National Community College Month

WHEREAS, the Alabama Community College System is the state’s single largest system of public higher education and is Alabama’s most affordable and accessible system of higher education; and

 WHEREAS, Alabama’s 25 public community and technical colleges, Marion Military Institute, Athens State University, the Alabama Industrial Development Training Institute and the Alabama Technology Network provide a broad array of educational services for hundreds of thousands of individuals, meeting diverse and changing local needs and fulfilling a vital function within their service areas; and

 WHEREAS, the Alabama Community College System enrolls more than half of all freshmen and sophomores in Alabama, enrolling approximately 100,000 credit students in its academic and career technical education programs each year, 95 percent of whom are Alabama residents; and

 WHEREAS, the Alabama Community College System enrolls thousands of high school students in its dual enrollment and early college programs each year; providing high-achieving students with rigorous courses beyond those offered at the secondary level, increasing college access to low-income, racially/ethnically diverse, and first generation college attendees, and others who would not otherwise be college bound, and offering more than 150 career and technical programs in high-demand, high-wage, high-skilled occupations; and

 WHEREAS, the Alabama Community College System, partnering with business, industry, and government, provides customized training, job skills training and workforce development services for more than one hundred thousand Alabama workers and job seekers, and specialized services and training for thousands of businesses and industries each year, providing essential contributions to the state’s economic development; and

 WHEREAS, the Alabama Community College System remains committed to public service and works daily to help individuals reach their personal goals, yielding a well-educated, productive citizenry and a prepared workforce, and in the process, helps build communities:

 NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the month of April 2012 as

National Community College Month

in the state of Alabama.

Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 5th day of April 2012.

 

Governor Robert Bentley