Judith L. Rhoads, Ed.D. President

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1 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

2 MADISONVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE President s Newsletter In this issue: 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 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

3 3 President s Newsletter Local Benefactors Honored Pictured (l-r): Herb & Anne Pritchett, Dr. Judy & Senator Jerry Rhoads, Muhlenberg Co. Judge Executive Rick Newman 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 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 planning that will address long-term financial concerns associated with local arts 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, 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 ( ; cherry.berges@kctcs.edu) or Patricia Jewell ( , patricia.jewell@kctcs.edu). Contest information is also posted on MCC s website at Stanley E. Lewis

4 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. (silas.matchem@kctcs.edu. 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, 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

5 5 President s Newsletter 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.

6 President s Newsletter 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 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. 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. 6 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. 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 16 th. 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 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 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. 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 academic year. Muhlenberg Campus Math & Spelling Contests 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

7 7 President s Newsletter 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: 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, 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.

8 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) 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: MCC Student of the Month 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 Health Sciences Campus 750 North Laffoon Street Madisonville, KY Muhlenberg County Campus 406 West Everly Brothers Boulevard Central City, KY ACE² and Assessment Center 100 School Avenue Madisonville, KY For more information about MCC, call (270) or toll-free 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) December Holiday Break (Institutional Closure) January Upcoming Events 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 5:30 p.m.)