New Undergraduate Certificate Programs Approved this Spring

At the May 7, 2018, University Senate meeting, the Faculty approved three new undergraduate certificate programs. Undergraduate certificate programs offer our students a convenient and flexible way to earn credentials for career advancement. All are cross-disciplinary clusters of courses integrated in a way that identifies a set of skills or knowledge that carry college credit and is applied to a student’s undergraduate degree program.

• Food Systems and Hunger Studies, CAFE
  This 12 credit hour Certificate in Food Systems and Hunger Studies provides students with a cross-disciplinary approach to understanding the impact of food systems on food security, hunger, and the overall health and wellness of a community. Through structured experiential learning opportunities, students will apply knowledge of food systems and the environment to develop and implement evidence-based strategies to end hunger in both the United States and globally. The Certificate in Food Systems and Hunger Studies will complement numerous majors and minors offered on campus, but through a multidisciplinary approach and structured experiential learning opportunities tailored towards the interests and professional goals of the student. Students completing the certificate will have the basic knowledge and skills to provide thoughtful and impactful strategies to promote a sustainable food system and fight hunger and related issues.
  Faculty director: Dr. Tammy J. Stephenson, Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, CAFE (tammy.stephenson@uky.edu)
• Medical Behavioral Science, College of Medicine
  This certificate is designed to provide students with an in‐depth study of Medical Behavioral Science concepts; offer experiential learning activities such as conducting health needs assessments and taking part in supervised shadowing placements; and prepare students for successfully managing the both the intellectual and interpersonal demands of medical training. The program’s course objectives are aligned with the new Behavioral Science section of the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and with Introduction to Clinical Medicine, the University of Kentucky’s mandatory Behavioral Science course for first‐year medical students. Certificate students will receive tailored, supplementary advising about how to use certificate program experiences to enhance their medical school applications from the certificate program director.
  Faculty Director: Dr. Claire D. Clark, Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine (claire.clark@uky.edu)
• Production Engineering, College of Engineering
  The Production Engineering Certificate (PEC) encompasses development of students’ experiences and knowledge, and the application of engineering and scientific principles, in automotive manufacturing. It enhances capstone senior design projects, promotes student understanding of key automotive production processes, and involves students in capstone projects that develop knowledge of problems in and potential solutions for automotive production process design. Design projects within the Core Courses are developed through proposals from industry or an engineering organization. The Core Courses also include a Lean Operations Management requirement in which the students will learn and experience the principles within effective and efficient planning and implementation for industrial production. The Elective Courses include three operation-based aspects vitally important in automotive manufacturing, including automotive painting, body welding and automotive powertrain. The PEC certificate will be affiliated with the undergraduate degree programs in the Departments of Chemical & Materials Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
  Faculty Director: Dr. Nelson Akafuah, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering (nelson.akafuah@uky.edu)

Currently enrolled students may declare their intent to complete a certificate program at any time. To do so, they should contact the Student Services or Advising Office where their primary major is housed, but they are not required to see an advisor in their college before adding the certificate. This is the same process a student would follow to add a second program of study to their record. Please encourage students to contact the Certificate Faculty Director as soon as possible to assure their success in the program.

A brand-new undergraduate degree rolling out this fall

During the most recent meeting of the UK Board of Trustees, a new undergraduate degree has been approved. The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in United States Culture and Business Practices  will be offered within the College of Arts & Sciences, beginning in the Fall 2018 Semester.

According to the proposal that went before the Board,

this program will allow students to complete an interdisciplinary degree that draws together significant training in business with a rich background in the history, politics, arts, and culture of the United States. The proposed coursework will be split between classes in the College of Arts and Sciences Humanities and Social Science departments and classes in the Gatton College of Business and Economics. Through program coursework, students will enhance critical thinking and writing skills; develop communication and other “soft skills;” and hone problem‐solving strategies while integrating key aspects of a business degree, including management, marketing, finance, and economics. This is an innovative and collaborative cross‐disciplinary Program that is not available at UK benchmark institutions, but is rising in popularity across the United States.

The degree requires a capstone writing portfolio project and requires 18 credits in the Gatton College along with 24 credits chosen from a range of departments in A&S. Combining business with the liberal arts in this way is similar to what is offered at New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business and at St. Lawrence University’s Business in the Liberal Arts degree.

According to the proposal submitted by the two colleges’ faculty leadership to Senate, this new major is an innovative way to approach a growing need in today’s global economy and a more entrepreurial-oriented career trajectory for our students. The major emphasizes the liberal arts skills of inference, communication and research – skills which potential employers seek in new employees. And, it provides students with the more specialized knowledge of business practices. As is stated in the proposal justification to the Senate: “Its objective is to equip students with the knowledge and skills that employers value, that is, to prepare students for immediate job entry while also instilling in them flexible thinking, adaptability, and entrepreneurialism.” This program will be popular for existing students but it could also be attractive for international students seeking an undergraduate degree at UK.

Central Kentucky Summer Job Club Schedule

This just in from the UK Office of Philanthropy:

The University of Kentucky (UK) Alumni Association, Fayette County Cooperative Extension Services, and UK Human Resources Staff Career Development are pleased to announce the Summer 2018 Central Kentucky Job Club schedule.

The purpose of the Job Club is to provide a positive environment for motivated job seekers to meet, connect, share and learn. The free group is open to the public and meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, from 9:00–10:15 a.m. at the Fayette County Cooperative Extension office, 1140 Harry Sykes Way (formerly Red Mile Place), Lexington, KY. Business attire is encouraged. Convenient, free parking is available.

Job Club Meeting Schedule:

• June 12: Resumes – The Essential Career Document – Presented by Ray Clere, Director, UK Stuckert Career Center
  Even though the 21st century job market is full of new rules and challenges, a high-quality résumé remains an essential marketing and networking tool for job seekers. This session will provide topical information about formatting, content, presentation and general “rules of the road” for developing a résumé that will have impact and advance your career goals.
• June 26: Build Your Brand and Set Yourself Up for Success with LinkedIn – Presented by Ashley Gei and Mark Williams, Career Advisors, UK Stuckert Career Center
  Whether you are just starting out, or well on your way, your professional brand is the key to all new opportunities. LinkedIn is a great professional resource to self-market to employers. Attend and learn 5 LinkedIn steps that will connect you to multiple opportunities in the world of work.
• July 10: Interview Strategies from the Other Side of the Table – Presented by Frank Patton, Vice President, Foresters Financial Services
  Have you ever wondered what goes into the hiring process, or what you can do to make a good impression in a job interview? Frank Patton has extensive professional interviewing experience. He will share strategies to help put your best foot forward in your next interview.
• July 24: Motivated Skills Card Sort – Presented by Caroline Francis, UK Alumni Career Services & Diane Kohler, UK HR Staff Career Development
  This fun and interactive tool is a quick way to identify skills that are central to personal and career satisfaction and success. Use the outcome to recognize transferable skills and to help focus your resume and job search efforts.
• August 14: Job Searching over 50: Challenges and Strategies – Presented by Diane Kohler, UK HR Staff Career Development
  This session will look at both real and perceived challenges faced by job seekers over 50. Drawing from labor market data, human resources trends, recruiters’ perspectives and the speaker’s professional and personal experiences, participants will identify and discuss their concerns about age as it relates to finding new employment and learn about useful resources to help overcome challenges.
• August 28: Job Search Tips from a Panel of HR Professionals and Recruiters
  This week’s Job Club meeting will feature a panel of local HR professionals and Recruiters. You will learn job search tips and strategies directly from those involved in the recruiting and hiring process. This is an opportunity to get your job search, application, and hiring questions answered, so come prepared with questions for the panel.

For more information, call the UK Alumni Association at 859-257-8905, the Fayette Cooperative Extension office at 859-257-5582, or the UK Staff Career Development Office at 859-257-9416. Additional information including testimonials from former Job Club participants can be viewed at: www.ukalumni.net/jobclub.

 

KHEAA Seeks Central KY Outreach Counselor

The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) and the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation (KHESLC) have an immediate opening for an Outreach Counselor position in the Central Kentucky region. This position will serve 7 counties in Central Kentucky including: Bourbon, Fayette, Franklin, Harrison, Jessamine, Scott and Woodford Counties.

The position represents KHEAA and KHESLC through outreach contacts to increase awareness about financial aid programs, resources, publications and services. The counselor will represent KHEAA and KHESLC at college nights, career fairs, workshops, professional student financial aid meetings and training sessions, providing free information about career choices, postsecondary options and financial aid opportunities to students and families.

The counselor will help administer Kentucky College Application Campaign, Close the Deal and College Decision Day in their region and serve as agency liaison with KY College Coaches Program representatives, as applicable. They will promote kheaa.com and KHEAA’s Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and Getting the Facts tools. In addition to explaining how, when and where to apply for student financial aid, the counselor will assist students and families with the financial aid application and admissions processes and promote a variety of agency tools and resources.

Candidates must be a graduate of a college or university with a bachelor’s degree and must have three years’ experience in student financial aid, the student loan industry, client relations, marketing, educational administration, public administration, college and career counseling, college admissions or financial administration. Excellent public speaking, diplomacy, interpersonal and time management/scheduling skills are required, along with the ability and willingness to travel frequently.

Minimum starting salary is $35,823, plus health insurance, retirement and other benefits. Related prior work experience will be evaluated to determine the final salary amount offered to the successful candidate. For more details, download the .pdf file here.

Resumes should be submitted by close of business Friday, June 1, 2018 to hr@kheslc.com.

 

Cat Chat email newsletter

This just in from UK Parent & Family Association in SAL’s Student Services Center:

Hello campus partners!

Would your department or program like an easy way to communicate with parents and families of undergraduate students? Consider submitting information to the Parent and Family Association’s Cat Chat email newsletter.

Cat Chat is sent 2 – 3 times a month during the school year, typically at the end of the second and fourth weeks of the month, to all our UK Parent and Family Association members (13,000+), and provides campus updates and announcements, important reminders, and opportunities for students and families to be involved on campus. Even if your event or program is only for students, experience has shown that information communicated with families via Cat Chat filters down to students regularly.

If you are a faculty or staff member who would like to include information about your event, program, initiative, office, etc. in Cat Chat or on our social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), please complete this online Cat Chat email marketing request form.

The Parent and Family Association cannot guarantee that all submitted content will make it into Cat Chat and maintains the right to edit all content.

Questions? Contact Nicki Jenkins or Nancy Stephens at parents@lsv.uky.edu, 859-257-2752.

Together Lexington and the African-American Heritage Trail

Together Lexington, a group of 17 business and community leaders, has been sponsoring a project that will result in a series of downtown Lexington interpretive signs. The signage project offers a new narrative – a way of understanding and representing African-American history in downtown Lexington. The twelve signs, with narrative and images, will be part of a walkable tour of about an hour. More detailed information will be offered via the web on the Together Lexington website: togetherlexington.com.

The project grew out of a series of “courageous conversations” last year. Members of the planning committee include local community members and activists, a member of Bluegrass Trust leadership as well as a LFUCG councilmember. University of Kentucky members on the committee were Drs. Terry Birdwhistle, Randolph Hollingsworth and Gerald Smith.

The trail will celebrate African-American heritage and allow for locals and visitors alike to discover those people and places in downtown Lexington that changed history in advancing equality. The planning group developed three main themes and eras that help define the content of the signs:

1. Frontier/Settlement Period (1782-1865)
2. Post Slavery and Jim Crow Era (1865-1950s)
3. Black Freedom Struggles (1950s-present)

Some of the signs contain information pertinant to all three eras. All the signs give some biographical information and refer to an historically significant place in downtown Lexington. The twelve signs are currently being designed and they will be displayed at the Roots & Heritage Festival this fall. The signs feature the following people and topics:

• Churches – throughout all three eras – starting with Peter “Old Captain” Durrett who moved to Lexington with his wife and began holding services in his cabin at Maxwell Spring in 1790. This became the First African Baptist Church, the first black congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains and the third oldest black congregation in the U.S.
• Free Black Entrepreneurs (Frontier/Settlement and pre-Civil War), the South Hill neighborhood included free African-Americans who were successful business people – such as Samuel and Daphney Oldham, Michael and Hannah Clark, Rev. James Turner, Billy and Hannah Tucker, and Rolley Blue.
• Slavery and Slave Trade in Lexington, focusing on the role Lexington played in the international business of the slave trade and the many jails in the downtown area.
• Charlotte Dupuy (c.1787—c.1866), wife of Aaron Dupuy who was enslaved on the Henry Clay estate, sued Clay for her freedom. She lost the case, but finally he freed her and her children in the 1840s. Her husband did not gain his freedom until Clay’s death.
• Alfred Russell (1817-1884), enslaved from birth he and his mother were educated then freed and sent to Liberia in the 1830s to serve as teachers and missionaries. He grew up there to be an important planter, minister and politician. He was elected vice-president of Liberia in 1881 and then served as president from 1883-84.
• Empowerment through Learning (all three eras), highlighting the fact that many schools were established in Lexington for blacks. After 1865, four free schools were established and by the 1950s high schools were integrated – but many lower schools remained effectively segregated until a 1971 lawsuit forced the city to plan better for full integration of all public schools.
• Mary Ellen Britton – civil rights pioneer (1855-1925). Born a free person of color, she was an educator, orator and leader of many social reforms, including enfranchisement of women. She went back to school to be trained as a doctor and became the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Lexington.
• The Jacksons, Community Leaders: Jordan C. Jackson Jr. (1848-1918) and wife E. Belle Mitchell Jackson (1848-1942), focusing on their community activism and business success despite segregation and daily threats of violence.
• Robert Charles O’Hara Benjamin (1855-1900), a journalist and lawyer who was murdered for his role in championing equality at the voting booth during voter registrations in October 1900.
• Lunch counter sit-ins (1950s-60s), large marches and peaceful sit-ins in downtown Lexington stores such as S.S. Kresge’s or Woolworth’s led to integration of most lunch counters by August of 1960.
• Women of the Movement (Voices in the Black Freedom Struggle), focusing on the collaborative work by black clubwomen including CORE President Julia Etta Lewis and NAACP President Louise Grevious.

Watch for more information coming as Together Lexington rolls out this exciting initiative. You can tour the downtown with an out-of-town colleague next fall – or include the Lexington African-American Heritage Trail in your syllabus as an extra-credit opportunity for your students to learn more about the town in which they live.

Undergraduate Certificate Programs at UK

The University of Kentucky’s undergraduate certificate programs offer our students a convenient and flexible way to earn credentials for career advancement. All are cross-disciplinary clusters of courses integrated in a way that identifies a set of skills or knowledge that carry college credit and is applied to a student’s undergraduate degree program. See the complete list of all of the University’s undergraduate certificate programs here.

Currently enrolled students may declare their intent to complete a certificate program at any time. To do so they should contact the Student Services or Advising Office where their primary major is housed, but they are not required to see an advisor before adding the certificate. This is the same process a student would follow to add a second program of study to their record. Students who have previously earned an undergraduate degree may append a UK undergraduate certificate to that degree once the University of Kentucky has formally accepted that degree (i.e., accepts that student to UK in a post-baccalaureate status). Using the degree audit component of myUK GPS will help determine progress to certificate completion.

Faculty directors of the certificate program send notifications of completers (name/UKID) to Sean Cooper (sean.cooper@uky.edu) within a month after the student has earned the bachelors degree. See the more detailed information in this .pdf file.

The undergraduate certificate program completion will show up on students’ official college transcripts. However, if students would like a signed paper certificate as well, the college can create one for them.

Encourage your academic advising peers across campus and students to use the MyUK GPS for showing students the requirements completed in a Undergraduate Certificate program. If you have any problems, contact your college’s member of the UK Degree Audit team.

Eventually, the degree audit component of myUK GPS will serve as the official certification for earning an undergraduate certificate. (See updates about MyUK GPS in a previous Advising Network announcement here: https://www.uky.edu/advisors/node/2253).

College advising staff can also help faculty directors with getting reports from HANA Tableau that can aid in getting regular communications out to students who have declared they are pursuing a certificate program.

Employment of Minors at UK – Policy Reminder

An update from Marty Jacks, University of Kentucky Human Resources Manager:

The safety and wellbeing of our campus community is and always will be top priority. This includes younger workers employed during the summer months and throughout the year. As a reminder, University policy permits hiring only persons who are 18 years of age and older in regular full-time staff positions. However there may be times when persons between the ages of 14 and 17 may be hired for temporary jobs.

Below, I have included a number of guidelines and resources of which UK hiring managers should be aware. [Note: Any department hiring minors independently of HR STEPS Temporary Employment is solely responsible for the recordkeeping of requirements highlighted in #5 below.]

University and Regulatory Guidelines Related to Employment of Minors

1. Please read Human Resources Policy and Procedure Number 16.0: Employment of Minors to ensure compliance within your area of responsibility.
2. University policy does not allow anyone under the age of 14 to be hired.
3. State and federal law mandates that persons ages 14-15 and ages 16-17 have distinct limitations on types of jobs and on the number of hours and times during the day when they may work. You may review Kentucky guidelines, including limitations for minors under age 17, by clicking here https://labor.ky.gov/Documents/KY%20Child%20Labor%20Poster%20English.pdf
4. Please ensure anyone in your area who might supervise persons ages 14-17 reviews this information. You may also visit the U.S. Department of Labor web site http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/index.htm for federal guidelines related to employment of minors.
5. Generally, UK departments will hire employees age 14-17 through the HR STEPS Temporary Employment office. STEPS employees between ages 14-17 are given a copy of the guidelines mentioned above. For employees under age 18 hired through STEPS, our Temporary Employment Staff will address state requirements related to child labor, including:
   • Compiling a register of all employed minors’ names, ages, and addresses, along with schedules each minor is supposed to work each week.
   • Maintaining a detailed record of actual hours worked by employees each day, including beginning and ending of shift, as well as time taken for meals. This information is captured on timesheets centrally maintained by STEPS.
   • Posting the Kentucky child labor laws (KRS 339.210-339.450) and a list of duties minors are prohibited from performing.
   • Providing these records for inspection at all times by school directors, probation officers and representatives of the Kentucky Labor cabinet (KRS 339.400).
6. Any violation of these guidelines is a serious offense. We appreciate the assistance of hiring departments in ensuring compliance.
7. For minors working in Research Laboratories and Animal Facilities, Environmental Health and Safety has developed policies and procedures to minimize the risk to minors working in these areas.  You may review the OHS information here, http://ehs.uky.edu/ohs/minors_0001.php.

Questions about the employment of persons ages 14 to 17 should be directed to: Marty Jacks, HR Manager / STEPS Temporary Employment, at (859) 257-9561 or marty.jacks@uky.edu.

Thanks,
Marty

Kentucky showing increase in number of undergraduate credentials, degrees

This just in from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education:

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State on track to reach goal of 60% of working-age adults with a postsecondary credential by 2030

CPE report shows 7.4 percent increase in undergraduate credentials, degrees

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) — Kentucky’s colleges and universities are on track to increase the educational attainment of the state’s working-age population from 45 percent of the population with a postsecondary credential to 60 percent by the year 2030.

The Council approved an annual progress report that shows undergraduate degrees and credentials at Kentucky’s public and independent colleges and universities totaled 59,009 in 2016-17, an increase of 7.4 percent over the prior year.

Combined with graduate degrees, total degree and credential growth climbed 6.6 percent overall.

The highest growth came from short-term certificates awarded by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, increasing 16 percent to 22,759 awards for the year. Increases in high-demand workforce certificates were reported, including computer information sciences, 60 percent; electrician, 33 percent; industrial mechanics and maintenance technology, 54 percent; welding, 30 percent; and diesel mechanics, 28 percent.

Other increases include:

• Associate degrees at KCTCS increased 3 percent to 9,950.
• Bachelor’s degrees were up 2 percent to 23,189.
• Minority bachelor’s degrees increased 8 percent to 2,920.
• STEM+H (science, technology, engineering, math and health) bachelor’s degrees increased 5 percent to 7,459.
• Master’s, professional and doctoral degrees climbed 3 percent to 10,639.
• High school equivalency diplomas (GEDs) increased 7 percentage points to 3,299.

“I have been encouraging our campuses to get ‘better, faster.’ The data we unveiled show that in nearly every metric our campuses are doing exactly that,” said Council President Bob King.

“Credit goes to all–from our presidents, provosts, faculty and staff for getting more of our students across the finish line, to our students for achieving their educational goal,” King said.

The Council set the attainment goal of 60 percent of Kentucky’s working-age population with a credential or degree by 2030 with the 2016 adoption of the new strategic agenda, “Stronger by Degrees: A Plan to Create a More Educated and Prosperous Kentucky.” The agenda includes a set of key performance metrics with 2020-21 targets for the state and institutions.

Moving closer to the national average in educational attainment will make Kentucky more competitive in an economy where the vast majority of newly created jobs since the recession are going to people with a postsecondary credential.

Other key findings in the report include:

• Graduation and retention rates continue to improve.
• Kentucky public institutions remain competitive with SREB states on average net price (out-of-pocket costs). Average net price at Kentucky comprehensive universities has remained essentially unchanged since 2012-13.
• State funding per full-time student fell to $5,848 in 2016-17 and has declined 35 percent since 2007-08, the start of the recession.
• Currently, about 1.2 million working-age Kentuckians do not have a college degree. Enrolling more of these students will be challenging, as the percentage of adult students without a prior associate degree or higher has fallen from 4 percent in fall 2013 to 3 percent in fall 2016.

The progress report offers a detailed look at statewide and institutional performance on these metrics since their adoption. The report includes baseline year data for most of the metrics, and at least two years of trend data. It also includes 2016-17 data for all but a few metrics, which is the most recent year available.

Subsets of the progress report include metrics for the new diversity, equity and inclusion policy and the new performance-funding model.

• 2018 CPE Progress Report
• 2018 CPE Progress Report Highlights
• CPE Strategic Agenda for Postsecondary and Adult Education
• CPE Data Portal

Media Contact: Sue Patrick
Phone: 502-892-3051
Sue.Patrick@ky.gov

SALutations! Happy spring

I’m happy to be on the spring side of my first Kentucky winter. I’ve been told by many that this winter was atypical – I’m going to hold them to that next winter!

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Higher Education Funding

As a newcomer, it was interesting to witness Kentucky’s 2018 biennial legislative session. The state budget process, in particular, was incredibly challenging for higher education as a whole, and I was impressed by the manner in which UK’s leadership team navigated through the myriad difficulties it posed.

An email from President Capilouto summarizes the overall impact of the final state budget on UK, and mentions that the president was set to talk with the University Senate on April 23 and the Board of Trustees on May 1 to provide more detail on UK’s budget for 2018-19 and beyond.

A report recently released by the State Higher Education Officer’s Association (SHEEO) puts our state’s financing of higher education in context. First, consider the following figure, taken from the report, that details state appropriations nationwide over the past 25 years. The amounts shown in this figure are adjusted for inflation to the value of the dollar in 2017.

Notice that the overall cost of higher education, when adjusted for inflation, has not changed much over the past 25 years, increasing by only about $3,000. What has changed is who is paying. This figure shows that in 1992, state education appropriations covered 71 percent of the cost of a student’s education, but in 2017, state appropriations only accounted for 54 percent of the total cost. The 17 percent difference has been covered by tuition increases. The red line in the figure shows that enrollment growth peaked in 2011, and has been trending down since, a challenge our enrollment management team is confronting.

Finally, the report notes a turning point: for the first time in 2017, more than half of the states in this country covered less than half the cost of their students’ education.

Service Learning and Civic Engagement

An important objective in UK’s Strategic Plan involves outreach and community engagement. The university’s aim is to leverage leading-edge technology, scholarship, and research in innovative ways to advance the public good and to foster the development of citizen-scholars. UK has a long history in this area and our work was recognized in 2015 when we became one of 361 classified Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s community engagement institutions.

One initiative that increased UK’s community outreach and impact was the creation of the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center. The positioning of this center within both student and academic affairs (i.e., SAL) reflects the dual nature of the field, and therefore, includes learning that occurs both within the classroom and through activities that take students into the local community.

As you plan your courses for the upcoming academic year, I encourage you to consider the ways in which service learning and civic engagement might be integrated into your pedagogy. To learn more, please reach out to Katherine McCormick, the James W. & Diane V. Stuckert Endowed Professor in Service-Learning, or Todd Stoltzfus, Program Director for Civic Engagement.

Student Center

Frank X Walker, poet

I had the opportunity to tour our new Student Center last week as we prepare for its grand opening. Impressive and amazing are words that don’t quite do justice to the space that will soon be available to our students. A few weeks ago, a plaque containing the poem “Seedtime in the Commonwealth” was installed near the gateway entrance. You can read this poem by Frank X Walker and learn more about the poem’s background in the UKnow article published here.

First-Year Experience

Work on the self-study portion of the Wildcat Foundations effort will be wrapping up shortly. The committees formed around the nine foundational dimensions associated with improving the first year at UK are providing their reports, and these will be integrated into a final self-study that will be shared with the UK community. This self-study will form the basis for an action plan that we will implement beginning with the incoming class next year.

Happy Spring!
Feel free to send your comments to apsal@uky.edu.

Greg Heileman
Associate Provost for Student & Academic Life

View SALutations! Archived Newsletters here. 

I welcome any feedback you’d like to provide. Once again, my hope is that every complaint is accompanied by proposed solutions, and that we always remember to celebrate our successes. Please feel free to send your comments to apsal@uky.edu.