This report describes the state of Kentucky's postsecondary education degree and credential attainment between Academic Years (AY) 2013-14 and 2017-18. Using data from the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Data System (KPEDS), the report details the number and types of credentials earned at Kentucky's public universities, the campuses of the…

Community colleges are challenged to find their next set of leaders who can respond to the diverse challenges of leading the institution. This study examined the impact of institutional and personal factors on faculty aspirations to leadership roles within the community college through the utilization of the Social Cognitive Career Theory…

Community colleges constitute a special type of higher education organization: their complex mission, dynamics, personnel structures, and values require a distinct set of understandings and skills to lead and manage them well. Most of the research on leadership in community colleges focuses on leaders in positions of power (presidents, provosts,…

This study examined the impact first-year experience courses have on first-year student performance when enrolled in these courses at public community and technical colleges in Kentucky. The target population for this research study was composed of freshman students participating in the course compared to students not participating in the same…

Since the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) launched the Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA) in 2011, accountability measures have sprung up in just about every corner of higher education. There is the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the National Governors Association's Complete to Compete program,…

This study was designed to explore faculty perceptions about institutional and instructional efforts to achieve equitable learning outcomes among low-income students in rural community colleges. A review of the literature suggests that efforts to achieve equitable learning outcomes have primarily focused on urban institutions and have been viewed…

Objective: Traditional-age students attending a rural community college in Kentucky's Appalachian region were interviewed, along with faculty members and administrators, to identify phenomena serving as sources of encouragement or as barriers to retention from the point of entry to the point of transfer. Method: Students' perspectives were…

For nearly as long as students, teachers, and community members have been adopting social media--more than a decade--community college leaders have sought ways to harness the power of online applications to improve fundraising and advocacy efforts. Dedicated Facebook pages and Twitter feeds were among the most logical starting points--if a college…

Community colleges are using grants and workforce partnerships to train a new generation of technology workers. In September, the Obama administration awarded $450 million in grants to nearly 270 community colleges that have partnered with more than 400 employers nationally. It was the final installment of a four-year, $2 billion competitive grant…

This article describes how out-of-work miners are engaged in the Empowering Education Initiative, a unique alliance between Country Music Television (CMT) and community colleges in Appalachia. The initiative, which includes a website and a series of country music concerts, is changing the conversation in the Appalachian region, giving hope to…

Soon after his election in 1995, Kentucky governor Paul E. Patton instituted a plan to restructure the commonwealth's system of postsecondary education to create a more efficient system designed to prepare Kentuckians for jobs in the new era. While Patton looked at all of postsecondary education, he focused on the 29 community and technical…

Increasingly at West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC), English 101, English 102, and Enrichment 091 are taught online, allowing students more work availability and time with family, while decreasing commute time and expense. In order to meet the library orientation needs of these online students and provide other options for…

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DEVELOP A SET OF DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS AND CRITERIA TO BE USED AS GUIDELINES FOR THE INITIATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES. INFORMATION IS BASED ON AN EXAMINATION OF STUDIES IN OTHER STATES, RELATED LITERATURE, OPINIONS OF THE HEADS OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN KENTUCKY, PRESENT…

This dissertation is a study of factors that contribute to dropout from distance learning classes in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). It is divided into five chapters. Chapter One gives a history of distance learning through in KCTCS. It includes the background of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the…

The Commission to Study the Future of Community Colleges in Kentucky was established in 1988 to review the accomplishments of the Kentucky Community College System (KCCS), to assess its current status, and to provide direction for the KCCS towards the year 2000. Developed as part of a collection of articles and reports on the KCCS for use by the…