Senate Resolution 35 - Introduced SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 35 BY COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION (SUCCESSOR TO SR 34) A Resolution honoring Iowa’s community colleges on the 1 50th anniversary of the enactment of Senate File 2 550. 3 WHEREAS, 50 years ago, Senate File 550, which 4 provided for the establishment and operation of area 5 community colleges, was introduced; and 6 WHEREAS, Senate File 550 was passed by the Senate 7 47-11 on May 26, 1965, and was floor managed by Senator 8 John “Jack” Kibbie, whose advocacy for Iowa’s community 9 colleges established him as the honorary “Father of 10 Iowa’s Community Colleges”; and 11 WHEREAS, the bill was guided through the House of 12 Representatives by Representatives James T. Caffrey and 13 William Smith, passing the House by a vote of 80-24 on 14 May 28, 1965; and 15 WHEREAS, Governor Harold Hughes signed Senate File 16 550 into law on June 7, 1965, thus creating a new 17 community college system in Iowa; and 18 WHEREAS, Iowa’s workforce today represents nearly 25 19 million credit hours and over 138 million contact hours 20 of past and present community college training; and 21 WHEREAS, when nearly 34 percent of open positions in 22 Iowa require an education level equal to an associate 23 degree or higher, Iowa’s community colleges are 24 well-positioned to provide Iowans with the education 25 and training necessary to fill these positions; and 26 WHEREAS, students who receive an associate degree 27 -1- LSB 2660SV (1) 86 kh/nh 1/ 2
S.R. 35 earn on average 18.4 percent more 10 years after 1 completion than high school graduates; and 2 WHEREAS, spending by Iowa’s community colleges and 3 community college students contributes to the creation 4 of 18,000 jobs across the state and $683.9 million 5 annually in total labor income; and 6 WHEREAS, Iowa’s community colleges have provided 7 skills training for high-demand, high-paying, 8 high-skilled occupations and career enhancement 9 opportunities for Iowa workers for 50 years; and 10 WHEREAS, in 2014, over 75,000 individuals 11 participated in Iowa’s community college programs 12 supported by the Iowa Skilled Worker and Job Creation 13 Fund, and over 11,000 individuals were served by 14 community colleges through the Iowa New Jobs Training 15 Program, the Iowa Jobs Training Program, and the 16 Accelerated Career Education Program; NOW THEREFORE, 17 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate 18 congratulates Iowa’s 15 community colleges on the 50th 19 anniversary of the enactment of Senate File 550 and 20 thanks the community colleges, their past and present 21 administrators, faculty and staff, board members, and 22 foundations, for improving the state’s outlook and the 23 conditions for Iowa’s citizens for 50 years. 24 -2- LSB 2660SV (1) 86 kh/nh 2/ 2