Month: March 2018

KCK student awarded full scholarship at Culver-Stockton

Reiley Kirwan, a senior student from Piper High School in Kansas City, Kansas, is among eight students who have been named winners of the Pillars for Excellence scholarships at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri.

The $102,460 scholarship is designed to cover four full years of tuition, awarded annually at the freshman value.

Strict academic standards are required to even compete for the Pillars scholarship, according to an announcement.

There are three general requirements for students to compete for the scholarship: Students must apply and be admitted to Culver-Stockton, have a minimum composite score of 26 on the ACT or an equivalent SAT score, and they must have a minimum 3.75 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). Competitors also had to visit campus and complete two interviews with faculty and staff, as well as submit an essay.

Nearly 65 candidates competed in the 33rd annual competition, with an average GPA of 3.99 (on a 4.0 scale) and an average ACT score of 28.

Culver-Stockton College, located in Canton, Missouri, is a four-year residential institution in affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Culver-Stockton specializes in experiential education and is one of only two colleges in the nation to offer the 12/3 semester calendar, where the typical 15-week semester is divided into two terms, a 12-week term and a 3-week term.

The Culver-Stockton Wildcats are members of the Heart of America Athletic Conference and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Book discussion planned at Bonner Springs Library about church history during World War II

A book discussion, “Church of Spies: The Pope’s Secret War Against Hitler,” will be presented at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, at the Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave., Bonner Springs, Kansas.

Sister Rosemary Kolich from the University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth, will facilitate a discussion about a book that reveals some of the most astonishing events in the history of the papacy.

Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. The program is made possible by the Kansas Humanities Council.

Sister Kolich teaches English for the University of Saint Mary at both the main campus in Leavenworth and at the Overland Park campus. Kolich joined the KHC TALK program as a discussion leader in 2008.

Participants will discuss Mark Riebling’s 2015 work of nonfiction, “Church of Spies: The Pope’s Secret War against Hitler,” which Rabbi David Dalin calls “a groundbreaking and riveting account of Pope Pius XII’s secret war against Hitler. This richly documented book makes an important contribution to contemporary scholarship about Pius XII and to our understanding of the historical legacy of his pontificate.”

The Kansas Humanities Council conducts and supports community-based programs, serves as a financial resource through an active grant-making program and encourages Kansans to engage in the civic and cultural life of their communities. For more information about KHC programs visit online at www.kansashumanities.org.

For more information about the event, visit the Bonner Springs Library at www.bonnerlibrary.org.

Three presidential finalists named at KCKCC

by Kelly Rogge, KCKCC

The search for the next president at Kansas City Kansas Community College has moved into a new phase with the naming of three finalists for the position – Dr. Michael Calvert, Dr. Barbara Hanson and Dr. Greg Mosier.

Seventeen individuals from KCKCC and the community have served on the Presidential Search Advisory Committee.

The committee vetted 39 preferred applicants out of 75 applications. Those applicants were then narrowed to 10 semi-finalists who interviewed by video during the first week in March.

The new president tentatively is expected to be named by the end of April, according to the timeline. The KCKCC Board of Trustees will make the final decision.

The presidential finalists:
• Dr. Michael D. Calvert. Calvert has a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education from Northwestern College; a Master of Arts degree in physical education from the University of South Dakota; an Educational Specialist in Higher Ed Administration and Community College from Pittsburg State University and a Doctorate of Education in educational administration from Oklahoma State University. He is currently president of Pratt Community College in Pratt, Kan., a position he has held since 2013. His accomplishments during his tenure at Pratt include the college’s recognition by the Aspen Institute as a Top 150 Community Colleges in the Nation; leading the 2017-2022 Strategic Plan development and launch focusing on student success and recognition as a Siemens Technical Scholars Program Qualifier. Past positions include President – Vice President of Central Community College in Grand Island, Neb., and multiple positions at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., including Dean of Humanities and Social Science and Dean of Butler Learning Centers.
• Dr. Barbara M. Hanson. Hanson has a Bachelor of Arts in German-Music from the University of Arizona; a Master of Arts in German-Pedagogy-German Literature and a Master of Arts in English as a Second Language, both from the University of Arizona and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. She most recently was the Chancellor at Louisiana Delta Community College in Monroe, La. While at Louisiana Delta, she developed the first-ever Center of Excellence in Research for a two-year academic institution and developed and outsourced an Agricultural Aviation program, which resulted in greater student accessibility to quality programming. In addition, she provided leadership to re-invigorate and expand the focus and outreach of the Louisiana Delta Community College Foundation, turned around a failing Commercial Vehicle Operation Program and secured more than $5 million in Incumbent Worker Training Program grants, which provides training and service to regional and statewide affiliated business and industry. Past positions include Vice-President for Learning-Central Campus at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas; Vice-President for Instruction at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, N.C., and Dean of Instruction at Arizona Western College in Yuma, Ariz.
• Dr. Greg A. Mosier. Mosier has a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Scientific Photography from the Brooks Institute of Photography; a Master of Science in Management, Organizational Behavior and Strategic Management Emphasis from Troy State University and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration- Community College Leadership from New Mexico State University. He is currently the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs for Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minn. While at Rochester, he has collaborated with local, state and national business entities to create new programs financially supported via public/private partnerships; has provided leadership and direction to expand RTC’s concurrent enrollment programs and led the development of a $22 million capital bonding project for new and remodeled facilities. Past positions include Vice President of Academic Affairs at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in Okmulgee, Okla. and Dean of Career and Technical Education at Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, Mo.

The search committee chose to recommend to the KCKCC Board of Trustees the three finalists based on academic credentials, experience and leadership criteria. The finalists have been invited to the KCKCC campus for intensive interviews March 26 to 28. The community is invited to meet and talk with the finalists from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. each of the three days in Upper Jewell on the KCKCC Main campus, 7250 State Ave.

A five-month search was coordinated by Pauly Group, Inc., (PGI) a search firm contracted by the KCKCC Board of Trustees to facilitate the college’s presidential search. Faculty, staff, students and community members were invited to attend two days of listening sessions, hosted by PGI, in early December. The purpose of these sessions was to identify what qualifications and credentials would be expected in the next president.