VISION 2020 - Kentuckye-archives.ky.gov/pubs/CPE/2020VisionFull_20050324.pdf · 2005-03-24 · The Vision We ask you to envision a Kentucky in the year 2020 recognized throughout

2020

VISION

2020 Vision: An Agenda for Kentucky’s System of Postsecondary Education

2020Vision Book 11/29/01 11:22 AM Page 51


The Vision

We ask you to envision a Kentucky in the year 2020recognized throughout the nation and across the world forhaving:

Educated citizens who want advanced knowledge andskills and know how to acquire them; and who aregood parents, good citizens, and economically self-sufficient workers.

Globally competitive businesses and industriesrespected for their highly knowledgeable employeesand the technological sophistication of their productsand services.

Vibrant communities offering a standard of livingunsurpassed by those in other states and nations.

Scholars and practitioners who are among the best inthe world, dedicated to creating new ideas,technologies, and knowledge.

An integrated system of elementary and secondaryschools and providers of postsecondary education,committed to meeting the needs of students and theCommonwealth, and acclaimed for excellence,innovation. collaboration, and responsiveness.

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Postsecondary

education is

the key to

prosperity —

for our

citizens, our

businesses and

industries, our

communities,

and our

children.


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Only throughinvestment inpostsecondaryeducation with a strongcommitment to economicbetterment can theCommonwealthand her peoplereach their fullpotential.

The Call for Change

Pure and simple, Kentuckians deserve this future.That is why our public leaders have set a goal thatputs Kentucky on a path to achieving economicopportunity and a standard of living above thenational average in 20 years. The key to achievingthis goal is lifelong learning.

A responsive and flexible system of postsecondaryeducation is the most important tool we need tohelp Kentucky flourish in the early decades of the21st century. Only through investment inpostsecondary education with a strongcommitment to economic betterment can theCommonwealth and her people reach their fullpotential.

We need to cultivate an appetite for knowledgeand skills. Our system of education needs tosatisfy that hunger. Right now, nearly half of thestate’s population lacks the knowledge and skills toparticipate fully in the economy. The proportion ofthe population with less than a high schooldiploma is greater in Kentucky than all but one ofour competitor states. And Kentucky still ranksalmost last in the nation in the percentage ofcitizens with a bachelor’s degree. Low participationin postsecondary education and below average percapita income creates a vicious cycle that needsto be broken.

Many factors have contributed to Kentucky’s poorstanding — high school student dropout rates,uneven access to postsecondary resources, lowmotivation, high attrition, and adult illiteracy, to


name a few. Unfortunately, our own rules andprocedures sometimes work against students andkeep them from reaching their full potential. Toomany people have been bounced between systemsthat are not sufficiently responsive to their needs anddo not coordinate themselves with one another.People move through life’s stages, developing theskills they need to cope and contribute. They deservecarefully articulated, nonbureaucratic paths fromgrade to grade and school to school.

Creating a responsive and friendly system ofpostsecondary education sought out by Kentucky’speople is one task. Creating new knowledge,technologies, and products is another. Raising thestandard of living and quality of life for Kentuckianswill not be possible if we can’t develop better jobsand a workforce with the knowledge and skills to fillthem. And this will only be possible if theCommonwealth can create, compete for, and sustainbusinesses and industries that thrive on innovativeideas and technologies. Kentucky ranks very poorly inthe amount of funding it attracts for research anddevelopment. This is not acceptable. In the broadestsense, the mission of the Kentucky system ofpostsecondary education is economic development.

The call for change is loud and clear. We need tomake it possible for all Kentuckians to participate inlifelong learning. Postsecondary education is the keyto prosperity — for our citizens, our businesses andindustries, our communities, and our children.

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2020Vision Book 11/29/01 12:23 PM Page 3

The Stakeholder Benefits

Everyone — students, the public, policymakers, business andindustry, labor, communities — is a stakeholder in theCommonwealth’s postsecondary education system. They will reapthe benefits of our efforts to change and improve our services andthe ways in which we provide them.

Students will be able to choose from a richer array ofeducation and training opportunities. They will be able totransfer from institution to institution with less bureaucraticinterference and loss of academic credit. Adult students,especially, will experience “anytime, anyplace” education,training, and support services customized to their learningneeds, time requirements, and physical locations.

Completers of occupational and technical programs will beprepared for work and to continue their learning should theywish; graduates of our four-year schools will be critical thinkersand lifelong learners, will have skills and knowledge needed towork in a technologically advanced society, and will have abasic understanding of other cultures.

Business, Industry and Labor will have a workforce that is welltrained and has continuous access to apprenticeshipprograms, “just-in-time” education, and skills upgrades.Advanced research will create new knowledge and technologiesthat can be transferred to businesses and labor groups.

The Public Education Community will experience a new level ofresponsiveness from postsecondary education. Teacherpreparation programs and professional developmentopportunities will be designed for teachers and administratorsto implement school reform and meet the needs of students.This will require extensive consultation with school personneland educational leaders who are the prime consumers ofprofessional education programs.

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High School Graduates will be fully prepared for thefuture because they will have had teachers fully preparedand dedicated to making this happen. Those moving onto advanced education will be ready for college workbecause they will know up front what will be expected ofthem once they reach their 13th year of schooling.

Communities and Regions will have access topostsecondary resources and services that are designedto meet their distinct needs. The saying that “there ismore than one Kentucky” is particularly true when itcomes to matching educational needs with theappropriate programs and providers. One size does notfit all. Regional advisory groups will help capitalize on thediversity that is one of Kentucky’s strengths and assurethat every region of the state has the educationalresources it needs to prosper. These resources cancome from anywhere within the state, or even frombeyond its borders, as Kentucky creates a postsecondaryeducation system that is need-based rather thaninstitution-based.

The General Public benefits because education,research, and service improve the quality of our lives.From arts and leisure to environmental health and publicsafety, educated women and men contribute to creatingsafe, vibrant, and nurturing communities.

State Government will progress toward theCommonwealth’s goal of “achieving economic opportunityand a standard of living above the national average in 20years.” Economic development, improved education, self-sustaining families, a strengthened financial position, andreduced crime — all of these statewide objectives arebolstered through postsecondary education.

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Everyone —

students,

the public,

policymakers,

business and

industry, labor,

communities —

is a stakeholder

in the

Commonwealth’s

postsecondary

education

system.

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Kentucky’s

independent

institutions

offer rich

and diverse

postsecondary

education

choices

throughout

the state.

The Spectrum of Providers

Kentucky’s system of postsecondary education consists of arich array of institutions — each with its own uniquestrengths and role but collectively creating a network ofopportunity and choice for our citizens. By developingdifferent strengths among the institutions and helping themcooperate with one another and other providers ofadvanced education, we will create an integrated network ofhigh-performance learning organizations.

State policy makers have set broad goals for Kentucky’spublic institutions. The year 2020 is when we should reachthese goals. But we have to begin now or it will be too late.

The Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeSystem will be the primary provider of two-yeartransfer and technical programs, workforce trainingfor existing and new businesses and industries, andremedial and continuing education to improve thequality of life and employability of the citizens of theCommonwealth.

The Regional Universities — Eastern KentuckyUniversity, Kentucky State University, Morehead StateUniversity, Murray State University, Northern KentuckyUniversity, and Western Kentucky University — willwork cooperatively to assure statewide access toappropriate, high quality baccalaureate and master’sdegree programs. Each university will develop at leastone program of national distinction.

The University of Louisville will be a premier, nationallyrecognized metropolitan research university.

The University of Kentucky will be a majorcomprehensive research institution ranked nationallyamong the top twenty public universities.

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Kentucky’s independent institutions offer rich anddiverse postsecondary education choices throughoutthe state. Kentucky’s people are best served by abroad array of postsecondary education providers.This vital component of our system will be embracedas a full partner in the greater system ofpostsecondary education of which the state-supported system is a part.

The Commonwealth Virtual University, using distancelearning technology when appropriate, will helptransform Kentucky’s institutions into a coherentsystem. Electronic delivery of education, training, andservices will allow us to go to our citizens rather thanforce them to come to us. It can help us get the mostout of the dollars the public invests in the system. TheCommonwealth Virtual University will bringKentuckians the best and most useful instructionavailable anywhere in the nation or the world — anytime and any place.

All of this, at all the institutions and from all theelectronic providers, is about creating good jobsthrough developing useful knowledge and technology,and preparing an educated workforce to fill them. Weneed to prepare the full array of workers — fromtechnicians and physicians to teachers and marketingrepresentatives — who are needed in a complex,technologically sophisticated Commonwealth.

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The Investment

Kentucky has a significant asset in its postsecondary educationsystem. State dollars are augmented by private support thatprovides a margin of excellence. The demands of the early 21st

century require us to maximize our return on this asset and onfuture investments in creative ways not imagined or evenpossible in the past. We have . . .

An investment in governing boards and institutional leaderscommitted to act in the best interests of the state whilecreating unique places for their institutions within acoordinated system.

An investment in faculty dedicated to helping studentsbecome skilled and active learners and problem-solvers; tocreating new ideas and technologies; and to working withcolleagues within and beyond their own institutionalboundaries.

An investment in student aid, in the form of need-basedgrants, scholarships, and loans, to make sure thatpostsecondary education is financially accessible to allKentuckians.

An investment in staff who know that their responsibility isto serve students and other customers, and who workcontinuously to improve service levels and maintain theirown skills.

An investment in libraries that share their resources andprovide access to knowledge and information through bothtraditional and electronic means.

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An investment in technology that allows faculty toteach better and to reach more students, expandsthe availability of knowledge and information, andhelps students prepare for the modern workplace.

An investment in physical facilities that foster betterteaching and learning and support cooperationamong multiple institutions providing instruction. Inaddition to traditional campuses, regional centerscan extend access to advanced education to morelocations. These jointly planned and designedfacilities will be used by both public and privateinstitutions and by non-traditional providers ofinstruction and other educational services.

All the assets of postsecondary education have to befocused on providing occupational and technicaltraining, liberal education, graduate and professionalstudy, and pure and applied research. The effort inwhich we are involved requires a total investment ofresources by all of postsecondary education.

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The demands

of the early

21st century

require us to

maximize our

return on

this asset and

on future

investments in

creative ways

not imagined

or even

possible in the

past.

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The Call for Leadership

Effective partnerships between postsecondary education and thestate are forged when the leaders involved hold a shared vision ofexcellence for the system. The people of Kentucky should insistupon educational leadership that is committed to provide the bestpossible services as efficiently as possible. This requirescooperation and collaboration. It requires making the whole greaterthan the sum of the parts.

The Council on Postsecondary Education is charged with leading thereform efforts envisioned by state policy leaders. Council membershave pledged reduced bureaucracy, staunch advocacy, decisivemanagement, and effective stewardship to achieve these results:

public support for the value of postsecondary education;

information that is helpful to students and their families inmaking educational decisions;

an educational system that is well coordinated and efficient;

incentives that stimulate change and prompt institutions toredesign programs and services, realign resources topriorities, improve productivity, and generate new resources;

information that shows the public how the system and itsinstitutions are performing;

data and research that help policy makers make gooddecisions.

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Institutional governing boards and campus leadership will bringabout the changes necessary to transform Kentucky’sindividual postsecondary education institutions into a coherentsystem of institutions that are distinguished among theirpeers. They have pledged to think creatively and imaginatively,plan thoughtfully, respond quickly, strive for excellence, spendwisely, and work cooperatively.

The Strategic Committee on Postsecondary Education bringstogether state policy leaders in a forum to exchange ideasabout the future of postsecondary education in Kentucky. Itsmembers, including the Governor, legislative leaders, Councilmembers and the Council President, and otherrepresentatives, play a pivotal role in assuring that the effortsof the postsecondary education system have the long-termsupport of policy makers and are tied to statewide needs andeconomic well-being.

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Effective

partnerships

between

postsecondary

education and

the state are

forged when

the leaders

involved hold a

shared vision

of excellence

for the

system.


The Desired Results

This agenda sets in motion a fundamental shift in how Kentuckythinks about postsecondary education. It underlies every policydeveloped, action taken, and decision made. It is the starting pointfor extensive, detailed planning.

But we must act quickly. The following questions help shape our plans and actions. They identify some concrete, tangible indicators of whatshould result from our efforts. These indicators need to be madespecific for the system and its member institutions. Then they needto be measured to determine the extent of our success. Offerednow, they help us to begin with the ends in mind.

Are high school graduates going on to postsecondaryeducation in greater numbers? Are they fully prepared whenthey get there? Are they advancing through the systemsmoothly and in a timely fashion? Are they graduating ingreater proportions?

Are we helping people prepare themselves to lead fulfilling lives,be good workers, and perform their civic responsibilities? Are ourstudents ready for the global marketplace of the 21st century?

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Is Kentucky creating its own businesses as well asattracting new businesses, industries, and jobs? AreKentucky employers able to find the qualified employeesthey need? Are continued training opportunities availableto keep workers’ skills up-to-date?

Are major industries and small businesses receivingadequate advisory and research support? Aregovernments and corporations investing more researchand development dollars in Kentucky’s researchuniversities?

Have our schools, colleges, and universities becomenationally respected for their progress and theircommitment to helping build better lives for allKentuckians?

As a system, we shall ask and answer these and otherquestions plainly and in public. For now, we dedicate ourselvesto getting off to a good start so that, even before we reachthe year 2020, the short answer to each is “Yes.”

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This agenda

sets in motion

a fundamental

shift in how

Kentucky

thinks about

postsecondary

education.

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Charles Whitehead, ChairVilla Hills, Kentucky

Norma B. Adams, Vice ChairSomerset, Kentucky

Walter A. BakerGlasgow, Kentucky

Steve BargerLouisville, Kentucky

Peggy BertelsmanFt. Thomas, Kentucky

Barton D. DarrellBowling Green, Kentucky

Richard Freed(faculty member)Lexington, Kentucky

Ronald GreenbergLouisville, Kentucky

John R. HallLexington, Kentucky

Hilda G. LeggSomerset, Kentucky

Shirley MenendezPaducah, Kentucky

Charlie OwenLouisville, Kentucky

Christopher J. Pace(student member)Winchester, Kentucky

Joan N. TaylorFrankfort, Kentucky

Lois Combs WeinbergLexington, Kentucky

Gene Wilhoit (ex officio)Frankfort, Kentucky

Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education does not discriminate on the basis of

race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment or the provision of

services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids

and services necessary to afford individuals with disability an equal opportunity to

participate in all programs and activities.

Reprinted with state funds

200131241


Documents

VISION 2020 - Kentuckye-archives.ky.gov/pubs/CPE/2020VisionFull_20050324.pdf · 2005-03-24 · The Vision We ask you to envision a Kentucky in the year 2020 recognized throughout