STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Western Kentucky University President Timothy Caboni told local business and community leaders that WKU in Glasgow is growing enrollment, adding new programs and creating more flexible paths to college degrees for students.
Caboni spoke Friday, July 24, at Barren Inc’s Coffee and Commerce event, held at Willow Oaks Golf Club. He said the Glasgow campus has reached a seven-year enrollment high for students studying on campus.
According to Caboni, more students on campus have led to more program offerings. WKU Glasgow now offers 14 “signature regional programs” that can be completed 100 percent on the local campus, with degree options targeted to local workforce needs.
Caboni announced that, beginning in August, the campus will add a new human resources management program through the university’s business college. He said employment in human resources-related fields is expected to grow faster than average in the coming years, and that the new program arrives as business activity in Barren County is strong.
The president said WKU Glasgow’s programs are designed with working adults, parents and caregivers in mind. Many students can come to campus as little as one or two days a week while completing much of their coursework remotely.
To better connect higher education with local employers, Caboni said Glasgow has added a regional workforce recruitment coordinator. The position focuses on building relationships with industries and community organizations and on helping adults who have not finished college find flexible options to complete a degree while staying in the workforce.
Caboni also highlighted expanded options in key fields. He noted that WKU’s School of Nursing has relaunched its RN-to-BSN program, with coursework that can be completed fully online and some upper-level nursing electives offered in person in Glasgow. He added that WKU Glasgow expects to welcome its largest cohort of education majors in more than 10 years this fall.
Student success stories were a major part of Caboni’s remarks.
He introduced WKU Glasgow sophomore Kristin Kirby, one of the campus’s first social work majors, who recently returned from a faculty-led study abroad program in Costa Rica. Kirby visited schools and communities in both rural and urban areas of the country and also had opportunities for cultural experiences such as visiting the cloud forest and snorkeling.
Caboni also recognized student Sarah Garrett, who returned to college as an adult learner after working in health care administration. Garrett is now entering her senior year at WKU in Glasgow and is pursuing a degree in elementary education. Her advisor has called her one of the campus’s most exemplary students.
The Early College at WKU in Glasgow program was another focus of Caboni’s presentation. The program allows high school juniors and seniors to complete up to 30 hours of college credit before graduating high school, taking classes on the Glasgow campus in the mornings and returning to their high schools by lunchtime.
Caboni said Early College students follow professional career tracks such as agriculture, business, crime and legal studies, education, nursing and behavioral sciences, and take field trips that connect their studies to local employers. He credited strong support from local businesses, health providers and legal offices for helping students explore careers and gain hands-on experience.
Among the Early College graduates Caboni highlighted was Santiago Guadarrama Morales, a first-generation college student who joined the program in 2024 in the crime and legal studies pathway. Caboni said Morales continued his studies despite his family losing their home in a fire and that scholarship support helped him stay in the program. He has chosen to continue his education at WKU’s main campus in Bowling Green, where he plans to major in nursing.
Caboni told the Coffee and Commerce audience that WKU in Glasgow, including its Early College, adult learner and regional degree programs, is helping build the next generation of professionals for Glasgow and Barren County.
Key Facts
• WKU President Timothy Caboni spoke at Barren Inc’s Coffee and Commerce at Willow Oaks Golf Club.
• Caboni said WKU Glasgow has reached a seven-year enrollment high for on-campus students.
• WKU in Glasgow is adding its 14th signature regional program in human resources management this August.
• The campus offers 14 regional programs that can be completed 100% in Glasgow, with flexible schedules for working adults.
• A regional workforce recruitment coordinator is working with local industries to connect employees with WKU programs.
• The RN-to-BSN program has been relaunched with fully online and some in-person Glasgow options.
• WKU Glasgow expects its largest cohort of education majors in more than 10 years this fall.
• The Early College at WKU in Glasgow program lets high school students earn up to 30 hours of college credit.
• Student stories highlighted included social work major and Costa Rica study abroad participant Kristin Kirby.
• Adult learner Sarah Garrett is returning to college to become an elementary teacher.
• Early College graduate Santiago Guadarrama Morales earned college credit in high school and will attend WKU’s main campus in Bowling Green.
