December 2012 - Madisonville Community College

As the Holiday Season is upon us,
we find ourselves reflecting on the past year.
The ultimate measure of our work comes
from the success of our students.
We thank you for your continued support.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a
New Year filled with Peace and Prosperity!
Judith L. Rhoads, Ed.D.
President
MADISONVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President’s
Newsletter
Vol. 15, No. 3 - November/December 2012
MCC Awarded Rural Development Grant Funds
USDA – Rural Development State Director Tom Fern was in Madisonville on October 30 to announce economic development grant
funds for MCC. The college has been awarded $49,500 to purchase mobile instructional equipment that will allow faculty members to deliver training on-site at the students’ workplace. The training will offer skills that promote entrepreneurship in a wide variety of industry sectors. The funding was made available through USDA’s Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) program. The
primary objective of the RBOG program is to promote sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs.
Grants are awarded on a competitive basis.
“This award to Madisonville Community College illustrates the important impact that economic development assistance can have on
small towns and rural communities,” Fern said. “USDA is committed
to helping small, rural businesses grow and providing the technical
support needed to create jobs.”
Pictured are (l-r): Craig Dixon, MCC Grants, Planning and Effectiveness;
Jerry Cloyd, Area Director – USDA-RD; Chet Cunningham, MCC Social Sciences Division Chair; Dr. Judith L. Rhoads, MCC President; Thomas G. Fern,
State Director – USDA-RD; Dr. Deborah Cox, MCC Chief Academic Officer;
Joe Geffert, Specialist – USDA-RD.
Todd Promotes
Innovative Thinking
Dr. Lee Trover
Todd, former University of Kentucky
President, shared
his vision of innovation and entrepreneurship
with
students at Muhlenberg County High
School and Hopkins County Central High School
during his visit on
November 5. He also had the opportunity
to meet with MCC faculty and staff to
promote the STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics) program
in hopes of filling the gaps in education
by encouraging students of all ages to
think outside the box.
In this issue:
2012 MCC Heart Walk Raises $7,500
The 4th annual MCC Heart Walk was held on November 10 on the MCC Health
Sciences Campus. Dr. Wayne Lipson, cardiothoracic surgeon with Baptist Health
Madisonville, and MCC President Dr. Judy Rhoads kicked off the event. Activities
included the 2nd annual 5k run, distribution of heart healthy information, a silent
auction, and numerous activities
for children. Thanks to the efforts
of all those who contributed to
fundraisers prior to and on the day
of the Heart Walk, the 2012 MCC
Heart Walk donation to the American Heart Association was
$7,500. Pictured are (l-r): Dennis
Hamm, AHA area representative, Ava
Cook, Brooke Edens, Kay Hawkins,
Sara Jane Jones, Ali Townsend, and
Stephanie Cotton.
MCC Receives KY CPE Grant
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) has awarded MCC $3,736
to increase persistence and graduation for “near-completers” (students who have
accumulated at least 75% of the credit hours needed for degree completion). Strategies to recover and re-enroll students who have already left college without completing a credential include utilizing a phone bank to contact “near-completers” and administering/evaluating career interest inventories so students can better align their
interests and aptitudes with the correct academic program.
Page 3: Local Benefactors Honored; Page 4: RISE - New Student Support Program; Page 5: College Holdings Reach $10.2 Million;
Page 7: Conference for Student Research; Page 8: Student of the Month & Upcoming Events
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President’s Newsletter
Local Benefactors Honored
MCC was pleased to honor the Muhlenberg County Fiscal Court and Herb and
Anne Pritchett of Madisonville/Henderson as benefactors for recognition from
the Kentucky Community & Technical College System for 2012. These special
friends joined approximately 32 other KCTCS benefactors at the annual President’s Benefactors Gala on Saturday, October 27th at the Louisville Marriott
Hotel. Over 600 individuals from across the state were in attendance. The gala
is hosted by KCTCS President Dr. Michael B. McCall and members of the
KCTCS Foundation.
In selecting both the Fiscal Court and the Pritchetts for the Benefactors Award,
Dr. Rhoads stated that “Herb and Anne have been involved with advocacy for
and support of the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts for two decades. Herb (who
is long-time owner/operator of Pritchett & Associates of Madisonville, Newburg
and Clarksville) was active even before that with the local Community Improvement Foundation. They have also been extraordinarily generous financially
through both the Center’s sponsorship program and through proactive estate
Pictured (l-r): Herb & Anne Pritchett, Dr. Judy & Senator Jerry
planning that will address long-term financial concerns associated with local arts
Rhoads, Muhlenberg Co. Judge Executive Rick Newman
programming. Likewise, the Muhlenberg County Fiscal Court has been a major
player in the 15-year development of our Muhlenberg County Campus. Today, the P.A. and Pauline Shaver Education Center serves
approximately 700 credit students each semester; our partnership with Muhlenberg County cities and on-going work with the Court
have made that Campus the success it is today. Judge Newman and individual members of the Court have also shown consistent support for our Schools Counts program in Muhlenberg County.”
Other private supporters that MCC has publically honored over the past seven years include Madisonville’s American Legion Post #6,
Chester and Jennifer Thomas of Slaughters, Farmers Bank of Marion, Autoliv North America, First Kentucky Bank of Greenville &
Central City, (the late) Mrs. Glema Mahr of Madisonville, US Bank of Madisonville, Ms. Peggy Williams of Greenville, Mrs. Betty
Trover of Madisonville, the Hopkins County Fiscal Court, the Madisonville Rotary Club, Dennis and Brenda Kirtley of Central City,
the late Dr. Bret and Carolyn Wittmer of Madisonville, and the Hopkins County Tourist and Convention Commission. In 2011, Judge
Bill and Dorothy Paxton of Central City and (the late) Jim and Bonita Hatfield of Marion were honored.
Since 1989 MCC advancement efforts have raised over $26 million for educational endeavors, and the college has an endowment and
trust base of $10 million, including $5.2 million in permanent scholarship accounts, $2 million designated for arts programming and
$1.3 million designated to program endowments that support the Muhlenberg County Campus. The Advancement Office also recently announced establishment of three endowed professorship programs that support the college’s Health Sciences Campus and employee professional development opportunities.
Stanley Lewis Cultural Diversity Writing Contest
The Stanley Lewis Cultural Diversity Writing Contest is now open for submissions from elementary, middle, and high school students in our community, MCC students, and other community
members. Entries are due by February 4, 2013. Sponsored by MCC, the Stanley Lewis Cultural
Diversity Writing Contest is an annual event to honor Mr. Lewis, MCC's first African American
faculty member. Mr. Lewis was dedicated to meeting the needs of every student and provided genuine kindness, concern, and the best possible service for over 28 years. He was an active member
and Trustee at Eastview Baptist Church in Madisonville. It is hoped that the contest will encourage
students and the community to consider multiculturalism and diversity. Contest submissions can
be poems, essays, short stories, or any combination.
Prizes are provided by Eastview Baptist Church and the F. O. & Ernestine Baker Diversity Endowment. Prizes are: 1st place - $500; 2nd place - $150; 3rd place - $50. A $50 Elementary/
Middle School Award will be given to the best submission from a public, private, or home
schooled student.
For more information, contact Cherry Berges (270.824.8677; [email protected]) or Patricia
Jewell (270.824.8676, [email protected]). Contest information is also posted on MCC’s
website at www.madisonville.kctcs.edu/News.
Stanley E. Lewis
1947 - 2001
President’s Newsletter
4
A new support program for first-time,
full-time minority students will be offered in the spring 2013 semester. The
RISE (Retain, Integrate, Support, Educate) student success program is geared
toward reassuring first-time, full-time
minority student success by helping
students through their college experiences in addition to providing additional
resources.
RISE program benefits for participants
are:
 Receive a free student mentor to
help them navigate through college.
 Develop a sense of belonging within the college.
 Increase curricular and co-curricular
collaborative interactions with other
students, faculty and staff.
 Improve knowledge and skills related to career opportunities.
 Improve critical thinking and collaborative problem solving skills.
 Experience a higher level of satisfaction with their college experience.
For additional information about the
RISE program, contact Silas Matchem,
Sr. ([email protected].
MCC is pleased to announce that our
United Way campaign goal of
$10,000 was exceeded!
Thanks to everyone’s generosity, the
final tally was $10,352.50.
International Flag Day
MCC’s International Flag Day event was held on November 14 in the Student
Center of the John H. Gray Building. MCC History Instructor, Dr. Robin West,
gave a history of the U S flag and Dr. Sara Adams, Associate Professor Music, led
everyone in the national anthem. Flags added this year were:
 South Africa donated by J’Nora Anderson
 Guatemala donated by Brooke Archila
 Papua New Guinea donated by Cherry Berges
 Samoa donated by James Bowles
 Ecuador donated by Jeremy Fothergill
 Venezuela donated by Patricia Fouse
 Afghanistan donated by Melissa Head
 Costa Rica donated by Dianne Jernigan
 Nigeria donated by Octavia Lawrence
 Romania donated by Chelsea Lussier
 Bahamas donated by Vicki Morris
 Northern Ireland donated by Brianna Pantano
 Colombia donated by Martha Phelps
 Bhutan donated by Aseem Talukdar
 Kuwait donated by Vincent Wilson
President’s Newsletter
5
College Holdings Reach $10.2 Million
By John Peters, Advancement Director
MCC is pleased to announced that endowment and trust holdings that support scholarships, arts programming, academic/curriculum
initiatives have reached $10.2 million in market value as of 10/1/12. Over the past five years, the college’s Advancement Office has
made it a “public goal” to design fund-raising efforts to obtain at least $12 million in total donations/market value increases through
December 2013; this announcement shows that goal is still within reach.
MCC President Dr. Judith Rhoads states that “our commitment to endowments has never wavered through two major gifts campaigns. In this era of tight budgets and deficits, endowment programs help an organization better define their identity and identify a
more specific mission. Endowment programs are also permanent and wonderful bragging points in educational efforts and economic
development recruitment.”
Specific endowment and trust totals for particular college areas include the following: scholarship endowments $5.1 million, arts
programming support $2.15 million, Muhlenberg Campus designations $1.25 million, academic program support/endowed professorships $1.1 million, and presidential undesignated $600,000.
John Peters, MCC Advancement Director, sees this total as reflective of the generosity shown to MCC over the past three decades as
well as a long-term commitment to the endowment “idea.” Peters says that “People from Muhlenberg, Crittenden, Webster, Hopkins, and Henderson counties, as well as west Kentucky natives who now live elsewhere, have contributed over $26 million to the
college; that type of commitment is not possible
without instructional excellence, innovative arts
programs, and college employees who work hard
on all students’ behalf -- especially in the advising and on-going counseling areas. Everyone at
the college and also those associated with the
Madisonville College Foundation are proud of
this endowment standard.”
Peters added that interest income from this total
should exceed $445,000 for the academic year,
including enough income to offer over 335 privately-funded
scholarships
and
provide
$100,000 to the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts
for annual programming. MCC hopes to continue its emphasis on endowment growth and work
with community agencies to offer a comprehensive program for the entire area.
MCC Faculty and Staff Participate in KADE Conference
By Marcella Davis, Learning Center Coordinator
MCC was well-represented at the 2012 Kentucky Association for Developmental Education (KADE) Conference at the South Campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green on November 1-2. The following full-time and part-time faculty and staff
attended: Betsy Allen, Dawn Chumley, Marcella Davis, Shari Davis, Katrina Florea, Stacie Gary, Elyssa Lear, Dr. John Lowbridge,
Tonya Phelps, Mary Poole, Jude Roy, Brandi Stout, Dr. Roger Warren, P. J. Woodside.
Dr. Sue Cain, professor at Eastern Kentucky University and current Coordinator for College Readiness and Developmental Education for the Council on Postsecondary Education, gave an update on the CPE/Developmental Education trends. Dr. Cain discussed
the top ten higher education state policy issues, gave statistics on current trends and introduced the main goals for 2014 which include accelerated learning focusing on AP credit, dual credit programs, and CLEP, secondary intervention programs, college and
career readiness advising entitled Operation Preparation, and post-secondary college persistence and graduation.
The keynote address was presented by Dr. Joe Cuseo, Professor Emeritus at Marymount College in California with a doctorate in
Educational Psychology and Assessment. For 23 years, he has directed the first year experience program required of all incoming
freshman at Marymount. He is widely considered an expert in freshman experience and retention issues. In his address, he discussed student retention, deep learning/success, at-risk definitions and addressing student needs.
Participants also attended concurrent sessions, which included topics such as technology and innovative teaching, alternate and accelerated delivery of developmental education courses, advising programs, assessment tools, and revitalizing student organizations.
Elyssa Lear and Shari Davis presented the session entitled “To Friend or Not to Friend: Facebook as an Educational Tool.”
President’s Newsletter
6
Of special note . . .
April M. Grace, Associate Professor/Interdisciplinary Early
Childhood Program Coordinator, attended the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) annual
conference in Atlanta, Georgia November 7-10. Grace reported
that she was able to attend multiple sessions on various topics
related to upcoming classes she will offer in the Spring. The
NAEYC’s conferences brought “celebrities” from the early
childhood field to the Expo and to present at interest sessions.
As chair of the Hopkins County Community Early Childhood
Council (HCCECC), she attended a Learning Station concert
(children’s songs). HCCECC has received a grant to bring The
Learning Station to Hopkins County in March 2013 for a School
Readiness Fair.
Occupational Therapy Association Fall Program Directors and
Academic Fieldwork Coordinators meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Qualls and Burton also hosted a Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association Western District meeting on October 2. Qualls is
the Western District Chair and presented on “Improving Documentation Skills.”
Ann Hofmann, Professor of Nursing, was featured in the Kentucky Cancer Program’s “Faces of Cancer” exhibit. Hofmann
shared her struggle with breast cancer during the October 22nd
reception on the Health Sciences Campus. “Faces of Cancer” is
a traveling photographic tribute to cancer survivors in the Pennyrile Area Development District.
The Physical Therapist Assistant program has received full accreditation status for 10 years and the 2012 class has a 100%
pass rate on its licensure exam.
Dr. Beth Norton, Professor of Communications, presented a
research paper entitled A Longitudinal View of the Liberal Arts
Curriculum A Decade After Merger: A Multiple Case Study of
Community Colleges in Connecticut, Kentucky, and Louisiana at
the Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 16th. The research
paper is based on her dissertation work which was a qualitative
research study to determine the state of the liberal arts courses,
especially in the English and communication disciplines, after
the merger between technical and community colleges in three
varying geographic regions.
Kim Qualls, Assistant Professor, and Misty Burton, Instructor,
in the Occupational Therapy Program attended the American
Stephanie Taylor, Associate Professor in the Physical Therapist
Assistant program, was selected for the 2013 KCTCS President’s Leadership Seminar. As a participant in this premier
KCTCS professional development program, Taylor will gain
knowledge and insight regarding leadership trends and best
practices in higher education.
Dr. Judy Rhoads, MCC President, has been
reappointed to the Kentucky Workforce Investment Board.
Elaine Terry, Professor of Nursing, and
Marsha Woodall, Associate Professor of
Nursing, presented “Utilizing Web 2.0 in
Nursing Education” at the National
STEMtech conference in Kansas City, MO.
Dr. Scott Vander Ploeg, Professor of English, presented in a
panel at the Community College Humanities Association
(CCHA) Southern Division Conference on October 19. His
presentation, “Abroad Travel, Yes,” takes the reverse perspective of the foreign travelers who come here, sharing images and
stories of Tian and Li, our Chinese visitors who were enrolled in
the 2009-2010 academic year.
Muhlenberg Campus Math & Spelling Contests
MCC’s Muhlenberg Campus hosted the
third annual 3rd Grade Math Contest, the
fourth annual 5th Grade Math and the
second annual 3rd and 5th Grade Spelling
Contests on November 16 with approximately 100 participants. In addition to
the math and spelling contests, students
were treated to a physics demonstration
by Dr. Mike Shifflett and Dr. Aseem Talukdar, a computer scavenger hunt conducted by Sonya Shockley, a Spanish
alphabet song by Dianne Jernigan, entertainment by Betsy Allen’s Intro to Lit
students, and refreshments.
Special thanks to WalMart, Subway, Uncle Lee’s, and Rural King for their donations and to all the MCC faculty, staff,
and students that helped make the event a
success!
Contest winners were:
3rd Grade Math Overall Individuals
1. Whitleee Stovall – Greenville
2. Caroline Schindler – Greenville
3. Mason Dukes – Greenville
3rd Grade Math Teams
1. Greenville Elementary
2. Longest Elementary
3. Bremen Elementary
5th Grade Math Overall Individuals
1. Grace Newman – South
2. Cole Lewis – Bremen
3. Lucas Adams – Central City
5th Grade Math Teams
1. South Elementary
2. Bremen Elementary
3. Central City Elementary
3rd Grade Spelling Overall Individuals
1. Parker Brady – Greenville
2. Austin Pendley – Bremen
3. Madison Law – Longest
5th Grade Spelling Overall Individuals
1. Lauren Ford – Longest
2. Develin Strader – Greenville
3. Alec Steele – Greenville
3rd & 5th Grade Spelling Team
1. Greenville Elementary
MCC Muhlenberg
Campus
3rd & 5th Grade
Math & Spelling
Contest
President’s Newsletter
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Kentucky Education Association – Student Program
By Lisa Lee, Associate Professor of Education
Just for Preschoolers! The Hopkins County Head Start and Hopkins County Family Resource Centers recently sponsored an event
at Parkway Plaza Mall for area preschoolers and kindergarten students. Volunteers from our local KEA-SP chapter participated in
the event by providing crafts, face painting, and other fun activities for the children. It was a great opportunity for our student members to give back to the community and collaborate with local education agencies.
Conference for Student Research
By Mary Janssen, Ph.D., Conference for Student Research, KCTCS representative, Posters-at-the Capitol Organizing Committee
The eleventh annual Conference for Student Research was held at MCC on November 2. The Conference is a forum for the presentation of students’ research projects using the scientific method. In these projects, hypotheses are formed and data are gathered to
answer questions about the natural world. Faculty mentors guide students in themes of their expertise, and help students learn scientific methods and instrumentation. Thirteen posters representing research in areas of biology and microbiology, physics, psychology,
and surveys in areas of sociology and economics were displayed during the one-day event. Student researchers presented brief explanations of the research hypotheses they investigated, and interpreted data they gathered. Poster presentations included:
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Biological research showing the activity of peroxidase enzyme is an on-going research theme for students of Dr. Felix Akojie,
from West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah. Talented high school students who attend the Commonwealth Middle College gain college credit in scientific research techniques through work with Dr. Akojie. Other research by
these high school students with Dr. Akojie evaluated glucose content of some calorie-free soft drinks using enzyme-reaction
techniques.
Biology students of MCC faculty member Pam Smith investigated food-seeking by the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny
roundworm that has been extensively studied in the areas of genetics and development.
For the first time, students of Caldwell County High School, led by teacher Kirk Greenfield and sponsored by MCC biology
faculty member Pam Smith, attended the conference. Their projects investigating various aspects of the biological world ranged
from describing scale coloration of largemouth bass caught in varying water depths and temperatures, to an experimental assessment of hatching potential of brine shrimp eggs in water of high or low saline.
In other microbiological research, Norman Strobel from Bluegrass guided his student in the assessment of UV-resistance in several bacteria and yeast-type organisms, research which may lead to further investigation of how model organisms protect themselves from harmful radiation at the molecular level.
Owensboro Community and Technical College students with faculty mentors Kathy Hoffman and Dr. Timothy Dick, presented
research evaluating the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus microbes on surfaces in public spaces at a community college, before and after a comprehensive cleaning program.
A student of MCC physics faculty mentors Dr. Aseem Talukdar and Dr. Mike Shifflett presented research showing how standing waves at various frequencies produce resonance and therefore determine the speed of sound, and room temperature as a
function of the speed of sound.
Psychology students of Dr. Mary Janssen at MCC investigated the special meaning of “preference” in the sensitivity of mealworms to varied wavelengths of visible light, since these animals show escape behavior to white light.
Students of mathematics faculty mentor John Ward from Jefferson CTC presented projects showing the results of surveys in
which community college students answered questions about their choice of a smart phone, their use of Facebook and other social networking sites during classes, or in another project described their use of computer mathematics lab services.
Several research projects will be presented at Posters-at-the-Capitol in Frankfort on February 21, 2013. Posters-at-the-Capitol is the
annual exhibition of undergraduate research from all Kentucky state-supported four-year colleges and universities, and KCTCS. Students from each of the colleges represented at the Conference for Student Research will accompany their posters to the state capitol
on that day.
The research experience of carrying out a project is the most important value of the conference. We hope participation by students
might invite further work in fields of science, math, and engineering technology.
MCC Student of the Month
The President’s Newsletter is an official
publication of Madisonville Community
College published 8-10 times annually.
Questions about the President’s Newsletter
should be directed to Joyce Riggs, Director
of Public Relations, at (270) 824-8581.
MCC is one of 16 colleges in the Kentucky
Community and Technical College System. MCC is a comprehensive two-year
college that prepares students for careers,
offering more than 167 associate’s degree,
diploma, and certificate options in over 20
academic and technical programs.
MCC has four campus sites:
Ashlee Elder, of Providence, Kentucky, was selected as MCC’s “Student of the
Month” for October. Brooke Bailey Archila, English Instructor, nominated Elder and
commented, “Ashlee is persistent in making sure she does her best at anything she
does. In English 101, Ashlee pushes herself to not only understand and complete the
assignment but to excel and exceed expectations on every assignment. She is always
attentive and prepared for class. Ashlee has been a volunteer in the community, especially in the public school systems, for several years. She works hard and will be very
successful in achieving all the goals she has set for herself.” Elder is pursuing a degree in nursing.
The “Student of the Month” award for October was presented to Elder on November
13. She also received a Barnes & Noble gift card.
Pictured are (l-r): Jay Parrent,
Dean of Student Affairs; Brooke
Bailey Archila, English Instructor; Ashlee Elder; and Dr. Deborah Cox, Chief Academic Officer.
North Campus
2000 College Drive
Madisonville, KY 42431
Health Sciences Campus
750 North Laffoon Street
Madisonville, KY 42431
Muhlenberg County Campus
406 West Everly Brothers Boulevard
Central City, KY 42330
Upcoming Events
ACE² and Assessment Center
100 School Avenue
Madisonville, KY 42431
For more information about MCC, call
(270) 821-2250 or toll-free 866-227-4812.
Visit us online: madisonville.kctcs.edu.
KCTCS 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 nondiscrimination policies: Director of Employment, Affirmative Action and Equal
Opportunity, KCTCS, 300 North Main
Street, Versailles, KY 40383, (859) 2563264.
December
24-31 Holiday Break (Institutional Closure)
January
1-6
Holiday Break (Institutional Closure); college reopens on January 7
9
New Employee Orientation (12N - 3:45 pm, 305/JHG)
14
Spring Semester Classes Begin
21
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - KCTCS Holiday (College Closed)
23
KCTCS President’s “Listening Tour” Visit
Glema Mahr Center for the Arts
December 15 - A Community Christmas (7 p.m.)
January 17 - Glema Center Advisory Committee Meeting (12N)
Anne P. Baker Gallery
Current until December 15: The Makings of a Master - A Kentucky Folklife Exhibit
January 8-25: K-12 Student Art Exhibit (Reception & Awards - January 8 @ 5:30 p.m.)