Welcome

Welcome to my blog http://www.skegley.blogspot.com/ . CAVEAT LECTOR- Let the reader beware. This is a Christian Conservative blog. It is not meant to offend anyone. Please feel free to ignore this blog, but also feel free to browse and comment on my posts! You may also scroll down to respond to any post.

For Christian American readers of this blog:

I wish to incite all Christians to rise up and take back the United States of America with all of God's manifold blessings. We want the free allowance of the Bible and prayers allowed again in schools, halls of justice, and all governing bodies. We don't seek a theocracy until Jesus returns to earth because all men are weak and power corrupts the very best of them.
We want to be a kinder and gentler people without slavery or condescension to any.

The world seems to be in a time of discontent among the populace. Christians should not fear. God is Love, shown best through Jesus Christ. God is still in control. All Glory to our Creator and to our God!

A favorite quote from my good friend, Jack Plymale, which I appreciate:

"Wars are planned by old men,in council rooms apart. They plan for greater armament, they map the battle chart, but: where sightless eyes stare out, beyond life's vanished joys, I've noticed,somehow, all the dead and mamed are hardly more than boys(Grantland Rice per our mutual friend, Sarah Rapp)."

Thanks Jack!

I must admit that I do not check authenticity of my posts. If anyone can tell me of a non-biased arbitrator, I will attempt to do so more regularly. I know of no such arbitrator for the internet.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

UK's largest single gift ... Thx Lexington Herald Leader!

Arizona man makes largest gift in University of Kentucky history; $23 million for honors college

BY LINDA BLACKFORD

lblackford@herald-leader.comOctober 22, 2015 Updated 18 minutes ago

Aerial - University of Kentucky Construction

Aerial photo of the University of Kentucky campus taken on Feb. 12, 2013.

FARON COLLINS

Last September, the University of Kentucky announced the largest gift in its history — $20 million from trustee Bill Gatton to help build a new student center.

On Thursday, UK announced its new, biggest gift ever — $23 million from alumnus Tom Lewis and his wife, Jan, to create an honors college.

"This gift, by a remarkable person and leader so committed to his alma mater and to education, reflects our mission to place the success of students first in everything that we do," President Eli Capilouto said. "Tom Lewis is investing in, and helping enhance, a vision we have to be the finest residential, public research university in America."

The college will be located in a new residence hall across from W.T. Young Library, and the money will be used to hire a dean and eight to 10 faculty and staff, and provide programming.

Lewis, a native of Lexington and 1971 engineering graduate of UK, is a seventh generation Kentuckian, UK officials said. After graduating from UK, Lewis earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Lewis then went into the home construction business in Arizona, where he started T.D. Lewis Company. He resides in Paradise Valley, Ariz.

"I have a strong belief in the value of education and helping young people become the best they can be," Lewis said in a news release. "This gift is our way of helping University of Kentucky honors students reach their full potential as leaders who will create, shape and influence people, ideas and discoveries for this and generations yet to come."

UK has a long-established honors program, which provides enrichment classes. Provost Tim Tracy said elevating the program to a college "allows us to bring together all our resources. The students will live together and learn together.

"This will provide a very enhanced and enriched experience that allows them to gain an education they might not get otherwise."

The plan for the college must go before the University Senate for approval.

The college will not grant degrees and its faculty will be non-tenure track, Tracy said, because "it’s a residential college, not an academic college." Those faculty will teach courses such as life skills and organizational techniques.

For example, an honors student could major and get a degree in engineering, but they would be required to take 24 hours in honors classes, which would be taught by full-time faculty.

Some of those proposed classes for first-year students include "Jews and Christians in Medieval Europe," "Science, Ethics and Society," and "The Science, Public Policy, Law, and Ethics of Drug Development and Human Health."

Lewis Honors College will have about 2,000 students when it opens in the fall of 2016 or 2017, Tracy said. Students will be chosen on grades, test scores and essays they write.

UK has committed $8.5 million a year for scholarships for honors students, Tracy said. That money is not included in the $23 million gift.

Linda Blackford: (859) 231-1359. Twitter: @lbblackford