164.003 Legislative findings and goals for achievement by 2020

164.003 Legislative findings and goals for achievement by 2020.

(1) The General Assembly hereby finds that:

(a) The general welfare and material well-being of citizens of the Commonwealth

depend in large measure upon the development of a well-educated and highly

trained workforce;

(b) The education and training of the current and future workforce of the

Commonwealth can provide its businesses and industries with the competitive

edge critical to their success in the global economy and must be improved to

provide its citizens the opportunity to achieve a standard of living in excess of

the national average; and

(c) The positive advancement of the welfare of the citizens of the Commonwealth

through the transmission of knowledge can only be achieved by the

incorporation of ethical standards, the historic American moral principles

promoted by the nation's Founding Fathers, into Kentucky public instruction,

state educational training, and personal development of its teachers, students,

and people, and affirms President George Washington's statement in his

September 19, 1796, farewell address: "Of all the dispositions and habits

which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable."

(2) The General Assembly declares on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth the

following goals to be achieved by the year 2020:

(a) A seamless, integrated system of postsecondary education strategically

planned and adequately funded to enhance economic development and quality

of life;

(b) A major comprehensive research institution ranked nationally in the top

twenty (20) public universities at the University of Kentucky;

(c) A premier, nationally recognized metropolitan research university at the

University of Louisville;

(d) Comprehensive universities, with at least one (1) nationally recognized

program of distinction or one (1) nationally recognized applied research

program, working cooperatively with other postsecondary institutions to

assure statewide access to baccalaureate and master's degrees of a quality at or

above the national average;

(e) A comprehensive community and technical college system with a mission that

assures, in conjunction with other postsecondary institutions, access

throughout the Commonwealth to a two (2) year course of general studies

designed for transfer to a baccalaureate program, the training necessary to

develop a workforce with the skills to meet the needs of new and existing

industries, and remedial and continuing education to improve the

employability of citizens; and

(f) An efficient, responsive, and coordinated system of providers that delivers

educational services to all adult citizens in quantities and of a quality that is

comparable to the national average or above and significantly elevates the

level of education of the adults of the Commonwealth.

(3) The achievement of these goals will lead to the development of a society with a

standard of living and quality of life that meets or exceeds the national average.

(4) The achievement of these goals will only be accomplished through increased

educational attainment at all levels, and contributions to the quality of elementary

and secondary education shall be a central responsibility of Kentucky's

postsecondary institutions.

(5) The furtherance of these goals is a lawful public purpose that can best be

accomplished by a comprehensive system of postsecondary education with single

points of accountability that ensure the coordination of programs and efficient use

of resources.

(6) The Commonwealth further recognizes that Kentucky's independent institutions

offer rich and diverse postsecondary education choices throughout the state.

Kentucky's people are best served by a broad array of postsecondary education

providers. This vital component of the system will be a full partner in the greater

system of postsecondary education.