West Kentucky Community & Technical College

Over the Memorial Day weekend (May 27-30, 2017), Tyra Henderson, Dr. David Heflin and Sanci Teague (right) presented at the 2017 NISOD International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence in Austin, TX! They presented "Revising and Refining the First-Year Experience Through Dialogue and Research". The presentation outlined how WKCTC reinvented its First Year Experience course with research-based instruction and faculty engagement, as well as discussing policy, procedures, and course design and insight into how the First Year Experience course is an effective retention and persistence tool. Way to go team!

Chevene Duncan-Herring of Paducah has been named the new diversity and inclusion director at West Kentucky Community and Technical College. Duncan-Herring is no stranger to WKCTC or diversity and inclusion principles. She has worked in many capacities in both areas at the college prior to accepting the new director's position. Since being hired at the college in 2012, Duncan-Herring has served as program facilitator of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant, through the US Department of Labor in partnership with the US Department of Education. Through the grant, Duncan-Herring worked closely with dislocated workers from Paducah and surrounding communities who enrolled at WKCTC. She has also been the director of the West Kentucky Identifying Needs Guiding Success (WINGS) and Governor's Minority Student College Preparation Program, with duties including the creation and implementation of comprehensive cultural diverse program within the college and community with minority and underrepresented middle school students. Holding a master's degree in education from Nashville's Trevecca Nazarene University and a bachelor's degree in counseling psychology from Rochester College in Michigan, Duncan-Herring has also served as a success coach, education counselor and adjunct faculty member at WKCTC. "Now it's time for a new chapter, and I'm excited about the opportunity," said Duncan-Herring. "I look forward to increasing our campus and community cultural diversity and inclusion awareness; balancing (WKCTC students, employees and community members) self-awareness and community acceptance of others."