Education

The head of the U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights division is heading to Lexington to talk to hundreds of high school freshmen about bullying and harassment. Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez is scheduled to give a speech and participate in a panel discussion for Fayette County freshmen on Wednesday.

Gov. Steve Beshear has signed an executive order that will couple the state's career and technical schools under the Department of Education. The goal is to create a unified and efficient system to better prepare students for blue collar careers.

WKU President Gary Ransdell says student retention will continue to be a top priority at the institution in the upcoming academic year and over the next six years. Speaking at the faculty and staff convocation in Van Meter Hall, the University President said the state and university can no longer afford to have about one thousand freshmen students per year fail to return for their second year of study.