[View ALL News Press Releases] Ten members of Elizabethtown Community and Technical College's faculty and staff graduated from the 2008-2009 ECTC President's Leadership Program. The leadership development program was established in 2006 by ECTC President/CEO Dr. Thelma White to encourage and provide opportunities for those who aspire to leadership positions at the college to develop or refine the skills necessary to become effective leaders. "Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is a dynamic community of life-long learners," Dr. White said. "As such, we are pleased to make this investment in those members of the faculty and staff who want to develop and refine their leadership skills and help us chart the college's future. "Effective leaders are visionaries, communicators, and team-builders who empower others," she continued. "Our program addresses the philosophies and principles of leadership, and then focuses on practical applications that are meaningful for participants and that have impact on the college community as a whole." Participants attended a series of leadership development sessions throughout the academic year and developed projects that focus on topics relevant to the college, its mission and strategic plan. Members of the 2008-2009 leadership class include: • Susan Berry, Student Services Specialist, Vine Grove. Berry developed a training program for student workers and part-time employees to provide both in-person and online training to familiarize trainees with the guidelines and expectations for professional service at the College. The training will provide up-to-date, consistent access to training resources, and will utilize case studies and team building to teach employee responsibilities, customer service, office procedures, information management and computer software. • William Druen, Maintenance Tech 1, Magnolia. Druen's project involved studying the viability of geothermal energy for use on the ECTC campus. Although there are pros and cons with this source of energy, the ability to breathe clean air and reduce our dependence on petroleum justifies the use of geothermal energy as a viable source. • Katrina Eicher, Professor of Communications, Elizabethtown, and Sharon Hays, senior administrative assistant, Bardstown. Eicher and Hays worked together to formalize a mentoring program for new ECTC faculty. The mentoring program will pair a new teacher with a more seasoned faculty member from the same department or division for at least the first year of the new teacher's employment and perhaps longer. The mentor program will encourage the exchange of teaching ideas and networking on the campus, and will help new faculty understand policies and procedures as they relate to professional performance and campus operations. • Carla Hornback, Division Chair, Arts and Humanities, Sonora. Hornback developed an internal process to develop focus areas for the Associate in Art and Associate in Science degrees. The focus would not change the transferability of the degree, but allow students an opportunity for more in-depth study in a particular area. • Saundra Kimberlain, Online Student Counselor, Elizabethtown. Kimberlain's project encompassed two distinct projects: A Student Services Distance Learning Retention Plan and being Co-Chair and Distance Learning Content Manager for ECTC's Modularized Advisor Training (MAT). The Retention Plan looked at published research and ECTC and KCTCS' current process and developed suggestions that could be completed in the next five years in an effort to retain more students in Distance Learning courses. As a Co-Chair for the MAT, Kimberlain led trainings and assisted keeping the committee on task. As the Distance Learning Content Manager, Kimberlain sought input from key Distance Learning stakeholders and then created the Distance Learning Module content and pre/post test questions. • Sean O'Neal, Maintenance Tech 1, Elizabethtown. O'Neal's project is to update the classroom door hardware in two buildings. The Administration Building and the Student Center have outdated locks and door knobs. Replacing them with lever-style handles would allow these doors to be secured in the event of an emergency on campus. The instructor or student(s) occupying the classroom would be able to lock the door simply by pushing the button on the lever-style handle. Anyone wanting to exit the classroom could do so without unlocking the door. Thus, the classroom would remain secured. Additionally, this project would meet ADA requirements. • Jared Spalding, Welding Program Coordinator, Bardstown. Spalding planned and coordinated a welding competition for high school students from four high schools, including Grayson, Franklin, Meade and Nelson Counties. Thirty-five students competed in individual and team competitions in four different welding processes. Safety was of utmost priority, and ECTC provided the metal and equipment, while students brought their own safety gear and clothing and personal tools. Prizes and trophies were awarded to winners. The competition was a unique way to familiarize students with the College's welding program. • Beth Towell, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Elizabethtown. Towell's project was to develop a plan to improve retention and success in developmental math courses. The plan will incorporate activities in the first two weeks of class that will help students feel more comfortable in class, including establishing study buddies, becoming aware of tutoring opportunities, taking a Learning Styles inventory and learning the method of study that will work best for them, and other ways to succeed in the class. • Sonia Ware, Business Affairs Assistant, Elizabethtown. Ware's project was entitled, "Customer Service: Telephone Courtesy." The project emphasized the phone being the lifeline to ECTC customers, thereby focusing on the importance of projecting in one's voice a positive, professional attitude. The project addressed the proper techniques of phone courtesy, which included answering the phone promptly within three rings, identifying yourself and company or department, smiling as you pick up the receiver, giving caller the option to hold, thanking the caller, taking messages accurately, not dumping calls forcing caller to repeat same information, and apologizing for inconvenience and bad experience when encountering an angry customer.

During the 2005-2006 inaugural year of the President's Leadership Program, nine members of the faculty and staff participated in the program. Eight participants graduated from the program last year.