In our capacity building project, we are collaborating and partnering with the Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) and have established as a transfer pipeline that will enable recruitment of a diverse pool of interested STEM students for future Bellarmine Noyce Scholars. JCTC located in Louisville, Kentucky is the largest of 16 community colleges under KCTCS.
JCTC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). JCTC has a student population of 12,000 who are enrolled at JCTC’s six campus locations (three in Jefferson County and three in the adjacent counties). 55.3% of the student body is female and 43.3% is male with 1.3% undisclosed. Minority enrollment included 19% African-American students. JCTC recently completed the construction of a new $25.6 million state-of-the-art Science/Allied Health Building at its Downtown Louisville Campus. It is a four-story, 100,000-square-foot instructional building. The building includes laboratory space, library, a conference center, and student and teacher lounges. JCTC offers an Associate of Science (AS) degree in a number of different fields that include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. JCTC students must complete 60 credit hours for the AS degree. JCTC has an Assessment Center where all incoming JCTC students take the college placement exam that allows JCTC faculty to evaluate the incoming students' skill levels in reading, writing, and Mathematics. This placement exam is a 3-hour long three-part computerized test. Based on the performance in the placement exams, students are placed in appropriate courses and connect students to the resources they need to achieve academic success at JCTC.
JCTC has a Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) program that is designed to help new, first time college students make the transition to JCTC from high school. By taking part in orientation, students learn about the enrollment process, academic resources, support services, counseling, financial aid and much more. Interactive sessions are also offered during orientation sessions so that students can get to know the JCTC staff in the SOAR program. Once students have completed the placement exam, staff in the Assessment Center schedules all new, first-time college students for SOAR, which is mandatory. JCTC also has a Student Service Center that offers assistance to all students in a number of areas. JCTC has a Learning Commons smart space and lounge for students to study, a library on all campus sites with a Tutoring Center. Computer access is available in JCTC’s libraries and Learning Commons smart space. The Academic Advising Center provides academic advising to students. JCTC also has an Access Ability Resource Center (ARC) to ensure program access for students with disabilities on all JCTC campuses. JCTC also has a Workforce Solutions team that links the Greater Louisville community to the many resources to meet regional workforce development needs. The Workforce Solutions program offers flexible, diverse customized credit and non-credit-based educational training and services, and on-demand site-based programs.
Dr. Calhoun-French (VP of Academic Affairs) is our contact person at JCTC for this project. She will assist with the development of a 2 by 2 articulation agreement with JCTC. JCTC will identify those students who have expressed interest in STEM who would like to become certified middle or high school STEM teachers and facilitate the transfer to Bellarmine.
For more information about JCTC - https://jefferson.kctcs.edu/