Just about the time Jay Box learned he was to become the second president of Kentucky’s merged community college and technical school system, President Barack Obama came forward with a bold plan to offer free community college for students nationwide.
After more than 30 years in community college administration, Box, who formally began his tenure as president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) on Jan. 16, was excited to see such a lofty idea floated at the federal level, even if the chance of it becoming a reality is still a long shot.
“I’m cautiously optimistic something could get done with that initiative,” Box said. “It is definitely something that catches your eye when you’re beginning a job like this one. People are recognizing what a great value community college is and what a great investment it represents.”
Box said the debate on funding for higher education only figures to grow more heated in the years he will serve as president, as tuitions continue to rise in the wake of increased cuts by state legislatures across the nation. Box said since 2008 KCTCS has seen its funding cut by $38 million. Much of his time as president will involve trying to convince leaders that higher education is a good investment in the future of Kentucky.
“We can’t say that we’re concerned about the continuous rise in education for the students and at the same time keep cutting funds at the state level,” Box said. “At some point you have to decide which is more valuable.”
The KCTCS Board of Regents by a unanimous vote elected to off er Box the position back in November, having prior named him the only preferred candidate. Box, who served as KCTCS chancellor since 2009, is only the second president in the organization’s history. KCTCS was created when the state’s community and technical college systems merged in 1997. The system is made up of 16 colleges across Kentucky and has an enrollment of about 92,000 students.
Box noted that his hiring as president will signal a shift, at least in part, in administrative eff orts at KCTCS. During the first 17 years of existence, he said, the institution sought to make a college education more accessible by adding programs and physical campuses across the state. With that job now complete, during his tenure Box plans on directing more resources toward helping students complete their degrees.
Box noted that a large number of KCTCS students drop out after just their first semester for a variety of reasons, ranging from financial problems to family commitments. He hopes in the coming months to better identify the major barriers to degree completion and address them.
“Obviously you have to have access to education, and I think we’ve done a great job at creating that through the infrastructure we’ve completed,” Box said. “Now that the access is in place, we need to be more concerned about the completion of degrees. It is the next logical step.”
One of the KCTCS initiatives that has proven very successful in recent years is the Workforce Solutions program, in which the various colleges provide workforce education to business and industry workers that are in need of upgrading their skills. The need for such training arises quite often in today’s fast-changing workplace, and Box wants to push to expand the program. Toyota is one such company that has participated in the program.
KCTCS has worked with more than 5,000 companies and 50,000 employees to provide training through the Workforce Solutions program, Box said. The program is doubly beneficial because it also keeps KCTCS educators aware of new skills they should be developing in their students to keep them competitive in the job market.
Box said he is particularly proud of the program because it illustrates his philosophy on what education should be.
“The broad theme will always be to use education to grow the economy,” Box said. “I think all of us who are in education have a responsibility to see that, in the end, our work does that.”
About Jay Box
Age: 60
Currently: president, Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS)
Previous: chancellor, KCTCS (2009-2015); vice president of administrative systems, KCTCS (2007-2009); president, Hazard Community College in Hazard, Ky. (2002-2007); vice president, McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas (1996-2002); also served as instructor at Odessa College in Odessa, Texas, and taught eight years in Texas public schools.
Education: associate’s degree, Howard College; bachelor’s degree, Southwest Texas State (1976); master’s degree in education, Texas Tech University (1985); doctorate degree in education administration, higher education/community college specialty, Baylor University (1994).
Hometown: Crane, Texas 560 E.