Endorsing the American Graduation Initiative.

WHEREAS, Community Colleges are the largest and fastest growing sector of higher education in the United States, educating more than 45% of all undergraduate students as well as more than five million additional non-credit students; and

WHEREAS, There is a national consensus that the United States needs to provide greater numbers and percentages of its citizens with a higher education, as a moral, social, and economic imperative; and

WHEREAS, Community Colleges continue to need greater financial and related support as well as a new national focus in order to fully realize their potential in helping more Americans obtain a college education and meet related career and personal goals; and

WHEREAS, Our own Community College of Philadelphia is an excellent example of the value of community colleges in today's society, with 35,000 credit and non-credit students enrolled in more than seventy degree and certificate programs. More than half of these students go on to attend full four-year degree programs, greatly enhancing their lives; and

WHEREAS, President Obama has specifically set the goal of increasing the number of community college graduates, nationwide, by five million by 2020, along with ambitious goals concerning postsecondary education; and

WHEREAS, President Obama's "American Graduation Initiative" recognizes the tremendous value of community colleges to our nation and the contribution they make in helping millions of our citizens attain their fullest potential in life. It also acknowledges the pressing need to provide the financial resources to help those institutions; now therefore be it;

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby formally endorse the American Graduation Initiative and urge our elected representatives in Congress to commit themselves to achieving its enactment.

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