Kentucky's hope for a brighter future was enhanced with the Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997. This action was designed to provide businesses and industries support to allow them to have the competitive edge to succeed in a global economy and provide our citizens with the opportunities to achieve a standard of living that meets or exceeds the national average. The cornerstone of this historic legislation was the creation of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). By combining the state's public two-year community and technical colleges into a more comprehensive, flexible and responsive system, KCTCS has proven itself to be a primary catalyst for economic development, community growth, and educational attainment of our citizens throughout the Commonwealth.

ACTC, a part of KCTCS, embodies the vision for a better-educated citizenry. It serves as a partner to meet the needs of business and industry; it is the catalyst and facilitator in economic development; it provides accessible post-secondary education in our service area. More students and businesses are taking advantage of our availability and affordable tuition. Enrollment in certificate, diploma and associate degree programs has increased from 2780 students in the fall of 2000 to nearly 3900 students in the fall of 2003.

From the spring of 2001 through the summer of 2003, Ashland Community College and Ashland Technical College worked through a successful consolidation process to combine the resources, employees and programs of two institutions into one comprehensive community and technical college.

In the summer of 2003 ACC and ATC became ACTC. ACTC applied for accreditation as a comprehensive community and technical college in 2003 after the consolidation process was completed. SACS, the accreditation agent, reviewed the policies, programs, records and qualifications of the college, and as a result, accreditation was awarded to ACTC in December 2003. The successful completion of the consolidation process reflects that the spirit and teamwork displayed by our students, our faculty, and our staff has enabled us to meet important challenges and transform them into opportunities.

In response to the advice of our business, government and civic leaders in our service area, ACTC has identified four initiatives for the Fulfilling the Promise Campaign that will greatly enhance our ability to meet the needs of our students and of our local business and industry employers. Collectively, they will have a tremendous positive impact on our service area of northeastern Kentucky for many years to come.