Erin Wilson earns certification from Kellogg Institute

Erin Wilson, director of the Academic Support Center at Southeast Kentucky Community amp; Technical College, has recently earned certification as a developmental education specialist from the esteemed Kellogg Institute for the training and certification of developmental educators.

Wilson, a native of Ben Hur, Va., is a graduate of Morehead State University and received an advanced degree from East Tennessee State University in the area of reading education. She was one of only a few educators chosen from across the country to take part in the Kellogg Institute and its certification process during the 2008-09 school year.

In order to be certified as a developmental education specialist, it is necessary to complete a four-week training program on the campus at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

The training received by Wilson consisted of four week-long seminars on the topics of assessment and placement for development educators, designing learning environments, student support systems and outcomes assessment and program evaluation.

Each seminar involved 32 contact hours and an additional 10-20 hours of student preparation each week. Upon completion of the seminars, participants were expected to produce a project on paper demonstrating their mastery of the concepts and techniques presented.

Following the training program, Wilson returned to SKCTC and implemented a program development project based on information obtained during the summer. Each project is designed in consultation with institute staff and supervised by them during the fall and spring semesters.

I am very excited to be named a developmental education specialist, said Wilson. It was a very rewarding experience to be involved with the Kellogg Institute at Appalachian State, and I was extremely happy to be able to represent Southeast Kentucky Community amp; Technical College. I learned many innovative techniques while also having the opportunity to meet fellow instructors from across the country. It was just a wonderful experience!

In her role at SKCTC, Wilson, now in her third year at the college, serves as the director of the Academic Support Center and also teaches a developmental reading class. She is a lead member of the Nursing and Allied Health Summer Bridge Program and serves as the chair of the Quality Enhancement Plan for her college.

Southeast Kentucky Community amp; Technical College President Dr. W. Bruce Ayers lauded Wilsons accomplishments gained from her involvement with the Kellogg Institutes program.

Erin is to be commended for her hard work, and her certification is quite an honor for her and the college. We look forward to having her continue to play a key role at the college, he said.