SULLIVAN UNIVERSITY EXPANDS! NEW CENTER FOR LEARNING COMING TO NICHOLAS COUNTY
NEW CENTER FOR LEARNING WILL SERVE 10 COUNTIES
Sullivan University, one of Kentucky’s leading providers of education programs and work skills training, has announced plans to open a Center for Learning in Carlisle, Nicholas County, that will serve additional counties in Central and Eastern Kentucky.
The Sullivan University Carlisle/Nicholas County Center for Learning, located at 2323 Concrete Road in Carlisle, is tentatively set to open this summer. It will not only provide education opportunities, but also professional skills training and programs for workers and employers, said David Keene, Sullivan University’s Vice President-Community Partnerships.
“Sullivan University has always had the practice of meeting the students where they are,” Keene said. “By opening the Sullivan University Center for Learning in Carlisle, students in Nicholas County as well as surrounding counties will have the opportunity to take some classes in a face-to-face setting, utilize the center for computer or internet access, or just to have a quiet place to do their work, but closer to home. Sullivan is once again being creative in how it reaches out to students, including those in need.”
The Center for Learning will serve students in the Licking Valley Adventures, a nine-county cooperative that promotes adventure tourism and economic development in the region. Counties in cooperation are Nicholas, Bourbon, Harrison, Pendleton, Bracken, Mason, Robertson, Fleming and Bath counties. Students who live in these counties – as well as in Rowan County – will receive a 20 percent tuition discount from the rate at the time of their enrollment.
“The tuition discount is through the generosity of Nicholas County Judge Executive Mike Pryor and the Nicholas County Fiscal Court, which are making it possible for Sullivan University to secure office and classroom space at a reasonable cost,” Keene said. “Those savings are being passed on to our students.
“The Sullivan Center for Learning provides flexibility, convenience, assistance, career opportunities and a significant tuition discount for those who enroll,” Keene said. “We are excited about the opportunity to serve this area.”
Judge Executive Pryor said Sullivan’s presence in the community “will help us with job skills, training and education for our residents.”
“The Center for Learning will be a first for our community and it will give the people of our county, along with people of surrounding counties, the ability to further their education,” Judge-executive Pryor said. “This will help students get the education and training to help raise their standard of living and have a better chance to get better jobs.”
Carlisle Mayor Larry Jolly said The Sullivan University Center for Learning “will make it much easier for our citizens to better their education, explore training opportunities and enhance their work skills.”
“The Center for Learning will be a major influence on our economy,” Mayor Jolly said.
Economic development officials first learned about Sullivan University from Allen Rose, Sullivan University’s Vice President of Business and Governmental Affairs, said Tracy Pratt-Savage, the co-founder and Executive Director of Licking Valley Adventures.
“I met Allen Rose at an economic development conference where I heard him speak about the university and it’s career emphasis,” Pratt-Savage said. “This will be tremendous for Nicholas County and for surrounding counties as well.
“Many students in our area don’t have reliable transportation to get to campuses and/or have the money for room and board,” she said. “Being able to stay and study in Nicholas County will be huge for them.”
Sullivan University’s presence will also help attract employers to the region by providing skilled workers and career opportunities for local residents, said Rusty Lawrence, co-chairman of the Nicholas Count Economic Development Authority.
“Having Sullivan University in our community will open many doors for Economic Development,” Lawrence said. “We are very excited to have Sullivan University in Carlisle and are looking forward to working with them for a brighter future for our community.”
Sullivan University has a variety of programs that will be available via the learning center that can satisfy the demands of many employers, Keene said.
“Even though local rural employers may not require a large volume of workers, their need for a well trained workforce is still just as important to the success of their business,” he said. “The model Sullivan University will bring to the area will allow even a small number of students to enroll in a program they deem beneficial. Employers can count on Sullivan to provide well trained employees to help meet their needs even if that need is small in number.”
The Nicholas County Center follows other recent expansions by Sullivan University, which in the last three years has opened Centers for Learning in Louisa in eastern Kentucky and Fort Mitchell in Northern Kentucky. Other locations throughout Kentucky are also being explored.
“Sullivan hopes to bring a little oasis to the area to quench its thirst for education,” Keene said. “While online programs have helped many in rural areas with achieving their dream of obtaining a post-secondary degree, there are students who need a little attention, preparation and personal assistance with the technology to be successful.
“By having a Sullivan University Center for Learning in the Carlisle area,” he said, “these students can get the help they need until they are able to navigate the online education world on their own.”
