Western's Ransdell Welcomes KERA Review

This from KSBA:

Governor Steve Beshear has

suggested it “is time for a thorough review of the Kentucky Education Reform Act,” and said that next week he will launch a task force on early childhood services to better coordinate and have more consistent services.

“It’s critical that our children enter the K-12 system with minds prepared to work,” Beshear said.

He also wants more dialog between education, business and legislative leaders.

Western Kentucky University President Gary Ransdell was pleased to hear of the interest in reviewing KERA and seeing where improvements can be made.

“We (at universities) are spending a lot of money on developmental education for underprepared students,” Ransdell said. “I just don’t know how much longer we can do that. Our primary focus has to be on capable, prepared students if we are to drive Kentucky’s economy.

“I agree wholeheartedly that public education has to prepare students,” he said. “A university has to focus on ‘higher’ education, and not offering a repetition of what a student should already have when they get to us. And if that is to be done, then we need to partner with community and technical colleges to do most of that remediation.”

Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Bowling Green, said he was both surprised and pleased with the governor’s line that it was time for a review of KERA.

“Hopefully, we will be able to get something done with changes in the (Kentucky Accountability Testing System) and portfolios, like I have been working on all along,” DeCesare said.

...Rep. Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, said he’s not sure if the governor plans to form a task force to study KERA or whether he expects changes to be made through legislation already proposed during this session.

“The House will certainly look at those changes,” Richards said. “The main thing is the testing, which is so influenced by whether or not (the federal) No Child Left Behind will be retained. To me, that is a big culprit. (NCLB) doesn’t help the Kentucky educational process – and it really harms it – because it’s another layer of assessment on what we already had.

“There may be a chance that Congress will repeal that, and it would be the best thing that could happen to us.” ...

University presidents say cuts will harm economy

FRANKFORT -- Six state university presidents told a friendly panel of legislators Thursday that Kentucky must avoid big budget cuts for postsecondary education if the state expects to achieve economic progress.

"We can't cut our way to economic prosperity," said Morehead State University President Wayne Andrews. "We've got to figure out ways to increase revenue for the commonwealth." ...

...Gary Ransdell, president of Western Kentucky University, called the proposed cuts "severe and devastating" and said it would take a 20 percent tuition increase to make up for the lost money.

However, Ransdell said, "Kentucky families cannot bear that kind of burden" given recent high tuition increases.

"The burden of the state budget's woes should not be placed on our universities," he said.
Eastern Kentucky University President Doug Whitlock said he is "guardedly optimistic" that the universities will not suffer the full 12 percent of Beshear's proposed cut.

This from PolWatchers.

WKU names first chief diversity officer

Ensuring that Western Kentucky University values diversity, Richard Miller has been appointed to a new position, according to WKU President Gary Ransdell.

Ransdell appointed Miller, associate vice president of Academic Affairs-Faculty Personnel and Academic Policy, to Chief Diversity Officer - a new position for the university.

“I am combining the two committees that have existed up until now into one Diversity Enhancement Committee, which Miller will chair,” Ransdell said.

Ransdell said Miller's position as CDO is permanent. Miller will report directly to Ransdell in matters relating to diversity, while still reporting to Provost Barbara Burch about matters relating to the faculty in general.

Miller will also begin serving on the administrative council on July 1, Ransdell said.

This from the Bowling Green Daily News.