Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College, Lindsey Wilson College, and the University of the Cumberlands were all recently named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Established in 2006, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll annually recognizes colleges and universities for their commitment to and achievement in community service. These five AIKCU members are among more than 700 colleges and universities nationwide to receive this prestigious federal honor administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

AIKCU congratulates Bellarmine, Berea, Centre, Lindsey Wilson, and the University of Cumberlands upon this national recognition for their service to their communities, the Commonwealth, and the world.

To learn more about the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, visit http://www.learnandserve.gov/about/programs/higher_ed_honorroll.asp

See Asbury.edu for more details on Asbury’s transition to a university

WILMORE, Ky. -Special chapel services, new signage, 2,000 purple t-shirts, banners and a 1,500-person group photo are drawing attention and excitement in celebration of Asbury University day on March 5, 2010.

On Monday, March 1, Dr. Victor Hamilton, a retired Bible and Theology professor, addressed the Asbury community during Chapel. Deriving inspiration from the Old Testament story of Hagar’s interactions with an angel, Hamilton delivered a message that challenged the Asbury community to reflect on their individual journeys by pondering two questions: “Where have you come from?” and “Where are you going?”

Referencing several Old Testament figures, Hamilton also stated that every time someone is renamed, that person became hopeful, encouraged and inspired. Considering this week to be Asbury’s “Horizon Week,” Hamilton expressed his excitement for Asbury and its members with the name change. “Not only do I believe that the Lord has the world in His hand, but I believe He has this school in his hand, and I believe He has you in His hand,” he said.

Also, early in the week contractors replaced the Asbury College directional signage located across campus. Other familiar objects, like banners, business cards and printed documents, have also been updated to replicate the new name Asbury will officially begin bearing on Friday. Even Asbury Theological Seminary has joined in the celebrations by displaying a banner congratulating the College as it becomes a University.

On Wednesday, March 3, Dr. Sandra Gray, delivered a message during Chapel. Before speaking, Gray had the honor of bestowing the very first two Asbury University t-shirts by shooting them out of an air gun into the student body.

During her message, Gray conveyed her excitement by bringing the desires of a past president into present-day reality. In a written address to the Asbury community, Gray clearly states that a change in name provides an accurate reflection of Asbury. “We also recognize Asbury College began as Kentucky Holiness School but that name did not long reflect the broader nature of who she had become,” she said.

Now leading the way for the institution to receive its second change of name, Gray vowed that the commitment to academic excellence and spiritual vitality would remain the same as the institution’s motto. In her letter, Gray additionally wrote that we have been called to excellence by understanding and becoming more of who Christ really is. “This is more than a strategic direction; it is a spiritual mandate,” she stated. Read more of Gray’s letter to the Asbury community.

After Chapel, Gray met with students, faculty and staff interested in a Question and Answer Session over lunch in the cafeteria. Meanwhile, students, faculty and staff were all encouraged to pick up their free Asbury University t-shirt. The Admissions Office and the bookstore also sold old Asbury College t-shirts and other clothing attire at discounted prices to make way for the new Asbury University merchandise coming soon. All campus has been invited to wear their new t-shirts on Friday to help usher in and be a part of this historic change for the institution.

On Friday, March 5, Israel Gaither, a Board of Trustees member and a Salvation Army Commander, will address the Asbury community during a formal declaration when Asbury will be officially become a university. Faculty will be dressed in full regalia and Chapel will be conducted and organized in a traditional setting. During the Chapel service, the new Asbury University campus sign will also be unveiled to the community.

After Chapel, all students, faculty and staff who wear their new t-shirts will have a chance to gather on the steps of Hughes and smile for the camera for a group picture. Later in the day, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Gray has invited all of campus to celebrate Asbury’s change to a University with a reception in the Student Center.

Learn more about how Asbury will now function as a university starting March 5.

DANVILLE, Ky. - On Thursday, March 4 at 7 p.m., Centre College will host Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, for a public presentation titled, “The Future of Education: Globalization and its Impact on the Next Generation of Learners.” Wilhoit’s lecture will take place in Weisiger Theatre (located inside the Norton Center for the Arts) and is free and open to the public.

Wilhoit assumed his role as executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in November of 2006, having spent his entire professional career serving education at the local, state and national levels. Wilhoit began his career as a social studies teacher in Ohio and Indiana. He served as a program director in the Indiana Department of Education, an administrator in Kanawha County West Virginia and a special assistant in the U.S. Department of Education before assuming the position of executive director of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), which he held from 1986 to 1993.

From 1994 to 2006, Wilhoit led two state education agencies, one as director of the Arkansas Department of Education and the other as deputy commissioner and commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education. In those positions, he shepherded finance reform, led equity initiatives, designed and implemented assessment and accountability systems, advanced nationally recognized preschool and technology programs and reorganized state agencies to focus on service and support.

According to Wilhoit, “a recent publication estimated that economic reordering of the world will eliminate national economic boundaries and result in China, the U.S. and India being the largest economies, in that order. And the inherent relationship between knowledge and economic progress is cemented in the minds of the leaders of those, and other, nations.”

He continues, “Our challenge is to transform learning for each of our students in a way that makes them not only productive members of our country, but prepares them for success in a global context.

“A recent business article stated that in the next five years, we will experience more inventions and innovative new products, gadgets and gizmos than have been produced in the past 50 years. The rate of change in the global knowledge economy is impacting everything we do-including everything we do in education. It is our responsibility as leaders to promote, identify and raise up this innovation in education and use it to change the landscape of teaching and learning.”

Education consultant Susan Perkins Weston commented, “Gene Wilhoit has organized a common core standards push that will be the most important education change in a quarter-century, one that will routinely show up in histories of the United States for the next century or more as an event that matters, long after NCLB is forgotten. He’s got his finger on the pulse of education when big things are happening.”

Transylvania University has won the 2009 AIKCU “Battle of the Bumpers,” the friendly contest between AIKCU’s 20 members to see which institution’s supporters can put the most college-branded license plates on Kentucky highways in a calendar year.

Transylvania supporters purchased 735 plates in 2009 to help Transy repeat as “Battle of the Bumpers” champions. In 2008 Transylvania ended Centre College’s five year reign in the competition.

“I am impressed with the number of alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends who choose to show their Transylvania pride on their license plates,” said Transylvania President Charles L. Shearer. “In particular, the support of our loyal alumni has been remarkable.”

Kentucky Independent Higher Education plates advertise allegiance to the featured campus while supporting current students. Ten dollars from the sale of each plate is returned directly to the school’s general scholarship fund. Overall, sales of Kentucky Independent Higher Education plates raised more than $39,000 for student scholarships in 2009.

“I love to see our members’ plates when I’m out on the road,” said Gary S. Cox, AIKCU president. “Because I know that every one of those drivers is a proud supporter of independent colleges and the difference that an independent education makes in students’ lives.”

Centre placed second and Georgetown College placed third in the 2009 sales competition. Overall sales for the 20 participating colleges and universities were up five percent in 2009.

Kentucky Independent Higher Education plates cost $44 upon initial issue and $31 at renewal, including the $10 for student scholarships. For more information, including contact information for your county clerk, visit the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing at http://mvl.ky.gov/MVLWeb/.

(Crestview Hills, KY) — Several hundred people attended a memorial service at Thomas More College this week to honor the service and sacrifice of Marine Lance Corporal Adam D. Peak.

Peak, 25, was killed last Sunday by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was a 2002 Boone County High School and 2007 Thomas More graduate.

Matthew Webster, Thomas More’s vice president of student affairs, said that the entire community was saddened by the news of Peak’s death. He noted that Peak “really found his way in the Marines and loved it.”

For additional information on the life and service of Lance Corporal Adam Peak, please see:

Florence man killed in Afghanistan (nky.cincinnati.com)
Funeral set for fallen N.Ky Marine (kypost.com)
Kentucky honors fallen Lance Cpl. Adam D. Peak (examiner.com)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Carl Thomas, chair of the Spalding University Board of Trustees, announced today that Tori Murden McClure will become the University’s tenth president. She will officially begin her presidency on July 1, 2010.

“As we begin an exciting new chapter at Spalding University, we could not be more delighted to have as the next leader of the institution an individual like Ms. McClure. Not only is she deeply engrained within the Louisville community, she brings a significant passion for and understanding of higher education, and specifically, Spalding University. We are poised for a very bright future,” Thomas says.

The University’s Board of Trustees selected McClure, who currently serves as the Vice President of External Relations, Enrollment Management, and Student Affairs at Spalding, after an extensive six-month search that attracted outstanding candidates from across the nation. A Presidential Search Committee and the search firm RPA Inc. of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, headed the search.

“Guiding this process, which was national in scope and very thorough, has been challenging, but so very rewarding. Tori Murden McClure is excited about her new responsibilities and eager to lead Spalding University into a bright future,” says David Fannin, co-chair of the presidential search committee.

McClure will succeed Dr. Jo Ann Rooney, who announced her departure from the university last fall after seven years of service. During her time at the university, Rooney has been instrumental in re-establishing a sound fiscal foundation, creating innovative academic delivery formats and in particular, developing a national reputation for adult learning.

“Simply stated, we desired a unique individual to lead this institution, which boasts a history and tradition of educational excellence begun by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in 1814,” says Sr. M. Serra Goethals, Ph.D., co-chair of the search committee. “While numerous candidates were considered who brought the leadership component and academic experience, Ms. McClure is also able to claim deep roots in the community and a true passion for Spalding’s position and potential for growth.”

A long-time resident of Louisville, McClure has extensive ties to the Louisville community and local government and has served many roles prior to joining Spalding in 2004, including director of development at the Muhammad Ali Center, project manager for Empowerment Zone Initiatives at the Louisville Development Authority, project coordinator for public policy in the Office of the Mayor, and director of the Women’s Center of Volunteers of America.

“Our entire senior leadership team and the campus community have a wonderful working relationship with Mrs. McClure. This transition will be swift as we continue on our upward momentum as a doctoral level institution,” states L. Randy Strickland, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

McClure is an advocate of higher education and strong promoter of Spalding University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Smith College, a Master of Divinity from Harvard University, and her Juris Doctor from the University of Louisville law school. In 2005, she completed her Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Spalding University; her nonfiction book A Pearl in the Storm (Harper Collins, 2009), about her journey as the first woman and first American to row solo across the mid-Atlantic Ocean, is based upon her creative thesis for the program. The book was recently recognized as a 2010 Christopher Award winner.

“Succeeding Dr. Rooney will be an honor. Throughout our history, the majority of our alumni have devoted their careers to the service of others. In an age in which notions like “community” and “citizenship” seem to have lost meaning, institutions like Spalding University are more vital than ever,” says McClure. “I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues as we endeavor to live up to the examples of teaching and stewardship so honorably established at the core of our mission by Mother Catherine Spalding and the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.”

For more information, visit http://spalding.edu or contact:

Rick Barney
Spalding University Executive Director of Marketing & PR
502.585.9911 ext 2617
502.419.8252 (cell)
rbarney [at] spalding.edu

Representative Bam Carney (L), Governor Steve Beshear, and the Campbellsville University volleyball team

Story provided by Campbellsville University. See original story with additional photos.

FRANKFORT, KY - Campbellsville University’s 2009 Lady Tiger volleyball team continued to celebrate its National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship with a visit to the Capitol on Wednesday, February 17.

“You’ve made your university, community and the Commonwealth very proud,” Governor Steve Beshear told the Campbellsville team as they gathered for a photo in the Capitol.

After meeting with Beshear the team was presented to and honored by both legislative houses. Rep. Bam Carney (R-Campbellsville) presented the team in the House, while Sen. Ken Winters (R-Murray), former CU president, did the honor in the Senate on behalf of Sen. Jimmy Higdon (R-Lebanon).

“It was a good day. I don’t know if the girls knew exactly what to expect,” said Randy LeBleu, head coach of the 2009 CU Lady Tigers. “It was a great opportunity to showcase the sport of volleyball, and it was good to see the senators and representatives not from our area go out of their way to recognize us and shake our hands. Being on the floor of both the Senate and House was a great experience.”

Though unable to make the trip, Campbellsville President Dr. Michael V. Carter was grateful for the state’s recognition and proud of the team’s experience.

“We are all very proud of the Campbellsville University national champion volleyball team. The recognitions of the team by Governor Steve Beshear, Representative Bam Carney and the Kentucky House of Representatives, and State Senators Jimmy Higdon and Dr. Ken Winters and the Kentucky State Senate, are noteworthy experiences for the members of the Lady Tigers volleyball team and coaching staff,” Carter said. “We appreciate the support by our state officials for Campbellsville University and our student-athletes.”

In the Senate, the Lady Tigers were brought to the floor by Winters, who served as Campbellsville’s president from 1988-1999.

“I really am honored to have been allowed to do it. Sen. Higdon, knowing my connection to the university, yielded to me to make the award,” Winters said. “Many years of my life were spent there with the school. I’m proud of this team effort and our first national championship. It was a real exciting time. I’m very, very proud of the team, as I am of Campbellsville University as a whole.”

Higdon said it brought satisfaction to see Winters make the presentation.

“You could tell he was bubbling over with joy today when he made the presentation,” Higdon said. “Out of respect for him and his deep love for the university, I wanted to present this opportunity to him. He’s so proud of Campbellsville University, and so am I…. It was a thrill to have a national champion visit us today.”

Carney presented the team in the House and was present for photos in the House chambers and with Beshear.

“We were honored to have them in Frankfort to celebrate a milestone for the university. It’s a very impressive group of young ladies, and it was a joy to have them there,” said Carney, who received his teaching certificate from CU. “It was an honor and privilege on my part, being from Campbellsville, to share their accomplishments with the other representatives across the state. It’s a historic moment for our community and the school.”

John Chowning, Campbellsville University’s vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant to the president, worked with the governor’s office, the offices of Sen. Higdon and Rep. Carney and CU Athletic Director Rusty Hollingsworth to organize the event.

Campbellsville captured the NCCAA Division I Championship on Dec. 5, 2009 in Kissimmee, Fla., and completed the season with a school record 38 wins.

This originally appeared on the Asbury College website on January 28th. See the original article (with photos)

More than 40 media communications students to work in paid broadcasting positions; 2 students will report for Lexington NBC affiliate

WILMORE, KY-More than 40 students and four faculty members from Asbury College’s School of Communication Arts are headed to Vancouver, British Columbia for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 12-28. This is the ninth consecutive Olympics that Asbury College media communications students have worked in paid broadcasting positions.

This year, a few students will be broadcasting about their experiences on the Lexington news station, WLEX-channel 18. Junior Janelle Gore is heading to the Olympics on Feb. 11 and will sending stories to the Lexington television station. Gore’s task is to “bring the Olympics back to Lexington” by finding ties between Vancouver and Kentucky.

Last fall, WLEX-channel 18 sought correspondents to represent Asbury College and send reports back to Kentucky. Gore and fellow student, Natalie Clements, earned the opportunity as performance majors. Alumnus and WLEX employee Taylor Vinson ‘07 helped facilitate venture between the station and college. Vinson worked at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, and had a vested interesting in seeing both his alma mater and employer represented well on air. Vinson held a teaching session to help the new broadcasters learn the station’s expectations for videography, editing and writing.

“My hope is that the Olympic correspondents will be able to tell the story of what it’s like to be at the games,” Vinson said. “It’s wonderful that while telling those stories, they’ll also be getting invaluable experience in the field of television news.”

This will be Gore’s first experience with news broadcasting. Her previous experience has been with theatre and film. “Having a broad education in so many subjects will be helpful also having public relations as well as media writing experience will benefit me in piecing together stories for WLEX.”

Gore and all Asbury Colleges are well-prepared for their endeavors before reaching the Olympic village. Asbury College students were originally only offered 30 slots in broadcasting positions, but due to their experience and knowledge their allotment was increased in the days prior to the games to allow more than 40 students to go. “All of the professors really care about each student getting these opportunities and help us all prepare as much as we can,” Gore said.

When she isn’t broadcasting, Gore is looking forward to watching short track speed skating and her favorite athlete, Apolo Ohno. “I am most excited about seeing all of the different countries come together for one purpose, and celebrating athleticism, competition and having fun together.”

Since 1984, more than 350 Asbury College students have worked in paid broadcasting positions at almost every Olympic Games. Asbury College was the only school outside of the host country that was invited to send media students to work for pay in Vancouver, Beijing, Torino, Athens, Salt Lake, Sydney and Atlanta. Students have worked in such positions as camera operators, camera assistants, liaison officers, audio assistants, and loggers for a variety of broadcasters including NBC, CBC, BBC, European Broadcast Union and others. Students must apply and be accepted by professors as well as the broadcaster in order to work for the Olympics.

Grant Workshop

Lindsey Wilson College invites AIKCU member institutions to participate in a free grant workshop on March 26 from 8:30-noon (CT) at Lindsey Wilson’s Columbia campus. The workshop, entitled Successful Grant Seeking, will be presented by Jeff Schwartz, Education Program Manager for the Appalachian Regional Commission.The workshop will be tailored to the interests of the participants. There is no fee for the workshop.

Grant Workshop Flier (PDF)

Grant Workshop Registration (PDF)

Blue Ridge Undergraduate Research Conference

Lindsey Wilson will host the Blue Ridge Undergraduate Research Conference (BRUC) immediately following the grant workshop. The conference will begin with a keynote address by Mark Harvey, Director of Undergraduate Research Programs at UNC-Asheville, and continue with research presentations from undergraduate students. BRURC provides an opportunity for students from all disciplines to present research. The conference is intended to provide a supportive, first conference experience for students. Students may choose to have their papers or posters judged for consideration of the BRURC Student Research Award. Additional information about the Blue Ridge Undergraduate Research Conference and a registration form for the conference are posted at www.lindsey.edu/brurc.

PIKEVILLE, Ky. - Paul E. Patton, former Kentucky governor and a national leader in education policy, will officially be installed as the 18th president of Pikeville College on Tuesday, Feb. 16, on the college campus.

The first Kentucky governor in nearly 200 years to serve two successive terms (1995-2003), Patton, known as the “higher education governor,” proposed and championed the successful passage of Kentucky’s Higher Education Reform Act in 1997.

Patton served as a member of Pikeville College’s Board of Trustees for more than 30 years and as Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in Public Policy and Leadership at the college. In 2009, he was named chairman of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE).

“My inaugurations as governor, and now as a college president, are highlights of my life,” said Patton. “It is certainly a fitting capstone of my career. Putting into practice what you’ve advocated is very rewarding.”

The inauguration ceremony will be held in Booth Auditorium, Record Memorial Building, at 2 p.m. The community is cordially invited to attend. The academic processional will be led by a student bagpiper and faculty marshal bearing the college’s mace, as Pikeville’s new president is officially welcomed by the campus family, including students, faculty and staff, alumni and trustees.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers will deliver the inauguration address. Also participating in the program are Pikeville College Presidents Emeriti, Harold H. “Hal” Smith and William H. Owens, University of Louisville President James Ramsey, University of Kentucky President Lee Todd, Gary Cox, president of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities and Karen Nichols, D.O., president-elect of the American Osteopathic Association. Terry Dotson, chairman of the college’s board of trustees, and CPE President Robert King will preside over the investiture and presentation of the president’s medallion.

The celebration will include delegates representing colleges and universities from across the state, higher education organizations and the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities. Special music will be provided by students, alumni and the college’s choir. Live video and audio of the ceremony will also be available in Chrisman Auditorium, Armington Learning Center, level two.

The celebration on Feb. 16 will begin at 8 a.m. with the President’s Prayer Breakfast in Sturgill Board Room, Record Memorial Building, third floor. At 11 a.m., the campus will join the president for a “Blessing at the Flagpole” located near the Administration Building. In case of inclement weather, the blessing will be held inside. Later that evening, there will be a reception and banquet beginning at 6 p.m. at the Mark V, Landmark Inn, Pikeville. The cost is $50 per person with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Pikeville College Alumni Association’s Scholarship Fund. For more information or to RSVP for the banquet, call the Office of Public Affairs at (606) 218-5265.