off luncheon. Parking around the Capitol can be challenging. Visitors may park on the street in front of the Capitol (on Capitol Avenue or State Street), on the drive that circles the Capitol, in various lots around the drive, in the lot behind the Capitol and to the left of the annex, in the garage (to the left of the annex) except on the second level. Do not park in any spaces marked “reserved.” All parking is free.

Schedule of Events

10:00-11:00 AM – Arrival at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. There will be a registration table outside the Brown-Forman Room. (If you come in through the main entrance proceed down the Hall of Governors.)

The Kentucky Historical Society has graciously offered free admission to the center’s exhibits for any campus delegations that choose to arrive early. Passes will be included in registration packets.

11:00 AM -1:00 PM – Legislative Day kick-off luncheon in the Brown-Forman room of the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.

We’ll enjoy pizza (generously provided by Yum! Brands and Pizza Hut), fellowship, and some opening remarks to start the day off. Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo, a Transylvania alum, is scheduled to speak and make a special presentation at 12:30.

All legislators have been invited by AIKCU. Campuses should have followed up with their delegations, alumni and friends.

1:00 PM – Proceed to the Capitol. Enter through the east visitor entrance (the Governor’s Mansion side). You will need to pass through the metal detectors, provide photo identification, and sign in.

Proceed to the 2nd floor of the Capitol and find your campus station. Stations will be indicated by a poster mounted on an easel.

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Meet and greet legislators. You and your students may wish to review your legislators’ bios and pictures to make it easier to recognize them (you can find these through the directory in AIKCU’s online policy center or on the LRC website. AIKCU staff will do our best to steer legislators to your delegations and make sure we capture those photo-ops while in the Capitol.

3 PM – Wrap-up and head home.

Highlights and photos of the 2006 AIKCU Legislative Day.