Floyd County Times

Dr. George D. Edwards, President of Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) spoke to the Paintsville Rotary Club on Tuesday, February 15, 2005, about the impact of post secondary education on the Big Sandy Region and the challenges facing students enrolling in college today. He talked about the rising costs of getting an education and the necessity for additional funding to insure top quality faculty and programs be made available for future enrollment.

Dr. Edwards told the group that BSCTC enrollment has steadily increased over the past three years with more than 4600 students enrolling in the Fall 2004 semester. New construction and renovation of existing structures have been necessary to meet the needs of the rising numbers of students seeking degrees, diplomas and certificates on the four BSCTC campuses. More faculty and increased class scheduling has been required to meet instructional and laboratory needs.

The College is in the middle of the "Fulfilling the Promise" fundraising campaign. The campaign addresses four major giving priorities: the Student Success Endowment Fund, an initiative to expand the College's scholarship endowment program; the Faculty Enhancement Endowment Fund, an initiative to retain and attract qualified faculty; the New Opportunities Fund, an initiative to provide unrestricted funds directed to special projects and initiatives for which budgeted funds are not available; and the Facility Improvement Fund, an initiative to provide funds for upgrades and repairs not covered by the budget plan. Naming opportunities are also available for buildings, classrooms, conference rooms, etc. Judy Bocook, BSCTC Manager of Advancement, said, "It's a wonderful way to create a memorial to someone while making a lasting contribution to education in the Big Sandy Region."

"Funding is critical to the success of education in Kentucky," Dr. Edwards said. "We need legislative and community support to help us reach our goal being the best choice for our students' first two years of college education. We need additional dollars to help us change lives in eastern Kentucky."

"Big Sandy Community and Technical College stands ready to help the region by providing affordable, quality education for our citizens. Also, we are able to respond to business and industry when they have training needs. We are glad to be a part of the Big Sandy community," Edwards concluded.