CPE podcasts focusing on range of higher education topics

Bobbie Hayse, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·2 min read

May 24—The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education has launched two podcasts, Higher Education Matters, which features a wide range of topics in higher education and workforce development, and Well Advised, which is focused on advising topics for K-12 educators.

Higher Education Matters is hosted by Haley McCoy, executive director at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and Rick Smith, CPE's associate vice president of workforce development.

Smith said the podcast will feature the great work Kentucky's colleges and universities are doing on the ground to support student success.

"I'm excited to bring the higher education community in Kentucky together to have discussions around important topics like equity in education, college affordability, workforce development" and the P-20 pipeline, which is a collaboration between academics and workforce training that will have "both local and national significance," Smith said.

Higher Education Matters already has a few episodes under its belt, with CPE President Aaron Thompson joining the hosts in the first. They discuss the return on investment of college for both students and the commonwealth.

The second episode discusses diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Dawn Offutt, executive director of initiatives for diversity, equity and inclusion at CPE, and Martha Sales, assistant vice president of student life and executive director of TRIO Programs and the Intercultural Student Engagement Center at Western Kentucky University, join the hosts.

Well Advised will be released monthly from the CPE's Kentucky Advising Academy. Kentucky Advising Academy offers free professional learning and resources for school counselors, Family Resource Youth Service Center coordinators, and all professional educators. There are also opportunities to connect with higher education postsecondary advising leaders.

The Academy will also release monthly webinars that will coordinate with each podcast topic.

O'Rourke said that helping students navigate their postsecondary opportunities can be overwhelming.

"On the podcast, we will have great discussions around postsecondary readiness and access topics, including college admissions, financial aid, early postsecondary opportunities, military service, workforce development and more," she said.

Both podcasts are available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Bobbie Hayse, bhayse@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7315