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Judge Roger Crittenden ruled earlier today (March 6) to grant the plaintiffs’ motion for Summary Judgment in the lawsuit surrounding the constitutionality of a 2006 appropriation made by the General Assembly to the University of the Cumberlands for a pharmacy school. The following is the initial statement on the matter from AIKCU President Gary S. Cox:

We have not had an opportunity to review and study this decision, or for our members to meet and discuss it with legal counsel. We look forward to doing so right away. Many of our members share my strong belief that we are well situated to partner in new ways with the state in meeting job training and workforce development needs. Other states are partnering with their non-profit institutions to meet these needs in very cost-effective ways.

While we were not a party to the lawsuit, we have followed the constitutional issues with interest. If the opportunity arises, we will seriously consider participating in the appellate process to reach a result which will benefit the Commonwealth and our members.

- Gary S. Cox, President
Association of Independent
Kentucky Colleges & Universities

Related press coverage:

State money cannot go to religious school - Kentucky.com

Judge rejects state money for University of the Cumberlands (Courier-Journal.com)An Expensive Expulsion - InsideHigherEd.com

Kentucky Judge Finds State Appropriation to a Baptist University Unconstitutional - Chronicle of Higher Education (for subscribers)

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.

2008 AIKCU Legislative Interns, originally uploaded by aikcu.

Five independent college students from campuses across Kentucky reported to Frankfort this week to begin internships with the General Assembly. The students will spend their spring semester working directly for state legislators as part of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities Legislative Internship Program.

Sara Allen, an Alice Lloyd College junior from Viper, is a history and pre-law major who plans to attend law school. She will be working with Rep. Kathy Stein, a Lexington Democrat and chair of the state House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee. Allen said that she applied for the internship because of her “interest in politics and the legal system.”

Micah Ingram, a Georgetown College junior from Corinth, is a political science major and would like to enter state government work someday. He will be interning with state Sen. Joey Pendleton, a Hopkinsville Democrat.

Leah Riley, an Asbury College junior from Harrodsburg, is a history major. She will be doing her internship with state Rep. Jim Wayne, a Louisville Democrat. She said that she applied for the internship to learn more about law-making and how public policy is made.

Holli Clevenger, a Lindsey Wilson College sophomore from Ashland, is a human services and counseling major at LWC. She will be doing her internship with state Rep. Susan Westrom, a Lexington Democrat. Clevenger said that she applied for the internship to learn how public policy is made “and how to increase civic engagement and advocacy on college campuses.”

“We’re very pleased to have another outstanding group of students come to Frankfort, and I’m certain that they will benefit as much from their experience here as have those who’ve completed this program in previous years,” said Dr. Gary S. Cox, president of AIKCU.

At their orientation luncheon, the five interns got advice from two former interns who have gone on to successful careers in state government. Leslie Caudill, a Pikeville College alum who now works in the office of the Kentucky Senate Democratic leadership, and Colene Elridge, a Transylvania University alum who works in the Personnel Cabinet, both told the new interns that this would be the “experience of a lifetime.” They encouraged the interns to work hard and ask lots of questions.

“In my four months as an intern I learned more than I ever did in a textbook or a class about government and how bills are made and passed,” said Caudill.

The Frankfort internship program, begun in 2000, is sponsored by the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities. Since its inception, 70 students attending most of Kentucky’s independent colleges, have spent a semester in Frankfort working for either selected members of the General Assembly or in state agencies. The program’s major purpose is to expose outstanding college students to public service as a career option and to help them hone already-existing leadership skills. Students chosen for the competitive program are required to complete 30 hours of work per week and two academic seminars focused on state government policy-making. They receive living expense stipends while in the state capital and a semester of academic credit from their campuses. The program is coordinated by Richard Wilson, a retired higher education reporter and Frankfort Bureau Chief for the Courier-Journal.

Please visit AIKCU.org periodically for more news about the interns and their experiences during what promises to be an exciting session of the General Assembly.

Click here to view more photos from the orientation.

Council on Postsecondary Education Interim President Brad Cowgill sat down with John Chowning, Campbellsville University VP for Church and External Relations, during a recent visit to CU to film an episode of “Dialogue on Public Issues.” In this thirty minute interview Cowgill discusses higher education reform, the Double the Numbers initiative, the Kentucky Chamber’s recent report on higher education, and the role of Kentucky’s public and independent sectors in helping Kentucky reach its higher education goals.

Watch: CU’s Dialogue on Public Issues with Brad Cowgill

“Dialogue on Public Issues” is a regular production of Campbellsville University’s TV station and the Kentucky Heartland Institute on Public Policy.

Midway College alum and Board of Trustees member Donna Moore was appointed last week to the Council on Postsecondary Education by Governor Steve Beshear. Moore retired from her role as Deputy Executive Director of  after serving at KET for thiry years. She recently chaired the Education Cabinet Transition Team.

Moore holds an Associates Degree in Education from Midway College and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Education from the University of Kentucky. She and her husband, Neal Campbell, live in Lexington.

Governor Beshear also reappointed former Kentucky state representative, state senator and state Supreme Court justice Walter A. Baker of Glasgw to the Council. Both Moore and Baker will serve for a term expiring December 31, 2013.

Photo: PE interim president Brad Cowgill (l) and Lindsey Wilson College President Bill Luckey. (Courtesy Duane Bonifer, LWC via ColumbiaMagazine.com)

By Duane Bonifer, Director Public Affairs, Lindsey Wilson College

Kentucky’s top higher-education official visited with Lindsey Wilson College’s leadership on Wednesday afternoon, December 19, 2007, to learn about how Lindsey Wilson College contributes to the commonwealth’s postsecondary education goals.

Council on Postsecondary Education President Brad Cowgill met with Lindsey Wilson President William T. Luckey Jr. and Vice President for Academic Affairs Bettie Starr to discuss LWC’s plans and talk about the CPE’s goals, especially the council’s “Double the Numbers” initiative.

“Double the Numbers” refers to the statewide push for Kentucky to have 791,000 bachelor’s degree holders – roughly twice as many as the state currently has.

“President Luckey and I had an extremely productive conversation on the subject on the council’s ‘Double the Numbers’ plan,” Cowgill said. “From that conversation, I’ve learned even more than I already knew about what a great contribution Lindsey Wilson College is making to the achievement of state goals.

“I applaud the Lindsey Wilson leadership here for their service to this region of the state. I look forward to looking with President Luckey and with other representatives of the college, and I want them to always feel welcomed at our offices in Frankfort.”

As state lawmakers gear up for the 2008 session of the General Assembly, which will get under way in early January, Cowgill said that his agency will continue to lead the charge for the state to focus on the goals of the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997. He also noted that it’s important for state leaders to remember that Kentucky’s economic future is tied to continued support for colleges and universities.

“Our principal priority in the General Assembly this year will be to re-energize the state’s commitment to its educational attainment goals,” Cowgill said. “The goals that the state set for itself 10 years ago are still as good as it could have ever set for itself – the educational attainment goal, the research goal and our workforce-development goal. These are the best goals we could have had for ourselves and they were properly hitched backed then to the economic foundation of the state of Kentucky.”

Cowgill said that while continued progress in postsecondary education will require a significant investment by the state, it also demands for the state’s leaders to remain creative.

“All of this has a significant funding implication, but achieving our goals won’t depend only on adequate funding, it will also depend on having good ideas,” he said. “And so the council’s responsibility as the state’s chief higher-education education adviser means that we, more than anyone else, need to keep bringing good ideas back to the Governor’s Office and to the General Assembly.”

“We are so grateful to Brad Cowgill for spending time on campus and listening to how Kentucky’s private colleges continue to make a difference in our state and contribute to Kentucky’s long-term goals,” Luckey said. “One of the great things about Lindsey Wilson is that it’s rooted firmly in Southcentral Kentucky and committed to making a difference in this region.”

This article also appears on ColumbiaMagazine.com.

Brad Cowgill, interim president of the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), visited the campus of Campbellsville University on Wednesday, Dec. 19, as part of CPE’s “Double the Numbers” initiative. From left are: Ron McMahan, executive director of Team Taylor County; Lee Nimocks, staff of the Council on Postsecondary Education; Eddie Rogers, Taylor County Judge Executive; Brad Cowgill, interim president of the Council on Postsecondary Education; Dr. Gary Cox, president of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities; Dr. Michael Carter, president of Campbellsville University; and Mark Johnson, president/ceo of Citizens Bank of Campbellsville and chair of Team Taylor County. (Campbellsville University photo by Linda Waggener)

By Linda Waggener, CU assistant director of university communications

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Brad Cowgill, interim president of the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), visited the campus of Campbellsville University on Wednesday, Dec. 19, as part of CPE’s “Double the Numbers” initiative.

Cowgill spoke to a gathering of CU senior administrative and academic leaders along with a group of community leaders on the mission of the Council on Postsecondary Education and its core mission of working to advance educational attainment in Kentucky.

One of the core goals of HB 1, enacted by the General Assembly in 1997 and generally recognized as a piece of landmark education leading to the formation of CPE, is to double the number of college graduates in Kentucky by the year 2020. The “double the numbers” initiative of CPE is geared toward making that goal a reality by 2020.

CU President Michael Carter welcomed the group and summarized the highlights of the fall 2007 semester at CU. He talked of CU’s commitment to, and experience in, regional stewardship and how private independent universities are able to move quickly to respond to needs of the community and region.

Carter said, “Although Campbellsville University is a private independent university, its mission is to serve the public agenda of providing quality higher education and regional stewardship. Campbellsville University enjoys a very close working relationship with our community including the political, civic, and business leadership of the community and region.”

He further summarized how CU works closely with area school systems and discussed the 40 academic offerings provided by CU at the baccalaureate level and ten master’s degree programs.

Carter noted the presence of community leaders such as Taylor County Judge-Executive Eddie Rogers; Team Taylor County Executive Director Ron McMahan; and Team Taylor County Chair and local bank president Mark Johnson. He noted that Mayor Brenda Allen sent her regrets at having to attend another meeting.

Cowgill commended Carter and Campbellsville University for her exemplary role in regional stewardship and economic development. He noted that one of Kentucky’s challenges is creating sufficient job opportunities for college graduates to be able to stay in Kentucky and said that, “Campbellsville University’s role in the ‘Campbellsville Comeback’ is a model for all of Kentucky. CU is a leader in the more comprehensive sense of regional stewardship, with engagement in a number of initiatives in the community and region.”

Cowgill said that private colleges and universities are centers of “innovation, high touch, high service to each individual student.” Affordability remains a challenge of higher education in Kentucky, and schools like CU are pouring “millions of dollars of its resources in providing scholarships and financial aid to students coming from first generation college students and those in financial need.”

He further stated that CPE recognizes the vital role of Kentucky’s independent college sector, and that CU’s leadership in partnership with public sector educational institutions is another example of innovation and positive return on investment from the state’s perspective.

While he was at CU, Cowgill was a guest on Dialogue on Public Issues hosted by John Chowning, vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant to the president.

The interview may be seen by going to www.Campbellsville.edu; select quick links and then streaming video. It will also be aired on TV-4/Cable 10 in January.

(This article also appears on ColumbiaMagazine.com.)

Improving Educator Quality Grant has far-reaching potential

The $132,000 Georgetown College was awarded recently for providing a summer institute for approximately 30 middle and high school science teachers looms larger than any dollar amount.

This Improving Educator Quality Grant – the first awarded by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education to an independent institution in the six years of the program’s existence – will help fund this institute at Georgetown in the summer of 2008. Teachers will be selected from the following school district partners: Anderson, Casey, Fayette, and Franklin County Schools.

Kentucky Department of Education policy advisor Chris Powell predicts that this institute will at least impact students statewide and help them on every portion of the ACT test. “Adolescent literacy is a nationwide issue and I think it’s going to be a model for all content areas,” Powell said.

The Content Collaboration for Academic Readiness in Science (CCARS) institute will enable science teachers and special education teachers who work in science classrooms to address important changes in Kentucky’s state education assessment system. CCARS will help science teachers prepare their students for the EXPLORE, the PLAN, and the ACT, three national tests which have been added to our state-administered tests.

Georgetown’s post-secondary partners for the CCARS institute are the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development and Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC). “By working with Bluegrass and the Kentucky Community and Technical College system, we are tapping into a great statewide network,” said Dr. Kim Walters-Parker ’83, Assistant Professor of Education and principal investigator for the grant.

Other Georgetown faculty who collaborated to secure the grant are Dr. Todd Hamilton, Chemistry, and Dr. Janet Parker and Debbie Schumacher, Education.

This grant was one of eight made by the Council through a competitive grant process open to all public and private colleges and universities in the state.