U.S. Department of Education official to open Kentucky Engagement Conference

The third plenary speaker for the Kentucky Engagement Conference confirmed participation recently, and registration opened for individual participants. The United States Department of Education’s Under Secretary Martha Kanter will open the Kentucky Engagement Conference by speaking at the plenary on Nov. 8 at 11 a.m.

Martha Kanter

Kanter reports to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and she oversees policies, programs and activities related to postsecondary education, adult and career-technical education, and federal student aid. Kanter also oversees five White House Initiatives on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

“We are honored and thrilled to have Under Secretary Kanter join us for the 2012 Kentucky Engagement Conference. Dr. Kanter has committed her career to improving college access, affordability, and quality of education for students across America. She is the administration’s driving force behind civic learning and democratic engagement in higher education,” said Dr. Paul Markham, Co-Director of the WKU Institute for Citizenship & Social Responsibility.

Anyone interested in hearing Kanter or the other plenary speakers, Erica Williams and Nicholas Longo, can complete the online registration form at www.wku.edu/kec by Oct 15. Once the registration form is complete, the registration payment must be sent to the registration coordinator. Only a limited number of registrations will be accepted after the Oct. 15 deadline.

The Kentucky Engagement Conference will begin at 11 a.m. Nov. 8 at the Carroll Knicely Center. WKU is this host this year the Kentucky Engagement Conference which is hosted by a different Kentucky regional university each year. The WKU ALIVE Center and the WKU ICSR are heading efforts to plan this year’s event. To learn more about the conference, visit www.wku.edu/kec.

Contact: Aurelia Spaulding, (270) 782-0082.