The same schools produce a steady flow of graduates for the state's work force. Independent colleges can help serve the 80,000 additional students the state intends to attract to post-secondary education during the next 20 years. The figure represents a daunting increase, but this is the goal the state has established so that Kentucky will have a work force educated on a par with that of other states. Such growth will require classrooms, teachers, academic programs and other services. Independent colleges and universities can partner with the state in cost-effective ways to meet these needs.
Independent colleges can continue as a significant source for new teachers in the state.
Other states, faced with teacher shortages, have chosen this path, producing good results. Collectively, Kentucky's independent colleges and universities have rates of retention and graduation that are well above the state's average. This can be directly traced to small campuses and personal attention, which in turn create an ideal climate for reaching undergraduates. Independent colleges excel in this realm, and we are committed to this system of delivering education. Together, public and independent colleges and universities can build a post-secondary educational community in Kentucky based on partnership and collaboration, rather than the myth of competition.