Dr. Michael B. McCall, president of the Kentucky
Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), introduced the
KCTCS business plan, Plan for a Competitive Commonwealth 2008-2020
during a legislative briefing at West Kentucky Community &
Technical College on December 3.
More than 50 community leaders and legislators were in attendance
to hear the plan, which outlines specific steps that must be taken
to meet the needs of Kentucky's changing economy and the mandates
that were issued to the system as part of the state's 1997 higher
education reform efforts.
A Plan for a Competitive Commonwealth 2008-2020 illustrates the
importance of KCTCS in the State's educational and economic development
goals, and presents the required budget necessary to obtain the
goals. Its mission is to address the threats to Kentucky's competitiveness
by bolstering workforce education, transfer education, and college
and workforce readiness.
"KCTCS was charged with combining the 14 community colleges
that were part of the University of Kentucky with the 15 technical
colleges that were under the state's jurisdiction, and functions
today as an innovative system of 16 comprehensive community and
technical colleges with 67 campuses," said McCall "Across
the state, more than 92,000 students are enrolled in the system,
which represents 48 percent of the state's postsecondary education
population. Our work will become even more important as we move
forward in meeting the needs of business and industry in providing
an adequately trained workforce."
Research shows that 83 percent of all jobs created in the state
over the next seven years will require an associate degree or
less. (1.8 million jobs)
KCTCS has a major role in helping the state's four-year institutions
meet graduation goals by transferring more students," said
McCall. "In order to meet their goal of doubling the number
of baccalaureate degrees, we'll have to triple the number of students
transferring."
KCTCS was created as part of higher education reform in 1997 and
its performance has consistently exceeded expectations however,
the funding for the system lags behind all other public institutions
of higher education in the state. Currently, KCTCS receives $569
less per FTE (full-time equivalent) student than it did in 1997,
the only public higher education institution to experience a decline.
For the 2006-2008 biennium budgeting cycle, the Council for Post-Secondary
Education recommended a budget of $39 million for KCTCS, but only
$17.8 million was allocated, 45 percent of the recommendation.
"Our mission will require additional funding to support those
programs and services that are essential for Kentucky's workforce
to become competitive," said McCall. "We need additional
support to ensure KCTCS has the necessary resources to fulfill
our statutory mission."
Strategic initiatives include the expansion of workforce programs
to meet projected needs, efforts to eliminate barriers to KCTCS
students transferring to four-year colleges and universities,
early intervention strategies to prepare high school students
entering KCTCS, remediation services for all KCTCS students who
indicate a need, and efforts to provide adult education and literacy
programs and services.
In order to achieve the initiatives outlined in the business plan,
KCTCS will need an incremental increase in funding of $32 million
annually through 2020.
"We realize that there is a cost associated with the critical
initiatives, but what is the cost of not creating a skilled and
trained workforce to meet the needs of business and industry,"
McCall asked. "Where would Kentucky be without KCTCS? How
can we compete for high-paying jobs without the workforce training
offered by KCTCS? How can our colleges and universities meet the
goals of a knowledge-based economy without the remediation and
transfer programs of KCTCS?"
WKCTC’s television department taped Dr. McCall’s message.
If you would like to review it, you may do so by calling Martha
Clay at (270) 534- 3083.
For more information visit
www.kctcs.edu/compete.
