WEST KENTUCKY COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Higher Education Begins Here WKCTC does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Dr. Belinda Dalton Russell, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Coordinator, at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, 4810 Alben Barkley Drive, P.O.
Revised: August 2014
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HIGHER EDUCATION BEGINS HERE
Kentucky Community & Technical College System
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Paducah Junior College, Inc. Foundation – Tessa Hooks, Paducah Middle School sixth grade science teacher, was named the 20132014 Challenger Learning Center at Paducah’s Outstanding Educator during a surprise presentation at the school’s
Mayor Gayle Kaler (left) reading to area students
The Vision of West Kentucky Community and Technical College West Kentucky Community and Technical College will be an innovative learning institution committed to empowering individuals to achieve excellence in an environment of respect and will be recognized as a preeminent community college nationwide.
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The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah hosted the second Mayor’s Book Club on October 28, 2013.
book in a trilogy co-authored by Dr. June Scobee Rodgers, the Challenger commander’s widow and founding chair of the Challenger Center.
One student from each Paducah and McCracken County elementary and middle schools was chosen by their school librarian to participate in this event.
The Mayor also led a discussion about space travel and science and why it is so important to our country. After reading
Paducah Mayor Gayle Kaler read an excerpt from Moonbase Crisis
The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah hosted another successful Trivia Night at St. Thomas More Fellowship Hall in 2014. More than 200 people packed the fellowship hall for a night of questions, answers and fun.
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were asked to write a report and turn it in to the center. Five students were randomly chosen to receive the last two books of the trilogy.
Tessa Hooks (left) and Paduah Middle School Principal Stacey Overlin
Staff from the Challenger Center recognized Hooks as the center’s eighth outstanding educator. During the presentation, Hooks received a
donated by Travis School Equipment in Draffenville. In addition, Paducah Public Schools receives one free mission Challenger Learning Center at Paducah. The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah is one in a network of over the Challenger Centers came from the families of the astronauts lost in the Challenger accident.
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Paducah Junior College, Inc. Foundation
A Year in Review
Over 120 West Kentucky Community and Technical College scholarship students and donors got the chance to meet at a reception in the college’s Anderson Technical Building Bistro on November sincere gratitude to the donors during the reception. “When I think about this college and I think about our students, where
Welcome to West KentucKy community and technical college Recognized for Two Consecutive Years by The Aspen Institute as One of the Top Ten Community Colleges in the Nation In 2011, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) was in the nation for providing tremendous opportunities for students and the
makes a real difference.”
Baptist Health Paducah and Lourdes have once again joined forces with West Kentucky Community and Technical College to ensure that the region continues to have access to quality health care. The pledge renewal from Baptist Health Paducah and Lourdes enables the college to continue increased admissions by providing salary funding for additional nursing faculty positions. This increase in faculty positions permits WKCTC’s registered nursing program to admit and graduate more than 90 nursing candidates annually. Both Baptist Health Paducah
McCracken County resident Lilly Kaler, a nontraditional student who received the Bill and Meredith Schroeder Scholarship, was grateful for the help in reaching her educational goal. “I just got accepted into the nursing program, and Above right to left: Paducah I couldn’t have made it businessman Bill Schroeder meets without this scholarship.” WKCTC Lilly Kaler, the 2013-14 Kaler said. “I don’t have recipient of the Bill and Meredith to worry about the money. Scholarship. I only have to focus on what I have to do in school; I am so thankful.” Businessman Bill Schroeder said it was a pleasure to give to student scholarships every year. “We have been very fortunate; we want to continue to support the college because unshared good fortune leaves life empty.”
Donors and Business Support WKCTC Programs Paducah Rigging Donation to Campus Improvements
Crittenden Health Systems Donation to Clinical Laboratory Program
Baptist Health Paducah Donation to Health Simulation Laboratory
Heartland Physical Therapy Donation to Physical Therapy Program
Friends of the McCracken County Library Donation to the Paducah School of Art & Design
Theracare Physical Therapy Donation to Physical Therapy Program
EMAC, Inc. (Carbondale, IL) Donation to Workforce Solutions Programs
Dr. Teresa Mayo Donation to Graphic Arts Program
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the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges. West Kentucky was recognized for outstanding achievement in the areas of student learning outcomes, degree and college completion, labor market success in students securing jobs after college, and minority and low-income student success. Our focus on improving student learning helps ensure our students graduate with the knowledge they need to secure jobs or transfer to four-year schools. West Kentucky Community and Technical College faculty and staff take responsibility for improving student learning and work hard to identify and eliminate barriers to student success. We achieve excellence by focusing on improving student learning in core skills and by thoughtfully connecting programs to regional jobs, from credentials that fuel the region’s large health
Dr. Barbara M. Veazey
According to a recent study by Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI), a combination of college operations, student spending, and productivity of graduates in the workforce. West Kentucky’s focus on access, retention, and student success enabled the College to achieve its vision of being recognized as a preeminent community college nationwide. The College is committed to continuing to provide high-quality educational experiences, meet the educational needs of the college community, serve as a full partner in business and workforce development, and contribute to the overall economic and social well-being of the region by offering two-year transfer Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Fine Arts degrees;
West Kentucky Community and Technical College truly is the place to be! Barbara Veazey, Ph.D. President West Kentucky Community and Technical College
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Paducah Junior College, Inc. Foundation
Special Recognition WKCTC was by TheBestSchools.org and published in the Community College Week in October 2013.
For a third time, West Kentucky Community and Technical College was named in the nation’s pool of more than 1,000 - by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.
Aspen Prize for Community College money. The distinction, which is awarded every two years, recognizes institutions in four areas - student completion, employment and earnings, and the level of access and success for minority and low-income students.
WKCTC was one of only 12 institutions invited to join the Achieving the Dream National Reform Network in 2014. The college was inducted into DREAM 2014 and will now begin identifying and implementing strategies for closing achievement gaps and increasing student retention, persistence and completion rates. WKCTC and Jefferson Community & Technical College in Louisville, named in 2011, are the only two colleges in Kentucky in the network. The Achieving the Dream National Reform Network, which includes more than 200 institutions in 34 states and the District of Columbia, helps about four million community college students achieve their dreams.
West Kentucky Community and Technical College and Paducah’s Murray State University campus shared honors as the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year for 2014. Chamber jointly honored for creating a virtual education corridor, where members of the community can be trained and take home degrees without traveling to do so.
Paducah Junior College, Inc. worked with area donors to establish new annual scholarship accounts. PJC, Inc. manages West Kentucky Community and Technical College’s scholarship efforts including a merit scholarship program and endowed and annual of WKCTC students. – Mrs. Mary Lou Witter of new scholarship endowment was named the J. Wilson and M.L. Witter Endowment honoring her late husband J. Wilson Witter. The generous endowment will provide scholarship funds for WKCTC students based upon the college’s general scholarship guidelines.
M.L. Witter Endowment. This unexpected contribution made the account eligible to be presented to the KCTCS Endowment Match Program. “It is rare that West Kentucky Community and Technical College receives such a large donation that meets the rigorous Kentucky Community and Technical College System matching requirements,” said Ashley Wright, vice president of institutional advancement at WKCTC. Mrs. Witter’s contributions have been accepted into the program and funds will be matched based upon availability. “The KCTCS Endowment Match Program will double the size of Mrs. Witter’s donations, and also the number of students who can be served through this scholarship endowment,” Wright said.
WKCTC is prominently featured in What Excellent Community Colleges Do (Wyner, 2014) which highlights innovative practices for the Aspen Prize for community college excellence.
top community colleges through an assessment of institutional performance, improvement and equity, according to student retention and completion measures. The formula developed by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and the Aspen Institute focuses on student retention and completion.
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New Scholarships
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Mrs. Witter is an active member at First Baptist Church and enjoys weekly games of bridge with her friends. She and Mr. Witter were happily married for 40 years and lived in many areas of the country as they traveled with his management job at Sears. She funded the J. Wilson and M.L. Witter Endowment in hopes of assisting deserving students who are willing to work hard to reach their dreams.
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– The WKCTC Seniors Learning for Fun renewed their commitment to WKCTC students with account. This scholarship is available to a currently enrolled WKCTC student.
– Available to a WKCTC student currently enrolled in the radiography program.
Challenger Learning Center Nineteen middle school students from around the region participated in the Challenger Learning Center at Paducah’s 2013 Underwater Astronaut Camp on July 8-10, 2013. The students, ages eleven to fourteen, were from McCracken, Marshall, Calloway, Graves and Ballard counties as well as from southern Illinois and Missouri. They learned how to use scuba equipment, be comfortable in the water, and work with tools and gloves that astronauts use when training for a space mission. The center once again partnered with divers from Mermet Springs located in southern Illinois.
Dr. Barbara Veazey accepts a check from WKCTC Seniors Learning for Fun President Charles Heyduck with Ashley Wright (left) and Kevin O’Neill (right), director of community education.
– Available to a WKCTC student currently enrolled in an allied health program. Mrs. Lorraine Schramke, member of the PJC, Inc. Board of Trustees, recently donated an insurance policy with the intent to fund a future student scholarship. The Challenger Learning Center is located on the WKCTC campus.
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At a Glance
Paducah Junior College, Inc. Foundation The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
accreditation standards. The agency approved WKCTC’s
– In 2014, state funding was approved to complete the
Kentucky Community & Technical College’s accreditation with no recommendations or follow-ups listed in its Fifth
& Design (PSAD).
there are many benchmarks indicative of institutional quality in higher education, none is more important than a college’s Barbara Veazey. The regional accrediting agency performs a major accreditation review of each member institution every 10 years and requires that each institution submit a report
matched from the local community. WKCTC’s Paducah School of Art & Design’s campus project in April 2014.
includes the renovation of the 30,000-square foot Kitchens Inc. building two-dimensional art programs. WKCTC added an element to the renovation plan, a student cafe also open to the public in the back portion of the facility. The new restaurant and outdoor seating area would also cater receptions and events held in the gallery area and hold culinary classes. The 7,000-squarefoot sculpture building, adjacent to Madison Hall, is set to open this fall and will offer programs in sculpture, woodwork, welding, and a foundry for the Paducah School of Art & Design.
Administration Pictured above from left to right: Paducah Bank CEO Joe Framptom, WKCTC President Barbara Veazey, Paducah Bank Trustee David Denton, Paducah Bank President Mardie Herndon, Jr., and Paducah Bank Trustee Bill Schroeder after the announcement of Paducah Bank’s $150,000 donation to
Dr. Barbara M. Veazey, President
Personnel Full-time faculty: 137
Artist and Sculptor Instructor Linda Ogden (At right, seated) discusses student work at the Paducah School of Art & Design after a press conference April 7 at Madison Hall. Pictured left to right: Ogden, John Williams, former chairperson of Paducah Junior College, Inc., Paducah Bank President Mardie R. Herndon, Jr., Deborah Edmonds, West Kentucky Community and Technical College Board of Directors chairperson, and Bill Schroeder, Paducah Bank trustee.
Credentials Offered WKCTC offers two-year Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), Associate in Applied Science (AAS), and Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.) degrees. These two-year degrees can be used to open up new career
Associate degree programs: 32 Diploma programs: 19
Paducah Rigging Donation to Campus Improvements
received no recommendations or reporting requirements, according to Renea Akin, WKCTC associate vice president of learning initiatives. Akin said this is the second time in a
year review in 2012-2013.
WKCTC Board of Directors Bruce P. Brockenborough, Paducah Deborah Edmonds, Paducah Steven Grinnell, Paducah Lee Jones, Grand Rivers Larry Kelley, Wickliffe Dr. Shirley Menendez, Paducah Shari Gholson, Faculty Representative Tom Butler, Staff Representative Chelsea Rollins, Student Representative
Fast Fact:
In 2013-14, the college’s combined graduation and transfer rate, as described by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) was 44% - the highest among KCTCS colleges.
Baptist Health Paducah Donation to Health Simulation Laboratory
(Above, center) Attorney and Paducah Bank Trustee David Denton talks with a PSAD student about his self portrait sculpture.
The Paducah School of Art & Design’s new sculpture building at left with the former Kitchens, Inc. building in the background. Renovation of the 30,000-square-foot Kitchens building on 905 Harrison
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Promoting Excellence in Teaching and Learning – West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) is one of 11 colleges - the only one in Kentucky - to earn accreditation from the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) in 2014. The organization ensures that college courses offered in high schools are equally rigorous as those available at the sponsoring postsecondary institution, according to Dual Credit Director Lisa Stephenson. “It validates that what we are doing on the high school level exactly matches what we do for that same course at the college level,” she said. Jay Box, chancellor of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), said, “We are pleased obtain this high recognition and to also Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to become NACEP accredited.” – Since being approved to offer an online Associate in Applied Science degree in 2011, the Marine Technology program has seen steady growth. In 2013-2014, a culinary management track was added to the AAS degree and a Marine Culinary
Expanding Diversity and Global Awareness – West Kentucky Community and Technical College has provided programs of study and
Barbara Veazey, president of West Kentucky Community and Technical College, and Tim Miller, president of Murray State University, sign an articulation agreement May 23, 2014, allowing students who complete an associate degree in logistics and supply chain management at WKCTC to transfer entirely in Paducah through WKCTC and the MSU Paducah Regional Campus or entirely online. Pictured above from left to right: Dr. Jay Morgan, MSU Provost, Tammy Potter, dean of the business and computer related technologies division at WKCTC, Dr. Veazey, Miller, Dr. Tim Todd, dean of the College of Business at MSU, and Dr. Brian Van Horn, dean of MSU’s extended campus.
– C. J. Niehaus
(below), a resident ceramics artist and adjunct professor at WKCTC’s Paducah School of Art & Design, demonstrates her skills on a pottery wheel. Niehaus was commissioned in April 2014 to make 200 small bowls to distribute as keepsakes to premium ticket holders at a
– More than 40 new Learn by Term (LBT) online courses were initiated in 2013. New Learn on Demand (LOD) courses implemented in the Summer 2014 included REL 130 and ART 100.
Countries that have been visited and studied through the program include Nepal, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Spain, Germany, France and England. Through these experiences, students have completed academic coursework, immersed themselves in a new culture and gained new insight of their place in the world. The Spring Break 2014 program learning abroad experience. WKCTC
aid, transfer opportunities and school services, in a one-on-one format. The fair, which draws more than 100 participants yearly, is about building ties in the community and bringing the college to the forefront of people’s minds.
for a study abroad trip to El Salvador.
There were over 30 new WKCTC faculty who taught either Learn by Term or Learn on Demand online courses this academic year.
auction. An Artist-in-Residence house was completed in December of 2013 as a part of the Paducah School of Art & Design campus in LowerTown. The WKCTC student Shelby Wahl, an education major, (above at left) with a new friend said the trip to El Salvador was an amazing experience.
– The welding technology program at the Skilled Craft Training Center (SCTC) has been expanded to a two-instructor program with 24 lab stations and full programming capacity.
“I will forever cherish the people I met and the families we encountered,” Shelby said. “As a team we did many things, but it didn’t feel like enough. Even though we helped so many families, we all felt like we needed to do more.”
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Program conducted a summer 2014 College Prep
The program exposed students to academic enrichment in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). As an integral part of the instructional program there was a planned three-day/
44 students to expound on the lesson objectives by bringing lessons to life. The trip included visits to the St. Louis Science Center, Griot Museum of Black History, Mariachis Mexican Restaurant, Six Flags, and swimming. WINGS is committed to assist African Americans, Latinos, and under served students with matriculation from middle school to high school and high school to postsecondary education.
The strong connection between the
C. J. Niehaus at the wheel Page 6
– WKCTC continued its mission of reaching out to the community with a Super Sunday information fair at Washington Street Missionary Baptist Church in Paducah February 23, 2014, following the weekly service by Rev. Reynaldo Henderson. The annual free event, which debuted in January 2011, featured more than 10 booths on different WKCTC programs. Attendees had access to information about
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In 2013-2014, WKCTC continued to house the Kentucky Innovation
– Two new agreements between WKCTC and Southern Illinois University (SIU) at Carbondale will streamline pathways for WKCTC
Technology Center, joined National Business Incubator Association and held meetings with established incubator managers and prospective incubator clients.
technical degree programs. In April 2014, WKCTC and SIU signed two articulation agreements allowing WKCTC’s Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in automotive technology and AAS degree in General /Occupational Technical Studies to
offered a variety of services in 2013-2014 including:
and Creative Eye American Apparel advertise for employees, screened employees, set up training plan and trained employees.
participation by one of the Kentucky Innovation Network clients in the Pitch Competition to investors.
Practical Nursing Professor Laura Durbin (right) supervises as students in the Healthcare Career Craze camp prepare to learn about germs. Students were able to visit the dental, radiography, surgical technology and nursing programs during the camp held on the WKCTC campus in June 2014.
WKCTC’s Workforce Solutions was among several colleges, agencies and businesses who attended the Career Solutions Community (CSC) Job Fair at the Paducah Convention Center. Workforce Solutions personnel at the Emerging as well as to displaced USEC Workers.
Workforce Solutions staff and beta-testing materials to offer to clients.
WKCTC’s NO BOYS ALLOWED 2014 Camp focused on science, technology, engineering and math with an underlying focus on the attendees - all girls! To help build self–esteem, respect for ladies, the camp utilized classroom trips to visit various companies and organizations with female professionals and role models.
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® The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah, in partnership with WKCTC Workforce Solutions and Kentucky 4H SET, helped from area schools and organizations participated in the event on December 12,
campus engaged in hands on activities in the Multi-Disciplinary Health Simulation Lab. Other activities included extraction of fruit DNA (Society of Women Engineers), Girls in STEM Careers (UK Intern), and career exploration in vascular surgery and medical pathology.
– Middle and high school students learned about careers in health care and energy at West Kentucky Community and Technical College during two free, hands-on Career Craze camps in June 2014. Students learned about programs including nursing, physical therapy, surgical technology, dental hygiene/ assisting, and phlebotomy. In addition, the students toured two energy plants and learned how electric energy is produced during an “Exploring Energy and Alternative Energy Careers” camp.
– WKCTC’s MultiDisciplinary Health Simulation Lab was utilized in collaboration with Baptist Health Paducah and the college’s registered nursing program in providing realistic simulations for competency simulation with their nurse internship program and maternal child unit, which included approximately 90 staff members.
– The Commonwealth Middle College (CMC) has made some changes but is still going strong. High school students in CMC no longer complete high school classes on the WKCTC campus. Seniors will remain on campus all day to take college classes while juniors will return to their high schools in the afternoon. WKCTC continues to provide support resources to the CMC.
– WKCTC’s Nursing Division collaborated with Murray State University and University of Kentucky in presenting the Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative Conference on June 13, 2014. More than
of Science degrees at SIU - Carbondale. The agreements are available to all students in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Upon completion of an AAS degree credit hours from WKCTC and another 48 credit hours in automotive, business management, and support courses at SIU, the graduate will be able to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in automotive technology upon completion of a total of 120 credit hours. With this new agreement, WKCTC’s Associate in Applied Science degree in General/ Occupational Technical Studies will transfer into SIU’s Bachelor of Science in Technical Resource Management degree program. Upon completion of the AAS degree
professional communication, work center management, data analysis, quality management, and project management, the graduate will earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Resource Management at SIU.
students and 20 coaches, plus the many parents, school personnel and others that came to support the teams. Participating student teams represented Calloway, Fulton, Marshall and McCracken counties, as well as St. Mary, Hopkinsville and various private schools. The students designed, built, tested and programmed robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology, and applied real-world math and science concepts, researched challenges facing today’s scientists, learned critical thinking, teambuilding and presentation skills.
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WKCTC partnered with the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) to provide assistance to individuals impacted by the closing of the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) that began in earnest in 2013. As part of the college’s efforts to provide science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) experiences to area students, the Paducah School Art and Design offered art workshops for high school students during the summer.
2013-2014 Visiting Authors visited WKCTC to provide tips and techniques for living a life of wholeness. She presented an one-hour presentation to share her vast experiences, including 22 years in mental health and social service as well as 19 years from her book, The Way of Truth to a Life of Wholeness.
Traci Lawrence
New York Times bestselling author Jamie Ford pictured on the left meets Ann Denton, chairperson of Paducah Junior College, Inc. - the foundation of WKCTC. Ford spoke about his book, “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” during a presentation at The “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” was required reading for WKCTC’s English 101 Ann Denton meets Jamie Ford after book students in the 2013-14 fall reading at WKCTC. and spring semester. Also in April 2014, author whose grandparents lived in Paducah, visited WKCTC to talk about her 2014 novel “A Boy Back from Heaven.” The book centers on her son Matthew, who in 2007 developed stenosis in the main artery to a kidney WKCTC English Professor leading to undiagnosed high blood Kim Russell and Celeste pressure following routine surgery. Goodwin Goodwin, founder of the National Pediatric Blood Pressure Awareness Foundation, read excerpts from her book during a free one-hour presentation on campus.
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First December Graduation More than 140 students participated in West Kentucky Community and Technical College’s
The College provides space and support for what was named the Career Solutions Community (CSC) in the Emerging Technology Center. Since opening, the CSC has provided workers packets of information courtesy of the workforce board, with resources for
follow a layoff. In addition, classes on a variety of skills have also been offered to the displaced workers.
– The thriving presence of the Paducah School of Art & Design in Paducah was a special asset noted when the United
graduation at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center 2013. More than 800 students were eligible graduation candidates. Dr. Victoria Seng, a WKCTC alum and University of Tennessee at Martin associate vice chancellor of academic affairs, was the keynote speaker. Student speakers were Jackie Brown of Graves County and Kaela Burge-Beckley of Evansville, Ind.
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and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the city of Paducah the world’s seventh City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2013. Paducah is one of only three cities in the United States to be a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The designation establishes Paducah as a leader in creative economic development and speaks to the quality of life residents enjoy. It provides a competitive advantage to businesses and institutions that are working to attract quality business professionals and educators…enticing them to relocate to Paducah.
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Pictured above from left to right: Jim Pape, WKCTC’s vice president of Workforce and Economic Development, Lula Luu of the Fin International LLC group of New Orleans, center, is shown with a $1,000 check her team claimed for winning the 2014 Regional Aspiring Entrepreneur Pitch Competition, and Loretta Daniel, director of the Kentucky Innovation Network at Murray State University. Photo by John Wright / Murray Ledger & Times.
– WKCTC meets workforce needs of the community by working with local businesses to provide pre-employment training and by housing a Kentucky Innovation Network Center on campus to assist new business start-ups or small businesses seeking to expand. The Kentucky Innovation Network has been around since 2001 creating a network of business leaders and mentors that encourage relationships, grow companies new and existing, located across Kentucky. The Network is managed in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation, along with local partners like WKCTC.
and educated business leaders who provide services at no-cost and helps provide business development, growth strategies, or suggestions for funding sources.
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Supporting Economic Development . – In 2013, West Kentucky Community and Technical College became a founding member of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Mississippi River Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (MRTDL) Consortium, a group of community colleges along the Mississippi River whose goal is to help low-income adults access higher education and sustainable wage employment, encourage workforce mobility, and establish long-term employment. The consortium, led by Lewis and Clark Community College, received for nine community colleges located in eight states along the Mississippi River Region. The grant comes through the Department of Labor’s Trade – WKCTC’s Skilled Craft Training Center (SCTC) in Hickory was named the Industry of the Month by
Stephanie Milliken, dean of applied technologies at WKCTC, during a
Adjustment Assistance Community College and Careering Training (TAACCCT) grant program, a multi-
– McCracken County resident Chelsea Rollins and Michelle Jackson of Marshall County were selected for the 2014 All-USA Community College Academic Team, each receiving a scholarship and medallion. They were two of only twenty students in the nation to be chosen for the award, which is presented each year by USA TODAY and administered by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. The award is presented to exceptional students at the nation’s community colleges.
expand targeted training programs for unemployed workers, especially those impacted by foreign trade.
to expand targeted training programs for veterans and unemployed workers, especially those impacted by foreign trade. WKCTC will utilize its funding to expand workforce training programs in the transportation, distribution and logistics career sector. The grant will provide resources to expand and enhance the college’s marine technology and logistics and operations management programs.
The Skilled Craft Training Center, an extension campus of WKCTC, provides academic programs in automotive technology, welding technology, heating and air technology, nurse assisting, and adult agriculture. General education classes are provided as needed and are to the Graves County Adult Learning Center.
June 9.
Fast Fact: Since opening in 2009, the has provided accessible education with a total course enrollment
The 7,700-square-foot building’s location, close to the river, is tailored to those currently working in the industry. WKCTC is renovating the structure
grant it received in fall 2013 from the Department of Labor to expand workforce training programs in the transportation, distribution and logistics career sectors. The Institute will initially house the WKCTC’s Marine Technology and Logistics & Operations Management programs as well as provide additional space for workforce training. College classes in the building by the middle of fall.
Pictured above: (left) Chelsea Rollins and (right) Michelle Jackson
Accreditations In 2013-2014, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC)’s Sonography Vascular program was nationally accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program through the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The Physical Therapy Assistant program at WKCTC was reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Dr. Peggy Block, dean of the allied health and personal services division and physical therapy assistant program coordinator is pictured at right working with PTA. students.
Pictured left to right: Stephanie Milliken, WKCTC’s dean of applied technologies, and
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(Above) Dr. Tena Payne, vice president of academic affairs and Dr. Lisa Stephenson, Community CSP Sign Up Day at the high school.
– WKCTC worked with Rotary Club of Paducah and other community partners to establish scholarship opportunities such as the Community Scholarship Program (CSP) to enable area high school graduates in McCracken County who meet minimum eligibility requirements to receive a scholarship that guarantees each eligible graduate will receive a completion scholarship
downtown Paducah with the goal of establishing the new Inland Logistics and Marine Institute.
headcount of 1,277.
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Increasing Student Access and Success
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graduates will begin receiving CSP scholarship funds in fall 2014. The Rotary Club of Paducah recently Community Scholarship Program. The
1, 2014. The scholarship is the result of a public-private partnership that also includes the Paducah City Commission, McCracken Fiscal Court, WKCTC and other business and individual donors. The long-term goal of the project is to retain high school students and increase the college going rate. Dr. Lisa Stephenson, WKCTC dualcredit director, said the percentage of students enrolled in the program continues to increase from 71 percent this year to 81 percent for the class of 2017, including nearly 100 percent participation at Paducah Tilghman High School.
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Increasing Student Access and Success Success for students often comes down to passing national examination and
At WKCTC, our students consistently do well on such testing. In 2013-2014:
pass rate for the Dental Assisting National Board Examination – well above the national and state averages.
radiography students taking the Radiography Registry exam was 100% for students who were
physics and the specialty exams of OB/GYN, abdomen and/or takers.
cosmetology students on the cosmetology board examination was 94%.
December graduates from both the Medical Laboratory Technician and Physical Therapist Assistant programs who have completed the licensure test as of April 1, 2014 was 100%.
WKCTC Graduate Kelsey Waldon of Barlow was recently featured in a Rolling Stone article titled, “10 New Artists You Need to Know: Summer 2014.” After four years released in June to favorable reviews. The article in the Rolling Stone stated that, “On her debut LP, The Goldmine, Waldon makes music like someone raised on both “White Lightnin’” and Wilco, tackling troubled pasts, cheatin’ hearts and what happens when we don’t all worship the same American dreams.”
mnus: u l A C T WKC Star g n i s i R A
Britton Shurley
for Crab Orchard Review’s Open Book Competition. an associate professor at WKCTC, received the Phelps Award, named in memory of Finis Sargent Phelps and Florence Grubbs Phelps. The purpose John Hasegawa of this award is to emphasize quality, promote academic excellence, and reward competence in teaching in the liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Hasegawa, a Paducah resident, joined the faculty of the Paducah School of Art & Design in 2008. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oregon and serves in many leadership roles both on and off campus.
Waldon has been writing since a small child and always wanted to be a writer/singer. At 19, she left home for Nashville and took a minimum wage job hoping to break into the music business. She wasn’t old enough to get into a bar much less play her music at one. After a year, she went back to Kentucky and enrolled at WKCTC. After earning an Associate in Arts degree with high distinction, she was accepted into the songwriting program at Belmont University in Nashville.
, construction technology program coordinator, demonstrated his traditional woodworking skills teaching methods John Moore at the 2013 International Preservation Trades Workshop. The event was hosted by the National Parks Service Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, Md. WKCTC Professor was featured in a DVD produced by STARLINK on instructional strategies Norita used by the best faculty. Youngblood
Kevin Gericke
Debbie Smith
Sanci Teague
WKCTC faculty and were featured in a DVD production titled, “Rethinking Practices to Increase Retention and Completion.” Terry O’Banion, president emeritus of the League for Innovation and chair of the graduate faculty at National American University, featured WKCTC in the DVD while exploring some of the most successful retention programs in the country.
Open Door Virtual Advising” at the Mid-South Distance Learning Conference. Faith Crim and Rebecca Jones also presented at the same conference. Their presentation was titled, “A Campus-Wide Approach to Reducing Textbook Costs.”
In the June 3, 2014 Rolling Stone article, the small town in Kentucky to this place where everyone is just like me,” she said. “They all moved from their little place, too, and we live in this beautiful utopia. We’re all country music freaks – nerds, really. But sometimes in Nashville it can be so easy to let other things get in the way. You have to try really hard to not get spoiled.”
Kelsey Waldon
Student Support Services Technology is used to automate routine processes while a Student Services Call Center handles routine student inquires 24/7. Piloted in 2013 with a select group of online courses, WKCTC will campus-wide in fall 2014 to automate the College’s early alert program and connect at-risk students with services needed to ensure student success.
Page 10
Assistant Professor had three poems published in Southern Poetry Review, Spoon River Poetry Review, and The . His book manuscript was also a
Nathanial W. Slaton Interim Dean of Enrollment Management
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
of Benton received the Paducah Junior College Faculty Award, which recognizes quality, competence and excellence in
Nate Slaton
Miranda Peterson
earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Science in nursing from the University of Indiana. One of her many accomplishments includes the development of a continuing education program that was a new requirement by the professions licensing board and the evaluation and redesign of an existing continuing education program for healthcare professionals returning to practice.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
Geelyn Warren
Paducah residents and were named WKCTC’s nominees for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS)’s 2014 New Horizon Award. Each KCTCS college nominates one administrative member, one faculty member, and one staff member. The top faculty member, administrative member, and staff member from the 48 nominated selected and announced at a special awards banquet May 2014. Slaton, interim director of enrollment management, was nominated in the administrative staff category. He is a champion for continuous improvement and constantly looks for ways to assist WKCTC students and, consequently,
accomplishment was a redesign of the two-year diploma into a 12-month evening program. He has continued to introduce innovation, new teaching methodologies and current industry standards, which has resulted in a program with 80 to 90 percent was nominated in the staff category. She has worked at the college since 2008 and demonstrates a deep commitment to WKCTC’s culture of recruitment and retention with her ability to use software and technology to increase productivity in a manner that drives forward all college initiatives.
Page 19
Faculty and Staff West Kentucky Community and Technical College students selected as 2014 Teacher of the Year. Dr. Pruitt, a Dr. Doug Pruitt professor of psychology, joined the WKCTC faculty in 2001. He holds a doctorate degree in behavioral neuroscience from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He was members nominated for the honor. “My true personal philosophy is that if we actually touch a person’s life and actually make a difference, then we’ve served a higher purpose,” Dr. Pruitt said. “I love this college and I love the students. I hope we are a foundation for them for the rest of their lives.”
published and presented a paper titled, “Using Engineering Concepts to Enhance the Dr. Shen (Sarah) Liu Students’ Learning in a Computer Class,” at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Gulf-Southwest Annual Conference in New Orleans. WKCTC faculty members Mark and gave a presentation titled, “Collaboration Alignment for Integrated Learning at Convention of the American Association of Community Colleges in Washington, D.C. in April 2014.
Page 18
Fall 2013 Enrollment Summary: Total Student Body Headcount - Total Full-Time
Age Subgroups Under 18 18 - 24
982 3,140
Total Reported Age
7,199
14% 44%
(Three students did not report their age.)
Gender Subgroups
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Barbara Veazey and U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez at a special forum in Washington, D.C. in June 2014.
was one of four community college presidents to join Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez and a 13-member panel June 4, 2014, in Washington, D.C. to discuss issues relevant to preparing a skilled workforce and providing the unemployed with the skills needed for new jobs in the future. The half-day forum, hosted by Third Way, a Washington, D.C.-based public policy think tank, featured a detailed presentation by Vice President Biden , professor of biological sciences and biology program coordinator at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, recently received the NAACP Education Award. Gar, a Paducah resident, was presented with the award at the 2014 Paducah-McCracken County NAACP Annual Freedom Fund Banquet at the Robert Cherry Civic Center. The NAACP Education Committee surveyed the community to identify a postsecondary educator that has studiously served the educational needs of the community, with a focus on helping minorities. “This made
Male
and a moderated panel by Secretary Perez that focused on the future of America’s workforce and being prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century economy.
3,089
43%
“After discussions with Secretary Perez and the panel, I see the need for our college to include national credentialing in our academic programs and work harder to build apprenticeships with our partner organizations,” Veazey said. The forum was part of the Vice President’s project that will culminate with a workforce modernization and training report to President Barack Obama. me redouble my efforts to help equip the disadvantaged individuals in my community with the tools to know and understand the nature and circumstances Joseph Gar of their lives and help them develop strategies for their self-transformation and selfempowerment,” said Gar.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
Ethnic Subgroups (Some students did not report ethnicity.) Percentages show the percent of reported ethnic groups.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
High School Freshman
1,423 2,322
20% 32%
Page 11
Enrollment Trends Service Area Enrollment by County The counties listed below comprise the WKCTC Service Area.
Carlisle
191
191
202
Graves
1,339
1,240
1,107
297 111
334 99
293 89
Livingston Lyon
Moscow Festival Ballet’s Swan Lake
Clemens Fine Arts Center In 2013-14, the Clemens Fine Arts Center produced 24 events as part of the Clemens’ 4,200 people in attendance. In addition, twenty events, produced by other campus and community organizations, were facilitated by the center staff with
Enrollment by County - Fall 2013 PSAD Student Art Exhibition
professional mainstage performances, two preshow dinners, two WKCTC Community Chorus concerts, three performances of the student theatre production, three coffee house events, six art exhibitions/sales, the Campus Read, two Open Mic events for students, the Hispanic Heritage Celebration, screening of Inocente, six visual arts exhibits/sale, and an acting workshop taught by New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players.
Fast Fact: In 2013-2014, total attendance to all events in the Clemens Fine Arts Center was nearly 7,000 individuals.
Page 12
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
Page 17
Student Success – WKCTC students Robin Gericke and Aaron Silverstein of the local home school group Parents As Teachers in Christian Homes (PATCH) were selected for the Governor’s Scholars Program.
– WKCTC graduate Chelsea Rollins, a Heath High School graduate, was named a 2014 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Silver Scholar. The Coca-Cola Chelsea Rollins Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team
– The West Kentucky Stars, the club basketball team at West Kentucky Community and Chris Woods
attended the two-day tournament held in WKCTC’s Haws Gymnasium and which featured teams from Elizabethtown Community
National Championship. A few members of that championship winning team were recognized during halftime ceremonies. – Second year radiography class coordinated and volunteered at the inaugural “Paint
– Over 100 people attended the “American Made Movie” at Maiden Alley Cinema sponsored by Business & Computer Related Technologies (BCRT) in February 2014. By illustrating the successes of companies that have prospered without adopting the practices of their competitors, American Made Movie shows the positive impact of domestic manufacturing jobs on national and local economies in the face of great challenges. A panel discussion following the movie featured Greg Higdon, president of the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers; Chris Meyer, vice president of Engineering at Pebco; and Basil Drossos, retired General Motors executive.
Page 16
– Graves County High School graduate Chris Woods was named a National Merit Scholarship attending WKCTC in the fall 2014. Woods, the son of Robert and Virginia Woods, plans to attend the University of Kentucky College of Engineering at Paducah, majoring in chemical engineering.
Run.” Money was raised for funding the students’ Kettering Registry Review and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) registry exam. The remainder of the money was donated to the United Way, Special Olympics, Toys for Tots, and WKCTC Radiography Scholarship.
In addition to the Merit Scholarship, Woods also received a Presidential Scholarship, a UK scholarship, the West Kentucky Academic Bowl Scholarship, the Hopper Club Scholarship from McAdoo Chiropractic. He is a student in the Math/Science/Engineering Academy of GCHS. Extracurricular activities the Agape Club and captain of the academic team’s quick recall group as well as membership in the Young Republicans, Beta Club, and Freshman Mentoring Program.
Pictured above: (left) Robin Gericke and (right) Aaron Silverstein
The Governor’s Scholars Program (GSP) is a summer residential program for outstanding high school students in Kentucky who are rising seniors. The program’s mission is to enhance Kentucky’s next generation of civic and economic leaders. Gericke, the daughter of Lisa and Kevin Gericke, is a member of the WKCTC’s Spanish Club, Future Business Leaders of America, and His Company Praise Dance Team.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
of McCracken County Teen Court, founding member and current president of Generation Joshua Club of Paducah, captain of the West Kentucky Home
violin/concertmaster of the Paducah Symphony Youth Orchestra. He is a three-year President’s Volunteer Service Award recipient for outstanding community service and works WKCTC’s Loan Default Rate for several jobs, including soccer referee, violin lowest in the Kentucky Community teacher, and tutor in the and Technical College System. WKCTC math lab.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
Pictured above: (left) Lindsey Morris and (right) April Brown
Silverstein, the son of David and Eve
Fast Fact:
KET’s Bill Goodman (above, center) was the featured speaker for the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce’s Power in Partnership Breakfast sponsored by West Kentucky Community & Technical College March 6, 2014. Since 1996 Goodman has been the host and managing editor of the Emmy Award-winning public affairs series Kentucky Tonight on KET. In April 2013, Goodman was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame. Goodman is pictured above with Deborah Edmonds, WKCTC Board of Trustees chairperson (left) and WKCTC President Barbara Veazey (right).
scholarship and a special medallion. Rollins, the daughter of Joseph and Lucretia Cates, and David Rollins, all of Paducah, served as the student government president at WKCTC and was the student representative on the WKCTC Board of Directors.
– Lindsey Morris, 19 of Marshall County, joined fellow WKCTC dental assisting student April Brown of Henderson County as two of only ten students in the nation to receive the prestigious Juliette A. Southard/ Oral-B Scholarship. The scholarship is part of a national program sponsored by the American Dental Assistants Association and Oral-B that awards scholarships to dental assisting students and dental assistants interested of dental assisting. Students receive the organizational skills, ability to meet people, accept responsibility, integrity, and leadership.
Page 13
Enhancing the College and Community
– WKCTC student Shea Wilson was one of only nine students across Kentucky to be named to the 2014 Kentucky Physical Therapy Association All–Academic Team (KPTA). KPTA and RehabCare, a leading provider of rehabilitation services, bestow the honor to select the students from Kentucky’s PTA and Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs.
WKCTC PROUD “Community” is a very important part of the colleges mission. WKCTC faculty, staff and students are a proud part of the west Kentucky community and each year the WKCTC community supports a host of civic, community and charitable organizations.
Maximillian Curry, Lexi Shelton and WKCTC Forensics Director Dr. Karen Hill Johnson, all of Paducah.
– WKCTC’s Speech and Debate Team recently took
Students are chosen for the competitive team based upon academic and clinical performance, extracurricular, campus and community service activities, participation in physical therapyrelated activities and organizations, and a personal statement discussing the student’s career goals and the importance of being an advocate for the physical therapy profession. A Benton resident, Wilson, the 2014 PTA class president, recently volunteered with the College’s Health Career Craze Camp to encourage middle school and high school students to learn about a career in physical therapy. Wilson will graduate from the College’s PTA Program in December and plans to transfer to Murray State University to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical therapy, and then continue her education with a doctorate degree in physical therapy.
Page 14
in the state at the 2014 Kentucky Forensic Association state tournament. The competition, held at Gateway Community and Technical College in northern Kentucky February 21-22, brought nine community and technical colleges and universities from across the state to compete in the two-day event.
Each college competed in a variety of categories including parliamentary debate, informative speaking, dramatic interpretation, after dinner speaking, editorial impromptu speaking, impromptu speaking, rhetorical criticism, persuasive speaking, duo interpretation, prose, programmed oral interpretation, radio broadcasting, poetry, and extemporaneous speaking.
shooter drill.
– Over 100 security cameras were installed in facilities both on and off campus.
Relay for Life A full-scale emergency mock disaster drill with active shooters was held
veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus. Earth Day Concert WKCTC and the Kentucky Career Vetworking fair at the Emerging Technology Center. The event featured
awards. All of WKCTC’s students placed in the top 10 of the national competition and were recognized at the PBL Awards of Excellence June 27. They were: place in Management Concepts
place in the team Integrated Marketing Campaign Marshall County High School senior and College Academy student at WKCTC, sixth place in Sports Management and Marketing.
EMS and emergency management services participated in a mock shooter exercise in the Allied Health Building.
– Additional wireless access points were installed
– Four WKCTC students were among more than 1,800 of America’s best and brightest college students who showcased their talents as future business leaders and vied for the
third place in the team Integrated Marketing Campaign
emergency responder agencies. WKCTC security and college personnel along
Kristen Amaya, WKCTC veteran service coordinator (Pictured from left to right, standing: Alexa Morgan, Asheley Thomas of Boaz. Left to right, kneeling: Carol Hoffmann of Paducah and Ashley
“To win at the national level is a great accomplishment for these students and
Technology program coordinator and PBL local chapter advisor.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
– WKCTC was designated a Military Friendly School for 2014 – the third year earning this recognition. – by GI Jobs Magazine (Victory Media). As a 2014 Military Friendly School® WKCTC was ranked in the top 20% of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military service members,
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
service providers from VA Healthcare to compensation, service organizations and even employers. Kristen Amaya, WKCTC veteran service coordinator and event co-organizer, said since the college and the career center began hosting workshops, veteran enrollment has been steadily increasing. “We focused on networking and choosing occupations that are attractive for veterans and that are in high demand in our community,” Amaya said. “As a community college, we try to connect our students with people in the community.”
Chinese New Year
Reading Across America 2014
Page 15
Enhancing the College and Community
– WKCTC student Shea Wilson was one of only nine students across Kentucky to be named to the 2014 Kentucky Physical Therapy Association All–Academic Team (KPTA). KPTA and RehabCare, a leading provider of rehabilitation services, bestow the honor to select the students from Kentucky’s PTA and Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs.
WKCTC PROUD “Community” is a very important part of the colleges mission. WKCTC faculty, staff and students are a proud part of the west Kentucky community and each year the WKCTC community supports a host of civic, community and charitable organizations.
Maximillian Curry, Lexi Shelton and WKCTC Forensics Director Dr. Karen Hill Johnson, all of Paducah.
– WKCTC’s Speech and Debate Team recently took
Students are chosen for the competitive team based upon academic and clinical performance, extracurricular, campus and community service activities, participation in physical therapyrelated activities and organizations, and a personal statement discussing the student’s career goals and the importance of being an advocate for the physical therapy profession. A Benton resident, Wilson, the 2014 PTA class president, recently volunteered with the College’s Health Career Craze Camp to encourage middle school and high school students to learn about a career in physical therapy. Wilson will graduate from the College’s PTA Program in December and plans to transfer to Murray State University to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical therapy, and then continue her education with a doctorate degree in physical therapy.
Page 14
in the state at the 2014 Kentucky Forensic Association state tournament. The competition, held at Gateway Community and Technical College in northern Kentucky February 21-22, brought nine community and technical colleges and universities from across the state to compete in the two-day event.
Each college competed in a variety of categories including parliamentary debate, informative speaking, dramatic interpretation, after dinner speaking, editorial impromptu speaking, impromptu speaking, rhetorical criticism, persuasive speaking, duo interpretation, prose, programmed oral interpretation, radio broadcasting, poetry, and extemporaneous speaking.
shooter drill.
– Over 100 security cameras were installed in facilities both on and off campus.
Relay for Life A full-scale emergency mock disaster drill with active shooters was held
veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus. Earth Day Concert WKCTC and the Kentucky Career Vetworking fair at the Emerging Technology Center. The event featured
awards. All of WKCTC’s students placed in the top 10 of the national competition and were recognized at the PBL Awards of Excellence June 27. They were: place in Management Concepts
place in the team Integrated Marketing Campaign Marshall County High School senior and College Academy student at WKCTC, sixth place in Sports Management and Marketing.
EMS and emergency management services participated in a mock shooter exercise in the Allied Health Building.
– Additional wireless access points were installed
– Four WKCTC students were among more than 1,800 of America’s best and brightest college students who showcased their talents as future business leaders and vied for the
third place in the team Integrated Marketing Campaign
emergency responder agencies. WKCTC security and college personnel along
Kristen Amaya, WKCTC veteran service coordinator (Pictured from left to right, standing: Alexa Morgan, Asheley Thomas of Boaz. Left to right, kneeling: Carol Hoffmann of Paducah and Ashley
“To win at the national level is a great accomplishment for these students and
Technology program coordinator and PBL local chapter advisor.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
– WKCTC was designated a Military Friendly School for 2014 – the third year earning this recognition. – by GI Jobs Magazine (Victory Media). As a 2014 Military Friendly School® WKCTC was ranked in the top 20% of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military service members,
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
service providers from VA Healthcare to compensation, service organizations and even employers. Kristen Amaya, WKCTC veteran service coordinator and event co-organizer, said since the college and the career center began hosting workshops, veteran enrollment has been steadily increasing. “We focused on networking and choosing occupations that are attractive for veterans and that are in high demand in our community,” Amaya said. “As a community college, we try to connect our students with people in the community.”
Chinese New Year
Reading Across America 2014
Page 15
Student Success – WKCTC students Robin Gericke and Aaron Silverstein of the local home school group Parents As Teachers in Christian Homes (PATCH) were selected for the Governor’s Scholars Program.
– WKCTC graduate Chelsea Rollins, a Heath High School graduate, was named a 2014 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Silver Scholar. The Coca-Cola Chelsea Rollins Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team
– The West Kentucky Stars, the club basketball team at West Kentucky Community and Chris Woods
attended the two-day tournament held in WKCTC’s Haws Gymnasium and which featured teams from Elizabethtown Community
National Championship. A few members of that championship winning team were recognized during halftime ceremonies. – Second year radiography class coordinated and volunteered at the inaugural “Paint
– Over 100 people attended the “American Made Movie” at Maiden Alley Cinema sponsored by Business & Computer Related Technologies (BCRT) in February 2014. By illustrating the successes of companies that have prospered without adopting the practices of their competitors, American Made Movie shows the positive impact of domestic manufacturing jobs on national and local economies in the face of great challenges. A panel discussion following the movie featured Greg Higdon, president of the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers; Chris Meyer, vice president of Engineering at Pebco; and Basil Drossos, retired General Motors executive.
Page 16
– Graves County High School graduate Chris Woods was named a National Merit Scholarship attending WKCTC in the fall 2014. Woods, the son of Robert and Virginia Woods, plans to attend the University of Kentucky College of Engineering at Paducah, majoring in chemical engineering.
Run.” Money was raised for funding the students’ Kettering Registry Review and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) registry exam. The remainder of the money was donated to the United Way, Special Olympics, Toys for Tots, and WKCTC Radiography Scholarship.
In addition to the Merit Scholarship, Woods also received a Presidential Scholarship, a UK scholarship, the West Kentucky Academic Bowl Scholarship, the Hopper Club Scholarship from McAdoo Chiropractic. He is a student in the Math/Science/Engineering Academy of GCHS. Extracurricular activities the Agape Club and captain of the academic team’s quick recall group as well as membership in the Young Republicans, Beta Club, and Freshman Mentoring Program.
Pictured above: (left) Robin Gericke and (right) Aaron Silverstein
The Governor’s Scholars Program (GSP) is a summer residential program for outstanding high school students in Kentucky who are rising seniors. The program’s mission is to enhance Kentucky’s next generation of civic and economic leaders. Gericke, the daughter of Lisa and Kevin Gericke, is a member of the WKCTC’s Spanish Club, Future Business Leaders of America, and His Company Praise Dance Team.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
of McCracken County Teen Court, founding member and current president of Generation Joshua Club of Paducah, captain of the West Kentucky Home
violin/concertmaster of the Paducah Symphony Youth Orchestra. He is a three-year President’s Volunteer Service Award recipient for outstanding community service and works WKCTC’s Loan Default Rate for several jobs, including soccer referee, violin lowest in the Kentucky Community teacher, and tutor in the and Technical College System. WKCTC math lab.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
Pictured above: (left) Lindsey Morris and (right) April Brown
Silverstein, the son of David and Eve
Fast Fact:
KET’s Bill Goodman (above, center) was the featured speaker for the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce’s Power in Partnership Breakfast sponsored by West Kentucky Community & Technical College March 6, 2014. Since 1996 Goodman has been the host and managing editor of the Emmy Award-winning public affairs series Kentucky Tonight on KET. In April 2013, Goodman was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame. Goodman is pictured above with Deborah Edmonds, WKCTC Board of Trustees chairperson (left) and WKCTC President Barbara Veazey (right).
scholarship and a special medallion. Rollins, the daughter of Joseph and Lucretia Cates, and David Rollins, all of Paducah, served as the student government president at WKCTC and was the student representative on the WKCTC Board of Directors.
– Lindsey Morris, 19 of Marshall County, joined fellow WKCTC dental assisting student April Brown of Henderson County as two of only ten students in the nation to receive the prestigious Juliette A. Southard/ Oral-B Scholarship. The scholarship is part of a national program sponsored by the American Dental Assistants Association and Oral-B that awards scholarships to dental assisting students and dental assistants interested of dental assisting. Students receive the organizational skills, ability to meet people, accept responsibility, integrity, and leadership.
Page 13
Enrollment Trends Service Area Enrollment by County The counties listed below comprise the WKCTC Service Area.
Carlisle
191
191
202
Graves
1,339
1,240
1,107
297 111
334 99
293 89
Livingston Lyon
Moscow Festival Ballet’s Swan Lake
Clemens Fine Arts Center In 2013-14, the Clemens Fine Arts Center produced 24 events as part of the Clemens’ 4,200 people in attendance. In addition, twenty events, produced by other campus and community organizations, were facilitated by the center staff with
Enrollment by County - Fall 2013 PSAD Student Art Exhibition
professional mainstage performances, two preshow dinners, two WKCTC Community Chorus concerts, three performances of the student theatre production, three coffee house events, six art exhibitions/sales, the Campus Read, two Open Mic events for students, the Hispanic Heritage Celebration, screening of Inocente, six visual arts exhibits/sale, and an acting workshop taught by New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players.
Fast Fact: In 2013-2014, total attendance to all events in the Clemens Fine Arts Center was nearly 7,000 individuals.
Page 12
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
Page 17
Faculty and Staff West Kentucky Community and Technical College students selected as 2014 Teacher of the Year. Dr. Pruitt, a Dr. Doug Pruitt professor of psychology, joined the WKCTC faculty in 2001. He holds a doctorate degree in behavioral neuroscience from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He was members nominated for the honor. “My true personal philosophy is that if we actually touch a person’s life and actually make a difference, then we’ve served a higher purpose,” Dr. Pruitt said. “I love this college and I love the students. I hope we are a foundation for them for the rest of their lives.”
published and presented a paper titled, “Using Engineering Concepts to Enhance the Dr. Shen (Sarah) Liu Students’ Learning in a Computer Class,” at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Gulf-Southwest Annual Conference in New Orleans. WKCTC faculty members Mark and gave a presentation titled, “Collaboration Alignment for Integrated Learning at Convention of the American Association of Community Colleges in Washington, D.C. in April 2014.
Page 18
Fall 2013 Enrollment Summary: Total Student Body Headcount - Total Full-Time
Age Subgroups Under 18 18 - 24
982 3,140
Total Reported Age
7,199
14% 44%
(Three students did not report their age.)
Gender Subgroups
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Barbara Veazey and U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez at a special forum in Washington, D.C. in June 2014.
was one of four community college presidents to join Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez and a 13-member panel June 4, 2014, in Washington, D.C. to discuss issues relevant to preparing a skilled workforce and providing the unemployed with the skills needed for new jobs in the future. The half-day forum, hosted by Third Way, a Washington, D.C.-based public policy think tank, featured a detailed presentation by Vice President Biden , professor of biological sciences and biology program coordinator at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, recently received the NAACP Education Award. Gar, a Paducah resident, was presented with the award at the 2014 Paducah-McCracken County NAACP Annual Freedom Fund Banquet at the Robert Cherry Civic Center. The NAACP Education Committee surveyed the community to identify a postsecondary educator that has studiously served the educational needs of the community, with a focus on helping minorities. “This made
Male
and a moderated panel by Secretary Perez that focused on the future of America’s workforce and being prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century economy.
3,089
43%
“After discussions with Secretary Perez and the panel, I see the need for our college to include national credentialing in our academic programs and work harder to build apprenticeships with our partner organizations,” Veazey said. The forum was part of the Vice President’s project that will culminate with a workforce modernization and training report to President Barack Obama. me redouble my efforts to help equip the disadvantaged individuals in my community with the tools to know and understand the nature and circumstances Joseph Gar of their lives and help them develop strategies for their self-transformation and selfempowerment,” said Gar.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
Ethnic Subgroups (Some students did not report ethnicity.) Percentages show the percent of reported ethnic groups.
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
High School Freshman
1,423 2,322
20% 32%
Page 11
Increasing Student Access and Success Success for students often comes down to passing national examination and
At WKCTC, our students consistently do well on such testing. In 2013-2014:
pass rate for the Dental Assisting National Board Examination – well above the national and state averages.
radiography students taking the Radiography Registry exam was 100% for students who were
physics and the specialty exams of OB/GYN, abdomen and/or takers.
cosmetology students on the cosmetology board examination was 94%.
December graduates from both the Medical Laboratory Technician and Physical Therapist Assistant programs who have completed the licensure test as of April 1, 2014 was 100%.
WKCTC Graduate Kelsey Waldon of Barlow was recently featured in a Rolling Stone article titled, “10 New Artists You Need to Know: Summer 2014.” After four years released in June to favorable reviews. The article in the Rolling Stone stated that, “On her debut LP, The Goldmine, Waldon makes music like someone raised on both “White Lightnin’” and Wilco, tackling troubled pasts, cheatin’ hearts and what happens when we don’t all worship the same American dreams.”
mnus: u l A C T WKC Star g n i s i R A
Britton Shurley
for Crab Orchard Review’s Open Book Competition. an associate professor at WKCTC, received the Phelps Award, named in memory of Finis Sargent Phelps and Florence Grubbs Phelps. The purpose John Hasegawa of this award is to emphasize quality, promote academic excellence, and reward competence in teaching in the liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Hasegawa, a Paducah resident, joined the faculty of the Paducah School of Art & Design in 2008. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oregon and serves in many leadership roles both on and off campus.
Waldon has been writing since a small child and always wanted to be a writer/singer. At 19, she left home for Nashville and took a minimum wage job hoping to break into the music business. She wasn’t old enough to get into a bar much less play her music at one. After a year, she went back to Kentucky and enrolled at WKCTC. After earning an Associate in Arts degree with high distinction, she was accepted into the songwriting program at Belmont University in Nashville.
, construction technology program coordinator, demonstrated his traditional woodworking skills teaching methods John Moore at the 2013 International Preservation Trades Workshop. The event was hosted by the National Parks Service Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, Md. WKCTC Professor was featured in a DVD produced by STARLINK on instructional strategies Norita used by the best faculty. Youngblood
Kevin Gericke
Debbie Smith
Sanci Teague
WKCTC faculty and were featured in a DVD production titled, “Rethinking Practices to Increase Retention and Completion.” Terry O’Banion, president emeritus of the League for Innovation and chair of the graduate faculty at National American University, featured WKCTC in the DVD while exploring some of the most successful retention programs in the country.
Open Door Virtual Advising” at the Mid-South Distance Learning Conference. Faith Crim and Rebecca Jones also presented at the same conference. Their presentation was titled, “A Campus-Wide Approach to Reducing Textbook Costs.”
In the June 3, 2014 Rolling Stone article, the small town in Kentucky to this place where everyone is just like me,” she said. “They all moved from their little place, too, and we live in this beautiful utopia. We’re all country music freaks – nerds, really. But sometimes in Nashville it can be so easy to let other things get in the way. You have to try really hard to not get spoiled.”
Kelsey Waldon
Student Support Services Technology is used to automate routine processes while a Student Services Call Center handles routine student inquires 24/7. Piloted in 2013 with a select group of online courses, WKCTC will campus-wide in fall 2014 to automate the College’s early alert program and connect at-risk students with services needed to ensure student success.
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Assistant Professor had three poems published in Southern Poetry Review, Spoon River Poetry Review, and The . His book manuscript was also a
Nathanial W. Slaton Interim Dean of Enrollment Management
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of Benton received the Paducah Junior College Faculty Award, which recognizes quality, competence and excellence in
Nate Slaton
Miranda Peterson
earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Science in nursing from the University of Indiana. One of her many accomplishments includes the development of a continuing education program that was a new requirement by the professions licensing board and the evaluation and redesign of an existing continuing education program for healthcare professionals returning to practice.
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Geelyn Warren
Paducah residents and were named WKCTC’s nominees for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS)’s 2014 New Horizon Award. Each KCTCS college nominates one administrative member, one faculty member, and one staff member. The top faculty member, administrative member, and staff member from the 48 nominated selected and announced at a special awards banquet May 2014. Slaton, interim director of enrollment management, was nominated in the administrative staff category. He is a champion for continuous improvement and constantly looks for ways to assist WKCTC students and, consequently,
accomplishment was a redesign of the two-year diploma into a 12-month evening program. He has continued to introduce innovation, new teaching methodologies and current industry standards, which has resulted in a program with 80 to 90 percent was nominated in the staff category. She has worked at the college since 2008 and demonstrates a deep commitment to WKCTC’s culture of recruitment and retention with her ability to use software and technology to increase productivity in a manner that drives forward all college initiatives.
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Supporting Economic Development . – In 2013, West Kentucky Community and Technical College became a founding member of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Mississippi River Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (MRTDL) Consortium, a group of community colleges along the Mississippi River whose goal is to help low-income adults access higher education and sustainable wage employment, encourage workforce mobility, and establish long-term employment. The consortium, led by Lewis and Clark Community College, received for nine community colleges located in eight states along the Mississippi River Region. The grant comes through the Department of Labor’s Trade – WKCTC’s Skilled Craft Training Center (SCTC) in Hickory was named the Industry of the Month by
Stephanie Milliken, dean of applied technologies at WKCTC, during a
Adjustment Assistance Community College and Careering Training (TAACCCT) grant program, a multi-
– McCracken County resident Chelsea Rollins and Michelle Jackson of Marshall County were selected for the 2014 All-USA Community College Academic Team, each receiving a scholarship and medallion. They were two of only twenty students in the nation to be chosen for the award, which is presented each year by USA TODAY and administered by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. The award is presented to exceptional students at the nation’s community colleges.
expand targeted training programs for unemployed workers, especially those impacted by foreign trade.
to expand targeted training programs for veterans and unemployed workers, especially those impacted by foreign trade. WKCTC will utilize its funding to expand workforce training programs in the transportation, distribution and logistics career sector. The grant will provide resources to expand and enhance the college’s marine technology and logistics and operations management programs.
The Skilled Craft Training Center, an extension campus of WKCTC, provides academic programs in automotive technology, welding technology, heating and air technology, nurse assisting, and adult agriculture. General education classes are provided as needed and are to the Graves County Adult Learning Center.
June 9.
Fast Fact: Since opening in 2009, the has provided accessible education with a total course enrollment
The 7,700-square-foot building’s location, close to the river, is tailored to those currently working in the industry. WKCTC is renovating the structure
grant it received in fall 2013 from the Department of Labor to expand workforce training programs in the transportation, distribution and logistics career sectors. The Institute will initially house the WKCTC’s Marine Technology and Logistics & Operations Management programs as well as provide additional space for workforce training. College classes in the building by the middle of fall.
Pictured above: (left) Chelsea Rollins and (right) Michelle Jackson
Accreditations In 2013-2014, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC)’s Sonography Vascular program was nationally accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program through the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The Physical Therapy Assistant program at WKCTC was reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Dr. Peggy Block, dean of the allied health and personal services division and physical therapy assistant program coordinator is pictured at right working with PTA. students.
Pictured left to right: Stephanie Milliken, WKCTC’s dean of applied technologies, and
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(Above) Dr. Tena Payne, vice president of academic affairs and Dr. Lisa Stephenson, Community CSP Sign Up Day at the high school.
– WKCTC worked with Rotary Club of Paducah and other community partners to establish scholarship opportunities such as the Community Scholarship Program (CSP) to enable area high school graduates in McCracken County who meet minimum eligibility requirements to receive a scholarship that guarantees each eligible graduate will receive a completion scholarship
downtown Paducah with the goal of establishing the new Inland Logistics and Marine Institute.
headcount of 1,277.
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Increasing Student Access and Success
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graduates will begin receiving CSP scholarship funds in fall 2014. The Rotary Club of Paducah recently Community Scholarship Program. The
1, 2014. The scholarship is the result of a public-private partnership that also includes the Paducah City Commission, McCracken Fiscal Court, WKCTC and other business and individual donors. The long-term goal of the project is to retain high school students and increase the college going rate. Dr. Lisa Stephenson, WKCTC dualcredit director, said the percentage of students enrolled in the program continues to increase from 71 percent this year to 81 percent for the class of 2017, including nearly 100 percent participation at Paducah Tilghman High School.
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WKCTC partnered with the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) to provide assistance to individuals impacted by the closing of the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) that began in earnest in 2013. As part of the college’s efforts to provide science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) experiences to area students, the Paducah School Art and Design offered art workshops for high school students during the summer.
2013-2014 Visiting Authors visited WKCTC to provide tips and techniques for living a life of wholeness. She presented an one-hour presentation to share her vast experiences, including 22 years in mental health and social service as well as 19 years from her book, The Way of Truth to a Life of Wholeness.
Traci Lawrence
New York Times bestselling author Jamie Ford pictured on the left meets Ann Denton, chairperson of Paducah Junior College, Inc. - the foundation of WKCTC. Ford spoke about his book, “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” during a presentation at The “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” was required reading for WKCTC’s English 101 Ann Denton meets Jamie Ford after book students in the 2013-14 fall reading at WKCTC. and spring semester. Also in April 2014, author whose grandparents lived in Paducah, visited WKCTC to talk about her 2014 novel “A Boy Back from Heaven.” The book centers on her son Matthew, who in 2007 developed stenosis in the main artery to a kidney WKCTC English Professor leading to undiagnosed high blood Kim Russell and Celeste pressure following routine surgery. Goodwin Goodwin, founder of the National Pediatric Blood Pressure Awareness Foundation, read excerpts from her book during a free one-hour presentation on campus.
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First December Graduation More than 140 students participated in West Kentucky Community and Technical College’s
The College provides space and support for what was named the Career Solutions Community (CSC) in the Emerging Technology Center. Since opening, the CSC has provided workers packets of information courtesy of the workforce board, with resources for
follow a layoff. In addition, classes on a variety of skills have also been offered to the displaced workers.
– The thriving presence of the Paducah School of Art & Design in Paducah was a special asset noted when the United
graduation at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center 2013. More than 800 students were eligible graduation candidates. Dr. Victoria Seng, a WKCTC alum and University of Tennessee at Martin associate vice chancellor of academic affairs, was the keynote speaker. Student speakers were Jackie Brown of Graves County and Kaela Burge-Beckley of Evansville, Ind.
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and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the city of Paducah the world’s seventh City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2013. Paducah is one of only three cities in the United States to be a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The designation establishes Paducah as a leader in creative economic development and speaks to the quality of life residents enjoy. It provides a competitive advantage to businesses and institutions that are working to attract quality business professionals and educators…enticing them to relocate to Paducah.
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Pictured above from left to right: Jim Pape, WKCTC’s vice president of Workforce and Economic Development, Lula Luu of the Fin International LLC group of New Orleans, center, is shown with a $1,000 check her team claimed for winning the 2014 Regional Aspiring Entrepreneur Pitch Competition, and Loretta Daniel, director of the Kentucky Innovation Network at Murray State University. Photo by John Wright / Murray Ledger & Times.
– WKCTC meets workforce needs of the community by working with local businesses to provide pre-employment training and by housing a Kentucky Innovation Network Center on campus to assist new business start-ups or small businesses seeking to expand. The Kentucky Innovation Network has been around since 2001 creating a network of business leaders and mentors that encourage relationships, grow companies new and existing, located across Kentucky. The Network is managed in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation, along with local partners like WKCTC.
and educated business leaders who provide services at no-cost and helps provide business development, growth strategies, or suggestions for funding sources.
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In 2013-2014, WKCTC continued to house the Kentucky Innovation
– Two new agreements between WKCTC and Southern Illinois University (SIU) at Carbondale will streamline pathways for WKCTC
Technology Center, joined National Business Incubator Association and held meetings with established incubator managers and prospective incubator clients.
technical degree programs. In April 2014, WKCTC and SIU signed two articulation agreements allowing WKCTC’s Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in automotive technology and AAS degree in General /Occupational Technical Studies to
offered a variety of services in 2013-2014 including:
and Creative Eye American Apparel advertise for employees, screened employees, set up training plan and trained employees.
participation by one of the Kentucky Innovation Network clients in the Pitch Competition to investors.
Practical Nursing Professor Laura Durbin (right) supervises as students in the Healthcare Career Craze camp prepare to learn about germs. Students were able to visit the dental, radiography, surgical technology and nursing programs during the camp held on the WKCTC campus in June 2014.
WKCTC’s Workforce Solutions was among several colleges, agencies and businesses who attended the Career Solutions Community (CSC) Job Fair at the Paducah Convention Center. Workforce Solutions personnel at the Emerging as well as to displaced USEC Workers.
Workforce Solutions staff and beta-testing materials to offer to clients.
WKCTC’s NO BOYS ALLOWED 2014 Camp focused on science, technology, engineering and math with an underlying focus on the attendees - all girls! To help build self–esteem, respect for ladies, the camp utilized classroom trips to visit various companies and organizations with female professionals and role models.
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® The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah, in partnership with WKCTC Workforce Solutions and Kentucky 4H SET, helped from area schools and organizations participated in the event on December 12,
campus engaged in hands on activities in the Multi-Disciplinary Health Simulation Lab. Other activities included extraction of fruit DNA (Society of Women Engineers), Girls in STEM Careers (UK Intern), and career exploration in vascular surgery and medical pathology.
– Middle and high school students learned about careers in health care and energy at West Kentucky Community and Technical College during two free, hands-on Career Craze camps in June 2014. Students learned about programs including nursing, physical therapy, surgical technology, dental hygiene/ assisting, and phlebotomy. In addition, the students toured two energy plants and learned how electric energy is produced during an “Exploring Energy and Alternative Energy Careers” camp.
– WKCTC’s MultiDisciplinary Health Simulation Lab was utilized in collaboration with Baptist Health Paducah and the college’s registered nursing program in providing realistic simulations for competency simulation with their nurse internship program and maternal child unit, which included approximately 90 staff members.
– The Commonwealth Middle College (CMC) has made some changes but is still going strong. High school students in CMC no longer complete high school classes on the WKCTC campus. Seniors will remain on campus all day to take college classes while juniors will return to their high schools in the afternoon. WKCTC continues to provide support resources to the CMC.
– WKCTC’s Nursing Division collaborated with Murray State University and University of Kentucky in presenting the Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative Conference on June 13, 2014. More than
of Science degrees at SIU - Carbondale. The agreements are available to all students in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Upon completion of an AAS degree credit hours from WKCTC and another 48 credit hours in automotive, business management, and support courses at SIU, the graduate will be able to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in automotive technology upon completion of a total of 120 credit hours. With this new agreement, WKCTC’s Associate in Applied Science degree in General/ Occupational Technical Studies will transfer into SIU’s Bachelor of Science in Technical Resource Management degree program. Upon completion of the AAS degree
professional communication, work center management, data analysis, quality management, and project management, the graduate will earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Resource Management at SIU.
students and 20 coaches, plus the many parents, school personnel and others that came to support the teams. Participating student teams represented Calloway, Fulton, Marshall and McCracken counties, as well as St. Mary, Hopkinsville and various private schools. The students designed, built, tested and programmed robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology, and applied real-world math and science concepts, researched challenges facing today’s scientists, learned critical thinking, teambuilding and presentation skills.
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Promoting Excellence in Teaching and Learning – West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) is one of 11 colleges - the only one in Kentucky - to earn accreditation from the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) in 2014. The organization ensures that college courses offered in high schools are equally rigorous as those available at the sponsoring postsecondary institution, according to Dual Credit Director Lisa Stephenson. “It validates that what we are doing on the high school level exactly matches what we do for that same course at the college level,” she said. Jay Box, chancellor of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), said, “We are pleased obtain this high recognition and to also Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to become NACEP accredited.” – Since being approved to offer an online Associate in Applied Science degree in 2011, the Marine Technology program has seen steady growth. In 2013-2014, a culinary management track was added to the AAS degree and a Marine Culinary
Expanding Diversity and Global Awareness – West Kentucky Community and Technical College has provided programs of study and
Barbara Veazey, president of West Kentucky Community and Technical College, and Tim Miller, president of Murray State University, sign an articulation agreement May 23, 2014, allowing students who complete an associate degree in logistics and supply chain management at WKCTC to transfer entirely in Paducah through WKCTC and the MSU Paducah Regional Campus or entirely online. Pictured above from left to right: Dr. Jay Morgan, MSU Provost, Tammy Potter, dean of the business and computer related technologies division at WKCTC, Dr. Veazey, Miller, Dr. Tim Todd, dean of the College of Business at MSU, and Dr. Brian Van Horn, dean of MSU’s extended campus.
– C. J. Niehaus
(below), a resident ceramics artist and adjunct professor at WKCTC’s Paducah School of Art & Design, demonstrates her skills on a pottery wheel. Niehaus was commissioned in April 2014 to make 200 small bowls to distribute as keepsakes to premium ticket holders at a
– More than 40 new Learn by Term (LBT) online courses were initiated in 2013. New Learn on Demand (LOD) courses implemented in the Summer 2014 included REL 130 and ART 100.
Countries that have been visited and studied through the program include Nepal, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Spain, Germany, France and England. Through these experiences, students have completed academic coursework, immersed themselves in a new culture and gained new insight of their place in the world. The Spring Break 2014 program learning abroad experience. WKCTC
aid, transfer opportunities and school services, in a one-on-one format. The fair, which draws more than 100 participants yearly, is about building ties in the community and bringing the college to the forefront of people’s minds.
for a study abroad trip to El Salvador.
There were over 30 new WKCTC faculty who taught either Learn by Term or Learn on Demand online courses this academic year.
auction. An Artist-in-Residence house was completed in December of 2013 as a part of the Paducah School of Art & Design campus in LowerTown. The WKCTC student Shelby Wahl, an education major, (above at left) with a new friend said the trip to El Salvador was an amazing experience.
– The welding technology program at the Skilled Craft Training Center (SCTC) has been expanded to a two-instructor program with 24 lab stations and full programming capacity.
“I will forever cherish the people I met and the families we encountered,” Shelby said. “As a team we did many things, but it didn’t feel like enough. Even though we helped so many families, we all felt like we needed to do more.”
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Program conducted a summer 2014 College Prep
The program exposed students to academic enrichment in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). As an integral part of the instructional program there was a planned three-day/
44 students to expound on the lesson objectives by bringing lessons to life. The trip included visits to the St. Louis Science Center, Griot Museum of Black History, Mariachis Mexican Restaurant, Six Flags, and swimming. WINGS is committed to assist African Americans, Latinos, and under served students with matriculation from middle school to high school and high school to postsecondary education.
The strong connection between the
C. J. Niehaus at the wheel Page 6
– WKCTC continued its mission of reaching out to the community with a Super Sunday information fair at Washington Street Missionary Baptist Church in Paducah February 23, 2014, following the weekly service by Rev. Reynaldo Henderson. The annual free event, which debuted in January 2011, featured more than 10 booths on different WKCTC programs. Attendees had access to information about
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At a Glance
Paducah Junior College, Inc. Foundation The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
accreditation standards. The agency approved WKCTC’s
– In 2014, state funding was approved to complete the
Kentucky Community & Technical College’s accreditation with no recommendations or follow-ups listed in its Fifth
& Design (PSAD).
there are many benchmarks indicative of institutional quality in higher education, none is more important than a college’s Barbara Veazey. The regional accrediting agency performs a major accreditation review of each member institution every 10 years and requires that each institution submit a report
matched from the local community. WKCTC’s Paducah School of Art & Design’s campus project in April 2014.
includes the renovation of the 30,000-square foot Kitchens Inc. building two-dimensional art programs. WKCTC added an element to the renovation plan, a student cafe also open to the public in the back portion of the facility. The new restaurant and outdoor seating area would also cater receptions and events held in the gallery area and hold culinary classes. The 7,000-squarefoot sculpture building, adjacent to Madison Hall, is set to open this fall and will offer programs in sculpture, woodwork, welding, and a foundry for the Paducah School of Art & Design.
Administration Pictured above from left to right: Paducah Bank CEO Joe Framptom, WKCTC President Barbara Veazey, Paducah Bank Trustee David Denton, Paducah Bank President Mardie Herndon, Jr., and Paducah Bank Trustee Bill Schroeder after the announcement of Paducah Bank’s $150,000 donation to
Dr. Barbara M. Veazey, President
Personnel Full-time faculty: 137
Artist and Sculptor Instructor Linda Ogden (At right, seated) discusses student work at the Paducah School of Art & Design after a press conference April 7 at Madison Hall. Pictured left to right: Ogden, John Williams, former chairperson of Paducah Junior College, Inc., Paducah Bank President Mardie R. Herndon, Jr., Deborah Edmonds, West Kentucky Community and Technical College Board of Directors chairperson, and Bill Schroeder, Paducah Bank trustee.
Credentials Offered WKCTC offers two-year Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), Associate in Applied Science (AAS), and Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.) degrees. These two-year degrees can be used to open up new career
Associate degree programs: 32 Diploma programs: 19
Paducah Rigging Donation to Campus Improvements
received no recommendations or reporting requirements, according to Renea Akin, WKCTC associate vice president of learning initiatives. Akin said this is the second time in a
year review in 2012-2013.
WKCTC Board of Directors Bruce P. Brockenborough, Paducah Deborah Edmonds, Paducah Steven Grinnell, Paducah Lee Jones, Grand Rivers Larry Kelley, Wickliffe Dr. Shirley Menendez, Paducah Shari Gholson, Faculty Representative Tom Butler, Staff Representative Chelsea Rollins, Student Representative
Fast Fact:
In 2013-14, the college’s combined graduation and transfer rate, as described by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) was 44% - the highest among KCTCS colleges.
Baptist Health Paducah Donation to Health Simulation Laboratory
(Above, center) Attorney and Paducah Bank Trustee David Denton talks with a PSAD student about his self portrait sculpture.
The Paducah School of Art & Design’s new sculpture building at left with the former Kitchens, Inc. building in the background. Renovation of the 30,000-square-foot Kitchens building on 905 Harrison
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Paducah Junior College, Inc. Foundation
Special Recognition WKCTC was by TheBestSchools.org and published in the Community College Week in October 2013.
For a third time, West Kentucky Community and Technical College was named in the nation’s pool of more than 1,000 - by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.
Aspen Prize for Community College money. The distinction, which is awarded every two years, recognizes institutions in four areas - student completion, employment and earnings, and the level of access and success for minority and low-income students.
WKCTC was one of only 12 institutions invited to join the Achieving the Dream National Reform Network in 2014. The college was inducted into DREAM 2014 and will now begin identifying and implementing strategies for closing achievement gaps and increasing student retention, persistence and completion rates. WKCTC and Jefferson Community & Technical College in Louisville, named in 2011, are the only two colleges in Kentucky in the network. The Achieving the Dream National Reform Network, which includes more than 200 institutions in 34 states and the District of Columbia, helps about four million community college students achieve their dreams.
West Kentucky Community and Technical College and Paducah’s Murray State University campus shared honors as the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year for 2014. Chamber jointly honored for creating a virtual education corridor, where members of the community can be trained and take home degrees without traveling to do so.
Paducah Junior College, Inc. worked with area donors to establish new annual scholarship accounts. PJC, Inc. manages West Kentucky Community and Technical College’s scholarship efforts including a merit scholarship program and endowed and annual of WKCTC students. – Mrs. Mary Lou Witter of new scholarship endowment was named the J. Wilson and M.L. Witter Endowment honoring her late husband J. Wilson Witter. The generous endowment will provide scholarship funds for WKCTC students based upon the college’s general scholarship guidelines.
M.L. Witter Endowment. This unexpected contribution made the account eligible to be presented to the KCTCS Endowment Match Program. “It is rare that West Kentucky Community and Technical College receives such a large donation that meets the rigorous Kentucky Community and Technical College System matching requirements,” said Ashley Wright, vice president of institutional advancement at WKCTC. Mrs. Witter’s contributions have been accepted into the program and funds will be matched based upon availability. “The KCTCS Endowment Match Program will double the size of Mrs. Witter’s donations, and also the number of students who can be served through this scholarship endowment,” Wright said.
WKCTC is prominently featured in What Excellent Community Colleges Do (Wyner, 2014) which highlights innovative practices for the Aspen Prize for community college excellence.
top community colleges through an assessment of institutional performance, improvement and equity, according to student retention and completion measures. The formula developed by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and the Aspen Institute focuses on student retention and completion.
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New Scholarships
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Mrs. Witter is an active member at First Baptist Church and enjoys weekly games of bridge with her friends. She and Mr. Witter were happily married for 40 years and lived in many areas of the country as they traveled with his management job at Sears. She funded the J. Wilson and M.L. Witter Endowment in hopes of assisting deserving students who are willing to work hard to reach their dreams.
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– The WKCTC Seniors Learning for Fun renewed their commitment to WKCTC students with account. This scholarship is available to a currently enrolled WKCTC student.
– Available to a WKCTC student currently enrolled in the radiography program.
Challenger Learning Center Nineteen middle school students from around the region participated in the Challenger Learning Center at Paducah’s 2013 Underwater Astronaut Camp on July 8-10, 2013. The students, ages eleven to fourteen, were from McCracken, Marshall, Calloway, Graves and Ballard counties as well as from southern Illinois and Missouri. They learned how to use scuba equipment, be comfortable in the water, and work with tools and gloves that astronauts use when training for a space mission. The center once again partnered with divers from Mermet Springs located in southern Illinois.
Dr. Barbara Veazey accepts a check from WKCTC Seniors Learning for Fun President Charles Heyduck with Ashley Wright (left) and Kevin O’Neill (right), director of community education.
– Available to a WKCTC student currently enrolled in an allied health program. Mrs. Lorraine Schramke, member of the PJC, Inc. Board of Trustees, recently donated an insurance policy with the intent to fund a future student scholarship. The Challenger Learning Center is located on the WKCTC campus.
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Paducah Junior College, Inc. Foundation
A Year in Review
Over 120 West Kentucky Community and Technical College scholarship students and donors got the chance to meet at a reception in the college’s Anderson Technical Building Bistro on November sincere gratitude to the donors during the reception. “When I think about this college and I think about our students, where
Welcome to West KentucKy community and technical college Recognized for Two Consecutive Years by The Aspen Institute as One of the Top Ten Community Colleges in the Nation In 2011, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) was in the nation for providing tremendous opportunities for students and the
makes a real difference.”
Baptist Health Paducah and Lourdes have once again joined forces with West Kentucky Community and Technical College to ensure that the region continues to have access to quality health care. The pledge renewal from Baptist Health Paducah and Lourdes enables the college to continue increased admissions by providing salary funding for additional nursing faculty positions. This increase in faculty positions permits WKCTC’s registered nursing program to admit and graduate more than 90 nursing candidates annually. Both Baptist Health Paducah
McCracken County resident Lilly Kaler, a nontraditional student who received the Bill and Meredith Schroeder Scholarship, was grateful for the help in reaching her educational goal. “I just got accepted into the nursing program, and Above right to left: Paducah I couldn’t have made it businessman Bill Schroeder meets without this scholarship.” WKCTC Lilly Kaler, the 2013-14 Kaler said. “I don’t have recipient of the Bill and Meredith to worry about the money. Scholarship. I only have to focus on what I have to do in school; I am so thankful.” Businessman Bill Schroeder said it was a pleasure to give to student scholarships every year. “We have been very fortunate; we want to continue to support the college because unshared good fortune leaves life empty.”
Donors and Business Support WKCTC Programs Paducah Rigging Donation to Campus Improvements
Crittenden Health Systems Donation to Clinical Laboratory Program
Baptist Health Paducah Donation to Health Simulation Laboratory
Heartland Physical Therapy Donation to Physical Therapy Program
Friends of the McCracken County Library Donation to the Paducah School of Art & Design
Theracare Physical Therapy Donation to Physical Therapy Program
EMAC, Inc. (Carbondale, IL) Donation to Workforce Solutions Programs
Dr. Teresa Mayo Donation to Graphic Arts Program
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the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges. West Kentucky was recognized for outstanding achievement in the areas of student learning outcomes, degree and college completion, labor market success in students securing jobs after college, and minority and low-income student success. Our focus on improving student learning helps ensure our students graduate with the knowledge they need to secure jobs or transfer to four-year schools. West Kentucky Community and Technical College faculty and staff take responsibility for improving student learning and work hard to identify and eliminate barriers to student success. We achieve excellence by focusing on improving student learning in core skills and by thoughtfully connecting programs to regional jobs, from credentials that fuel the region’s large health
Dr. Barbara M. Veazey
According to a recent study by Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI), a combination of college operations, student spending, and productivity of graduates in the workforce. West Kentucky’s focus on access, retention, and student success enabled the College to achieve its vision of being recognized as a preeminent community college nationwide. The College is committed to continuing to provide high-quality educational experiences, meet the educational needs of the college community, serve as a full partner in business and workforce development, and contribute to the overall economic and social well-being of the region by offering two-year transfer Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Fine Arts degrees;
West Kentucky Community and Technical College truly is the place to be! Barbara Veazey, Ph.D. President West Kentucky Community and Technical College
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Paducah Junior College, Inc. Foundation – Tessa Hooks, Paducah Middle School sixth grade science teacher, was named the 20132014 Challenger Learning Center at Paducah’s Outstanding Educator during a surprise presentation at the school’s
Mayor Gayle Kaler (left) reading to area students
The Vision of West Kentucky Community and Technical College West Kentucky Community and Technical College will be an innovative learning institution committed to empowering individuals to achieve excellence in an environment of respect and will be recognized as a preeminent community college nationwide.
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The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah hosted the second Mayor’s Book Club on October 28, 2013.
book in a trilogy co-authored by Dr. June Scobee Rodgers, the Challenger commander’s widow and founding chair of the Challenger Center.
One student from each Paducah and McCracken County elementary and middle schools was chosen by their school librarian to participate in this event.
The Mayor also led a discussion about space travel and science and why it is so important to our country. After reading
Paducah Mayor Gayle Kaler read an excerpt from Moonbase Crisis
The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah hosted another successful Trivia Night at St. Thomas More Fellowship Hall in 2014. More than 200 people packed the fellowship hall for a night of questions, answers and fun.
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were asked to write a report and turn it in to the center. Five students were randomly chosen to receive the last two books of the trilogy.
Tessa Hooks (left) and Paduah Middle School Principal Stacey Overlin
Staff from the Challenger Center recognized Hooks as the center’s eighth outstanding educator. During the presentation, Hooks received a
donated by Travis School Equipment in Draffenville. In addition, Paducah Public Schools receives one free mission Challenger Learning Center at Paducah. The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah is one in a network of over the Challenger Centers came from the families of the astronauts lost in the Challenger accident.
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WEST KENTUCKY COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Higher Education Begins Here WKCTC does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Dr. Belinda Dalton Russell, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Coordinator, at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, 4810 Alben Barkley Drive, P.O.
Revised: August 2014
westkentucky.kctcs.edu
HIGHER EDUCATION BEGINS HERE
Kentucky Community & Technical College System
westkentucky.kctcs.edu