[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7069]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      CONGRATULATING WEST KENTUCKY COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. ED WHITFIELD

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 15, 2015

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate West 
Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) on recently being 
named one of the top three community colleges in America by the Aspen 
Institute.
  Selected from 1,123 community colleges nationwide, this marks the 
second time WKCTC has been chosen as Finalist-with-Distinction in 
addition to having been ranked as a top ten finalist every year the 
Aspen Prize has been awarded since its launch in 2011.
  Created by the Aspen Institute, The Aspen Prize is the nation's 
preeminent recognition of high achievement and performance in America's 
community colleges and is awarded every two years. The prize recognizes 
institutions for outstanding outcomes in four areas: student learning; 
certificate and degree completion; employment and earnings; and high 
levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.
  WKCTC students graduate and transfer at rates that exceed the 
national average by eight percent and asserts no gap in graduation 
rates between minorities and other students--a rare occurrence in most 
of the nation's colleges and universities. Working to draw first-
generation students into college, WKCTC faculty and staff consistently 
track student learning and completion outcomes and use this data to 
improve teaching and guidance practices. These efforts have resulted in 
an increase in student retention and degree completion, and place them 
among the very best in graduating students who are prepared for 
meaningful employment and/or success after transferring to a four-year 
institution.
  WKCTC has been a primary player in efforts to expand economic growth, 
from a high-tech industrialized training facility for area companies to 
adding programs in anticipated growth areas, including marine 
technology, logistics and operations management.
  Community colleges today enroll more than 40 percent of all U.S. 
undergraduates--7 million students--working toward degrees and 
certificates. While fewer than half of all community college students 
graduate nationwide, Aspen Prize finalist institutions demonstrate 
community colleges can help students achieve higher levels of success 
while in college and after they graduate.
  West Kentucky Community and Technical College, located in Paducah, 
Kentucky, stands among these leading institutions and I am pleased to 
see its success once again being acknowledged.

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