BSCTC PRESIDENT ADDRESSES SOAR EXECUTIVE BOARD
Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) President Dr. Devin Stephenson addressed
the Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) executive board during its meeting on Friday,
February 5 at Pine Mountain State Resort Park.
I am here to tell you that the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS)
colleges in the SOAR region are the doers and not the talkers, said Dr. Stephenson,
who serves as the lead for KCTCS schools that are in the SOAR region (Ashland, Big
Sandy, Hazard, Somerset and Southeast Kentucky). About 45 percent of students enrolled
in institutions of higher education in Kentucky attend KCTCS colleges.
BSCTC has created new degree programs in Industrial Maintenance, Electrical Technology
and Engineering and Electronics Technology. They will begin new programs in Heath
Science Technology, Physical Therapist Assistant and Dental Assisting later this year.
Together, we are creating programs of possibility, Dr. Stephenson told the SOAR executive
board. In doing that, we are working to better communicate with the communities we
serve by being an institution that goes beyond our walls and the acreage we occupy.
Dr. Stephenson highlighted BSCTCs Broadband Technology Center, the first of its kind
in Kentucky, which will begin construction later this year in Pikeville. The state-of-the-art
facility will serve as a hub for fiber optic and telecommunications training in the
southeastern United States. Three months ago, the college partnered with the Fiber
Optics Association to launch the regions first Fiber Optic training program. Since
its inception, it has garnered national attention for its curriculum and attention
to details. Students have traveled from eight states to participate in the program.
When the idea of the Kentucky Information highway began, we started to align our resources
to train a highly-skilled workforce in the careers associated with the construction,
installation and maintenance of this vast digital network, said Dr. Stephenson. I
want to thank Congressman (Hal) Rogers, Governor (Matt) Bevin, Jared (Arnett) and
the SOAR executive board for their willingness to look forward at the opportunities
that lie in front of us.
Dr. Stephenson said SOAR is a platform of ideas and collaboration. None of us can
do this alone, he added. We need collaboration, innovation and meaningful dialogue
to move this region forward. I have no doubt that our best days are ahead of us.
For more information on BSCTCs Fiber Optics training program, contact Sally Porter
at (606) 218-1276 or email sporter0044@kctcs.edu.
