Obama higher education plan signals policy shift (Inside Higher Ed)

Education Department Turns Policy Attention to College Completion (Chronicle of Higher Education)

Independent Colleges Are Keen on Affordability Goals, but Wary of How to Achieve Them (Chronicle of Higher Education)

2011 endowment returns near pre-recession levels (Inside Higher Ed)

US Panel offers draft revisions on reforming accreditation (Inside Higher Ed)

Representative Hal Rogers meets with AIKCU presidents, pledges support for federal student aid (AIKCU.org)

In Kentucky, the big news was that a legal challenge to the new legislative districts led to the delay of the candidate filing deadline.

Judge delays filing deadline for Kentucky legislative candidates (Courier-Journal)

For-profit college regulatory bill proceeds to House (Bluegrass Politics) 

Adding UPike to state’s university system doesn’t make sense, Morehead president says (KyForward.com)

Pictured with Rogers are, from left: Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities President Gary S. Cox; University of Pikeville President Paul Patton; Mid-Continent University President Robert J. Imhoff; Centre College President John A. Roush; St. Catharine College President William D. Huston; Rogers; Lindsey Wilson College President William T. Luckey Jr.; University of the Cumberlands President James H. Taylor; and Asbury University President Sandra G. Gray. (Photo courtsey: Risdon Photography)

WASHINGTON — The presidents of seven of Kentucky’s 20 private colleges and universities met with U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers on Tuesday before Rogers addressed the annual meeting of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. Rogers, who is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, criticized part of President Obama’s higher-education plan, which was proposed last week.

“I was really irritated,” said Rogers of Somerset, whose 5th District includes four Kentucky private colleges and universities. “That’s not the job of the president of the United States.”

In his remarks, Rogers told a room full of NAICU presidents: “What you charge tuition is your business.”

Rogers also told the audience that his committee would make support of the Pell Grant program a priority.

“I remain committed to working with you to continue to ensure students receive this important source of financial aid,” he said.

Release courtesy of Duane Bonifer, Lindsey Wilson College

]]> http://www.aikcu.org/2012/02/03/representative-hal-rogers-meets-with-aikcu-presidents-pledges-support-for-federal-student-aid/feed/ 1 http://www.aikcu.org/2012/01/30/toyota-provides-70000-in-scholarships-for-aikcu-students/ http://www.aikcu.org/2012/01/30/toyota-provides-70000-in-scholarships-for-aikcu-students/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:46:32 +0000 mdyer http://www.aikcu.org/?p=890 Thanks to Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc., (TMMK) in Georgetown, 20 students at AIKCU campuses across Kentucky are having a little easier time paying for college this year.

Toyota continues its long-standing relationship as a major contributor to AIKCU’s Named Scholar program. Their contribution of $70,000 to AIKCU provided a $3,500 scholarship directly to one deserving student at each of AIKCU’s 20 member institutions for the 2011-12 academic year.

The AIKCU Named Scholars program is an efficient way for corporations and foundations to fund individual student scholarships at independent colleges across the state. A single large gift to AIKCU is parceled out in its entirety to individual students according to the scholarship provider’s criteria, with no administrative overhead costs.

AIKCU and the students receiving these scholarships are incredibly grateful for the continued generosity of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky and its employees. You can learn a little about the recipients by reading their thank you letters to Toyota officials in this 2012 Toyota Named Scholars booklet.

Learn more about Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. and their outreach at http://toyotageorgetown.com

Related: AIKCU distributes $48,000 in UPS scholarships

Kentucky headlines:

Group: Little progress in teacher quality in Ky. (Kentucky.com)

State awards contract to study University of Pikeville issue (Courier-Journal)

Kentucky lawmakers warned of tuition hikes under budget cuts (Courier-Journal)

Four colleges (including Spalding Univ.) unite to aid area adult-ed (Courier-Journal)

Postsecondary ed council receiving $720K grant (Herald-Leader)

Lawsuit challenges new boundaries for Kentucky legislative districts (Bluegrass Politics)

House, Senate agree to continue negotiations on congressional districts (Bluegrass Politics)

National headlines:

Obama Highlights Education’s Role in Reaching National Policy Goals (Chronicle of Higher Education)

On Notice (Inside Higher Ed)

Alumni Adrift (Inside Higher Ed)

Liberal arts education lends an edge in down economy (USA Today)

Full Details of Obama’s College Affordability Proposals (Inside Higher Ed)

AIKCU headlines:

St. Catharine early college is beneficiary of major college readiness grant (AIKCU.org)

2012 AIKCU interns get to work in Frankfort (AIKCU.org)

Transylvania University hires acclaimed Kentucky poet Maurice Manning (Herald-Leader)

Find out how you can get involved at http:aikcu.org/thankyou or by following AIKCU on Facebook.

The 2012 AIKCU Intern class

Ten students attending six of Kentucky’s independent colleges have been awarded internships to spend their spring semester working in Frankfort with members of the General Assembly, in state government agencies or with private legislative consulting firms.

The students, who will be in the state capital full-time from mid-January through mid-April, will have an opportunity to closely view Kentucky state government from the inside at a crucial time in the state’s history. Finding sufficient money to finance public services, reapportionment of Kentucky’s congressional and legislative districts are only two of the numerous difficult issues the legislature and Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration will be confronting.

The 10 new interns raise the number of students who have participated in the Frankfort Semester Internship Program since its 2000 inception to 110 students. Interns are selected based on their interest in government, academic standing, letters of recommendation and personal interviews. They work 30 hours per week in their internship assignments and also complete two state government related weekly seminars. Completion of the program qualifies them for 15 semester hours of academic credit from their home institutions. The program is tailored to give outstanding college upperclassmen an up-close look at state government and an opportunity to consider public service as a career option, said Gary Cox, president of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities, the program’s sponsor.

“Our 2012 class is another group of outstanding young people whom I’m sure will perform well and be outstanding representatives of their colleges and universities,” Cox added. He commended Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration, participating legislators and others for their cooperation. “Without this level of assistance we have received this very successful program would not have been possible,” Cox added.

Students chosen for the 2012 intern class, the schools they attend and the agencies or lawmakers with whom they will be doing their internships are:

• Kelsey Best, a Campbellsville University junior from Harrodsburg: Sen. Kathy Stein
• Nicole Bistline, a business administration and accounting major at Union College: Capital Link Consultants
• Keana Mae Crockett, of Bardstown, a St. Catharine College senior majoring in management: Rep. Linda Belcher
• Kyla Fitz-Gerald, a senior history major at University of the Cumberlands from Lexington: Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History
• Jamie Holt, an Alice Lloyd College senior history major from Westfield, NC. Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History
• Ashleigh Lewis, a junior communications major at the University of Pikeville. Her home is Warner Robins, Ga.: Kentucky Retail Federation
• Stephen Loader, also a University of Pikeville communications major from Pikeville: Sen. Joey Pendleton and Senate Democratic Caucus
• China Riddle, a junior at Alice Lloyd College majoring in English from Virgie: Sen. Ray Jones
• Elisha Taylor, a third University of Pikeville junior communications major from Elkhorn City: Rep. Leslie Combs
• Eugenia Vickers, a University of the Cumberlands junior majoring in political science, history and business administration from McKee. House of Representatives Republican Caucus

Last week in Kentucky was all about Govern Steve Beshear’s budget proposal and redistricting. Governor Steve Beshear revealed his budget proposal to the General Assembly on Tuesday, January 17. The budget, as expected, paints a bleak picture for the next biennium. The governor’s budget included 8.4% cuts to most state agencies and slightly lesser cuts to Kentucky public colleges and universities of 6.4%. The good news for AIKCU students is that Governor Beshear’s proposal maintained student financial aid funding at current levels.

Headlines about the Governor’s proposed budget:

Beshear proposes more money for child protection and substance abuse treatment (Bluegrass Politics)

Beshear proposes 8.4% cuts in most agencies (Kentucky.com)

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear proposes austere state budget (Courier-Journal)

LRC’s Capitol Notes: 2012 session already showing signs of a difficult end in spring (kyforward.com)

Redistricting also continued to command headlines last week, as the House and Senate passed each other’s controversial plans for state legislative districts, and Governor Beshear signed those into law. The process of congressional redistricting continues in conference committee. Here are just a few of the articles that sum up the redistricting situation:

Beshear signs legislative redistricting bill; congressional plan still in limbo (Bluegrass Politics)

Change in redistricting method possible but unlikely (Courier-Journal)

Kentucky lawmakers resume work on congressional redistricting (Courier-Journal)

The situation surrounding the proposal to make UPike part of the state university system continues to develop, gaining both support and opposition:

Bill filed proposing to make UPike a state university (WYMT)

Proposal to make UPike a state school meets some opposition in Eastern Ky. (Kentucky.com)

And in other news:

A Lindsey Wilson College buzzer beater after being featured on ESPN, the Jay Leno Show, and in the London Daily Mail.

Centre College was featured in a piece about the “Debate X Factor” in the New York Times.

Georgetown College President Bill Crouch appeared on KET to talk about Georgetown’s diversity efforts.

AIKCU member St. Catharine College, an independent liberal arts college just outside Springfield, will also play a large role in the grant. The grant provides $40,000 annually for three years to support the Washington County Commander College, which is a partnership between SCC, the Washington County School District and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. (Learn more about the early college partnership in this earlier post.)

“This is just another shining example of how St. Catharine is reaching into the community to provide a quality education to our young people,” said SCC President William D. Huston. “It’s an idea whose time has come and we are proud to be one of the few institutions to offer such a program.”

Kentucky was one of 10 states to receive grants from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to improve college readiness through Core to College: Preparing Students for College Readiness and Success. The grant program aims to foster long-term collaborations between state higher education and P-12 entities to improve student achievement and college readiness, focusing on using the Common Core State Standards and assessments. Funding for Core to College is provided by the Lumina Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Congratulations to St. Catharine College on their featured role in this important state initiative. You can read full details about the grant and the work of the other recipients on the CPE website.

There’s still much ado about the University of Pikeville proposal to become a part of the public university system:

Stumbo outlines plan for state to absorb University of Pikeville (Kentucky.com)

Adding University of Pikeville to state system runs counter to national trends (Bluegrass Politics/Kentucky.com)

A Rocky Appalachian Trail (Inside Higher Ed)

Not too far from Pikeville, Midway College made news for its new approach to bringing pharmacy education to rural Kentucky.

Midway, West Virginia colleges plan to join forces for pharmacy program in Paintsville (Kentucky.com)

UC considers Ky. pharmacy school campus (Charleston Daily Mail)

 

Education in Kentucky received some welcome news from a new set of rankings:

Kentucky jumps 20 places in national ranking of education quality (Kentucky.com)

Kentucky rises 20 spots in national education ranking (Courier-Journal)

Kentucky jumps to 14th among states for education (Business First)

In campus advocacy news, Campbellsville University hosted a town hall meeting for Congressman Brett Guthrie and St. Catharine College officials recently met with Senator McConnell to talk about the importance of federal student aid.

The two institutions signed a letter of intent on December 28, which began a 60-day due diligence period. During that time the schools will explore the feasibility and ramifications of the expansion and seek approval from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). If a final agreement is reached, the University of Charleston would operate the school of pharmacy in Paintsville as a branch campus and would begin offering its full four-year Pharm.D.program in January 2013.

Midway College began the process of creating a pharmacy school for Eastern Kentucky two years ago. Midway has already renovated a 36,000-square-foot facility in Paintsville and started the process of recruiting faculty and students.

Officials from the two schools say the new arrangement is an innovative way to achieve the ultimate goal of preparing more pharmacists for the underserved region and to do it more quickly than would otherwise have occurred.

The University of Charleston is an independent university with an enrollment of 1,339 students.

See coverage in the  Lexington Herald-Leader,  Charleston Daily Mail, the full press release from Midway.edu, and full coverage, including photos and video of the announcement from the University of Charleston.