June 6, 2019 Ashland Community and Technical College announced several faculty promotions, which will take effect July 1.
Lydia Osborne, of Ashland, promoted to assistant professor in the Associate Degree Nursing program.
Deena Howerton, of Greenup, promoted to associate professor in the Practical Nursing program.
Stephen Music, of Martha, promoted to associate professor in the Computerized Manufacturing and Machining program.
Susan Wallace-Vernatter, of South Point, promoted to associate professor in the Practical Nursing program.
Randolph Cullum, of Huntington, W.Va., promoted to professor in the Computers and Information Technology program.
Harold Henry, of Rush, promoted to professor in the Electrical Technology program.
Shannon McCarty, of Ironton, promoted to professor of the Diesel Technology program.
Aschalew Mengistu, of Ashland, promoted to professor of microbiology.
Laura Tussey, of Catlettsburg, promoted to professor in the Appalachian Studies program.
June 5, 2019 June 10 is the deadline to apply for ACTC’s final summer session. The term runs from June 24 to July 28.
Summer sessions offer advantages to new and continuing students alike. New students can get a head start on fall, continuing students can complete their college program in a shorter time and working adults can take classes for job advancement.
Most summer classes are three credit hours, and many are offered in the general education subjects that are required for associate and bachelor’s degrees.
Most summer courses are online, making it easier to fit college into vacation schedules.
Admission forms and class schedules are on the web at ashland.kctcs.edu. For more information, call the Admissions Office at 606-326-2000.
Financial Aid is available for summer classes. After filling out the ACTC admissions form, new students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available online at www.fasfa.gov.
For help with the FAFSA or to pre-determine your eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant or other aid, contact the Office of Financial Aid, 1-855-246-2282.
Summer II Courses
Course offered on the College Drive Campus are: Human anatomy and physiology II and general college chemistry II with lab.
Online course are: Managerial accounting, intro to cultural anthropology, intro to art, personal finance, principles of marketing, intro to biology, intro to computers, intro to interpersonal communication, principles of macroeconomics, writing I, writing II, lands and people of the non-Western world, history of the U.S. through 1865, history of the U.S. since 1865, Native American history 1865-present, intro to the humanities, medical office software, general psychology, developmental psychology, modern social problems and development of social welfare.
June 3, 2019Ashland Community and Technical College is offering students one-stop enrollment opportunities this month.
Pop In, Sign Up will be from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 11-13 at the Technology Drive Campus.
“We know that many prospective students are uncertain about how to enroll, and we want to make the process as easy as possible,” said Steve Woodburn, Dean of Student Success and Enrollment Services.
New students can come to the Technology Drive Campus on June 11, 12 or 13 for one-on-one advising to learn about enrollment, financial aid, class scheduling and other items they need to complete for the fall semester. Many students should be able to finish the process during their advising session, and any required tests can be scheduled as well.
Note: To register for classes, you may need to complete placement testing. If so, please arrive no later than 1 p.m.
The last day to submit an application for admission for the fall semester is Aug. 5. Classes begin on Aug. 19.
May 20, 2019Dr. Larry Ferguson, who started his higher education journey as a student at his hometown community college, was officially inaugurated as the president and CEO of that college, Ashland Community and Technical College, during the commencement ceremony on Monday, May 13 at the Paramount Arts Center.
Dr. Jay Box, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, performed the inauguration ceremony.
“It is with great honor that I accept the appointment of president of Ashland Community and Technical College,” Ferguson said during the ceremony. “It is where I, too, started my higher education journey and I look forward to each day where we strive to best support our students in reaching their dreams.”
Before beginning his appointment at ACTC in October 2018, Ferguson formerly served as the vice president for resource development for KCTCS, where his responsibilities included overseeing advancement, grants, contracts and alumni affairs and serving as the executive director of the KCTCS Foundation.
Ferguson, an Ashland native, graduated from Boyd County High School in 1986 and from Ashland Community College, an ACTC Predecessor, in 1991. At ACC, he earned an associate degree with a focus on communications. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational leadership and a Master of Science degree in strategic leadership from Mountain State University. His Doctorate in Educational Leadership is from Trident University.
While working on his higher degrees, Ferguson remained close to home as manager of leadership development at King’s Daughters Medical Center and an instructor at ACTC and the University of Charleston. He became ACTC’s Director of Business and Industry Services in 2007.
At ACTC, Ferguson headed the Community, Workforce and Education Department (CWED) which provided programs, trainings and services to individuals and the business community. CWED later became the Workforce Solutions Department with a variety of workforce educations programs and services. He served in several workforce and economic development leadership positions before becoming dean of resource development and external affairs.
Ferguson also served as president of Bevill State Community College in Jasper, Ala.
In 2014 Ferguson was tapped to be the KCTCS Vice Chancellor for Economic Development and Workforce Solutions. Before returned to ACTC last fall, he was serving as vice president and acting chancellor for KCTCS.
May 20, 2019Beginning in the Fall 2019, Ashland Community and Technical College will offer a new online program track – Cloud Computing Technologies – that will help students learn cloud skills and help lead to a potentially high-paying career in cloud-computing right after graduation.
Through its Computers and Information Technology program, ACTC’s new track will offer two courses through AWS Academy including the AWS Academy Cloud Foundations course and the AWS Academy Cloud Architecting course.
ACTC will offer two credentials that include AWS Academy courses. The first credential is the Associate of Applied Science degree with a Cloud Computing Technologies Track. This track requires 61 credit hours and can be completed in five semesters, which includes one summer term. The second credential will focus on AWS Academy Cloud Architecting. It will require 19 hours of course work and can be completed in three semesters as a part-time student.
Both programs will prepare students to take the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification Exam and the AWS Cloud Solutions Architect Associate Exam.
This makes ACTC one of the first associate degree-level schools to offer an associate of applied science degree that includes a sequence in AWS, and the first to do so fully online.
According to data from Global Knowledge, the average salary for an AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate in 2018 was $ 117,773.
“AWS Certified professionals earn salaries up to 29% higher than the norm for certified staff, and 10% higher compared to other cloud certifications,” said Randolph Cullum, CIT program coordinator at ACTC. And since the program is online, out-of-state students qualify for in-state tuition rates, he said.
“The Cloud Computing Technologies Track and AWS Academy offers an institutionally embedded pathway for students to gain the necessary computing skills and knowledge that prepares them for the IT workforce. Students will graduate with the training and certification that will prepare them for the workforce and help the industry tighten the skills gap,” Cullum said.
For more information on the Cloud Computing Technologies track, contact Cullum at randolph.cullum@kctcs.edu.
ACTC will also host an information session for prospective students for the CIT program, as well as Business Administration and Medical Information Technology, at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16 at the Technology Drive Campus.
The hour-long session will include information on the structure of the program, credential options, online learning, internship opportunities and more. Admissions and financial aid staff will also be available to help people register for classes and answer questions on how to pay for college.
