Your Next Step

West Kentucky Community & Technical College

YOUR NEXT STEP 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: Jipaum Askew-Robinson, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Coordinator, at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, 4810 Alben Barkley Drive, P.O.

HIGHER EDUCATION BEGINS HERE

.

Revised: August 2013

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Kentucky Community & Technical westkentucky.kctcs.edu 2013-2014 THE NEXT STEP

College System

West Kentucky Community & Technical College P.O. Box 7380, Paducah, KY 42002

Phone (270) 534-3209 westkentucky.kctcs.edu

C a r e e r S olu t ion s Com mu n i t y

ENROLLMENT CHECKLIST

Apply for Admission t

Complete WKCTC admission application online

t

Go to westkentucky.kctcs.edu and click Apply Now

Secure Educational Funding t t

Meet with WIA/TAA Case Manager to complete WIA/TAA eligibility paperwork Complete FAFSA: apply for Pell grant online at www.fafsa.gov - WKCTC Federal School Code: 001979 - Print confirmation page - Recommended: request to have income re-calculated

Submit Educational Transcripts/Documents t t t

Official High School Transcripts or GED scores ACT scores Official Transcripts from any previous colleges/universities attended can be mailed to: WKCTC, P.O. Box 7380, Paducah, KY 42002-7380 (must be mailed from previously attended colleges/universities)

Complete COMPASS Placement Test t t t t

Located in the Anderson Technical Building in the Assessment Center, Room 110.

Open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., no appointment required.

Compass exemption: ACT scores in English 18, Math 19, Reading 20.

Testing available on Monday evenings by appointment. (270) 534-3380 or (270) 534-3379.

Register for Classes t

Contact Chevene Duncan-Herring in the Career Solutions Community located in the Emerging Technology Center at (270) 534-3209 or chevene.duncan-herring@kctcs.edu.*

*Will provide WIA/TAA Case Managers with (student academic plans and estimated tuition cost breakdowns) the required education documents from WKCTC.

New Student Orientation t

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All new students must attend a New Student Orientation session. Sign-ups for orientation can be completed when you register for your classes.

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Notes

Welcome to West Kentucky Community & Technical College West Kentucky Community & Technical College wants to be supportive and assist you in making the best informed decision about your future and that of your family. We recognize this is a critical time in your personal life and a very dedicated faculty and staff who will help you in making decisions on a college/ career choice for the future. community colleges in the nation for providing tremendous opportunities for WKCTC was recognized for excelling at providing students with strong job training and continuing higher education opportunity, for achieving high completion and transfer rates, and for realizing strong employment results for our graduates.

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. Evidence shows that students who transfer to four-year schools from WKCTC do better in their junior and senior years than other Kentucky students. We achieve excellence by focusing on improving student learning in core skills and by thoughtfully connecting programs to regional jobs, technology.

Each year, thousands of students move on from our college into challenging and worthwhile careers or they transfer to other universities to complete a higher degree. In the following pages of this document, several graduates and students share their experiences at WKCTC. Many of these individuals had the same fears and uncertainties you may have today about going to college, but they were able to persevere, and we know you will too.

Barbara Veazey, Ph.D. West Kentucky Community and Technical College

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Other WKCTC Personnel

“But the interpersonal communication between instructors and students is great at WKCTC,” Nick said. “Even with that, education can only be as good as you make it. You really have to try hard to achieve your goals. Everyone at WKCTC is here to help.”

Director of Library Services

Director of Admissions/ Registrar

Director of the Clemens Fine Arts Center

Veterans Affairs Liaison

Coordinator of Student Development, Activities & Recruitment

Director of Financial Aid

Dean of Online Learning

Director of Master Advising and Assessment Centers

Director of Student Support Services/TRIO

Coordinator of Academic Support

Director of Adult Education

Manager of Disability Services

Nick Coovert 2013 WKCTC Nursing Graduate Page 4

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Deans of Academic Divisions Dean of Allied Health & Personal Services

Dean of Nursing

Dean of Applied Technologies

Dean of the Paducah School of Art & Design (270) 408-4277

Dean of Business & Computer Related Technologies

Dean of Science & Mathematics

Brad Sullivan 2007 WKCTC PTA Graduate

Starting Over The idea of going back to college as a thirty-something man was a bit overwhelming for Graves County native Brad Sullivan, but his options were limited.

After working seven years for a tire manufacturer, Sullivan faced a permanent lay off when the plant

Dean of Humanities, Fine Arts & Social Sciences

Dean of Transition Education Maria Flynn

“I knew if I wanted a good job, not just a minimum wage job, I had to get more education and West Kentucky was the way to do that.”

funded by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) which paid for him to go back to college and he jumped at the opportunity.

“The hardest part was going back to school in general and not having

a job. Even though they extended years, that helped out, but really the transition from being at work and going back to school was hard. It’s stressful. But I knew I had to do it. I wasn’t a kid anymore. I wasn’t going to go to college to party or anything.

I knew if I wanted a good job, not just a minimum wage job, I had to get more education and West Kentucky was the way to do that.”

Sullivan had attended the community college before and gained an associate degree before working at the tire plant. He said he was also fortunate because he was a single man with no family to support.

“Still it’s always a little scary when you are in your 30s and you’re faced with having to go to college and starting a new career. It’s hard. But West Kentucky offers some great programs for the non-traditional student and to be able to get the training I received in a short amount of time and locally was really important to me. I’m very thankful

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for West Kentucky. It would have been hard to go off somewhere else and to get the physical therapist assistant training I received.” physical therapist assistant program in December 2007 and by January 2008 had a full-time job working as a physical therapist assistant and clinical instructor for Parkview Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Paducah, Ky. “I couldn’t have become a physical therapist assistant without my education at West Kentucky. You have to go through an accredited program to get a license and you have to have that license to get a job.

There’s no way I could have passed the test without the program at West Kentucky. It prepared me, not only for the test, but also for the job itself .. I really can’t say enough good things about the teachers, staff and training/education I received at West Kentucky. It’s a great program. They really provided me with a great job.”

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Another Opportunity Ahead When Kevin Quinn retired from the U. S. Air Force in 2007 after 23 years of service, his future seemed uncertain.

He had joined the service at the age of 18, got married and had two children. When he retired from the military, the only job he store, which did not pay well. He eventually found a job at Hawker Beechcraft building business jets.

When the US economy went into recession, many companies cancelled their orders for new business jets. Like many other Americans, Quinn was a victim of the economic downturn and was laid off.

With his children out of high school and on their own, Quinn spent time teaching himself more about the computers he loved to work on. Eventually he started thinking about going to college to learn about computers what he couldn’t learn on the Internet.

“I wasn’t a great student in high school and that was two decades ago. I was more than a little apprehensive about starting college,” Quinn said.

Leadership Team President/CEO

Quinn said he learned far more than he expected. He was named to the 2013 KCTCS AllAcademic Team and was one of two student speakers when he graduated in May 2013. He did an internship with a company in Paducah called Genesis Health Technologies that had launched a revolutionary blood glucose meter. During his internship Quinn worked on the company’s web portal and online database, and was offered a full-time position after graduation, which he accepted.

Vice President of Academic Affairs

Vice President of Learning Initiatives

“I didn’t know the exact road map on any of the journeys I started in my life,” Quinn said “Even when life’s journeys would reach an end, I knew if I worked hard and was open to new things, another opportunity would come along.”

“In the fall of 2011, I summoned all my courage and started the information technology program at WKCTC. At the time, I didn’t know how I would use my degree after graduation. I just knew I wanted to learn more

Vice President of Institutional Development

Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management

Director of Marketing/ Public Relations

Vice President of Student Development

Director of Human Resources

Vice President of Business Affairs

Director of Advancement (Paducah Junior College Foundation, Inc.)

Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development

Director of Cultural Diversity

Vice President of Administrative Services

post-graduation plan would come more into focus with each know if I would stay in Paducah after graduation,” Quinn said.

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WKCTC at a Glance

Learning New Skills

West Kentucky Community and Technical College, a comprehensive, regional college, is nestled on 234 beautiful acres on Paducah’s north side and includes 18 separate buildings and three leased, off-campus facilities for a total of more

After he lost the job he held for 22 years at a tire plant, Roger Gann chose to attend West Kentucky Community and Technical College because it was close to his home and his daughter was already attending the college.

Barkley Drive in Paducah, classes are offered at

WKCTC’s air conditioning technology program that will help him get a new job.

“When I heard the plant was closing, I knew I had to go back to school. I needed to learn some new skills,” Gann said. “Whether I get a job working in the residential area or in maintenance in a factory, I feel like my education at WKCTC will prepare me for my new future.”

Accreditation

Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

New Chapter; A Blessing At 42-years-old, U. S. Army veteran Roy Henley faced an uncertain future after the Goodyear Tire Factory in Union City, Tenn., where he worked for 13 years closed its doors in 2011.

“I had never lost a job before, never been unemployed, had always been able to provide for my wife and five children with nothing more than a high school diploma, veteran combat experience with the 101th Airborne out of Fort Campbell, Ky., a firm grasp of common sense, and a strong work ethic instilled by my dad, himself a veteran of two wars,” Henley said.

education, believing I would do well, but I struggled through high school and felt like college would just be too hard,” Henley said. “I soon realized, however, that losing my job, though difficult and uncertain, was a blessing; affording me the

“I soon realized that losing

uncertain, was a blessing.”

He quickly realized he would have to go to college to equip himself with the skills needed to be competitive in today’s ever changing work place.

“My wife, Laura, for years had encouraged me to continue my

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Programs Offered WKCTC offers two-year Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.), and Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.) degrees, and diplomas and

Personnel Full-time faculty: 141 Part-time faculty: 142

degree. WKCTC offers multiple career pathways leading to your future success.

WKCTC offers three associate degrees designed to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program. Each of these degrees consists of a general education core and additional courses degree.

Associate in Arts Degree Associate in Fine Arts Degree in Visual Arts Associate in Science Degree

opportunity to pursue a career I had dreamt of for some time – a career as a high school history teacher and football coach.

Henley graduated from WKCTC in May 2013 as a member of the KCTCS All-Academic Team. He transferred to Murray State University to complete his education to become a teacher.

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“It is possible. You have to think in the long term. Right now you’re thinking about needing a job, supporting your family, and keeping your head and yourself above water. But if you’re willing to hold your breath for a second and dip back down, you realize that

Programs Offered (continued) Occupational/Technical Curricula: (C), diploma (D), and Associate in Applied Science (A) degree curricula in each group are noted by C, D, and A in parenthesis.

Air Conditioning Technology (C, D) Applied Engineering Technology (C, A) Apprenticeship Studies (A) Automotive Technology (C, D, A) Business Studies Business Administration (C, D, A) Medical Information Technology (C, D, A) Collision Repair Technology (C, D) Computer Aided Drafting and Design (C, D) Computer and Information Technologies (C, A) Computerized Manufacturing and Machining (C, D, A) Construction Technology (C, D) Cosmetology (C, D) Criminal Justice (A) Culinary Arts (C, D, A) Dental Assisting (D) Dental Hygiene (A from HCC) Diagnostic Medical Sonography (C, A) Diesel Technology (C, D) Emergency Medical Services Paramedic Completion Program (A) Fire/Rescue Science Technology (C, D, A) General Occupation/Technical Studies (A) Health Science Technology (A)

Historic Preservation Technology (C) Homeland Security/Emergency Management (C, A) Industrial Chemical Technology (A) Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (C, A) Logistics and Operations Management (C, A) Manufacturing Industrial Technology Electrical Technology (C, D, A) Industrial Maintenance Technology (C, D, A) Marine Technology (C, A) Mechatronic Systems (C) Medical Laboratory Technician (C, A) Nursing Associate Degree Nursing - RN (A) Practical Nursing (D) Nursing Assistant (C) Pharmacy Technology (C) Physical Therapist Assistant (A) Radiography (A) Respiratory Care Respiratory Care (C, A) Polysomnography (C) Surgical Technology (D, A) Visual Communication - Design and Technology (C) Visual Communication - Multimedia (C, D, A) Visual Communication - Printing (C) Welding Technology (C, D)

and that it will be even better than you imagined.”

Terri Miles WKCTC Transfer Graduate

It is Possible single with a young son to support when she was directed to her local community college.

Terri said she knew what likely lay ahead for her without higher education was another low-wage job. Terri never imagined there might be something more waiting for her until she found people at the college who believed in her. The personal touch she got changed her life.

“That was a pivot point for me in my life.

That’s the point that I look back and say that’s where everything changed. The programs that are in place here are what allowed that change to continue to happen for me,” Terri said. “Because you can change and you can decide to do something, but you can lose your way. So having people there on the sidelines helping you stay on that path and supporting you as you’re going, like they do here, that’s extremely important.”

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After completing her associate’s degree, Terri transferred to Murray State University where she completed a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. A behavioral health technician at a transitional care facility, Terri is now in the Indiana University’s doctorate program.

Terri said non-traditional students must realize that they can go back to college.

“It is possible. You have to think in the long term. Right now you’re thinking about needing a job, supporting your family, and keeping your head and yourself above water. But if you’re willing to hold your breath for a second and dip back up, and that it will be even better than you imagined.”

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Higher Education Gives You Options Tennessee native Gary Harper worked in a factory not long after serving as an U.S. Air Force staff sergeant in Desert Storm. A manager in a factory that made rotors for air conditioning compressors, Harper said he could see the writing on the wall and knew there would be major cutbacks at the plant. In fact, he was laid off nine months when he decided to go to Jackson State Community College to study radiography. While at Jackson State, Harper took a job as a nurse aid.

“The two factories I worked at, both of them either did major cutbacks or they closed, so I was looking for a career that didn’t do that as often. Because in factories you can make good money for a little while and then you lose everything. Then you make money, then you lose it. I looked into health care and it was pretty much a consistent employment so that’s what drew me to that area.”

West Kentucky Community and Technical College Mission Statement

The mission of West Kentucky Community and Technical College is to provide excellence in teaching and learning, promote student success, and support economic development.

Harper, 42, the father of two daughters, ended up working as an orderly/nursing assistant at Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Kentucky. The hospital offered a program at the time which paid for one year of schooling if the person agreed to work one year at the hospital.

Harper went to WKCTC graduating in in nursing. He was offered a position as a registered nurse at Murray-Calloway County within days of graduation. Harper continued on his quest for higher education, going back to school online at Chamberlain College of Nursing for bachelor of science and master of science degrees in nursing. He was recently hired to teach medical surgical nursing at WKCTC and plans to pursue his doctorate in nursing.

degree from WKCTC has been the most important degree I have received thus far. From it, I was able to do everything else. I was able to work as a nurse and start my profession. It gave me the education that I needed to get my bachelor’s and from that I was able to get my master’s and hopefully to get my Ph.D. So it was the beginning of my entire profession.”

Harper said you have to decide what you want out of life. “You because I still have several family members and that’s exactly what they do and they are comfortable with that, but education is important because it gives you more options.

“Once you get an education, you can still stay and work in factories but you’ll have more options to do more things. So it’s important regardless of what you end up doing, you need to have an education to be able to make those decisions and to have those options for your future.”

“The education at WKCTC was very important. It was like the beginning for everything, for my entire career in education and in my profession. I think my associate

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Gain a New Outlook

Thomas King: Higher Education is a Must (Continued)

position as a registered respiratory therapist at Murray-Calloway County Hospital, the hospital where he had done his clinical internship. Not only did he get a new job, but King also met his current wife while working at the hospital. They married in 2008.

Paducah native Danita Fisher always dreamed of going to college and earning a bachelor’s degree.

But at the age of 17, she began working to support her young daughter.

After working seven years at the Murray hospital, King said he still loves helping the people he meets each day. “It’s really rewarding to take care of people, especially because there are lots of people who come in here who cannot catch their breaths. And we do procedures, like breathing treatments, and take care of them.”

pharmaceutical wholesaler, Fisher was laid off. The Paducah Tilghman High School graduate turned what could have been a life disaster into an opportunity, enrolling at West Kentucky Community and Technical College in the summer of

he didn’t have before he completed his program at WKCTC. “I would tell any nontraditional student, like myself, that it is never too late to go to college,” King said. “In this day and age, higher education is a must in order to have a good paying job.”

algebra course,” Fisher said. “But after taking three courses, I passed them all and I know I can do anything.” Fisher, who served as president of WKCTC’s student government association while at the college, was also chosen to serve on the Kentucky Community and Technical College (KCTCS) Board of Regents – one of only two students on the 14-member board.

“All my family has a college education and it’s important to me to complete the circle,” Fisher said.

Fisher said before she lost her job, every day was like the movie, “Groundhog Day.” “I would get up, go to work, go home, and then do the same thing over and over again,” she said. “WKCTC is giving me a new outlook on life.”

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Reach for your Dreams Higher Education is a Must Thomas King of Clinton held several factory jobs before landing a position slinging tires at a General Tire plant in there was a good chance he might be laid off, King took the job.

“Two years to the day that I got hired, I got laid off,” Thomas said. “I had never seen so many long faces on people, but I was turning cartwheels, because I knew I was going to school.

I was excited about it.”

School graduate, had thought about going to college to become a respiratory care therapist when he was in his 20s, but he thought he was too

Page 14

old then. But at age 43, King found himself facing an uncertain future without a job and decided to seize the opportunity. A program funded by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) provided the

father raised me up old school. You were at work unless you were sick,

support that made it possible for King to go back to school.

and you’d better be at work,” King said. “Well I wasn’t actually working.

I was going to school, which to me was something totally different. But

“In this day and age, higher education is a must in order to have a good paying job.”

But focusing on education instead of beginning to look for a job took some getting used to. “I worked my entire life and it was kind of hard to get my mind around the fact that I wasn’t going to be working, because my

like WIA, I was being retrained in another job so I could get back into the workforce and be a productive citizen once again.”

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Benton native Darrin Thompson lost his job when the company he had been employed at sent the work he was doing to employees in China. “I chose West Kentucky Community Technical College

Thompson feared losing his job would devastate his life, but attending West Kentucky Community and Technical College changed his life for the better, he said.

semester, I knew I was at the right place because the faculty actually seemed to care about their students,” Thompson said.

“It’s

“Attending WKCTC has taught me to reach and dream for things I used to

In 2013, Thompson was accepted into WKCTC’s Sonography program and hopes to one day work in a children’s hospital.

a scary thing, losing a job, but WKCTC wants to help people reach their dreams and goals, and help conquer any fears.”

“West Kentucky Community and Technical College has been there every step of the way, making sure that I achieve my goals.” Thompson said.

“WKCTC’s advisors, faculty and staff always go the extra mile. They honestly care.”

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think were unattainable,” Thompson said. “It’s a scary thing, losing a job, but WKCTC wants to help people reach their dreams and goals, and help conquer any fears.”

“Nontraditional students, like me, need to know that they can go to college and get a career not just another job.”

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West Kentucky Community & Technical College Main Campus and Paducah School of Art & Design

MAIN CAMPUS

1.

2.

3.

4.

Waller Hall (WAL) Rosenthal Hall (ROS) Carson Hall Carson Annex

7.

8.

Maintenance Garage Nemer Building

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Matheson Hall/ Learning Resource Center (MLC) Crounse Hall (CRO) Crisp Building/Challenge Learning Center (CLC) Allied Health Building (AHB) Emerging Technology Center (ETC) A

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and Madison Hall location at

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Page 13

West Kentucky Community & Technical College Main Campus and Paducah School of Art & Design

MAIN CAMPUS

1.

2.

3.

4.

Waller Hall (WAL) Rosenthal Hall (ROS) Carson Hall Carson Annex

7.

8.

Maintenance Garage Nemer Building

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Matheson Hall/ Learning Resource Center (MLC) Crounse Hall (CRO) Crisp Building/Challenge Learning Center (CLC) Allied Health Building (AHB) Emerging Technology Center (ETC) A

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and Madison Hall location at

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Page 13

Reach for your Dreams Higher Education is a Must Thomas King of Clinton held several factory jobs before landing a position slinging tires at a General Tire plant in there was a good chance he might be laid off, King took the job.

“Two years to the day that I got hired, I got laid off,” Thomas said. “I had never seen so many long faces on people, but I was turning cartwheels, because I knew I was going to school.

I was excited about it.”

School graduate, had thought about going to college to become a respiratory care therapist when he was in his 20s, but he thought he was too

Page 14

old then. But at age 43, King found himself facing an uncertain future without a job and decided to seize the opportunity. A program funded by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) provided the

father raised me up old school. You were at work unless you were sick,

support that made it possible for King to go back to school.

and you’d better be at work,” King said. “Well I wasn’t actually working.

I was going to school, which to me was something totally different. But

“In this day and age, higher education is a must in order to have a good paying job.”

But focusing on education instead of beginning to look for a job took some getting used to. “I worked my entire life and it was kind of hard to get my mind around the fact that I wasn’t going to be working, because my

like WIA, I was being retrained in another job so I could get back into the workforce and be a productive citizen once again.”

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Benton native Darrin Thompson lost his job when the company he had been employed at sent the work he was doing to employees in China. “I chose West Kentucky Community Technical College

Thompson feared losing his job would devastate his life, but attending West Kentucky Community and Technical College changed his life for the better, he said.

semester, I knew I was at the right place because the faculty actually seemed to care about their students,” Thompson said.

“It’s

“Attending WKCTC has taught me to reach and dream for things I used to

In 2013, Thompson was accepted into WKCTC’s Sonography program and hopes to one day work in a children’s hospital.

a scary thing, losing a job, but WKCTC wants to help people reach their dreams and goals, and help conquer any fears.”

“West Kentucky Community and Technical College has been there every step of the way, making sure that I achieve my goals.” Thompson said.

“WKCTC’s advisors, faculty and staff always go the extra mile. They honestly care.”

westkentucky.kctcs.edu 2013-2014 THE NEXT STEP

think were unattainable,” Thompson said. “It’s a scary thing, losing a job, but WKCTC wants to help people reach their dreams and goals, and help conquer any fears.”

“Nontraditional students, like me, need to know that they can go to college and get a career not just another job.”

Page 11

Gain a New Outlook

Thomas King: Higher Education is a Must (Continued)

position as a registered respiratory therapist at Murray-Calloway County Hospital, the hospital where he had done his clinical internship. Not only did he get a new job, but King also met his current wife while working at the hospital. They married in 2008.

Paducah native Danita Fisher always dreamed of going to college and earning a bachelor’s degree.

But at the age of 17, she began working to support her young daughter.

After working seven years at the Murray hospital, King said he still loves helping the people he meets each day. “It’s really rewarding to take care of people, especially because there are lots of people who come in here who cannot catch their breaths. And we do procedures, like breathing treatments, and take care of them.”

pharmaceutical wholesaler, Fisher was laid off. The Paducah Tilghman High School graduate turned what could have been a life disaster into an opportunity, enrolling at West Kentucky Community and Technical College in the summer of

he didn’t have before he completed his program at WKCTC. “I would tell any nontraditional student, like myself, that it is never too late to go to college,” King said. “In this day and age, higher education is a must in order to have a good paying job.”

algebra course,” Fisher said. “But after taking three courses, I passed them all and I know I can do anything.” Fisher, who served as president of WKCTC’s student government association while at the college, was also chosen to serve on the Kentucky Community and Technical College (KCTCS) Board of Regents – one of only two students on the 14-member board.

“All my family has a college education and it’s important to me to complete the circle,” Fisher said.

Fisher said before she lost her job, every day was like the movie, “Groundhog Day.” “I would get up, go to work, go home, and then do the same thing over and over again,” she said. “WKCTC is giving me a new outlook on life.”

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Higher Education Gives You Options Tennessee native Gary Harper worked in a factory not long after serving as an U.S. Air Force staff sergeant in Desert Storm. A manager in a factory that made rotors for air conditioning compressors, Harper said he could see the writing on the wall and knew there would be major cutbacks at the plant. In fact, he was laid off nine months when he decided to go to Jackson State Community College to study radiography. While at Jackson State, Harper took a job as a nurse aid.

“The two factories I worked at, both of them either did major cutbacks or they closed, so I was looking for a career that didn’t do that as often. Because in factories you can make good money for a little while and then you lose everything. Then you make money, then you lose it. I looked into health care and it was pretty much a consistent employment so that’s what drew me to that area.”

West Kentucky Community and Technical College Mission Statement

The mission of West Kentucky Community and Technical College is to provide excellence in teaching and learning, promote student success, and support economic development.

Harper, 42, the father of two daughters, ended up working as an orderly/nursing assistant at Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Kentucky. The hospital offered a program at the time which paid for one year of schooling if the person agreed to work one year at the hospital.

Harper went to WKCTC graduating in in nursing. He was offered a position as a registered nurse at Murray-Calloway County within days of graduation. Harper continued on his quest for higher education, going back to school online at Chamberlain College of Nursing for bachelor of science and master of science degrees in nursing. He was recently hired to teach medical surgical nursing at WKCTC and plans to pursue his doctorate in nursing.

degree from WKCTC has been the most important degree I have received thus far. From it, I was able to do everything else. I was able to work as a nurse and start my profession. It gave me the education that I needed to get my bachelor’s and from that I was able to get my master’s and hopefully to get my Ph.D. So it was the beginning of my entire profession.”

Harper said you have to decide what you want out of life. “You because I still have several family members and that’s exactly what they do and they are comfortable with that, but education is important because it gives you more options.

“Once you get an education, you can still stay and work in factories but you’ll have more options to do more things. So it’s important regardless of what you end up doing, you need to have an education to be able to make those decisions and to have those options for your future.”

“The education at WKCTC was very important. It was like the beginning for everything, for my entire career in education and in my profession. I think my associate

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“It is possible. You have to think in the long term. Right now you’re thinking about needing a job, supporting your family, and keeping your head and yourself above water. But if you’re willing to hold your breath for a second and dip back down, you realize that

Programs Offered (continued) Occupational/Technical Curricula: (C), diploma (D), and Associate in Applied Science (A) degree curricula in each group are noted by C, D, and A in parenthesis.

Air Conditioning Technology (C, D) Applied Engineering Technology (C, A) Apprenticeship Studies (A) Automotive Technology (C, D, A) Business Studies Business Administration (C, D, A) Medical Information Technology (C, D, A) Collision Repair Technology (C, D) Computer Aided Drafting and Design (C, D) Computer and Information Technologies (C, A) Computerized Manufacturing and Machining (C, D, A) Construction Technology (C, D) Cosmetology (C, D) Criminal Justice (A) Culinary Arts (C, D, A) Dental Assisting (D) Dental Hygiene (A from HCC) Diagnostic Medical Sonography (C, A) Diesel Technology (C, D) Emergency Medical Services Paramedic Completion Program (A) Fire/Rescue Science Technology (C, D, A) General Occupation/Technical Studies (A) Health Science Technology (A)

Historic Preservation Technology (C) Homeland Security/Emergency Management (C, A) Industrial Chemical Technology (A) Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (C, A) Logistics and Operations Management (C, A) Manufacturing Industrial Technology Electrical Technology (C, D, A) Industrial Maintenance Technology (C, D, A) Marine Technology (C, A) Mechatronic Systems (C) Medical Laboratory Technician (C, A) Nursing Associate Degree Nursing - RN (A) Practical Nursing (D) Nursing Assistant (C) Pharmacy Technology (C) Physical Therapist Assistant (A) Radiography (A) Respiratory Care Respiratory Care (C, A) Polysomnography (C) Surgical Technology (D, A) Visual Communication - Design and Technology (C) Visual Communication - Multimedia (C, D, A) Visual Communication - Printing (C) Welding Technology (C, D)

and that it will be even better than you imagined.”

Terri Miles WKCTC Transfer Graduate

It is Possible single with a young son to support when she was directed to her local community college.

Terri said she knew what likely lay ahead for her without higher education was another low-wage job. Terri never imagined there might be something more waiting for her until she found people at the college who believed in her. The personal touch she got changed her life.

“That was a pivot point for me in my life.

That’s the point that I look back and say that’s where everything changed. The programs that are in place here are what allowed that change to continue to happen for me,” Terri said. “Because you can change and you can decide to do something, but you can lose your way. So having people there on the sidelines helping you stay on that path and supporting you as you’re going, like they do here, that’s extremely important.”

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After completing her associate’s degree, Terri transferred to Murray State University where she completed a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. A behavioral health technician at a transitional care facility, Terri is now in the Indiana University’s doctorate program.

Terri said non-traditional students must realize that they can go back to college.

“It is possible. You have to think in the long term. Right now you’re thinking about needing a job, supporting your family, and keeping your head and yourself above water. But if you’re willing to hold your breath for a second and dip back up, and that it will be even better than you imagined.”

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WKCTC at a Glance

Learning New Skills

West Kentucky Community and Technical College, a comprehensive, regional college, is nestled on 234 beautiful acres on Paducah’s north side and includes 18 separate buildings and three leased, off-campus facilities for a total of more

After he lost the job he held for 22 years at a tire plant, Roger Gann chose to attend West Kentucky Community and Technical College because it was close to his home and his daughter was already attending the college.

Barkley Drive in Paducah, classes are offered at

WKCTC’s air conditioning technology program that will help him get a new job.

“When I heard the plant was closing, I knew I had to go back to school. I needed to learn some new skills,” Gann said. “Whether I get a job working in the residential area or in maintenance in a factory, I feel like my education at WKCTC will prepare me for my new future.”

Accreditation

Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

New Chapter; A Blessing At 42-years-old, U. S. Army veteran Roy Henley faced an uncertain future after the Goodyear Tire Factory in Union City, Tenn., where he worked for 13 years closed its doors in 2011.

“I had never lost a job before, never been unemployed, had always been able to provide for my wife and five children with nothing more than a high school diploma, veteran combat experience with the 101th Airborne out of Fort Campbell, Ky., a firm grasp of common sense, and a strong work ethic instilled by my dad, himself a veteran of two wars,” Henley said.

education, believing I would do well, but I struggled through high school and felt like college would just be too hard,” Henley said. “I soon realized, however, that losing my job, though difficult and uncertain, was a blessing; affording me the

“I soon realized that losing

uncertain, was a blessing.”

He quickly realized he would have to go to college to equip himself with the skills needed to be competitive in today’s ever changing work place.

“My wife, Laura, for years had encouraged me to continue my

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Programs Offered WKCTC offers two-year Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.), and Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.) degrees, and diplomas and

Personnel Full-time faculty: 141 Part-time faculty: 142

degree. WKCTC offers multiple career pathways leading to your future success.

WKCTC offers three associate degrees designed to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program. Each of these degrees consists of a general education core and additional courses degree.

Associate in Arts Degree Associate in Fine Arts Degree in Visual Arts Associate in Science Degree

opportunity to pursue a career I had dreamt of for some time – a career as a high school history teacher and football coach.

Henley graduated from WKCTC in May 2013 as a member of the KCTCS All-Academic Team. He transferred to Murray State University to complete his education to become a teacher.

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Another Opportunity Ahead When Kevin Quinn retired from the U. S. Air Force in 2007 after 23 years of service, his future seemed uncertain.

He had joined the service at the age of 18, got married and had two children. When he retired from the military, the only job he store, which did not pay well. He eventually found a job at Hawker Beechcraft building business jets.

When the US economy went into recession, many companies cancelled their orders for new business jets. Like many other Americans, Quinn was a victim of the economic downturn and was laid off.

With his children out of high school and on their own, Quinn spent time teaching himself more about the computers he loved to work on. Eventually he started thinking about going to college to learn about computers what he couldn’t learn on the Internet.

“I wasn’t a great student in high school and that was two decades ago. I was more than a little apprehensive about starting college,” Quinn said.

Leadership Team President/CEO

Quinn said he learned far more than he expected. He was named to the 2013 KCTCS AllAcademic Team and was one of two student speakers when he graduated in May 2013. He did an internship with a company in Paducah called Genesis Health Technologies that had launched a revolutionary blood glucose meter. During his internship Quinn worked on the company’s web portal and online database, and was offered a full-time position after graduation, which he accepted.

Vice President of Academic Affairs

Vice President of Learning Initiatives

“I didn’t know the exact road map on any of the journeys I started in my life,” Quinn said “Even when life’s journeys would reach an end, I knew if I worked hard and was open to new things, another opportunity would come along.”

“In the fall of 2011, I summoned all my courage and started the information technology program at WKCTC. At the time, I didn’t know how I would use my degree after graduation. I just knew I wanted to learn more

Vice President of Institutional Development

Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management

Director of Marketing/ Public Relations

Vice President of Student Development

Director of Human Resources

Vice President of Business Affairs

Director of Advancement (Paducah Junior College Foundation, Inc.)

Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development

Director of Cultural Diversity

Vice President of Administrative Services

post-graduation plan would come more into focus with each know if I would stay in Paducah after graduation,” Quinn said.

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Deans of Academic Divisions Dean of Allied Health & Personal Services

Dean of Nursing

Dean of Applied Technologies

Dean of the Paducah School of Art & Design (270) 408-4277

Dean of Business & Computer Related Technologies

Dean of Science & Mathematics

Brad Sullivan 2007 WKCTC PTA Graduate

Starting Over The idea of going back to college as a thirty-something man was a bit overwhelming for Graves County native Brad Sullivan, but his options were limited.

After working seven years for a tire manufacturer, Sullivan faced a permanent lay off when the plant

Dean of Humanities, Fine Arts & Social Sciences

Dean of Transition Education Maria Flynn

“I knew if I wanted a good job, not just a minimum wage job, I had to get more education and West Kentucky was the way to do that.”

funded by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) which paid for him to go back to college and he jumped at the opportunity.

“The hardest part was going back to school in general and not having

a job. Even though they extended years, that helped out, but really the transition from being at work and going back to school was hard. It’s stressful. But I knew I had to do it. I wasn’t a kid anymore. I wasn’t going to go to college to party or anything.

I knew if I wanted a good job, not just a minimum wage job, I had to get more education and West Kentucky was the way to do that.”

Sullivan had attended the community college before and gained an associate degree before working at the tire plant. He said he was also fortunate because he was a single man with no family to support.

“Still it’s always a little scary when you are in your 30s and you’re faced with having to go to college and starting a new career. It’s hard. But West Kentucky offers some great programs for the non-traditional student and to be able to get the training I received in a short amount of time and locally was really important to me. I’m very thankful

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for West Kentucky. It would have been hard to go off somewhere else and to get the physical therapist assistant training I received.” physical therapist assistant program in December 2007 and by January 2008 had a full-time job working as a physical therapist assistant and clinical instructor for Parkview Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Paducah, Ky. “I couldn’t have become a physical therapist assistant without my education at West Kentucky. You have to go through an accredited program to get a license and you have to have that license to get a job.

There’s no way I could have passed the test without the program at West Kentucky. It prepared me, not only for the test, but also for the job itself .. I really can’t say enough good things about the teachers, staff and training/education I received at West Kentucky. It’s a great program. They really provided me with a great job.”

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Other WKCTC Personnel

“But the interpersonal communication between instructors and students is great at WKCTC,” Nick said. “Even with that, education can only be as good as you make it. You really have to try hard to achieve your goals. Everyone at WKCTC is here to help.”

Director of Library Services

Director of Admissions/ Registrar

Director of the Clemens Fine Arts Center

Veterans Affairs Liaison

Coordinator of Student Development, Activities & Recruitment

Director of Financial Aid

Dean of Online Learning

Director of Master Advising and Assessment Centers

Director of Student Support Services/TRIO

Coordinator of Academic Support

Director of Adult Education

Manager of Disability Services

Nick Coovert 2013 WKCTC Nursing Graduate Page 4

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Notes

Welcome to West Kentucky Community & Technical College West Kentucky Community & Technical College wants to be supportive and assist you in making the best informed decision about your future and that of your family. We recognize this is a critical time in your personal life and a very dedicated faculty and staff who will help you in making decisions on a college/ career choice for the future. community colleges in the nation for providing tremendous opportunities for WKCTC was recognized for excelling at providing students with strong job training and continuing higher education opportunity, for achieving high completion and transfer rates, and for realizing strong employment results for our graduates.

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. Evidence shows that students who transfer to four-year schools from WKCTC do better in their junior and senior years than other Kentucky students. We achieve excellence by focusing on improving student learning in core skills and by thoughtfully connecting programs to regional jobs, technology.

Each year, thousands of students move on from our college into challenging and worthwhile careers or they transfer to other universities to complete a higher degree. In the following pages of this document, several graduates and students share their experiences at WKCTC. Many of these individuals had the same fears and uncertainties you may have today about going to college, but they were able to persevere, and we know you will too.

Barbara Veazey, Ph.D. West Kentucky Community and Technical College

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West Kentucky Community & Technical College P.O. Box 7380, Paducah, KY 42002

Phone (270) 534-3209 westkentucky.kctcs.edu

C a r e e r S olu t ion s Com mu n i t y

ENROLLMENT CHECKLIST

Apply for Admission t

Complete WKCTC admission application online

t

Go to westkentucky.kctcs.edu and click Apply Now

Secure Educational Funding t t

Meet with WIA/TAA Case Manager to complete WIA/TAA eligibility paperwork Complete FAFSA: apply for Pell grant online at www.fafsa.gov - WKCTC Federal School Code: 001979 - Print confirmation page - Recommended: request to have income re-calculated

Submit Educational Transcripts/Documents t t t

Official High School Transcripts or GED scores ACT scores Official Transcripts from any previous colleges/universities attended can be mailed to: WKCTC, P.O. Box 7380, Paducah, KY 42002-7380 (must be mailed from previously attended colleges/universities)

Complete COMPASS Placement Test t t t t

Located in the Anderson Technical Building in the Assessment Center, Room 110.

Open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., no appointment required.

Compass exemption: ACT scores in English 18, Math 19, Reading 20.

Testing available on Monday evenings by appointment. (270) 534-3380 or (270) 534-3379.

Register for Classes t

Contact Chevene Duncan-Herring in the Career Solutions Community located in the Emerging Technology Center at (270) 534-3209 or chevene.duncan-herring@kctcs.edu.*

*Will provide WIA/TAA Case Managers with (student academic plans and estimated tuition cost breakdowns) the required education documents from WKCTC.

New Student Orientation t

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All new students must attend a New Student Orientation session. Sign-ups for orientation can be completed when you register for your classes.

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West Kentucky Community & Technical College

YOUR NEXT STEP 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: Jipaum Askew-Robinson, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Coordinator, at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, 4810 Alben Barkley Drive, P.O.

HIGHER EDUCATION BEGINS HERE

.

Revised: August 2013

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College System