SPORTS

THE

After illness and transfer, swing player finds
perfect fit back in Wildcat uniform BACK PAGE

1 {EPlNéi‘JNS

Plan to tough crowds PAGE 6

In our opinion: UK must sell Top 20 Business

 

Thursday, December 8, 2005

Celebrating 34 years of independence

Kentucky Kernel

www.ltyliernel.com

UK takes top 20 plan to higher ed council

Council on Postsecondary Education reviews plan,
discusses impact of tuition hikes on students

By Dariush Shafa
THE Krurucxr KERNEL

UK officials presented President
Lee Todd’s Top 20 Business Plan to
the Kentucky Council on Postsec~
ondary Education yesterday after-
noon. drawing approval from coun-
cil members.

“I think it’s a bold vision. I
think it’s a great road map." said
council chairman Ronald Green-
berg. “There are challenges with it
galore. but you need the vision."

Angela Martin. UK's vice presi-

dent of planning. budget and policy
analysis and Connie Ray. vice presi-
dent for research. planning and ef-
fectiveness, presented the same
business plan that Todd presented
to the campus on Monday. The UK
Board of Trustees will vote on the
plan Tuesday.

“We focused on making sure we
got the story across," Martin said.
“The plan is achievable.

“UK has been very thoughtful in
this."

Tuition fund policy was another
topic that came up. bringing presi-

dents from Western Kentucky Uni-
versity. University of Louisville
and other state institutions into the
discussion. The university presi-
dents brought up concerns about af-
fordability versus managing cost
and quality of a university educa~
tion. but council members were
adamant that a quality education.
now and in the future, is attainable.

“It's a very complicated situa-
tion and there’s a lot of factors in-
volved in making sure that all of
our students have the option of
being involved." said council mem-
ber Dan Flanagan on students' abil-
ity to get a university education.
“It’s just going to be difficult but as
a member of the council I'm very

committed to making sure that it
remains affordable."

Prior to 2001. the council‘s
method for determining what a rea-
sonable cost for a university educa-
tion was calculating nominal tu-
ition and fees to a certain percent-
age bracket of the state‘s per capita
income.

After 2001. universities had
more control over tuition and fees.
said Ryan Quarles, student repre-
sentative to the council and UK
agricultural economics and diplo-
macy grad student. Now the council
is encouraging universities to turn
to a model of funding where nomi—
nal tuition amounts are based off
the medium family income.

“We don’t want price to deter
them from participating in postsec-
ondary education," said council
member Mark Wattier.

The issue of funding bled over
into the discussion of how UK will
achieve its state-mandated goal of
being a top-20 university by 2020.
which was laid out in House Bill 1
of 1997.

Greenberg said the goal of
boosting UK into the top 20 was one
the council considered worth pour-
ing funds into.

“We recognize UK's unique posi-
tion and have pumped several hun-
dred million extra dollars (into UK)
and we hope to move forward."

See Plan on page Z

 

Ky. Dems
predict
tighter
budget

Say costs could mean higher
tuition for college students

By Sean Rose
m: mum mm

Focused on finals
,\ . I

During a forum at Henry Clay High
School last night state legislators said col«
lege students will be paying higher tuition
if Kentucky’s economic problems contin-
ue.

“If we don’t come up
with more money you’re
going to see more cost
shifting to the students."
said State Senator
Ernesto Scorsone.

Scorsone and State
Representative Kathy
Stein. both Democrats
serving in Fayette Coun-
ty, spoke on issues to ex-
pect in the upcoming ses-
sion of the general as-
sembly. took questions
and criticized the cur-
rent administration in a
forum sponsored by the
Central Kentucky chap-
ter of the American Civ-
il Liberties Union.

“This governor got
elected because he was
going to clean up govern-
ment," Scorsone said. “It’s clear that he
hasn’t. He’s muddied it up and gummed it
up even more."

Stein also criticized some legislatures.
saying they make bills because of “knee
jerk reactions to what is popular" to gain
political power.

She gave an example of a proposed
study of how much it costs to educate
children of illegal aliens, saying the study
was meant to encourage negative views

Scorsone

1‘ ‘ix'

 

Top: Brittany Ratliff,
a psychology fresh-
man, roams through
the periodicals of
the William T. Young
Library yesterday.

Dead Week doesn’t live up to
its name. especially with Finals
Week looming ahead for UK’s
student population. Deadlines
hang over the heads of students
and with only a few days until
the dreaded final examinations.
projects and papers are due,
those students are making use
of every spare moment to pre-
pare in hopes they'll make the
grade.

Stein
museum I sun

Right: Steve Benoit,
a psychology fresh-
man, and Stephanie
Schell, a nursing
freshman, study
together yesterday
for their upcoming
finals.

In umnm | sun

toward illegal immigrants.

“What was that bill designed to do?”
Stein said. “Was it designed to make us
feel good or was it designed to make us

See Legislature on page 2

 

Take a break from the studying with these
tips for relieving stress during finals
COLUMN. PAGE 4

 

World Equestrian Games

 

Predictions of event’s
potential payoff vary

By Tim Mseman
nemnumm

Lexington hopes its latest
bet on horses pays off.

With this week’s announce
ment that Lexington would
host an international horse
competition. organizers are
predicting a major payoff. but
some are skeptical of such an
economic impact for Lexington
and UK.

On Tuesday in Bahrain. the
Federation Equestre Interna-
tionale announced the Ken-

tucky Horse Park would host
the 2010 World Equestrian
Games — the first time the
games will be held outside of
Europe. And in 2010. it will be
first time the event’s seven
competitions will be have one
venue.

The Kentucky Horse Park
has estimated selling 300.000
tickets over the course of the
twoka event and predicts a
$100 million economic windfall
for the area.

“This is a chance of a life.
time. a onoein-a-lifetime oppor-

tunity." said Chris Gilligan of
the Kentucky Commerce Cabi-
net. “The $100 million (esti-
mate) might be conservative."
Gilligan pointed to next
year‘s games in Aachen. Ger-
many. whose organizers are ex-
pecting to sell more than
500.000 tickets and predicting a
total economic surge of $275
million. as an example of the
games' potential impact.
“What are we going to get
out of this?" Gilligan said.
“Hundreds of millions of dol-
See Horses on page 3

 

Students give ‘motivation’
to struggling local youths

By James Davidson
m: xmrucxv KERNEL

It takes a village to raise a child and
Lexington is no different.

Operation Motivation. a program
designed to connect with Lexington‘s
inner city youth through tutoring and
mentoring. is entering its second year.

The program teaches children the
importance of higher education and
the need to do well academically. It was
also put in place to improve the chil-
dren‘s social skills and test scores. said
LaShala Porter. vice president and
community service chair of the Black
Student Union and head of Operation
Motivation.

Last year. 25 students who were in
the mentoring program were in danger

of failing their academic grade. With
the help of about a dozen UK students.
all 25 children were promoted to the
next grade.

Porter. a UK psychology junior. ex-
pects the same type of success this
year but there are not as many UK stu-
dents wanting to help as in the past.

“Last year we had 10 to 13 tutors
come out each week." Porter said.
“This year we have had four solid tu-
tors come to help. which is really sad.

“Operation Motivation needs more
support from students in general...not
necessarily from the university. just
students."

Porter said students are role models
for the community and it‘s important

SeeTutoronpageZ

mar-ms