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<B>Community college SGAs side with UK</B><P>
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<FONT SIZE=4><B>By Angela McGinty</B><BR></FONT>Contributing Writer
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In the midst of Gov. Paul Patton's proposal to separate the community colleges from UK, the student government associations of the colleges have been educating students on the effects of such a decision.<P>
Many SGA presidents oppose the governor's plan.With backing from the SGAs, students gathered yesterday to voice their opinions at Students Talk, a rally in Frankfort.
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Rachel Standridge, SGA president at Southeast Community College in Cumberland, participated in the meeting to persuade leaders to reject the proposal.
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"(Patton will) lower everything about the college," Standridge said. "I fear that many students will drop out and this is a big concern for SGA."
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Many SGA presidents have noticed an increase in their responsibilities since they were first faced with this dilemma.
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"Our workload has gone up in order to get the word out to students," said Lance Johnson, SGA president at Somerset Community College.
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On Saturday, Johnson invited legislators to SCC's second annual pig roast so students could share their sentiments with them.
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Somerset receives a certain amount of funds from UK for student services that would be missed at the college if the governor's plan goes into effect.
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Many of the presidents recognized the large role the colleges play in their communities and worry that the separation will have a detrimental effect throughout their counties. Standridge said the average age of the Southeast Community College student is 27, and they are not willing to leave their hometown to get an education elsewhere.
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This is true in other communities as well.
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"A lot of students at Somerset have families and jobs; they can't uproot and take off," Johnson said.
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"If students wanted to go to the vocational school they would already be there," Standridge said.
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While most of the community college SGAs have expressed opposition to Patton's plan, Martie Ruxnor-Boyken, SGA president at Owensboro Community College, is leaving it up to students to decide for themselves where they stand.
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She has provided students with access to a list of representatives they can contact with their opinions on the issue.
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"As president of SGA it is my duty to provide both sides of the argument. A lot of students don't have all the information," Ruxnor-Boyken said.
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Ruxnor-Boyken pointed out that the Owensboro campus as a whole is open to both sides of the debate.
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"The colleges have excellent faculty and staff, and our students are very active in the community," Ruxnor-Boyken said.
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"The community college system has worked as it is now, but we have to move forward."
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The SGAs are prepared to face this challenge with strong leadership until it is resolved one way or another.
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"Nothing is written in stone," Standridge said.
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