>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION."

I'M DON DAILEY.

WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE YOU WITH US TONIGHT.

THE PANDEMIC WILL DOMINATE OUR CONVERSATION TONIGHT IN THREE SEPARATE PIECES.

WE'LL BE TALKING LATER ON IN THE SHOW WITH THE PRESIDENT OF JUDSON COLLEGE, ABOUT A MIRACULOUS FUNDRAISING EFFORT THAT WILL KEEP THE ALL-WOMEN'S SCHOOL OPEN.

WE'LL ALSO TALK WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION.

JIM PURCELL WILL TALK ABOUT HIGHER ED CHALLENGES DURING THE PANDEMIC.

BUT WE BEGIN WITH K-12 CHALLENGES DURING THE PANDEMIC.

WE'RE HAPPY TO BE JOINED BY ALABAMA SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION DR. ERIC MACKEY.

WELCOME BACK TO SPOTLIGHT.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT.

>> DR. MACKEY, WE'VE HEARD SCHOOLS ON A WEEKLY AVERAGE ARE SEEING SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT 3,000 -- 3,000 POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS CASES.

HOW ARE WE DOING OVERALL IN YOUR ESTMAILINGS?

>> IT'S A STRUGGLE MAKING IT THROUGH THE WINTER.

WE SEE COMMUNITY INFECTIONS GROWING, THEN WE'LL SEE INFECTIONS INSIDE SCHOOLS GROWING.

SCHOOLS ARE JUST A REFLECTION OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.

WE STARTED, WHEN WE BEGAN BACK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, TO MEASURING THIS, I THINK THE FIRST WEEK WE WERE 700 OR 800, WE IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED TO 1500, AND WE'VE SEEMED TO PLATEAU TO ABOUT 3,000 POSITIVES IN A WEEK, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, IN A POPULATION OF ABOUT 850,000 PEOPLE.

BUT THOSE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO GROW.

THEN, OF COURSE, ON TOP OF THAT, WE DO A LOT OF CONTACT TRACING AND QUARANTINE, SO IT MAKES IT VERY HARD TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN DURING THESE TIMES.

>> I REMIND FOLKS YOU HAD YOUR OWN PERSONAL BOUT WITH THIS BACK BEFORE THE NEW YEAR.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE.

>> WELL, I NEVER TESTED POSITIVE FOR SURE, SO I WAS SICK, GOT TESTED, HAD SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS.

DIDN'T LOSE MY TASTE OR SMELL, BUT HAD SYMPTOMS THAT ACTUALLY DR. KAREN LANDERS AND DR. MACKEY AT PUBLIC HEALTH SAID YOU NEED TO COME AND GET TESTED.

THE FIRST TEST CAME BACK NEGATIVE.

THEY SAID IF I WASN'T BETTER IN ABOUT FIVE DAYS TO GET RETESTED.

BUT I WAS BETTER.

IN ABOUT TWO DAYS I GOT MIRACULOUSLY BETTER AND BY THE FIFTH DAY WAS BACK TO NORMAL.

AT THAT TIME, AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE SHORT ON TESTS, SO I SAID RATHER THAN TAKING ANOTHER TEST -- BUT I SERVED OUT MY QUARANTINE DAYS AND DIDN'T GO BACK TO WORK TILL THE END OF THAT TIME.

I STILL KIND OF WONDER ABOUT IT AND I'M THINKING ABOUT MAYBE GETTING THE ANTIBODIES TEST TO SEE IF, INDEED, I DID HAVE IT.

BUT WE HAVE HAD FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE BEEN POSITIVE, FOLKS, STAFF IN OUR DEPARTMENT, SO WE CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH IT ALL THE WAY AROUND.

>> WHERE SCHOOLS ARE CONCERNED, WHAT IS THE RATIO ROUGHLY BETWEEN SCHOOLS OPERATING IN PERSON VERSUS VIRTUALLY.

>> IN-PERSON IS THE MINORITY RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE A LOT OF SCHOOLS THAT ARE STILL OPEN TO IN-PERSON LEARNING, BUT MANY OF THEM ARE ON A HYBRID SCHEDULE.

SO SOME STUDENTS WILL BE HERE MONDAY, A DIFFERENT GROUP OF STUDENTS ON TUESDAY.

BUT I'M GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 60% RIGHT NOW THAT ARE REMOTE ONLY, AND THAT, OF COURSE, CHANGES FROM WEEK TO WEEK.

WE KNOW THAT MANY, MANY MORE SCHOOLS WANTED TO GO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION AFTER THE HOLIDAY THIS WEEK, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE.

MANY MORE HAVE REOPENED.

I TALKED TO A SUPERINTENDENT JUST EARLIER THIS WEEK WHO HAD GONE FROM TWO DAYS A WEEK TO FOUR DAYS A WEEK, BUT THEY'RE CAUTIOUS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, AS THE NUMBERS ARE, IT MAY BE THAT IN JUST A FEW DAYS OR A MATTER OF WEEKS THEY'LL HAVE TO CLOSE BACK DOWN OR GO TO SOME KIND OF HYBRID MODEL.

>> YES, ETCH THE SCHOOLS STILL OFFERING IN-PERSON LEARNING, PARENTS MAKE PERSONAL DECISIONS FOR THEIR CHILDREN WHETHER TO SEND THEM TO THE CLASSROOM OR NOT?

>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

IN THE SCHOOLS WHERE THEY HAVE IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION, WE FIND, STILL, ABOUT 30% OF STUDENTS JUST OPT TO DO REMOTE INSTRUCTION, ANYWAY.

SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON.

WE HAVE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT ARE REMOTE ONLY, SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE IN-PERSON, BUT THEY STILL HAVE SOME STUDENTS THAT OPT FOR REMOTE, AND THEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE DOING HYBRID, SO SOME OF THE STUDENTS ARE THERE EVERY DAY BUT NOT THE SAME GROUP OF STUDENTS.

AND EVEN IN THOSE, I WOULD REMIND FOLKS THAT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE, THEN, WHO SAY, NO, WE WANT TO DO HYBRID, OR WE WANT TO DO REMOTE ONLY, BUT THINGS GOING ON IN SCHOOLS ALL ACROSS THE STATE.

>> DR. MACKEY, AT THE END TO HAVE THE YEAR WE HEARD REPORTS OF LOSS OF STUDENTS BECAUSE SO MANY KIDS WERE LEARNING REMOTELY, THEY DIDN'T REENROLL OR YOU COULDN'T TRACK WHERE THEY WERE OR WHAT THEY WERE DOING, DID THAT KIND OF SIFT ITSELF OUT?

>> IT CERTAINLY DID.

WE FINALLY GOT THAT DOWN TO ABOUT 9,000 STUDENTS FEWER IN FALL OF 2020 THAN WE WERE IN THE FALL OF 2019.

OF THAT, 3,000 WERE SHORT IN KINDERGARTEN.

SO THOSE ARE PEOPLE WE FEEL PRETTY SURE THAT WHAT HAPPENED WAS PARENTS JUST SAID, LOOK, THIS CHILD IS FIVE, NEVER EVEN BEEN TO SCHOOL ANYWAY, MY LOCAL SCHOOL MAY BE -- YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HAVING TO MASK OR MAY BE REMOTE ONLY, I'M JUST GOING TO KEEP THE CHILD AT HOME, SO THAT LEAVES ABOUT 6,000 STUDENTS, WHERE ARE THEY?

WELL, WE'VE CLAIMED ABOUT HALF OF THOSE BACK NOW.

WE'VE GONE OUT AND BROUGHT THEM BACK IN.

SO WHERE WE ARE NOW IS ABOUT 3,000 STUDENTS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE THAT HAVE NOT GONE BACK TO SCHOOL.

TO BE FAIR, I WILL HAVE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT JUST TWO YEARS AGO WE LOST 4,000 STUDENTS JUST BECAUSE TO HAVE THE DECLINE IN NEW POPULATION IN THE STATE.

SO IT WOULD BE THOSE 3,000 DON'T EXIST, REALLY THAT'S WHAT OUR DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN, AND THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW THAT FOR SURE UNTIL WE COME BACK IN THE FALL.

I WILL SAY THIS, THOUGH, ONE MORE THING, I KNOW PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WAIT A MINUTE, IF YOU HAVE THEIR NAME ON THE ROLE, WHO ARE THEY?

SO THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS WE CLAIM, WE KNOW THEY EXIST, WE HAVE A HOME ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND IN MOST CASES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TRACK THOSE KIDS BACK DOWN.

BUT I WILL SAY SOME OF THEM LEFT STATE, MOVED ON, DID NOT LEAVE A RETURN ADDRESS, NOT MANY, BUT A FEW OF THOSE.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT TILL FALL TO GET ALL OF THEM BACK, BUT REALLY FEEL MUCH BETTER ABOUT THAT THAN I DID IN OCTOBER.

>> WOULD IT BE SAFE TO SAY THAT SOME OF THOSE KIDS ARE CHILDREN YOU EXPECTED TO ENROLL BUT DIDN'T AND HADN'T PREVIOUSLY ENROLLED?

>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

SO WE LOOK NUMBERS TO NUMBERS JUST LIKE KINDERGARTEN, SO WE KNOW WE HAVE FEWER KINDERGARTENERS IN 2020 THAN THE FALL OF '19, BUT IT COULD BE THAT THERE ARE A THOUSAND FEWER FIVE-YEAR-OLDS AND 2,000 DECIDED TO KEEP THEIR STUDENTS AT HOME.

SO THE ONES THAT NEVER ENROLLED BEFORE, WE LITERALLY HAVE NO WAY TO TRACK THEM, AND WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THOSE NUMBERS REBOUND IN THE FALL.

>> OUR COVID NUMBERS, OVERALL, IN THE STATE HAVE BEEN UP AND DOWN, MOSTLY UP, AND THERE'S EVERY EXPECTATION THAT THINGS WILL GET WORSE BEFORE BETTER.

HOW DOES THAT FIGURE IN TO THE GOVERNOR SAYING LATE LAST YEAR THAT SHE WANTED TO GET BACK TO IN-PERSON LEARNING IN THIS STATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE?

>> WELL, I KNOW SHE BELIEVES THAT, AND I BELIEVE THAT, TOO.

YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GET EVERY STUDENT BACK IN PERSON, WE HAVE GREAT HOPE THAT WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

MAYBE BY THE END OF THE SEMESTER.

SHE AND I AND DR. HARRIS AND OTHERS WERE HOPING WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ROLL OUT MORE VACCINE FASTER, NATIONALLY, THAN WE HAVE.

I KNOW THE NEW ADMINISTRATION SAYS I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO DO A MILLION VACCINATIONS IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS.

WE'RE HOPING WHEN WE GET MORE ADULTS IN SCHOOL TEACHERS AND OTHERS VACCINATED, THEY AND OTHERS WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE FOR COMING BACK FOR IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION.

WE ARE REMINDED EVERY WEEK IT IS NOT PRIMARILY A SERIOUS DISEASE AMONG CHILDREN.

CHILDREN GET IT, AND WE HAVE SOME VERY SERIOUS CASES AND WE DON'T WANT TO DOWNPLAY THOSE, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, CHILDREN WHO GET COVID FAIR VERY WELL WITH IT.

WE'RE MORE WORRIED, OBVIOUSLY, ABOUT OUR ADULTS.

>> WELL, GIVEN ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT LIE WITHIN THIS PANDEMIC, THE ABSENTEEISM, THE CONTENTION OF THE GOVERNOR, AMONG OTHERS, THAT KIDS JUST LEARN BETTER IN PERSON VERSUS REMOTELY, DO YOU WORRY ABOUT THAT DEFERENTIAL BETWEEN IN-PERSON VERSUS VIRTUAL LEARNING AND THE SUFFERING AND THE LEARNING CURVE THAT MAY EXIST.

>> THAT IS MY SECOND BIGGEST CONCERN.

THE FIRST, OBVIOUSLY, IS THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF OUR ADULTS, THE TEACHERS, OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS.

BUT BESIDE THAT, IT'S ABOUT LEARNING LOSS.

I STILL BELIEVE THERE'S NOTHING THAT WILL EVER REPLACE A HIGH-QUALITY TEACHER IN A CLASSROOM WITH CHILDREN.

I HAVE BEEN IN A CLASSROOM, AND THEY'RE MUCH BETTER TEACHERS THAN I OUT THERE, BUT THERE'S NOTHING LIKE LOOKING OVER A CHILD'S SHOULDER AND WATCHING THEM WORK A PROBLEM, SEEING THEM FIGURE SOMETHING OUT, HAVING THEM ASK QUESTIONS AND YOU ASK QUESTIONS AND USING THAT TO ARRIVE AT KNOWLEDGE AND ASSESS WHERE A STUDENT IS.

THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, THE ZOOM AND OTHER THINGS LIKE ZOOM, THEY'RE GOOD, BUT THEY TONIGHT REPLACE AN IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE WITH A TEACHER AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME REAL ISSUES, AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE US NEXT YEAR AND THE NEXT AND POSSIBLY THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, WHEN I MEET WITH MY COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY ZOOM.

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A THREE-YEAR RECOVERY TO TRY TO GET STUDENTS CAUGHT BACK UP.

SO NOT ALL STUDENTS.

SOME STUDENTS WILL ACTUALLY BE AHEAD, AND SOME STUDENTS, THEY WILL BE OKAY, BUT WE'LL HAVE MANY STUDENTS THAT WILL HAVE LEARNING GAPS THAT WILL TAKE A WHILE TO REMEDIATE.

>> YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ONE TO HAVE THE IMMEDIATE GOALS IS GETTING TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF VACS MADE.

WE'VE SEEN IN THE HEADLINES RECENTLY THERE MAY BE SOMEWHAT OF A DELAY IN THAT PROCESS.

>> YEAH, IT'S UNFORTUNATE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS ARE IN GROUP ONE B WHICH STARTED THIS WEEK, WHICH INCLUDES FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE AND OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS, PLUS FOLKS THERE ARE 75 AND OLDER.

WHAT WE'VE FOUND IS THAT, IN SOME COMMUNITIES WHERE MAYBE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL PHARMACIES AND HOSPITALS HAVE AMPLE SUPPLY OF VACCINE, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, NOT AS MANY COMMUNITY PEOPLE IN GROUP ONE A HAVE COME IN TO TAKE THE VACCINE, AND, SO, THEY'RE ABLE TO REACH OUT AND VACCINATE THEIR TEACHERS.

SO BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A FEW THOUSAND TEACHERS THAT WILL HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, BUT OF THE -- YOU KNOW, THE 100,000 THAT WE HAVE IS A PRETTY SMALL PERCENTAGE, STILL.

SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT ROLLING OUT.

I THINK AND HOPE THAT, BY THE END OF FEBRUARY, WE'LL BE MUCH FURTHER ALONG.

BUT IT'S ABOUT THE SUPPLY OF VACCINE.

WHERE WE REALLY HAVE BIG NEEDS IS IN THE MAJOR CITIES.

IN THE MAJOR CITIES, WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO START VACCINATIONS FOR TEACHERS YET.

>> TO PUT IT IN SIMPLE TERMS FOR FOLKS, AS THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS SAID, EVEN AS WE OPEN UP THE VACCINATIONS TO MORE GROUPS, THE SUPPLY OF VACCINE REMAINS VERY FINITE.

>> YEAH, I THINK IN ALABAMA LAST WEEK WE WERE GETTING ABOUT 50,000 DOSES PER WEEK.

THE FOLKS SAY IT TAKES 200,000 DOLES JUST TO DO OUR ADULTS AND SCHOOLS.

SO IT WOULD TAKE THE STATE'S ENTIRE SUPPLY FOR A MONTH TO VACCINATE TEACHERS AND ADULTS IN SCHOOLS IF NOBODY ELSE GOT VACCINATED THAT MONTH AND, OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO WE REALLY ARE WAITING ON THAT SUPPLY FROM WASHINGTON AND HOPEFULLY THE SUPPLY CHAINS WILL GET BETTER AND WE WILL BE GETTING MORE VACCINE QUICKLY.

>> I WANT TO TURN, DR. MACKEY, TO THE NEWS RECENTLY THAT ALABAMA SCHOOLS STOOD TO GET SOME $900 MILLION UNDER THE NEW FEDERAL CARES ACT.

TELL US WHERE THAT MONEY WILL GO AND HOW IT WILL BE USED.

>> A HUGE BOOST TO OUR SCHOOLS.

SO $900 MILLION, 800 MILLION OF WHICH WILL GO DIRECTLY TO SCHOOL BOARDS.

IT WILL BE DIVIDED UP ON THE TITLE ONE FORMULA, SO THAT MEANS SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HIGHER POVERTY, MORE STUDENTS IN POVERTY, WILL GET MORE OF THE MONEY.

THEN THERE WILL BE ABOUT ABOUT 80 MILLION, 85 MILLION THAT WILL BE KEPT AT THE STATE LEVEL OR STATEWIDE INITIATIVES, AND THAT WILL BE FOCUSED MOSTLY ON EARLY MATH AND READING PROGRAMS WE'RE STILL IDENTIFYING.

MONEY IS NOT HERE YET, SO WE'RE NOT TOO FAR ALONG THAT PATHWAY.

SOME OF THE RULES FOR HOW THE MONEY CAN BE SPENT STILL WON'T BE PUBLISHED.

NOW WE KNOW FOR SURE IT WILL BE DONE UNDER THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.

SO, ANYWAY, THE BIG SHARE TO HAVE THE MONEY GOES STRAIGHT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IT CAN BE SPENT FOR A NUMBER OF THINGS.

LEARNING LOSS IS A BIG PART OF THAT, AND A LOT OF THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT ON BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING, SATURDAY SCHOOL PROGRAMS, ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS, THINGS TO HELP STUDENTS CLOSE THOSE GAPS AND GET CAUGHT UP.

BUT INTERESTINGLY, THE MONEY CAN ALSO BE SPENT ON SOME FACILITIES.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU FIND THAT YOUR HVAC SYSTEM IS OLD, IT'S NOT MOVING ENOUGH AIR, THEN THEY CAN DO SOME UPGRADES TO THAT, PUT IN SPECIAL FILTERS AND LIGHTS TO FILTER OUT OR KILL VIRUS, TO TURN AIR OVER MORE OFTEN.

SO WE KNOW SOME OF THE MONEY WHETHER PROBABLY BE SPENT ON SOME KIND OF THOSE MITIGATION FACTORS.

WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING THAT.

I WAS IN CONVERSATION JUST A FEW DAYS AGO WITH A SPECIALIST FROM THE HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE WORK THEY'RE DOING ON CLEAN BUILDINGS, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THAT, BUT THAT'S GOING TO TAKE MECHANICAL ENGINEERS TO HELP US ASSESS WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR BUILDINGS AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

>> BUT IT COMES AT A VERY CRITICAL TIME.

>> ABSOLUTELY, AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT WORK FAST ENOUGH.

THE MONEY, BY THE WAY, FROM THE FEDS, EVEN THOUGH CONGRESS PASSED IT AND THE PRESIDENT SIGNED IT BEFORE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, IT REALLY WON'T BE AVAILABLE TO OUR DISTRICTS FOR A COUPLE MORE MONTHS, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE SPENT UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER OF '23.

SO THERE'S A LONG TIMELINE FOR THIS.

>> I WANT TO SPEND THE LAST COUPLE OF MINUTES TALKING ABOUT INTERNET VOUCHERS.

WE TALKED ABOUT IT ON LAST QUARTER'S SHOW, AND THERE'S BEEN AN EXTENSION, HAS THERE NOT, FOR THE AVAILABILITY OF INTERNET VOUCHERS.

WE'RE WORKING TO GET HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICE AVAILABLE IN MANY MORE HOMES IN ALABAMA FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS ENHANCED REMOTE LEARNING FOR KIDS.

>> SO WE HAD LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF HOMES THAT TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE ABC PROGRAM CONNECTING STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE.

CONGRESS IN THE LAST CARES ACT SAID IF YOU HAVE NOT SPENT ALL YOUR MONEY ON THAT PROVISION, YOU CAN KEEP SPENDING IT THROUGH THIS SEMESTER.

THE GOVERNOR CAME BACK AND SAID WE HAVE MONEY LEFT, LET'S SPEND THAT MONEY ON OUR STUDENTS.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO EXTEND THAT ABC PROGRAM OF ALL STUDENTS THAT WERE CURRENTLY IN IT THROUGH THE NEXT TO HAVE THE SCHOOL YEAR, NOT TAKING NEW STUDENTS, BECAUSE THERE'S NO NEW MONEY FROM CONGRESS, IT'S JUST SPENDING THE MONEY THAT WAS UNSPENT IN THE ORIGINAL FUND.

>> SPEAKING OF THOSE WHO INITIALLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THESE MONEYS, THERE WERE SOME REPORTS THAT SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE NOT AS MANY AS SOME HAD HOPED WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THESE MONEYS.

IS THAT YOUR IMPRESSION?

>> SO WE WERE ABLE TO PRETTY MUCH DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WOULD QUALIFY.

IT WAS, LIKE, 350,000 STUDENTS WOULD QUALIFY, BUT NOT -- OBVIOUSLY, SOME OF THEM HAD INTERNET AT HOME, ALREADY.

SO WE HAVE TO GO IN AND SAY, DO YOU ALREADY HAVE INTERNET AT HOME?

AND IF SO, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO STILL GET ON THE VOUCHER PROGRAM.

WE ENDED UP WITH FEWER THAN 100,000 STUDENTS THAT ACTUALLY SIGNED UP FOR THE PROGRAM -- EXCUSE ME, I SHOULD SAY 100,000 HOUSEHOLDS, AS SOMETIMES THERE MIGHT BE TWO OR THREE STUDENTS IN THE HOUSEHOLD.

NOT THE ORIGINAL NUMBER WE INTENDED, BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAVE MONEY LEFT THAT WE CAN EXTEND THROUGH THE SECOND SEMESTER.

SO FOR THE FOLKS ON THE PROGRAM, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.

>> BEFORE WE CLOSED WE SPOKE WITH OUTGOING SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEM MARSH, HIS LAST TWO YEARS IN THE SENATE WILL BE FOCUSING ON EDUCATION REFORM AND BROADBAND EXPANSION.

I EXPECT YOU'RE ANXIOUS ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE PUT ON THE TABLE THERE.

>> ABSOLUTELY SO.

WE TALKED ABOUT BROADBAND AND THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY ON THE BROADBAND.

SO ABOUT GETTING BROADBAND INTO SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO HOW DO YOU GET THE TECHNOLOGY INTO THE HANDS OF OUR YOUNGSTERS SO THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

I KNOW THOSE ARE TWO TOPICS HE'S VERY INTERESTED IN AS WELL AS I AM.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM, THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR COMING REALLY SOON.

SO WE'LL BE STARTING THAT, ACTUALLY, NEXT TUESDAY, I WILL BE GIVING MY BUDGET PRESENTATION AND IT WILL BE ROLLING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

>> LEGISLATION SESSION BEGINS FEBRUARY 2.

DR. MACKEY, SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.

>> THANK YOU.

>> "SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION," WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

>> NEXT UP ON "SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION," THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION JIM PURCELL IS BACK IN STUDIO WITH US.

WELCOME BACK TO SPOTLIGHT.

>> GLAD TO BE HERE.

>> THE PANDEMIC IS OBVIOUSLY A PREDOMINANT THEME THROUGHOUT TONIGHT'S SHOW.

HIGHER EDUCATION HAS HAD SOME PARTICULARLY CHALLENGES WHERE THE PANDEMIC IS CONCERNED.

YOU'RE DEALING WITH COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND SOCIAL LIFE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION AND ATHLETICS, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON WHERE THE CHALLENGES ARE CONCERNED.

TELL US HOW WE FARED, DO YOU THINK?

>> OUR CAMPUSES HAVE A PLAN FOR PRETTY MUCH ALL EVENTS BUT CERTAINLY NOT A PANDEMIC, WHAT HAPPENED TO US THIS YEAR.

SO I THINK THE CAMPUS DID A GOOD JOB RESPONDING.

WE WENT ONLINE REALLY FAST IN THE SPRING.

WE FIGURED OUT ATHLETICS PRETTY MUCH MOVING AHEAD AND WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HAVE PEOPLE COME TO COLLEGE WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING ON CAMPUS IN A CLASSROOM.

>> WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH COLLEGE AGE STUDENTS, THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE IS PART OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SO THERE'S A NATURAL INCLINATION, I THINK, AMONG STUDENTS TO WANT TO CONTINUE WITH TRADITIONS AND THE SOCIAL ACTIVITY AND HAVING FUN, BUT THIS YEAR YOU HAD TO MIX THAT WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CAUTION, AND MANAGING EXPECTATIONS, I IMAGINE, WAS ONE OF THE MORE CHALLENGING THINGS THERE.

>> YEAH, I THINK THE CAMPUSES DID A GOOD JOB.

THEY KNEW WHAT THEIR PARTICULAR AUDIENCE WAS AND TRIED TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR OBLIGATION TO INDIVIDUALS, TO THE INSTITUTION, TO ACT RESPONSIBLY AND STILL TRY TO GIVE THEM EXPERIENCES THAT MATTER, LIKE DOING RUSH ONLINE AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS, MAKING SOME CHANGES BUT STILL TRYING TO KEEP THE EXPERIENCES THAT THEY NORMALLY THINK ABOUT COLLEGE, OTHER THAN THE ACADEMICS IN PLACE.

TEACHING PEOPLE TO LEARN IS VIRTUALLY VERY DIFFERENT THAN IN PERSON.

>> STILL SEEING SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR SO FAR OF LARGE GATHERINGS, SAY, ON THE STRIP IN TUSCALOOSA NEXT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CAMPUS.

THE RECENT SHOT OF THE THOUSANDS WHO GATHERED ON THE STRIP AFTER ALABAMA WON THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, THOSE TYPE OF EVENTS ARE LOOKED AT AS SUPERSPREADER EVENTS AND MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURES WE SAW DIDN'T HAVE ON MASKS, SO I THINK IT TAKES A REEMPHASIZING OF CORE VALUES WHERE THE PANDEMIC IS CONCERNED.

>> I THINK THERE ARE MOMENTS WHERE ALL OF US GET CAUGHT UP IN SOMETHING, AND ALL OF US AT HOME GOT INVOLVED IN THE SAME FEELING.

THE CAMPUSES HAVE GONE ONLINE VIRTUALLY THE NEXT TWO WEEKS TO MAKE SURE THE SPREAD ISN'T AS BIG AS IT COULD BE IF WE'RE ALL THERE IN PERSON.

>> I GUESS FOR ALL OF THE LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED DURING THIS, THERE'S STILL MORE CHALLENGES TO COME.

THIS IS NOT OVER YET.

WE HAVE TO REMAIN DILIGENT, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, DILIGENCE IS IMPORTANT AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE BUSINESS MODEL IS GOING FORWARD.

THE INSTITUTIONS DIDN'T HAVE THE ENROLLMENT THEY HAD IN YEARS PAST OR THE ENROLLMENT PATTERNS CHANGE.

THE UNIVERSITIES DID BETTER IN SOME WAYS THAT THEY HAD CERTAINLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF STUDENTS BUT MOST WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE SENIORS WHO DIDN'T HAVE A JOB AND WENT ON TO GRADUATE SCHOOLS, DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY FRESHMEN AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES HAD A SLIGHT DECLINE.

>> DID YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF HAVING TO GET PAST THE NOTION OF SOME COLLEGE KIDS THAT THEY FEEL MORE INVINCIBLE EVEN AGAINST SOMETHING LIKE THE CORONAVIRUS AND I GUESS HAMMER HOME THAT NONE OF US ARE REALLY INVINCIBLE?

>> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR PEOPLE IN STUDENT AFFAIRS, ESPECIALLY IN HIGHER EDUCATION SINCE THE BEGINNING, IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT MORTALITY AND THE OTHER EVENTS THAT OCCUR WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.

IT'S THE GREAT CRIPPLER OF CAREERS.

A LOT OF TIMES STUDENTS DO ODD THINGS AND ADMINISTRATORS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

SO I THINK THERE'S A STRONG INCLINATION ON CAMPUS TO HELP THEM DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT IT IS A DIFFICULT SITUATION.

>> COLLEGE STUDENTS OBVIOUSLY ARE NOT IMMUNE OR INVINCIBLE TO THIS VIRUS.

MY OWN NEPHEW WHO'S A COLLEGE STUDENT HAD IT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AND MANY MORE HAVE.

I KNOW THE DEGREE OF SEVERITY VARIES GREATLY.

YOU MAY SEE SOMEBODY WHO HAVE GETS IT AND SHOWS VERY FEW SYMPTOMS AND THINK, THIS IS NOTHING, BUT THERE ARE THOSE WHO GET MORE SERIOUS CASES OF IT AND THAT'S WHERE THE MANAGING OF EXPECTATIONS HAS TO COME IN.

>> AND YOU GET DIFFERENT VIEWS.

WE HAVE COMPLAINTS THAT COME THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ABOUT INSTITUTIONS AND A LOT ARE OH YOU'RE NOT LETTING OUR CHILD HAVE THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE, AND THE OTHERS SAYING YOU'RE NOT STRICT ENOUGH, AND IT'S THE SAME INSTITUTION, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO BALANCE THE PERCEPTION AND HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE.

>> MR. PURCELL, WAS MASK-WEARING AT ALL CHALLENGING TO PROP DATE ON COLLEGE CAMPUS ALSO.

>> GENERALLY SPEAKING THE INSTITUTIONS WERE GOOD WORKING WITH EACH OTHER TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THEIR PLANS WERE CONSISTENT, SO ALL IN ALL, I THINK THAT WAS GOOD.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF MASK WEARING WAS AS MUCH OF THE DEAL, A LOT TO HAVE THE WHOLE OVERTESTING, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO GET A NOSE SWAB EVERY THREE OR FOUR DAYS WAS DIFFICULT FOR SOME FOLKS, AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN EVIE, BUT, AS THE PANDEMIC MOVED AROUND CAMPUS, ACTUALLY, THE OTHER ONE IS QUARANTINING, AND WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A STUDENT FOR TEN DAYS AND OFF CAMPUS STUDENTS GOT REDIRECTED SOMEWHERE ELSE.

SO IT IS DIFFICULT TO RESPOND TO A PANDEMIC WITH SUCH DENSITY OF PEOPLE.

>> COLLEGE ATHLETICS LOOKED DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.

WATCHING GAMES ON TV WHEN THEY DID A PAN OF THE AUDIENCE IN THE STANDS ILLUSTRATED THAT PROBLEM MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

>> ACTUALLY THE NOISE NEVER GOT IN THE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING THE PLAYS OR ANYTHING NOWADAYS, BUT I CERTAINLY MISS IT AND LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR BEING MORE NORMAL.

>> DO YOU THINK WE'LL DEVELOP A NEW TEMPLATE MOVING FORWARD FOR WHEN AND IF THIS EVER HAPPENS AGAIN?

>> WELL, I THINK WE'RE BECOMING MORE USED TO THE ZOOMING AND ALL THE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES, SO I THINK YOU WILL SEE A LOT MORE OF THAT.

TO ME THAT GIVES YOU GREATER OPPORTUNITIES.

IT'S A WAY TO BRING IN SOME OF YOUR BEST FACULTY TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH A LOT MORE STUDENTS, WHEREAS BEFORE YOU WOULD HAVE HAD THEM IN ONE OR TWO CLASSES.

SO THIS IS A WAY TO RE-THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING.

THAT'S A PART OF OUR PLAN AND I KNOW THE TWO-YEAR COLLEGE SYSTEM ALSO HAS REALLY TALKED ABOUT RECONNECTING OUR GRADUATES TO THE WORKFORCE, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT NOW.

THIS IS A BIG CHANGE FOR OUR ECONOMY.

I MEAN, THIS IS A POINT IN THIS NATION'S ECONOMY AND IN THE STATES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COME OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC BETTER OFF, AND THE WAY THAT WILL BE DONE IS TO HAVE THE SKILL SETS NEEDED FOR A MODERN ECONOMY, WHICH IS AUTOMATION AND SKILL SETS THAT MAYBE WE DON'T TEACH FOR RIGHT NOW.

>> SPEAKING OF THOSE THINGS, THEY ALL FACTOR IN TO THE NEW HIGHER EDUCATION BUDGET THAT YOU WILL HELP PRESENT AS HEAD OF THE ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO STATE LAWMAKERS AND BUDGET HEARINGS THAT START AT THE STATE HOUSE NEXT WEEK, RIGHT?

>> YES, WE WILL BE ASKING FOR ABOUT $60 MILLION INCREASE WHICH IS REALLY 3%, AND WE SORT OF BACKED INTO THAT.

THE INSTITUTION HAD ALL KIND OF PANDEMIC ISSUES TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF PLACES DOWN SOUTH HAD THE HURRICANE THAT SORT OF IMPACTED THINGS.

WE WENT 3% ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T SEPARATE WHAT THE REQUESTS WERE FOR ALL THOSE THINGS.

SO THERE WILL BE SOME CONVERSATIONS ON THE SIDE BETWEEN CAMPUSES AND THE LEGISLATORS, BUT FOR US 3% SEEMS APPROPRIATE BASED ON THE REVENUES COMING IN.

>> ONE OF THE CHALLENGES YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO TACKLE IN THE BUDGET REQUEST THIS YEAR IS RETAINING OUR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY GRADUATES, FOR AS MANY FOLKS WE GRADUATE, THEY DON'T ALL STAY AND LIVE AND WORK IN ALABAMA, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A PRIORITY, RIGHT.

>> YES, AND SOME OF THAT EFFORT WILL BE MOSTLY GUIDED TOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.

WHAT WE FOUND IN A STUDY OF OUR GRADUATES GOING INTO LABOR FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOLKS, WE KEPT ABOUT 70% OF THEM IN THE WORKPLACE IN ALABAMA.

BUT ONLY HALF OF THE BACHELOR'S STAYED IN ALABAMA'S ECONOMY.

WE NEED TO IMPROVE ON THAT.

IT'S MUCH WORSE FOR STUDENTS WHO COME DOWN HERE AND ENJOY THEIR COLLEGE YEARS BUT THEY DON'T STAY HERE TO WORK AND GO BACK TO THE ECONOMY IN GEORGIA AND OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTRY.

WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO STAY IN THE STATE.

>> "FORBES" MAGAZINE MADE US THIRD WORST IN THE COUNTRY FOR RETAINING GRADUATES.

>> AND IT'S TRUE, WHEN YOU RETAIN LESS THAN 50% OF YOUR GRADUATE STUDENTS IN FIVE YEARS, THAT'S PROBLEMATIC FOR OUR ECONOMY.

ESPECIALLY ON OURS, OUR ECONOMY IS HURTING BAD RIGHT NOW, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, THEY ESTIMATED THE ECONOMY IN ALABAMA WOULD GROW 10%, BUT IT WAS REALLY DEPENDENT ON US HAVING THE SKILLED LABOR IN PLACE IN ALABAMA AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

WE PUSHED AN INITIATIVE IN ALABAMA WHICH IS MICROCREDENTIALS, TO MAKE SURE WHEN SOMEBODY GRADUATES THEY HAVE THE SKILLS KNEELED WHEN THEY START A JOB, AND WE BELIEVE PEOPLE GET PROMOTED BASED ON THEIR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND ALL THE THINGS THEY THINK ABOUT FROM A TRADITIONAL COLLEGE GRADUATE.

BUT I THINK THE INITIAL JOB IS DEPENDENT ON THE SKILL SET THEY CAN BRING TO AN EMPLOYER THEN AND THERE.

>> OPPORTUNITIES HAVE ABOUNDED HERE IN ALABAMA IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, JOB OPPORTUNITIES, HIGH-SKILLED JOBS AS WE CONTINUE TO ATTRACT BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY TO THE STATE.

BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE A SKILLED WORK PORTION FOR.

ARE WE GOING A GOOD ENOUGH JOB IN THAT ARENA?

>> WE THINK WE'RE PRODUCING ENOUGH.

THE BIG THING IS CAPTURING THEM OR HAVING THEM WORK HERE.

WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS MAKING SURE THERE'S CONNECTIONS BETWEEN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY AND THE UNIVERSITIES SO THEY CAN TALK TO PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY IN THE MAJOR ALSO THEY NEED.

THE OTHER ONE IS ACTUALLY BRINGING THE STUDENTS OUT TO MANY OF OUR CITIES SO THEY CAN SORT OF SEE WHAT LIFE IS A LIKE, HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSES WHERE WE BRING GRADUATES IN SCIENCE AND MATH, YOU KNOW, IN THE HUNTSVILLE AREA OR DIFFERENT PLACES TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF SEE WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE FOR THE STATE.

>> THESE INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR AND OTHERS THAT WE'LL GET TO, HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY INITIAL FAVORABLE RESPONSE FROM SOME OF THE LAWMAKERS YOU'VE TALKED TO.

>> YES, SOME OF THEM, CENTER ORAK WHO IS THE ONE WHO LOOKED AT OUR EMPLOYMENT OUTCOME REPORTS SAW THERE WAS AN ISSUE OF OUR RETAINING PEOPLE AT THE BACHELOR'S LEVEL OR HIGHER, AND SAID HOW CAN WE FIX THIS?

AND I SAID I WOULD SPEND THE SUMMER TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

AND THERE ARE STATES GOING DOWN THIS PATH.

I THINK WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER WILL BE SOMETHING THAT DOES IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO ATTRACT AND KEEP OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST.

>> SENATOR ARTHUR CHAIRS THE SENATE EDUCATION BUDGET COMMITTEE.

THERE'S BEEN FRUSTRATION OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, HAS THERE NOT, FOR INCREASES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION VERSUS K-12 SPENDING?

NOT TO CAST DISPERSIONS ON K-12, MIND YOU, BUT IN SOME FOLKS' MIND, AT LEAST, THERE'S BEEN A DISCERNIBLE GAP THERE.

>> WELL, CERTAINLY.

THERE USED TO BE THIS FAIR SHARE GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES AND K-12 OR PRE-K. A LOT OF THAT IS ADDRESSED BECAUSE WE NEED TO FUND PRE-K.

I AM A SUPPORTER OF PRE-K AND K-12 FUNDING, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT IN TIME, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY, IF WE DO IT RIGHT, MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE SKILL SETS THAT REALLY MAKE OUR ECONOMY MOVE FORWARD, AND IT REALLY HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENED OVER TIME.

WE'VE JUST GOT TO KEEP THAT GOING.

THEY DID COMPARE US A LOT OF TIMES TO MISSISSIPPI AND THERE WAS A RECENT ARTICLE IN A "WALL STREET JOURNAL" THAT REALLY SHOWED THAT MISSISSIPPI STILL IS DOING THE LOW-SKILL MANUFACTURING, AND ALABAMA HAS MOVED ON TO ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND MADE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR ECONOMY.

>> RIGHT NOW, IN THE THROWS OF THE PANDEMIC IS NOT A GOOD TIME TO MEASURE SOME OF THESE THINGS, RIGHT?

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS AND REASSESS.

BUT WHERE WE WERE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC IS FAIRLY ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE THINGS YOU SPEAK OF.

>> YES, SIR.

>> AND I THINK AT LEAST I HOPE THERE'S A CERTAIN RECOGNITION OF THAT MOVING FORWARD AS WE TACKLE THE BUDGET ISSUES.

>> YES, I THINK THE LEGISLATORS ARE AWARE WE WERE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS, AT THE POINT OF BEING A WHOLE DIFFERENT ECONOMY.

WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING IN THAT DIRECTION.

WE DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE OUR CITIZENS HAVE THE SKILLS TO BE COMPETITIVE AND EMPLOYABLE, AND I THINK THAT'S AN OBLIGATION OF PUBLIC GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OF ALL COURSES TO HELP BRING FORTH THAT CAPACITY WITHIN OUR CITIZENS.

>> THIS IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES AND REWARDING SCHOOLS THAT MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROCESS IN IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES, THAT'S PART OF YOUR BUDGET PROPOSAL NEXT WEEK TO LAWMAKERS, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, WE PUT IN $10 MILLION IN THE BUDGET.

IT'S REALLY A CONVERSATION THAT HAS HAPPENED BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITIES AND SOME CONSULTANTS FROM OUT OF STATE.

IN FACT, ACHE REALLY WASN'T INVOLVED.

THERE WAS A PLACE HOLDER FOR THAT MONEY SO WE PUT MONEY IN THAT.

WE ALLOCATED MONEY FOR THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PERFORMING SYSTEM THEY HAD DONE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, SO THERE'S 10 MILLION TOTAL, ABOUT 2.5 MILLION FOR THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND 7.5 FOR THE UNIVERSITIES IF THEY CAN GET TOGETHER ACTED AGREE ON A PERFORMANCE METRIC THAT WORKS, WHICH IS HARDER THAN IT SOUNDS.

>> AT THE SAME TIME, DO YOU GO INTO THE BUDGETING PROCESS WITH ANY SORT OF HESITATION GIVEN THE CHALLENGES OUR ECONOMY FACED AND THE TOUGH DECISIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE BY LAWMAKERS.

>> YES, THAT'S WHAT OUR BUDGET TRIED TO DO.

ACHE'S ROLE IS TO LOOK AT THE THE REQUESTS, THE PROJECTIONS FOR REVENUE AND MAKE A RECOMMEND THAT'S MORE PRAGMATIC.

WE DON'T MAKE FRIENDS WHEN WE DO THOSE THINGS, BUT IT DOES GIVE I THINK A THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIEW OF WHAT THE INSTITUTIONS.

>> THE REVENUE STREAMS THAT FLOW INTO THE EDUCATION BUDGET ARE MOSTLY GREATER IN PRODUCING TERMS THAN THOSE WHO FLOW INTO THE GENERAL TERM BUDGET BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, THIS HAS BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR AND THERE ARE CERTAIN UNKNOWNS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

BUT EVEN THAT BEING SAID, THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY MANAGEMENT OF OUR RESOURCES HERE IN MONTGOMERY, GIVEN THE PANDEMIC.

>> OH, YEAH, AND THEY'VE DONE WELL, AND I THINK THE GOVERNOR DID A GREAT JOBS WITH AGENCIES GIVING US THE FLEXIBILITY TO ROLL OVER FUNDS AND MOVE THEM INTO BUDGET ITEMS WE CAN USE AND APPLY WHEN WE'RE NOT TRAVELING.

MY OFFICE PROBABLY SAVED $200,000 ON TRAVEL THAT WE WOULD DO ALL OVER, AND THAT MONEY WAS REDIRECTED TOWARDS THINGS THAT WE COULD DO, EXPANDING OUR TECHNICAL RESOURCES AND PROVIDING GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS TO IMPROVE THEIR SERVICES.

>> LET'S SPEND THE LAST FEW MOMENTS EDUCATING THE AUDIENCE ON WHAT ACHE DOES, ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, THE NAME SHOULD BE SYNONYMOUS WITH YOUR MISSION.

OUR GOVERNOR IVEY WORKED WITH ACHE.

>> SHE WORKED WITH THE ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT AND HER PERSPECTIVE IS WELL RESPECTED.

I TRULY THINK OUR ROLE IS TO HELP THE CITIZENS OF THE STATE AND ONE OF OUR JOBS IS TO MAKE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION FOR ALL THE INSTITUTIONS.

THE OTHER IS ACTUALLY APPROVE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS THAT THOSE INSTITUTIONS HAVE SO WE CAN ASSURE THERE'S SOME QUALITY CONTROL FOR THINGS THAT THERE'S NOT UNDUE DUPLICATION, AND THE OTHER IS TO DO THE STATE'S FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS THAT THE LEGISLATURE DEFINED.

THOSE ARE ALL PART OF THE COMPONENT, BUT I THINK THE BIG THING IS SUPPORTING THE ECONOMY.

EDUCATION'S ROLE IS MAKING SURE THE ECONOMY HAS THE HUMAN CAPITAL THEY NEED TO PROSPER.

>> STUDENT AID IS ALWAYS A PRIORITY IN THE BUDGET PRESENTATIONS YOU WILL MAKE NEXT WEEK.

LET'S CLOSE, BRIEFLY, ON THIS ONGOING DEBATE ABOUT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS.

I KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE A HOT TOPIC FOR THE BIDEN PRESIDENCY.

DOES ACHE WEIGH IN ON THIS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER?

>> ANY OF US THAT WORK IN THE FIELD SORT OF KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DEBT THAT'S THERE.

THERE'S A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT START OFF COLLEGE HAVE DEBT AND DON'T FINISH AND THEY'RE NOT SO HAPPY ABOUT IT.

THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO GRADUATE WHO DID ALL THE THINGS WE ASKED THEM TO DO AND THEY HAVE DEBT AND CAN'T BUY A HOUSE OR MORTGAGE OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS, THEN YOU HAVE THIS PANDEMIC SO IT BECOMES MORE TRAGIC.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THERE.

MOST OF US SPENT A LOT OF TIME EARLY TRYING TO GET STUDENTS TO NOT TAKE THE DEBT ON WHEN THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO AND, YOU KNOW, AS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT'S ALWAYS A HARD CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM RIGHT AFTER YOU GRADUATE.

BUT THOSE OF US WHO ARE LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM KNOWS IT TAKES A WHILE.

SO I THINK THAT'S THE ISSUE.

WE'VE GOT TO HELP THE STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THE DEBT, THE MONEY IS NOT FREE.

I THINK SOME RELIEF AT THIS TIME WOULD HELP THE ECONOMY AND THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS.

BUT ALL IN ALL WE NEED A DIFFERENT FUNDING MODEL FOR INSTITUTIONS THAT THEY'RE NOT OVER-RELIANT ON FAMILIES AND STUDENTS TAKING ON A LOT OF DEBT.

>> AND IF THERE IS MORE STUDENT LOAN DEBT FORGIVENESS, PERHAPS IT NEEDS TO BE MORE BALANCED.

BECAUSE THERE'S A FEAR, MAY BE LEGITIMATE, THAT THE BURDEN OF STUDENT LOANS WILL BE PLACED ON THE BACKS OF SEGMENT OF SOCIETY WHERE THE OTHER GETS FREED OF IT.

>> AND I THINK ANYBODY WHO SIGNS ON THE BOTTOM LINE, IT'S YOUR OBLIGATION AND YOU SHOULD ADDRESS THAT.

IT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S MONEY AND IF THEY WANT TO FOREGIVE LOANS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT GOVERNMENTS DO, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO AS EDUCATORS MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY SIGN SOMETHING, IT'S THEIR COMMITMENT, THEIR CHARACTER FOR WHICH THAT SIGNATURE IS BALANCED ON.

>> JIM PURCELL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO HAVE THE ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION.

ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> AND "SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION" WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

>> MONTGOMERY NATIVE KATHERINE THORNTON IS A PHYSICIST AND FORMER N.A.S.A.

ASTRONAUT, A VETERAN OF FOUR SPACE FLIGHTS, THORNTON LOGGED MORE THAN 900 HOURS IN SPACE , 21 HOURS OF EXTRA VEHICULAR HOURS.

SHE SERVED ON THE MAIDEN FLIGHT OF SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR, HELPED REPAIR THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE AND CONDUCTED MICROGRAVITY IN SPACE LABS.

>> FINALLY ON "SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION" TONIGHT, A STORY YOU PROBABLY HEARD A LOT ABOUT IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, TRULY A MIRACLE IN SAVING ONE OF OUR INSTITUTIONS IN ALABAMA, JUDSON COLLEGE IN MARION, ALABAMA IS A BAPTIST AFFILIATED WOMEN'S COLLEGE FOUNDED IN 1838 WAS AXE LIB ON THE BRINK OF CLOSURE BUT THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF A LOT OF FOLKS, THEY CAN REMAIN OPEN AT LEAST NOW FOR THE NEAR FUTURE.

DR. MARK TEW IS JUDSON'S PRESIDENT AND JOINS US ON "SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION."

WELCOME TO SPOTLIGHT.

>> GREAT TO BE WITH YOU.

>> IT IS AN INSPIRING STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED AT JUDSON COLLEGE IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

LET'S SET THE STAGE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW.

YOU LITERALLY HAD TO PUT A NOTICE OUT TO YOUR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS THAT IF THEY DIDN'T COME AND HELP AND HELP QUICKLY, JUDSON WAS GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE PRUDENCE DICTATED WE HAVE A CERTAIN CASH POSITION PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE SEMESTER, SO THAT WE KNEW WE COULD WORK THROUGH THE SEMESTER IN A GOOD FORM AND IN A GOOD FASHION, TAKING CARE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES WITH OUR STUDENTS.

SO WE KNEW WHAT THE NUMBER NEEDED TO BE, AND WE LET FOLKS KNOW WHAT WE WERE DAYSING AND THE RE-- FACING AND THE RESPONSE WAS OVERWHELMING.

>> I THINK THE NUMBER YOU PUT OUT IS YOU NEEDED $500,000 IN CASH, AND JUST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS TOTAL SUPPORT TO CONTINUE CLASSES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR, RIGHT?

>> THAT'S ALMOST CORRECT.

WE NEEDED TO RECEIVE $500,000 AS A GOAL IN DECEMBER, AND AN ADDITIONAL 1 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF 1.5 THROUGH THE END OF MAY 31, AND THAT WOULD TAKE US THROUGH THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR.

SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR RAISING IMMEDIATE CASH SO WE KNEW WE HAD THAT IN HAND, AND THEN WE'RE WORKING TOWARD ADDITIONAL PLEDGES, IF YOU WILL, OR ASSURANCES FROM OUR DONORS THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO -- THEY'D CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US THROUGH THE SPRING SEMESTER, AND THEY DID BOTH WITH GREAT SUCCESS.

>> WERE YOU SURPRISED AT THE GENEROSITY?

>> ACTUALLY, I WAS NOT.

JUDSON HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR ITS GENEROSITY.

OUR ALUMNI SUPPORT THEIR INSTITUTION WITH GREAT DEDICATION.

THAT'S TRUE OF WOMEN'S COLLEGES, IN GENERAL.

THE STATISTICS ON CO-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, ABOUT 2, 3, 4% IS A GOOD YEAR OF DONOR SUPPORT FROM THE ALUMNI, AND WOMEN'S COLLEGES ROUTINELY HIT 14%, 15%, 16% OF ALUMNI WHO SUPPORT THEIR INSTITUTION ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

SO I WAS NOT SURPRISED THAT OUR ALUMNI RESPONDED SO WELL.

WE NEEDED, AS I SAID, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN DECEMBER, WITH ASSURANCES OF ANOTHER MILLION.

AND DURING THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF DECEMBER, WE RAISED $864,000 IN CASH, AND A TOTAL OF PLEDGES, IF YOU WILL, OF 1.4 MILLION, IS 1,464,000, ACTUALLY, SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THEIR SUPPORT.

>> THIS WILL HELP KEEP YOU OPEN THROUGH THE SPRING SEMESTER.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

WE WORKED THROUGH ALL THE CASH ISSUES SO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THERE.

AS A SCHOOL THAT HAS A BIBLICALLY INFORMED WORLD VIEW, WE TAKE SERIOUSLY 1 CORINTHIANS 14:40 WHICH SAYS DO EVERYTHING DECENTLY AND IN ORDER, SO WE LOOKED TOWARD WHAT ARE OUR OBLIGATIONS AND HOW DO WE NEED TO MEET THEM AND, SO, ALONG WITH THE OTHER ANTICIPATED REVENUE FLOWS, WE KNEW WHAT THOSE ADDITIONAL MARKS NEEDED TO BE AND, YES, THIS WILL CARRY US THROUGH THE END OF THE SEMESTER.

AS I SAID, THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS MAY 31, AND ACTUALLY ON IN THROUGH THE SUMMER, WHICH SEASONAL REVENUE IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, AND, SO, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT NOW, POSITIONS AS WELL FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS AS WELL.

>> OF COURSE, IT BEHOOVES US TO DISCUSS HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT AND IT'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT THE PANDEMIC, OF COURSE, CONTRIBUTED, THROUGH THERE WAS SHRINKING ENROLLMENT ISSUES EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, RIGHT?

>> THERE HAVE BEEN, YES, SIR.

WE ARE -- THE WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA IS LOSING POPULATION, THAT'S A DEMOGRAPHIC FACT.

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WANT THE GLITZ AND THE GLAMOUR, IN MANY CASES, AND, SO, RURAL EDUCATION HAS BEEN ENDURING CHALLENGES.

YOU CAN EASILY GO BACK TO 2008 WITH THE STOCK MARKET CRASH AND THE ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE OF THE LAST 12 YEARS AND RECOGNIZE THE STRUGGLES THAT NOT JUST HIGHER EDUCATION BUT INDUSTRIES IN OUR AREA, IN OUR PART OF THE STATE HAVE HAD TO ENDURE.

IN THAT PROCESS, MANY SMALL LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTIONS HAVE CLOSED.

I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT NUMBER, SINCE '08.

BUT IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGING ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE, TO SAY THE LEAST.

SO, YES, THERE'S BEEN ENROLLMENT DECLINE IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN GENERAL AND IN SMALL RULE EDUCATION IN PARTICULAR.

SO THOSE CAN BE TRACED BACK A WAYS.

AND THEN, AS YOU SAY, YOU FOLLOW THOSE YEARS WITH THE PANDEMIC THAT BEGAN NOW ALMOST A YEAR AGO FOR US, AND THAT WAS SOMEWHAT OF A PERFECT STORM.

WHEN YOU ALSO ADD HURRICANE SALLY AND HURRICANE ZETA, STORMS THAT IMPACTED MARION AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE, CREATED CHALLENGES, SO WE HAD A COMBINATION OF EVENTS THAT LED TO THIS POINT.

>> JUDSON COLLEGE IS ONE OF THE OLDEST WOMEN'S INSTITUTIONS IN THE NATION, IS IT NOT, AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A TRADITIONALLY SMALL CAMPUS.

BUT I THINK I READ A STATISTIC RECENTLY WHICH WAS STRIKING THAT ENROLLMENT AT ONE POINT WAS MAYBE 250 OR SO STUDENTS.

>> CORRECT.

OUR HIGHEST POINT WOULD BE BETWEEN 250 AND 300, SO WE'VE NEVER BEEN A LARGE PLACE.

WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN WHAT SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION CALLS A LEVEL 2 INSTITUTION.

WE ARE UNDERGRADUATE ONLY, WE DO NOT OFFER ANY GRADUATE PROGRAMS.

AND, SO, OUR FALL ENROLLMENT WAS 177 STUDENTS.

SO THAT'S BELOW KIND OF OUR NORMAL ENROLLMENT OF AROUND 200.

BUT, YES, SIR, DURING THE DAYS OF CRAIG AIR FORCE BASE IN SELMA, FOR EXAMPLE, JUDSON HAD SOME OF ITS HIGH WATER MARKS WITH ENROLLMENT IN THE '70s AND EARLY '80s.

>> IN THE FALL SEMESTER WHEN YOU HAD 177 STUDENTS ENROLLED, WAS THAT WHEN YOU REALIZED WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME HELP THERE?

>> IN THE BEGINNING OF THE FALL OF 2020, WE HAD A 30% INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS FALL.

SO THE INCOMING CLASS OF 86 STUDENTS WAS A BOON FOR US AND POSITIONED US TO MOVE INTO THE SEMESTER WELL.

THERE WERE PREDICTIONS OF AS MANY AS 20% OF THE INCOMING CLASS OR OF THE TOTAL CLASS THAT WOULD CHOOSE NOT TO COME TO SCHOOL, GIVEN THE PANDEMIC, AND WE FOUND LESS THAN 10% OF OUR STUDENTS DID THAT, MADE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS.

SPECIFICALLY THE ARRANGEMENTS THEY MADE, WE PROCEEDED WITH FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION IN THE FALL.

IT'S A SMALL PLACE.

WITH FACILITIES, WE ADJUSTMENTS TO TEACH FACE-TO-FACE IN THE PANDEMIC ERA WITH RELATIVE SAFETY.

WE HAD A TOTAL OF ONLY FOUR CASES, TWO IN THE EARLY FALL AS STUDENTS WERE CHECKING IN.

WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF GOVERNOR IVEY'S ASSISTANCE ON TESTS, AND ONLY TWO WERE POSITIVE, AND LATER IN THE SEMESTER WE HAD TWO CASES OF COVID, SO OUR PROCEDURES WORKED WELL.

WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS OFFER A DUAL OPTION WHERE OUR STUDENTS COULD STAY HOME.

THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN THEIR CLASSES IN A SYNCHRONOUS FASHION AND NOT BE ON CAMPUS.

WE HAD ONLY 13 OF OUR 177 WHO THOSE THAT OPTION, SO WELL UNDER 10%, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE INDUSTRY WAS ANTICIPATING AS MUCH AS A 20% FALLOFF IN ENROLLMENT.

SO IT WAS AS THE SEMESTER UNFOLDED THAT WE CAME TO THE POINT WHERE WE RECOGNIZED WE NEEDED TO MAKE SOME SPECIFIC FINANCIAL TARGETS FOR OUR PROGRESSION INTO THE SPRING SEMESTER.

>> STILL, THOUGH, THAT FEW NUMBER OF CASES ON CAMPUS, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE A SMALL POPULATION, THAT'S PRETTY REMARKABLE.

>> OH, IT IS, INDEED.

WE WERE VERY BLESSED IN THAT PROCESS.

I HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MY COLLEAGUES ACROSS OTHER PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS, AND THEY MEASURED THEIR SUCCESS IN HOW FEW TIMES THEY COULD GET TO WHAT THEIR STATE PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS CALLED OUTBREAKS.

WE WERE NOWHERE NEAR THE STATE'S DEFINITION OF OUTBREAK IN OUR SETTING, AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED AND BLESSED FOR THAT.

>> NOW, CHALLENGES STILL REMAIN, DO THEY NOT?

WILL YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO SOME OF THESE VERY GENEROUS PEOPLE AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

>> HOPEFULLY NOT OF THIS MAGNITUDE.

AS I SAID, THOSE WERE TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHILANTHROPY AND SUPPORT.

AS I SAID, YES, HIGHER EDUCATION IS DEPENDENT UPON DONORS FOR SUPPORT OF EDUCATION.

IN A PRIVATE SETTING, ESPECIALLY, WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF PUBLIC FUNDING, IT'S A CHALLENGE TO MAKE HIGHER EDUCATION AFFORDABLE AND HIGH QUALITY, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING BOTH.

SO, YES, WE ALWAYS HAVE A DEPENDENCE OF DONORS FOR OUR FIDUCIARY HEALTH.

BUT WE ALSO ARE VERY NIMBLE.

THAT'S AN ADVANTAGE OF BEING AT AN INSTITUTION THAT IS SMALL AND PRIVATE, THAT WE CAN MOVE VERY QUICKLY AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, AND WE HAVE DONE THAT BOTH WITH STAFFING AND WITH HOW WE DO FACULTY ASSIGNMENTS, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS WE NEED TO AS WE EXAMINE HOW TO CONTINUE TO JUST PROCEED IN SOME VERY UNCERTAIN TIMES.

WE, LIKE EVERYBODY, ARE LIMITED IN HOW WE'RE ABLE TO RECRUIT RIGHT NOW.

HIGH SCHOOLS AREN'T HOSTING COLLEGE FAIRS AS THEY DID JUST A YEAR AGO.

AND, SO, RECRUITMENT IS A CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

SO WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE FALL WILL BRING.

WE'RE WORKING EVERY DAY TO POSITION OURSELVES TO DO WELL, AND WE'LL JUST ADJUST AS WE MUST.

>> MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK AT THIS AS THESE GIFTS RECENTLY HELPED PROP YOU UP AND GIVE YOU SOME WIGGLE ROOM TO PREPARE FOR WHAT'S NEXT AND HOPEFULLY GET BACK ON YOUR FEET.

>> THAT'S NOT A TERRIBLE ANALOGY.

WE DO BENEFIT FROM TIME TO TIME FROM UNUSUAL GIFTS, WINDFALLS, IF YOU LIKE.

THOSE ALWAYS SOME TO COME AT APPROPRIATE TIMES.

WE WORK HARD TO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL, OBVIOUSLY, BUT RECOGNIZE THAT GIFTS COME AT UNUSUAL TIMES AND FROM UNUSUAL PLACES, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS A BLESSING AND YOU USE THEM THE BEST YOU CAN.

>> DOCTOR, BEING A PRIVATE BAPTIST-AFFILIATED COLLEGE, I'M ASSUMING YOU DERIVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUNDING FROM BAPTIST CHURCHES ACROSS THE STATE?

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

WE ARE TECHNICALLY A FOSTERED ENTITY OF THE ALABAMA BAPTIST CONVENTION.

THE CONVENTION APPROVES OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES AFTER A NOMINATION PROCESS THAT ORIGINATES WITH THE COLLEGE AND WITH THE BOARD.

THE CONVENTION THEN MAKES THOSE DETERMINATIONS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, AND WE'RE SUPPORTED A LITTLE MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FROM THE ALABAMA BAPTIST CONVENTION.

THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM THAT OUR BAPTIST CHURCHES ENGAGE AND USE TO FUND THEIR MINISTRIES, THOSE FUNDS FLOW DIRECTLY TO THE CONVENTION AND THROUGH THE CONVENTION'S BUDGET WE ARE THEN SUPPORTED, AS IS THE UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE, AS ARE THE CHILDREN'S HOMES AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ENTITIES THAT WORK WITH THE ALABAMA BAPTIST CONVENTION.

AND, SO, IT'S A VERY GENEROUS SUPPORT AND WE'RE VERY INDEBTED TO THE ALABAMA BAPTIST CONVENTION.

AND THEN OTHER CHURCHES WILL ALSO MAKE DIRECT -- NOT DIRECT SOLICITATION BUT DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS TO US.

WE DO NOT SOLICIT OUR CHURCHES DIRECTLY BECAUSE OF OUR SUPPORT OF THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM AND OUR BELIEF THAT THAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER AS THE CHURCHES OF THE BAPTIST CONVENTION TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR MINISTRIES IN WHICH THEY CHOOSE TO ENGAGE.

SO, YES, WE'RE VERY INDEBTED TO THE ALABAMA BAPTIST CONVENTION.

>> JUDSON COLLEGE IS THE ONLY WOMEN'S COLLEGE IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA, AND ITS HISTORY IS LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS.

WE'LL REMIND FOLKS THAT YOU ARE AN UNDERGRADUATE, PRIMARILY LIBERAL ARTS SCHOOL.

IS THAT CORRECT?

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

UNDERGRADUATE LIBERAL ARTS IS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN SINCE 1838.

YOU ARE CORRECT THAT WE'RE THE FIFTH OLDEST WOMEN'S COLLEGE IN AMERICA.

THERE ARE NO OTHER BAPTIST WOMEN'S COLLEGES, AND ARGUABLY THERE'S NO OTHER EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN WOMEN'S COLLEGE ALSO IN AMERICA.

THERE ARE OTHER DENOMINATIONAL COLLEGES THAT ARE WOMEN'S COLLEGES.

WE FIND OURSELVES IN A VERY, I THINK, ENVIABLE POSITION TO BE A PART OF CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION THAT IS SO VITAL AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

BUT, YES, SIR, IT IS A LIBERAL ARTS APPROACH.

WE HAVE MAJORS, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, IN ALL OF THE -- THE GENERAL SUBJECTS -- HISTORY, ENGLISH, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, EQUITATION, A ASSOCIATE NUMBERSES AND BACHELOR'S PROGRAM.

SO WHAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY EXPECT LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTIONS.

>> JUDSON COLLEGE HAS TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES HERE IN ALABAMA, I WOULD SAID MOST ALABAMIANS KNOW A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO WENT TO JUDSON COLLEGE OVER THE YEARS FROM THOSE WHO MADE THEIR MARK IN LIFE RATHER QUIETLY TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN MORE HIGH PROFILE.

>> ABSOLUTELY, BOTH OF THOSE CATEGORIES ARE TRUE.

THE VAST NUMBER OF OUR GRADUATES GO ABOUT THEIR LIVES INFLUENCING THEIR COMMUNITIES, LEADING THEIR FAMILIES, ENGAGING IN THEIR CHURCHES, AND YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THEM BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEM PERSONALLY, BUT WON'T BE ON THE PAGINGS OF HISTORY.

OTHERS ARE VERY PROMINENT IN HISTORY.

THE FIRST WOMAN TO SPEAK TO THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE WAS DONE IN THE 1901 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, A WOMAN BY THE NAME OF GRIFFIN WHO GRADUATED IN 1860, FIRST WOMAN TO SPEAK TO THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE.

THE FIRST FEMALE SUPREME COURT JURIST IN THE STATE, CHIEF JUSTICE JANI SHORES FROM JUDSON.

THE ELECTED JUST THIS PAST TERM, THE FIRST ELECTED FEMALE JUDGE IN WALKER COUNTY IS ONE OF OUR GRADUATES.

THE HIGHEST-RANKING MILITARY POLICE OFFICER IN THE OKLAHOMA NATIONAL GUARD IS ONE OF JUDSON'S GRADUATES.

>> WOW.

>> AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

THE FIRST SHELTER FOR BATTERED WOMEN IN ALABAMA WAS FORMED BY ONE OF OUR ATTORNEYS WHO IS A GRADUATE FROM JUDSON COLLEGE.

THE FIRST IN 100th MISSIONARIES TO JAPAN, DREW McCOLLUM, THE FIRST MISSIONARY TO JAPAN WAS A JUDSON GRADUATE.

SO IN EVERY AREA FROM MEDICINE TO LAW TO BUSINESS TO SOCIAL SETTINGS, SOCIAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, JUDSON WOMEN HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN TRULY PHENOMENAL WAYS.

>> WE NEED JUDSON COLLEGE TO NOT ONLY SURVIVE BUT THRIVE, RIGHT?

>> I WOULD SAY SO, YES, SIR.

I WOULD AGREE COMPLETELY.

>> IN CLOSING, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ALL THE FOLKS WHO GAVE AND HELP EED YOU STAY OPEN?

>> I WILL SAY TO THEM AND WILL CONTINUE TO SAY HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT.

WE WANT TO HONOR THEIR STEWARDSHIP BY BEING -- USING THOSE FUNDS PROPERLY AND RESPONSIBLY AND ENGAGING IN CONTINUING TO EDUCATE ANOTHER GENERATION OF STUDENTS THROUGH A BIBLICALLY INFORMED CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW AND BE A PART OF LETTING THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THEY GAIN NOT JUST THEIR VOICE AT A WOMAN'S COLLEGE, BUT AT A CHRISTIAN WOMAN'S COLLEGE THEY GAIN THEIR CHRISTIAN VOICE.

SO AS A PART OF THAT, THEY ARE ENGAGED IN ALL THE THINGS GOD WOULD HAVE THEM TO DO AND BECOME, AND THAT'S A VERY EXCITING THING FOR US, AND OUR DONORS HAVE HELPED MAKE THAT POSSIBLE, AND FOR THAT WE ARE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL.

>> DR. MARK TEW, CONGRATULATIONS ON A FUNDRAISING ENDEAVOR.

THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.

THIS IS A VERY HEARTENING STORY.

>> THANK YOU.

GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.

>> THAT DOES IT FOR "SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION" FOR THIS QUARTER.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.

WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US NEXT QUARTER AS WE CONTINUE TO TAKE A CLOSE COMPENSATION OF EDUCATION ISSUES IN OUR STATE.

FOR ALL OF US AT ALABAMA PUBLIC