News Releases
NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS)
Date: February 12, 2009
Jackie Bondurant, 859-256-3219, jackie.bondurant@kctcs.edu
Kentucky to receive national AACRAO honor
Ockerman award given for new state-wide electronic transcript exchange
VERSAILLES, Ky. Feb. 12, 2009) - The Kentucky Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (Kentucky ACRAO) has received a national award from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).
The Elbert W. Ockerman State and Regional Professional Activity Award will be presented to Kentucky ACRAO at the 95th annual meeting April 13-16 in Chicago, Ill.
The Kentucky nomination for the College to College Electronic Transcript Exchange Using National Student Clearinghouse was a unanimous selection by the committee.
Electronic Transcript Exchange (ETX) supports the Kentucky effort to increase retention rates and to streamline the transfer process for students. "This option supports our goal of facilitating transfer students as students receive faster, more reliable transcript service," said Suzanne McGurk, KCTCS System Registrar. "Colleges and universities save money through eliminating use of postage, envelopes, transcript paper, and staff processing time."
Currently, more than 30 institutions in Kentucky are sending and receiving transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse Electronic Transcript Exchange. Several more schools in Kentucky are in the process of testing and implementing this electronic exchange.
"The initiative and collaboration between Registrar and Admission professionals at public and private colleges and universities across that state has elevated the stature of the profession and KACRAO in the state," McGurk said. "This initiative has caught the attention of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education as an example of partnership for the benefit of our institutions, the conservation of resources and, most importantly, improvement of service to students."
Members of Kentucky ACRAO credit the implementation of the electronic transfer to the efforts of Becky Stephens at Bluegrass Community and Technical College and Jacquie Hager at the University of Kentucky.
"Becky and Jacquie led the charge not only for Bluegrass, but all KCTCS colleges, all public and private institutions in Kentucky and in the country," McGurk said. "In January 2008 the University of Kentucky and BCTC began testing and by March 2008 they had successfully implemented electronic transcript exchange."
The National Student Clearinghouse has provided free software to implement this exchange as a way of thanking Kentuckians for their efforts in the development of this new product. This free option is not available to other states.
The Ockerman award recognizes outstanding professional activities of the state/regional associations and encourages development and expansion of quality professional activities among the associations.
Three awards of $500 each are presented each year. The award is named in honor of the late Dr. Ockerman, who served for many years as registrar at the University of Kentucky.
For most Kentuckians, higher education begins at KCTCS. Our statewide system of 16 colleges and 67 campuses provides citizens throughout the Commonwealth with a quality education that is both accessible and affordable. For more information, visit www.kctcs.edu
For most Kentuckians, higher education begins at KCTCS. Our statewide system of 16 colleges and 65 campuses provides citizens throughout the Commonwealth with a quality education that is both accessible and affordable.