PGCC Chief Appeals to Candidates For Money; Williams Says College Needs County's Support
Prince George's Community College President Ronald A. Williams has a simple message for this year's candidates in the race for county executive: Help!</br></br>In a letter sent to the contenders, Williams, starting his fourth year at the helm of the 36,000-student college, appealed for increased financial support after the election.</br></br>In case the candidates had any doubts about the college's needs, Williams detailed "four funding initiatives for the 2002 political campaign platform." "One of the things that struck me as the campaign has gone along is that even though education is central to what every candidate sees as important, I don't think the community college has had a sufficiently high profile in that conversation," Williams said in an interview. "I have a concern about the minimalist approach the county has taken for 40 years in providing resources for the college."</br></br>It's all about money. But it's also about the increasing role the college has come to play in the life of the county, with more than 47 percent of college-bound Prince George's students enrolling there. Since Williams's arrival in 1999, enrollment has risen 8 percent.</br></br>At the same time, county funds account for 22 percent of the college's operating budget, down from 27 percent six years ago. That's "the lowest level of local aid to a community college in the state," Williams wrote.