Education Investments Pay Off
Pine Technical and Community College strives to provide
superior education and social services that enhance the communities we serve.
For some PTCC students, this may include utilizing the
Disability Services Office. Human Services Eligibility Worker (HSEW) student
Sandra Blake is one of those students. Blake came to PTCC in August 2013 and
started working with the Disability Services Office right from the start. The
Disability Services Office has “helped me to know that here is someone to talk
to when I really need someone to talk about what I’m dealing with, like
homework and tests, and how to direct me to places where I can receive the
proper accommodations,” explained Blake.
Blake’s hard work paid off, and she made it on the fall 2014
dean’s list for her first time. “I’ve never achieved anything like this
before,” she exclaimed when she found out about her success. As she reflects
back on her time here at PTCC, Blake has rightfully become quite proud of
herself. “My greatest accomplishment here at Pine Technical and Community
College has been being able to move forward in my life and do something in my
life that I never thought I could do, or would do. And here I am doing it and
almost ready to graduate,” she said.
I relate this story because it illustrates one of the many
powerful ways that Pine Technical and Community College provides opportunities
for all Minnesotans to create a better future for themselves, for their
families and for their communities. This particular example was possible
because of the outstanding work of our dedicated faculty and staff, but also
because we had the resources to make it happen. We made an investment, and it
paid off.
The legislative session has just six weeks until completion.
Legislators are considering many important investments, among them funding for
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, which of course includes PTCC. Maybe
you’ve heard about our funding request and maybe you’ve been wondering what
it’s for and why it’s so important. If that’s the case, here’s what you need to
know.
Our colleges and universities have two primary sources of
funding: tuition from students and appropriations from the state of Minnesota.
Thanks to the legislature and Governor Dayton, we have frozen tuition for the
last two years, making college a lot more affordable for students in East
Central Minnesota. With the exception of a funding increase last session, over
the past fifteen years, state support for higher education has been on a steep
decline. Since 1999, Minnesota has cut funding by 53 percent. We used to lead
the nation when it came to supporting our state colleges and universities, but
now we lag far behind. Once we were 21 percent above the national average, and
now we’re 20 percent below. It has become increasingly difficult to offer
opportunities like [the story described in the introduction].
Our ability to offer these opportunities has never been more
important. Within five years, fully 74 percent of the jobs in Minnesota will
require some postsecondary credentials. At a time when the demographics of the
state are such that 70 percent of our growth will come from underserved
populations, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is the only resource
able to respond: our colleges and universities serve more first-generation
students, more students of color and American Indian students, more low-income
students and more veterans than all of Minnesota’s other higher education
options – combined.
Counties in our region have traditionally had the lowest
rates of college degree attainment in the state. In an effort to change that, Pine Technical
and Community College has redefined our mission to be a more fully
comprehensive college. We provide opportunities for our young people to start
their four-year degree close to home through the Associate of Arts degree,
making college education more affordable and providing new opportunities.
So as you hear about all the many investments being
considered this legislative session, I hope you will keep higher education in
mind. Making access to college possible for all Minnesotans, meeting the future
workforce needs of Minnesota, and protecting our ability to deliver programs to
make that happen – these are all things worthy of our investment.
