A petite woman in a white suit raised a big red flag of warning here Thursday.
Eastern Kentucky University's first woman president, Joanne Glasser, told members of the Henderson Rotary Club that Kentucky's future is at risk unless something is done to decrease the number of high school dropouts.
Currently, she said, one out of three Kentucky high school students fails to obtain a diploma. That, she said, impacts the state's economy, the health of its citizens, social services, arts and "The list goes on and on."
Following a standing ovation, the 5-foot Glasser said, "I may be tiny in physical stature, but I'm a giant in my passion for young people." She has a "students first" philosophy that "guides all we do."
Appointed by Gov. Ernie Fletcher last year to represent Kentucky on the 16-state Southern Regional Education Board, Glasser pointed out that if Kentucky is to match the national average of citizens with baccalaureate degrees, the state has to "double the number of baccalaureate degree holders in the next 15 years.
"We're 48th in the nation in the percentage of adults 25 and over with at least a high school diploma or GED. We have a lot of work to do."
Glasser, a law school graduate, said it's imperative to "put education on (young peoples') radar screens early and keep it there." The middle school level, she said, is where youths must get the message "that it's cool to stay in school."
In her visit here, Glasser also touted EKU, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, and thanked Henderson Community College President Patrick Lake "for sending us so many well-prepared graduates."
Eastern began in 1906 as Eastern Kentucky State Normal School, whose mission was to meet the then-pressing need for more classroom teachers -- many of whom taught in one-room school houses.
"We continue to produce outstanding teachers and school administrators," Glasser said, but the university that has 16,400 students "has become far more sophisticated and diversified in its scope."
- Designation of its College of Justice and Safety as a "Program of Distinction" in 1998 and earning additional financial support from the state for that program.
- Receiving more than $9 million in federal grants in the last year related to research and development in homeland security.
- Having the only nationally accredited four-year forensic science program in the U.S.
The large school with the small school atmosphere is, Glasser said, a real education bargain with the cost of the academic year -- including tuition, fees, room and board -- totaling $8,000.
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