Higher Education

Improvements in education as it relates to the University of Kentucky becoming a Top 20 research institution is among the many items on state Sen. Tom Buford's agenda as the General Assembly kicked off its 2007 session this week. "The major emphasis on this session will be projects that were vetoed by the governor in the 2006 session," Buford said. Among the items vetoed by Gov. Ernie Fletcher was a diagnostic lab for UK and $45-50 million worth of projects for higher education.

Dear Editor, When reading all the "letters to the editor" by our local college professors, one is left with a sick feeling. What is it about getting a higher education that turns common sense on its ear? Sadly enough, this is the product of today's higher education. Glad I'm just a high school graduate. Randall S. Russell Liberty

FRANKFORT — Jo Newton has joined the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) as the outreach counselor for Boyle County. “After working in higher education for nearly eight years, I am very excited to be a part of the KHEAA team,” Newton said. “I am a strong advocate for higher education and look forward to sharing all that KHEAA has to offer with the students of Boyle County.” Newton is a graduate of Anderson County High School and Eastern Kentucky University.

FRANKFORT- John Roush, president of Centre College, has been elected to serve a two-year term as chairman of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities board of directors. Roush succeeds Pikeville College President Hal Smith. The nonprofit board is made up of the presidents of Kentucky's 20 independent colleges and universities and two at-large members from Kentucky's business community. Smith passed the ceremonial gavel to 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 for 11 years.

There are two news stories about college costs that are of considerable social significance. The first comes from the College Board's annual report on "Trends in College Pricing" released this week. The College Board reports that the annual net tuition cost of attending college increased at a rate well above the inflation rate again this year. This has been the trend for the past three decades. Lynne Munson, an adjunct fellow at the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, puts these increases in perspective by noting that if a gallon of gas had increased at the same rate as college costs over the past three decades, it would cost $9.15 a gallon, and if milk increased at the same rate, it would cost $15 a gallon.

Dear Editor, Congratulations to the National College of Business and Technology on their 120th anniversary of providing education. I for one was pleased to see that an institution of higher education, whom chose to locate one of their campuses in our city, was willing to go to the expense and effort of "advertising" their pride in who and where they are. Institutes of higher learning like the National Business College, Bluegrass Community and...

LIBERTY - Casey County High School is one of 13 schools across the state that have been chosen as pilot schools for the first-ever College Application Week program. Pilot schools will receive in-depth assistance from the outreach staff of the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority from Nov. 14 to 18, the week officially declared as College Application Week in the commonwealth. “We are excited to be able to bring our Casey County students together with admissions personnel representing so many great colleges and universities,” said Casey County counselor Bryan Cross.

Parents and students have bemoaned the drastic rise in college tuition rates for decades, watching institutions continually yank prices and degrees out of students’ reach. Yet few have demanded sound reasoning for this seemingly unstoppable upswing, which now exceeds the rate of increase in health-care costs, said Bob Martin, emeritus Boles Professor of Economics at Centre College. So Martin explores the answer to this often unasked question in his forthcoming book “The College Cost Disease, Higher Cost and Lower Quality.” Martin has published numerous articles about the skyrocketing costs of higher education since the early ‘80s, when he began teaching economics at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

In its latest issue Money magazine ranked the 50 best jobs in America. The second best job in America according to Money is college professor; the best job is software engineer. I have to say, "I heard that. " Indeed, I do a lot of computing and I think they are wrong; being a college professor is the top job in America. I have remarked on numerous occasions that I am surprised society is willing to pay me to do this for a living. Some of my colleagues agree they are equally surprised I am paid at all. While teaching is an intensely people oriented activity, the people you have to deal with come from a highly selective sub-sample of the general population.

A Clark County man is among the 2007 graduating class of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky Inc.'s "Reach for the Stars" program. Michael Arnett of Winchester received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Midway College. He is a team member in paint at TMMK and has been with the company for 19 years. Toyota announced that 24 team members have been awarded post-secondary degrees while maintaining a full-time job at TMMK's Georgetown facility. Graduates were recognized at a special ceremony attended by team member's families and Toyota management.

Danville writer to lead workshop   Danville writer Patsi Trollinger will lead “Humor in Writing,”  a writing workshop, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. March 9 in Lexington. The event will be held at the Carnegie Center on Second Street.  Author of two books and numerous magazine articles, Trollinger will discuss styles of humor writing that range from folksy and sentimental to poignant and bittersweet. Participants will have the opportunity to workshop their own writing and to study outstanding examples of humor used in works including memoir, travel stories, science pieces and children's books.

A former mayor of Nicholasville is in the running for another elected post after registering for the 2nd District seat on the Jessamine County Board of Education. John Martin, 72, said he registered in the summer when he found out there was a lack of candidates for the school-board seats. “I thought, 'Here's a chance for me to help, if I can, if I get elected,'” Martin said. “Of course, I didn't think I had any opposition at the time.” Martin faces incumbent Amy Day in the Nov. 6 election.

Columnist serves as featured speaker   Bob Martin, Emeritus Boles Professor of Economics at Centre College, and a contributing columnist for The Advocate-Messenger, was a featured speaker Wednesday at the National Academies of Science/Engineering in Washington, D.C. The occasion was the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable conference on “Reimagining the University.”   The title of Dr. Martin's remarks is “H.R....

After a nationwide search, Robert L. “Bob” Keasler Jr. has been named vice president for finance and treasurer at Centre College.  A veteran financial officer, Keasler has a wealth of experience in both the private and public sectors, most recently at Wofford College, where he served as chief financial officer and treasurer before being promoted to senior vice president for operations and finance. He will begin his duties  July 1, Centre said in a press release Thursday. “We were fortunate to attract an impressive group of candidates for this important opportunity,” said Centre President John A. Roush, “and I am grateful that Bob was among them.

A group of Bluegrass Community and Technical College students from Winchester had an opportunity to meet one-on-one with state legislators Thursday in Frankfort. While there, the 16 students also had an opportunity to tour the Capitol and sit in on a meeting of the Senate Education Committee - as well as a session of the Kentucky House of Representatives. While those things were interesting, most of the students said they made the trip just to get a chance to speak to state Sen. R.J. Palmer, D-28, and state Rep. Donna Mayfield, R-73, and to get answers to questions concerning BCTC and their education.

LIBERTY - Casey County High School is one of 13 schools across the state that have been chosen as pilot schools for the first-ever College Application Week program. Pilot schools will receive in-depth assistance from the outreach staff of the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority from Nov. 14 to 18, the week officially declared as College Application Week in the commonwealth. “We are excited to be able to bring our Casey County students together with admissions personnel representing so many great colleges and universities,” said Casey County counselor Bryan Cross.

FRANKFORT - The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority and Career Cruising will host free Individual Learning Plan (ILP) training for private school, home school and adult students in September, October and November. Training will be offered through webinars and at five private schools across the state. Webinars focusing on student use of the ILP will be: - Tuesday, Sept. 27, 4 to 5 p.m. - Wednesday, Oct.  19, noon to 1 p.m. - Monday, Nov. 21, 3 to 4 p.m. Webinars focusing on school administrator use of the ILP will be: - Thursday, Sept.

Guitar to be raffled to raise money for Project Graduation A guitar signed by Nicholasville natives John Michael and Eddie Montgomery is being raffled to help raise funds for Project Graduation, a celebration for seniors graduating from the county’s three high schools — East, West and The Providence School. The annual event is a coordinated volunteer effort by parents, students, businesses, school, law-enforcement agencies and churches. The purpose is to offer an inviting, rewarding and exciting alternative to any drug or alcohol use by Jessamine County seniors on graduation night.

Parents and students have bemoaned the drastic rise in college tuition rates for decades, watching institutions continually yank prices and degrees out of students’ reach. Yet few have demanded sound reasoning for this seemingly unstoppable upswing, which now exceeds the rate of increase in health-care costs, said Bob Martin, emeritus Boles Professor of Economics at Centre College. So Martin explores the answer to this often unasked question in his forthcoming book “The College Cost Disease, Higher Cost and Lower Quality.” Martin has published numerous articles about the skyrocketing costs of higher education since the early ‘80s, when he began teaching economics at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

East Jessamine golfer Hillary Harkins signed a national letter of intent last month to continue her golf career and education at Pikeville College. “(Pikeville) is close to home, and they really made me feel like it was home,” Harkins said. Her father also has an office near Pikeville, so family will never be too far away. Pikeville’s golf program is still in it infancy, having just begun in past few years. Harkins knows that she can help build the program, and that was one of the draws.