Bob Johnston

(Frankfort, KY) - AIKCU Vice President for Business Services and Chief Operating Officer Bob Johnston has been named vice chair of the national nonprofit Coalition for College Cost Savings (CCCS).

The Coalition for Cost Savings is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to helping private colleges and universities improve processes and reduce and contain costs through collaboration. Its membership is composed of 22 state independent college associations. The combined membership represents 582 colleges and universities and more than 1.1 million students.

“Bob has been instrumental in developing partnerships that provide crucial savings opportunities for our members. Those in turn make it possible for the campuses to pass the savings on to students,” said AIKCU President Gary S. Cox. “There’s no doubt his experience and leadership in this arena will be beneficial to the Coalition’s national efforts.”

Prior to his work at AIKCU, Johnston had a successful career in Kentucky state government. During his tenure in sate government he served as the Public Service Commission’s first Director of Consumer Services and before that as the Energy Cabinet’s Director of Energy Conservation.

To learn more about the Coalition for College Cost Savings http://www.thecoalition.us/.

On October 21, 2009, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 837, recognizing Kentucky Wesleyan College for its service as an institution of higher learning for over 150 years. The resolution was introduced by Representative Brett Guthrie of Kentucky’s 2nd District.

Read the text of the resolution on Kentucky Wesleyan’s website.

Record enrollments for AIKCU institutions; postsecondary enrollment up across Kentucky

Despite the down economy, enrollment is up again at Kentucky’s 20 nonprofit, independent colleges and universities. A preliminary fall enrollment report released today by the Council on Postsecondary Education indicates that a record 31,264 total students are enrolled this fall at institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities. Total AIKCU enrollments have grown by 35 percent over the last 10 years.

Undergraduate enrollments at AIKCU institutions saw modest growth this fall of 1.3 percent over fall 2008. Graduate enrollment at independent colleges and universities grew by 11 percent, thanks in large part to the addition of new graduate programs at several AIKCU institutions. Total enrollment growth (both undergraduate and graduate/professional) in the independent sector was 2.8 percent.

While overall enrollment growth in the independent sector was modest, several institutions experienced stronger than average growth:

• Bellarmine University welcomed 610 new freshmen this fall, the largest entering class in the school’s history and an 8 percent increase over the previous fall’s freshman class. Bellarmine’s full-time undergraduate enrollment has grown by 15 percent over the last three years, to 2041 this fall.
• Campbellsville University began the semester with 728 new students, including freshmen, transfer, and re-admitted students, more than a 12 percent increase over the previous fall. Campbellsville’s freshman class of 515 was also a school record and represented an increase of about 15 percent over 2008.
• Lindsey Wilson College’s fall enrollment is a record 2,341, a 17 percent increase over last school year’s enrollment of 2,006. The college’s freshman class is a record 568.
• St. Catharine College saw its second straight year of double digit enrollment increases. St. Catharine’s 14 percent increase over Fall 2008 puts the Springfield college’s total enrollment at a record 860 students.

The enrollment increases at AIKCU institutions are consistent with Kentucky’s overall college enrollment growth this fall. Total postsecondary enrollments increased by 5 percent to 254,560 total students according to the CPE report. Undergraduate enrollment at Kentucky’s public universities grew by just under 2 percent. The largest growth was seen in the Kentucky Community and Technical System.

See the complete press release and report highlights from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

Sixteen of twenty AIKCU member colleges and universities signed on to participate in the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (commonly referred to as the New GI Bill).

The New GI Bill, which goes into effect August 1, provides for payment of tuition and fees, a housing allowance, and a stipend for books and supplies for eligible veterans who have served on active military duty since September 11, 2001.  The maximum tuition and fees benefit available under the law is pegged to the level of the in-state charges at the most expensive public institution in a state.

For AIKCU members and other institutions with higher tuition and fees, the new law also creates the “Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program.”  Under the Yellow Ribbon program, the federal government will match, dollar-for-dollar, contributions that colleges and universities make to help veterans cover tuition costs above the maximum in-state public college tuition amount.  Participating colleges had to sign participation agreements by June 15 that specified how the institutional matches will be provided, the maximum amount of individual contributions, and the number of eligible veterans. A complete list of participating Kentucky institutions can be found here.

AIKCU is proud of our campuses’ support of our nation’s veterans and extremely pleased that so many of our campuses have chosen to participate in the Yellow Ribbon program. Even though most AIKCU institutions are participating, veterans should not exclude a campus from consideration because it is not a Yellow Ribbon participant. There are many sources of financial aid available to students who wish to enroll at an independent college or university; all potential students, including veterans, are advised to contact the financial aid offices at all institutions they are considering to see what kind of aid may be available.

Learn more about the Yellow Ribbon Program on the VA’s website.

Kentucky’s independent colleges and universities saw a significant increase in the number of degrees they awarded this spring.

Students at Kentucky’s twenty independent colleges and universities earned a record 3,157 bachelor’s degrees this spring, up nearly 9 percent over the previous year and 23 percent since 2004, according to a preliminary report issued earlier this week by the Council on Postsecondary Education.

AIKCU campuses awarded 27 percent of the baccalaureate degrees awarded by Kentucky’s public and private nonprofit institutions this spring.

“These numbers illustrate the tremendous value that our members bring to their students and the Commonwealth,” said AIKCU President Gary S. Cox. “State financial aid to our students represents less than 4 percent of the state’s spending on higher education, yet those students made up more than one-fourth of this spring‘s bachelor degree graduates. That’s a pretty good return on investment.”

AIKCU members awarded 4,225 total degrees, diplomas and certificates at all levels this spring, an increase of more than 15 percent over 2008 and 32 percent over five years. Together, Kentucky’s independent and public colleges and universities combined to award more than 30,178 total degrees this spring, an increase of 7 percent over last year and a 40 percent increase over 5 years.

“We’re proud of our members’ continued growth in degree production, and very pleased with the overall growth in degree attainment in both the independent and public sectors,” said Cox. “Kentucky’s people and economy will benefit as we all strive to meet the goals of reform and increase opportunities for Kentuckians.”

While growth was strong at all levels, AIKCU institutions saw particularly large gains in the numbers of graduate degrees awarded. Total graduate and professional degrees numbered 745, an increase of 55 percent over 2008 and 97 percent over 2004.

CPE will release a final 2008-09 degree production report in the fall. The preliminary CPE spring degrees report does not include more than 700 degrees that were awarded in mid-year commencement ceremonies.

For additional information see the CPE press release and prelimary report.

Last week Governor Beshear announced that Kentucky was the recipient of a major grant from the National Science Foundation. The NSF grant, which totals $12.5 million over five years, will fund university research in three key technological areas: biotechnology, nanotechnology and cyber-technologies.

Gov. Beshear also announced that Kentucky’s Department of Education was the recipient of a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education Advanced Placement Incentive Program to expand Advanced Placement opportunities in Kentucky high schools.

“These grants further my administration’s goal of focusing on quality education for our children,” said Gov. Beshear. “We must broaden opportunities for students to stretch their minds and provide the necessary tools for them to learn, conduct research and develop innovative concepts that will, ultimately, improve Kentucky’s ability to compete in a 21st century economy.”

Centre College and Berea College are among eight Kentucky colleges and universities that will conduct research under the NSF grant. The primary grant recipients are the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville.

The five-year award was made through Kentucky’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), an initiative of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation. The grant is expected to be matched with an additional $5 million from the commonwealth over the life of the grant.

Governor Steve Beshear announced yesterday the formation of a new 25-member task force to study affordability and access to Kentucky higher education.

The Higher Education Work Group will be co-chaired by prominent business leaders Mira Ball of Lexington and Pete Mahurin of Bowling Green.  Other work group members include business leaders, senior governmental officials and members from both houses of the state legislature.

AIKCU President Gary S. Cox was named to the group, along with the presidents of CPE and KHEAA, to represent higher education.

University presidents from across the state will advise the work group, including three AIKCU member presidents: Larry D. Shinn, Berea College; Michael V. Carter, Campbellsville University; and Cheryl D. King, Kentucky Wesleyan University.

The work group has been charged by Governor Beshear with developing two reports. The first, due in January 2009, is to look at ways to reduce the costs associated with college. The second report is due in September 2009 and will look at long term strategies for creating stable funding for public higher education.  how “best to create stable state funding for public higher education.”

Read the full press release and view the Governor’s Executive Order here.

Additional coverage in the Courier-Journal.

Free Web Resource for Students and Parents Marks First Anniversary with Enhanced Functionality and Record Campus Participation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The next iteration of U-CAN (www.ucan-network.org), a voluntary consumer information initiative of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), launched on September 17, 2008. Ten AIKCU institutions - half of Kentucky’s independent colleges and universities - currently participate in U-CAN, with more AIKCU institutions anticipated to join.

U-CAN “2.0″ improves on a college search tool already noted for providing objective, comparable data on the factors that matter most to consumers: student costs broken out by category, tuition trends, admission and graduation rates, average student aid packages, average debt at graduation, and much more.

Site enhancements - growing out of user comments and focus groups with parents and students - makes it among the most searchable websites of its kind. The improved site also provides guidance on how to prepare academically and financially for college, find the right fit, and navigate the admissions and financial aid processes. NAICU is exploring the development and addition of a new element that would allow consumers to see how colleges are spending their tuition dollars.

This is the first major upgrade to the U-CAN site, which was originally unveiled in September 2007.

U-CAN “2.0″ offers consumers:

• A greatly enhanced search function that increases the number of searchable variables from three to 17. Institutions can now be searched by tuition and fees, graduation rates, and average debt at graduation, among other categories.
• A new consumer guide to resources for planning for college, searching for the best college fit, and navigating the financial aid maze.

In August NAICU announced a milestone in campus participation. Nearly 11 months after the free, consumer-focused website was launched, the roster of private colleges and universities signed up to participate had grown grown to 711 institutions.

Since NAICU unveiled U-CAN on Sept. 26, 2007, with 600 private colleges and universities onboard, the number of participating institutions has grown by 19 percent. The association has 953 member schools, which enroll 85 percent of all students attending private colleges and universities in America.

With a design driven by consumer focus groups, the U-CAN site has been lauded for its rich and consumer-relevant information, and colorful, user-friendly format-by students, parents, college admissions counselors, and policymakers. Since U-CAN went live, more than 358,000 users have visited the site, viewing more than 850,000 pages.

Learn more at NAICU.edu.

AIKCU institutions fared well in Forbes Magazine’s inaugural America’s Best Colleges list.
Forbes recently ranked 569 undergraduate institutions “based on the quality of the education they provide, and how much their students achieve.”

Six AIKCU members were ranked among the nation’s top 215 public and private colleges and universities of all sizes. Centre College was ranked 13th overall in the nation by Forbes, just behind Wabash College and ahead of MIT. Bellarmine University (83), Transylvania University (148), Berea College (204), Georgetown College (207), and Asbury College (213) all made the Forbes list. Eleven Kentucky institutions in all made the list.  The highest-ranked public Kentucky university was Murray State University (322).

Forbes billed its America’s Best Colleges as an alternative to U.S. News and World Reports annual college rankings. The Forbes rankings were based on a number of criteria, including: average student debt of graduates, the percentage of students graduating in four years, the number of faculty and students honored with major awards (like Rhodes Scholarships or Nobel Prizes), alumni success as measured by the number of alumni listed in Who’s Who in America, and student evaluations from RateMyProfessors.com.

Kentucky institutions appearing on Forbes’ America’s Best Colleges list:

 13. Centre College

83. Bellarmine University

148. Transylvania University

204. Berea College

207. Georgetown College

213. Asbury College

322. Murray State University

400. University of Louisville

428. Eastern Kentucky University

468. University of Kentucky

476. Western Kentucky University

See also Centre ranked 13th best college in U.S. - Kentucky.com.

Transylvania University President Charles L. Shearer was the subject of an article in the May 24 Lexington Herald-Leader. Shearer, who will celebrate 25 years in office in July, is the second-longest serving AIKCU president. Reporter Art Jester chronicles the great strides that Transy has made during Dr. Shearer’s tenure:

In the nearly 25 years that Charles L. Shearer has been president of Transylvania University, the 228-year-old liberal arts college has grown stronger and better in every respect, largely due to him.

“He’s a once-in-a-lifetime president,” said William T. Young Jr., chairman of Transylvania’s board of trustees. “I don’t think most people realize Transylvania has been transformed under his leadership.”

By any measurement — students, faculty, alumni, scholarships, geographical diversity, facilities or fund-raising — Transylvania is far different than it was in the troubled hour when Shearer took office on July 8, 1983. Transylvania had been through three presidents in three years.

Shearer immediately restored stability and confidence, as well as ambition.

Continue reading the full article on Kentucky.com.