[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13898-13899]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize one of 
Kentucky's most successful educational institutions, Southeast Kentucky 
Community and Technical College, SKCTC. Beginning last year, SKCTC 
celebrated its 50th anniversary of providing higher education in 
southeastern Kentucky across five full-service campuses. To commemorate 
the event, SKCTC's Pineville campus held an open house for over 500 
high school students from the area. To highlight the school's success 
over the years, President Dr. W. Bruce Ayers gave a presentation of 
SKCTC's history to all who attended.
  SKCTC's Pineville campus was originally launched in the early 1960s 
as a nursing school. Over the years, the school expanded its buildings 
and curriculum and has become the main location for many of SKCTC's 
medical programs.
  The campus is home to about 50 percent of the school's allied health 
students, who are enrolled in programs such as respiratory therapy, 
radiologic technology, surgical technology, clinical lab technology, or 
one of several nursing programs to become a licensed

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practical nurse or a registered nurse. As a whole, SKCTC holds a 
remarkably high pass rate on licensing exams for graduated students--
some of the medical programs maintain a pass rate of 100 percent. As a 
result, the majority of SKCTC students leave the school with a medical 
license of some kind.
  The people of southeastern Kentucky are privileged to have such a 
reputable institution that continues to provide future generations of 
Kentuckians with a quality education year after year. To help celebrate 
this landmark occasion, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an 
article describing the anniversary celebration at SKCTC--Pineville be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

            [From the Middlesboro Daily News, Mar. 22, 2011]

            SKCTC Anniversary Celebrated at Pineville Campus

                           (By Lorie Settles)

       Pineville.--The fiftieth anniversary of Southeast Kentucky 
     Community and Technical College (SKCTC) was commemorated at 
     the Pineville campus on Friday with an open house for area 
     high-school students.
       Members of the faculty and staff of SKCTC Pineville 
     welcomed nearly 500 teens on Thursday and Friday, reported 
     Kim Ayers, the college's recruiter. The guests hailed from 
     high schools including Jellico, Harlan Independent, 
     Cumberland Gap, and Knox Central.
       Students enjoyed guided tours of the campus on Thursday and 
     Friday, and were presented with facts and demonstrations 
     about the programs available at the Pineville Campus.
       ``We are delighted to be able to celebrate the fiftieth 
     anniversary on the Pineville Campus and we are equally 
     delighted to have so many folks visit us,'' said Dr. W. Bruce 
     Ayers, President of SKCTC. ``This campus has meant so much to 
     the area and so much to the college for a number of years.''
       The southeast division of the University of Kentucky was 
     launched in 1960, and has been an important facet of the Bell 
     County community since the birth of the Pineville and 
     Middlesboro branches of the college.
       At the open house, Dr. Ayers shared some of the history of 
     the institution. The Pineville campus, he explained, joined 
     the SKCTC family in 1998, but had been in the area for some 
     time.
       ``This particular campus actually began as an LPN nursing 
     school down in Pineville, and moved here after they were 
     flooded out in the 1970s. They moved up here, got a new 
     building and expanded the curriculum. They've been doing a 
     splendid job here in allied health since that time,'' said 
     Dr. Ayers.
       Although the building situated on Log Mountain is 
     relatively small compared with many other campuses, it is 
     able to house a number of programs in the medical field. Each 
     year, students begin programs in Respiratory Therapy, 
     Radiologic Technology, Surgical Technology, Clinical Lab 
     Technology, or enroll in a nursing program to become a 
     Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse.
       The Pineville campus is a vital part of the SKCTC family, 
     serving as a main location for many medical programs.
       ``We train probably about 50 percent of our allied health 
     students for the entire college here,'' remarked Dr. Ayers of 
     SKCTC Pineville.
       The majority of those students leave the school with a 
     medical license. Ayers reported that the campus boasts 
     ``remarkably high pass rates'' on licensing exams, and that 
     several programs maintain a pass rate of 100 percent.
       Those numbers serve as proof, he says, that students in the 
     area are as bright and capable of success as students 
     anywhere in the country.
       SKCTC's anniversary was celebrated in Middlesboro in 
     December.

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