COVID-19 Update from KCTCS Leadership
Sent 3/16/2020
Dear KCTCS Students, Faculty, Staff, and Community,
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) includes a centralized System Office located in Versailles and 16 Colleges with campus locations across the Commonwealth. KCTCS understands the disruption in your everyday lives caused by COVID-19, the coronavirus. As the leaders of KCTCS, we are united in our goal to provide access to classes and student support even while regular campus activities are restricted. Of utmost importance are the health and safety concerns of students, faculty, and staff. To guide us in our decision making, we are carefully monitoring information and directives from the Centers for Disease Control, the Governor’s Office, and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education—the state coordinating agency for higher education.
All College faculty and staff are hard at work to quickly ensure that coursework continues remotely. Depending on the course, this could include online, email, video communication, and other means to keep students engaged and successful. While this is new to many students, support is available, including access to limited technical and computer labs on campuses, drive-up wifi availability in some parking lots, full online library resources, and support through the KCTCS Mobile App. Students will use this new way of taking classes in concert with support from their faculty members.
Virtual student services are also available on campuses—see each College’s website for information. Students may call the 24-hour KCTCS Call Center at (855) 465-2827 for assistance but should refer to College websites for College-specific information.
Most of our colleges have recently completed spring break. Bluegrass Community and Technical College and Jefferson Community and Technical College have spring break this week. To keep you better informed about the latest changes to classes, all KCTCS College students, faculty and staff should keep close watch on College email, websites, social media, and other information sites. Each College president will be sharing information pertinent to their College’s offerings, staffing, and location information.
Protecting the health of College employees is also important. Many employees are working remotely while essential staff are keeping College services open and following appropriate social distancing and cleaning guidelines.
We will continue to be flexible and adaptable as the COVID-19 pandemic national and state responses evolve. We believe this continued access to higher education will create better lives for a better Kentucky and we will work with students, faculty and staff to ensure continued support for student success.
Dr. Jay Box, President, KCTCS
Dr. Larry Ferguson, President of Ashland Community and Technical College
Dr. Sherry Zylka, President of Big Sandy Community and Technical College
Dr. Koffi Akakpo, President of Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Dr. Juston Pate, President of Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Dr. Fernando Figueroa, President of Gateway Community and Technical College
Dr. Jennifer Lindon, President of Hazard Community and Technical College
Dr. Jason Warren, President of Henderson Community College
Dr. Alissa Young, President of Hopkinsville Community College
Dr. Ty Handy, President of Jefferson Community and Technical College
Dr. Cynthia Kelley, President of Madisonville Community College
Dr. Steve Vacik, President of Maysville Community and Technical College
Dr. Scott Williams, President of Owensboro Community and Technical College
Dr. Carey Castle, President of Somerset Community College
Dr. Phil Neal, President of Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College
Dr. Vic Adams, President of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
Dr. Anton Reece, President of West Kentucky Community and Technical College
