Kentucky lawmakers hear SJR 179 recommendations for KCTCS
Published on Dec 10, 2024
Quarles: ‘We’re proud of our work, and we welcome your feedback’
The Interim Joint Committee on Education got its first look today at a set of recommendations designed to improve and advance the Kentucky Community and Technical College System to better align to Kentucky’s needs.
The KCTCS Board of Regents unanimously approved the recommendations last week, as required by Senate Joint Resolution 179. Passed by the General Assembly earlier this year, the resolution required KCTCS to evaluate 11 key topics and report findings to ensure alignment with Kentucky’s current postsecondary education, economic and workforce needs.
KCTCS President Ryan Quarles and staff presented the recommendations for each of the 11 topics, ranging from accreditation to the system’s geographic footprint, board governance, the funding model, academic programs, student pathways, tuition, and its policies and procedures.
“It’s a new day at KCTCS, and these joint resolution recommendations are just the beginning,” he said.
Quarles told the committee members that he estimates about 8,000 hours went into the research and recommendations by the system’s five work teams, comprised of college faculty and staff and system staff. The work teams incorporated the results of the Huron Group study, Senate Joint Resolution 98 study, and several audits.
The next steps include grouping the recommendations into four buckets: recommendations for KRS changes; regulations that need to be reformed, eliminated or codified; and updating internal policies. The fourth bucket includes the recommendations that have not yet been grouped.
“We’re proud of our work, and we welcome your feedback. We know there’s going to be some fluidity in the legislative process, and we welcome that as well,” said Quarles.
He added that he plans to build a coalition of business and higher education partners to make sure that they present a bill that is nonpartisan, and one that achieves “the support of everybody in this room, so we can say, in the first time in 25 years, that we’ve reset KCTCS.”
The framework for the recommendations include:
- Academic programming and training offerings, including the quality of credentials and program relevancy.
- A comprehensive statewide KCTCS workforce plan which may include financial and academic supports, comprehensive career counseling, and experiential learning elements.
- The KCTCS geographic footprint, including but not limited to the need for mergers and consolidations.
- Preserve college-level accreditation versus single system accreditation.
- Governance reform, including the KCTCS Board of Regents and the 16 college boards of directors.
- The KCTCS funding model and its adequacy, including state appropriations, existing performance funding, the funding of the system office, and modern outcome-based funding structures.
- Tuition rates, with a commitment to ensuring affordability and return on investment.
- The personnel system for KCTCS employees.
- Effectiveness and affordability of dual credit course offerings.
- Transferability of associate degrees to four-year institutions.
- Outdated or conflicting statutory language.
The full recommendations and the report are available on the system website.
