Herald-Leader
September 22, 2003
Rules change on match money
FEDERAL GRANTS NO LONGER AN OPTION
HEBRON - Under new rules adopted yesterday, Kentucky's universities would no
longer be allowed to use federal grants to get matching money from the state's
"Bucks for Brains" endowment funds.
The institutions also would be limited in the endowment money used for "mission
support" -- teaching assistants, supplies and other mundane but indispensable
items.
The rule changes adopted by the Council on Postsecondary Education were prompted
by the criticisms or recommendations of state auditors and the General Assembly's
permanent oversight committee.
Council member Ronald Greenberg of Louisville said some of the matching money
has in the past been used for ordinary operations, not for pursuing top faculty.
In speeches last night, the two candidates for governor, Democrat Ben Chandler
and Republican Ernie Fletcher, said schools should have the option of using
Bucks for Brains for building research facilities.
Earlier yesterday, the state's eight university presidents along with Thomas
Layzell, Council on Postsecondary Education president, and Michael McCall, president
of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, had a private meeting
with Chandler.
Most of the presidents had a similar meeting with Fletcher Tuesday, said Murray
State President King Alexander.
The endowment match program, which started in 1998, was conceived as a way
to pump up university research efforts. It gave the institutions a tool for
recruiting top-flight teachers and researchers through endowed chairs, professorships
and fellowships.
The legislature appropriated $120 million for endowment matches this year.
The University of Kentucky gets $66.7 million, the University of Louisville
gets $33.3 million and the six regional universities divide $20 million.
Part of the concept of Bucks for Brains was that the institutions would go
after more private money. Though that did happen, the rules also permitted them
to put up other government funds for match purposes -- using tax dollars to
get more tax dollars.
Morehead State set the precedent with a $35,000 grant from the federal Small
Business Administration. Now, working through Kentucky's congressional delegation,
Morehead is pursuing $1.5 million more for its space science center.
Morehead President Ronald Eaglin said in an interview that he would lose credibility
with the congressional delegation "if they help us get this money and I
can't match it."
To protect Morehead's request, the council is delaying the rule change until
after Oct. 1. Most gifts and pledges received through that date would qualify
for matching.
As for how endowment money is used, the council said that the research universities
-- UK and U of L -- could spend no more than 30 percent on "mission support."
The regionals could spend 50 percent. For all institutions, the rest of the
money must be directly linked to research activities of an endowed professor
or chair.
Also yesterday, the council reported that fall enrollment at all campuses,
public and private, is estimated at a record 226,910, which would be an increase
of 5,728, or 2.6 percent, over 2002. Official totals will not be known until
January. Enrollment at the state's 19 private institutions apparently dipped
by about 600 students to just under 29,300.
London Sentinel-Echo
September 15, 2003
SCC awarded $1.2 million
Somerset Community College had been awarded a five-year grant totaling $1,194,466
from the Department of Education under the Strengthening Institutions Program.
Senator Jim Bunning and Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers announced
Aug. 27, that SCC will receive $304,090 for the first year of the program beginning
on October 1.
“This is some very good news,” said Jo Marshall, president of Somerset
Community College. “This funding will allow us to establish a Student Success
Center on both our campuses and to eventually extend the services to our centers.
I want to congratulate Stewart Phillips for successfully writing this proposal.
Our Student Success Centers will serve all disciplines and all programs of our
college, and the grant will allow us to staff and equip them.”
According to the grant parameters, SCC will be able to place up to 20 percent
of the $1.2 million into an endowment account to sustain the work begun by the
grant money after the grant is ended. The only stipulation is that the college
must match the federal contribution to the endowment with matching private gifts.
"Twenty percent of $1.2 million is $238,893,” said Ann Zwick, director
of institutional advancement at SCC. “We believe that community support
will enable us to match that amount. If we are correct, then our endowment funds
will increase by nearly $500,000 and that’s very significant.”
The endowment will be used to increase the long-term capacity of our institution
to provide scholarships to students and professional development for faculty
and staff.
Title III funding will enable the college to develop a Student Success Center
where faculty leaders from throughout the college will join with staff of the
center to provide supplemental academic guidance, computer-assisted supplemental
learning and peer or professional volunteer tutoring. This new student support
system is expected to result in better learning, higher grades and improved
graduation rates.
The Success Center will include new tutorial, career counseling, advising and
student achievement procedures and activities, and will have state-of-the-art
instructional computers and computer software to provide students with access
to computer learning services. Involved faculty and staff will participate in
professional training and will make the system functional at all campus sites.
Somerset Community College, one of only 10 USDA National Centers of Excellence,
is a comprehensive two-year institution of higher education. SCC has campuses
in London and Somerset, and centers in Russell and McCreary counties. SCC currently
has a new center under construction in Clinton County.
Hazard Herald
September 17, 2003
HCTC holds inauguration of Dr. Jay K. Box
Hazard Community and Technical College will officially inaugurate its third
president on Friday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. at The Forum in the Hal Rogers Center
in Hazard. The public is invited to this historical event where Dr. Jay K. Box
has chosen the theme, "Honoring Our Past, Embracing Our Future." Special
presentations will be made, including a look at pictures from the past, including
the early days of the different college locations.
Dr. Box is being honored for his chief leadership position over a multi-campus
institution. Therefore, he will attend inauguration celebration events at each
campus with students. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, he will be at the Leslie County
Center at 9 a.m. and the Knott County Branch at 12:30 p.m.; on Wednesday, Sept.
24, Dr. Box will celebrate at the at the Technical Campus at 8:30 a.m. and the
Lees College Campus at 12:30 p.m. On Thursday, he will meet with students at
8:30 a.m. at the Hazard Campus. Also, on Friday, Sept. 26, an inaugural gala
will be held at the college's First Federal Center with a 7:30 p.m. opening
toast and then dancing with the Trendells. Tickets can be purchased at the door
at the First Federal Center.
Special guests include Dr. Michael B. McCall, president of the Kentucky Community
and Technical College System (KCTCS).
Jay Box became the president and CEO of Hazard Community & Technical College
on July 1, 2002. The college serves over 4,000 credit students each semester
and 18,000 non-credit students annually through face-to-face instruction, instructional
television, and Internet-based instruction.
Dr. Box came to Kentucky from Texas, where he most recently served in the
role as Vice President of Instruction for McLennan Community College, providing
leadership for all of the academic programs and student services and overseeing
all of the college's grant programs.
He earned his Ed. D., with an emphasis in Educational Administration, at Baylor
University and received his M. Ed. from Texas Tech University. His bachelor's
degree in Education is from Southwest Texas State University and his associate's
degree is from Howard College.
Dr. Box has served as a tennis coach, history teacher, physical education instructor,
department chair, community tennis center director, and director of Institutional
Research & Effectiveness.
While an instructor at Odessa College, he was a recipient of the NISOD Teaching
Excellence Award and was selected by the student body as a finalist for "teacher
of the year". In 1999, Dr. Box became the youngest individual ever to be
inducted into the Texas Tennis Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.
Dr. Box is active in numerous local, state, and national organizations having
most recently served as president of the National Alliance for Community and
Technical Colleges.
He and his wife Gayle, have a son, Jason - a sophomore in college.
Hazard Community and Technical College first opened its doors in 1968 and in
that time, Dr. Box makes only the third president to be hired. The inauguration
of a president is a major milestone in the history of the institution and the
public is invited to be part of this very special event.
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