
KCTCS President Michael McCall Urges Support for Community Colleges
Michael B. McCall, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System,
today urged Kentucky lawmakers to maintain support for community colleges despite
the difficult economic times. Dr. McCall spoke in Covington at a luncheon hosted by
Gateway Community & Technical College, a KCTCS institution, and the Covington Business
Council.
We want people to know the value that our colleges have for the community and what
they can do for the state. Tough economic times require the education necessary to
get jobs. By better educating our citizenry, we are better educating our workplace,
Dr. McCall said. We are asking our legislators and the governor to maintain our funding
at the current level and to not cut higher education anymore.
Dr. McCall visited Northern Kentucky and Gateway as part of a statewide effort to
educate the public about the value added by community and technical colleges.
"I think we're entering our finest moment at KCTCS. We are transforming lives, and
we need your help, Dr. McCall said. Our campaign is focusing on really getting the
citizens of Kentucky engaged in advocating for KCTCS by involving students, faculty,
staff, and community leaders and to focus on what our needs are, said Dr. McCall.
But more importantly, to focus on the value that we add to the state.
Earlier in the day, Dr. McCall met with members of the Northern Kentucky legislative
caucus and other community leaders at Gateway's Boone Campus in Florence and toured
the colleges new Center for Advanced Manufacturing set for completion next spring.
This afternoon, he is scheduled to meet with Gateway students, employees and board
members.
To support the KCTCS advocacy campaign, we planned a full day of activities to engage
community leaders, the public, employees and students in conversations about what
community and technical colleges need to fulfill their role, said G. Edward Hughes,
Gateway president/CEO. We are proud to be part of the success story that is KCTCS
and, most importantly, to contribute to the success of our students and our community
by helping them transform their lives.
Last year, the colleges of KCTCS trained more than 120,000 credit-seeking students,
nearly 30,000 nursing and allied health students, more than 50,000 employees serving
nearly 5,000 businesses, more than 11,000 students who transferred to four-year institutions,
and more than 23,000 distance learning students. To learn more about KCTCS and support
its advocacy efforts, visit http://transform.kctcs.edu/.