MONDAYKBNTUCKY

 

January 14, 2002

Buzzer beater

Hawkins sinks
last-second shot.
Cats take home
first SEC win

 

I had no idea the university was so interesting
and complex it’s like a giant corporation.”

- TARAI'I HAWKINS. STUDENT ADMISSION REPRESENTATIVE

 

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Libby Greene, a communications senior and student admission representative, addresses a group of high school seniors and their families during a

campus tour for prospective students.

JESSE LEBUS l KERNEl Sim

Tours draw students to UK

More than just a guide: With more than 250 applicants for 20 positions,
job as student admission representative competitive and challenging

By Jesse Lebus

STAFF WRlliR

Every day. groups of high
school seniors and their par
ents wander UK's campus.
They look at dorm rooms. com-
puter labs. libraries and sports
facilities. They ask about food
services. school history. and
without a doubt. they ask
about basketball tickets.

Here to answer those ques-
tions and provide campus
tours are UK's student admis-
sion representatives. The op-
portunity to showcase UK to
prospective students is a very
coveted position. explained
Todd Byrd. director of Visitor
Services.

Out of approximately 250
applications. only 20 students
were chosen. Byrd said.

Byrd said that the job is

highly selective because of the
important role that representa
tives play in attracting new
students.

“Visiting a college campus
is the most vital step in picking
a school." he explained.

After being hired. student
representatives must attend a
three-day. 40-hour training ses-
sion. Because giving campus
tours is only part of their job.
the representatives must be-
come fluent in all aspects of the
university and the admissions
process. Byrd said.

Representatives must
learn the entire campus map.
the history of the school. pub-
lic relations statistics and Visi-
tor Center management.

Tarah Hawkins. 3 commu-
nications junior. was almost
overwhelmed by her training
experience.

 

W

“I had no idea that the uni-
versity was so interesting and
complex. It‘s like a giant corpo
ration." she said.

Another facet of working
as a student admissions repre-
sentative is to host information
sessions with individual fami»
lies. Byrd said. During these
sessions representatives (lis-
cuss admissions issues. hous-
ing. the cost of attendance and
scholarships and loans.

The Visitor Center has
seen a 25 percent increase in
visiting students over the past
semester. Byrd said. This
means about 3000 high school
seniors from 47 states visited
campus between August and
December last year. When par-
ents are included. the numbers
are staggering. Byrd added.

Despite the workload. rep-
resentatives said that they are

excited to share the university
with potential students.

"Being a Student Admis—
sions Representative is a great
experience." Hawkins said. “i
help high school seniors make
one ofthe most important deci»
sions of their lives as well as
give back to the universtty."

Interested?

Students wishing to be
student admission repre-
sentatives must be nomi-
nated by a faculty or staff
member. Applications will
be available in late
February. Students must
have 30 credit hours and
be a UK student to apply.

Officials doubt scholarship’s future

Appalachia: Dwindling coal, logging revenue
leads to smaller than expected endowment

ASSOCIATED PRESS

As its mining income van-
ishes. a popular scholarship
program for Appalachian stu—
dents is struggling to survive
at UK. Robinson scholarships
—— renewable. allexpenses-paid
awards ~~ help firstgeneration
college students from eastern
Kentucky. Money for the pro-
gram. started five years ago.
comes mostly from coal mining
and also from logging on one
third of the 15.000-acre Robin-
son Forest that UK owns in
Knott. Perry and Breathitt
counties.

Those revenues have dwin-
dled. as a result of low coal
prices and a lower-thanexpect-
ed supply of coal leading to a
smaller endowment than ex-
pected. Meanwhile. investment

income or. the endowment also
has been lower than projected.
Officials don't think their cur-
rent endowment of $15.4 mil-
lion will be enough to handle
the number of students they
want the program to cover.

As a result. UK has perma
nently scaled back the scholar-
ship program. and officials say
its relatively modest endow-
ment may not allow it to con-
tinue past this decade.

For current Robinson
Scholars. such as freshman
Penelope Spradlin. the pro-
gram has been crucial.
Spradlin. 18. of Prestonsburg.
said she could not have attend-
ed UK without her scholarship.

“It really helps that they
recognize the capabilities of all
the people from eastern Ken-

Th

tucky." she said. “My parents
are disabled. and that makes it
harder. They couldn't just give
us money. so it really helped
that I got the scholarship."

Freshman Neomia Hagans.
19. of Hindman. said the schol—
arship lets her attend classes
without having to work full
time to pay for tuition and oth-
er costs.

"I don't know if my suc-
cess level would have been the
same" without the scholarship.
she said.

Spradlin and Hagans are
members of the first class of
Robinson Scholars to begin col-
lege. Ofthe 162 eighth-graders
picked for the program in 1997.
its first year. 78 enrolled at UK
last fall and 60 others entered a
community college an op-
tion for scholars since L'K con-
trolled the community colleges
when the program was estab-
lished.

Under the program. l'K
names future Robinson Schol-

ars each year from among
eighth-graders who apply from
29 eastern Kentucky counties
Students are chosen based on
their academic potential. fami-
ly income. essays and inter-
views. Their parents cannot
have earned a college degree.

Overall. 394 students have
been promised an all-expenses-
paid scholarship to UK an
award valued at 311.100. But
with an endowment of $15.4
million and annual scholar-
ship costs estimated to rise to
as much as $3 million. the fund
is likely to be out of money by
2010 unless UK secures more
revenue or there is an increase
in investment earnings. said
Jack Blanton. senior Vice pres
ident for administration.

“It would be our objective
to have one scholar from each
county. but whether we can
sustain that is hard to say. it is
still a sort of peSSimistic sce-
nario that you see out there
right now,"

http: www.li hornetcom

lSSUES

Diversity takes
campus spotlight

Lauretta Byers, the
associate provost for
the Office of Minority
Affairs, quizzes Presi-
dent Lee Todd and
other commission
members at the first
meeting of the Presl-
dent's Commission on
Diversity. The commis-
sion will work to
improve UK's recruit-
ment and retention of
minority faculty and
students. Todd hopes
the commission will
make campus more
“embracing, welcoming

 

and nurturing."

Warm and inviting: President's committee
holds first meeting to improve UK community

By Sara Cunningham
suit willilR

The President's (omniission on Diversity met for the first
time to begin working on its goal of supporting diversity Friday
The commission's role was also made clear

“You have your work cut out for you. ' President Lee Todd told
the commission “None of us are entering thinking that this is Just
something to do There are definite issues on can‘ipus that we need
to work on."

The commission will be charged Willi advising Todd on issues
and policies that address diversity and it will report regularly to
the community on campus diversity. it hopes to correct inequities
on campus and insure diversity in both the faculty and the student
body. Todd said that the sharing of information. good or had. be—
tween all of the UK f‘flllillillilll\ is essential for the commission's
success.

Members hope that involvement and interaction with other
groups on campus and iii lll" community will help accomplish one
oftheir primary goals gathering information about diversity.

“The word we 'll‘f‘ looking for is transparency." Todd said.
“This is one community find We all need to know" '

Deneese .iones. :issot izite {it'flll of the Graduate Schools Office
of Recruitment and Diversity ;s the chair of the commission.
John Harris. an f'flll!“illlill i)ffiii'\‘=ili'. is serving as the vice chair,
Other members an leide represent/itives from faculty and staff at

See DlVERSlTY on 2

,FlNANCES

Delayed refund checks
frustrate LCC students

Where's the money?: Financial aid official
says checks mailed to students Jan. 9

BANGWEPMWu

CCNTRlBU'iNG WW'E‘?

Many LU, students learned a lesson in patiente last week
when financial aid re and i necks were delayed for several days

LCC's Office of Student Financial Aid expected the checks to
be mailed on Friday. .lar. ;. but were later notified that the checks
would not be mailed until the next Wednesday said Michael Bar-
low. the director of Financial Aid.

Many L(‘,(“ students had to make last minute plans 2» hen their
checks fa tied to arrive before the beginning oft lasses

"It would have been nae 'o my. mi. books w ith ithe refund
check). instead of cl'iargnig my rreill rard. said ( l‘iarity Fund. a
psychology sophomore at [H. ‘l :r. .ili k\ ldldi: i need if for rent "

The checks were deliiwd .ifter 'ii counting controls revealed
numbers that didn't agree. ‘lllll ift' requested the l necks be held
until the information could be V't't‘lfll‘fl. said Susan Kraus‘s. assis
tant controller for l'K's (liili‘l- oil omrolier and Treasurer which
is responsible for issuing re ‘iind . iier ks to U ‘l‘ students

After verification by 1.1 ‘i‘ the . 37w ks were mailed to students
on Jan 9. well Within the time allow-d bx l'R's regulations. Bar
low said.

"Of course. we want to get students their money as soon as
possible to cover expenses " Harlow added

While there is little i.('( .an (iv , about students waiting on a re»
fund check to pay offrainpus expenses. there are programs to
make sure students can buy iiwded textbooks. Barlow sa id.

At LCC. students are offered a textbook voucher of up to $300
that may be used at Kenneth Bookstore. Wildcat Textlvmks as well
as the ['K and MT booksit res. Barlow explained.

However. if a student needs iixori- than Still, and has financial
aid available. the Office Faint l‘il .\:d is willing to work With
the student to make sure ail-Ez’iot‘. i. funds are available. Barlow
said.

Barlow cautioned snidon's to ilxvtys be prepared to cover off
campus expenses and not rely on i refund check

‘ We cannot guarantee dates of check arrival or document pro-
cessing." Barlow said “We encourage- students to come prepared
for all expenses that mm on or "