Pulaski Technical College: two year community college in central Arkansas

Message from Stephen A. Leek

As Chairman of the Pulaski Technical College (PTC) Foundation’s Board of Directors, I have the unique opportunity to witness firsthand the amazing role that donors play in support of the college. While most two- or four-year colleges receive enough additional funding from the government and rely on donors to fund special needs, at PTC donors must support the college on almost every level. Our Foundation Board takes an active role in funding and developing programs, constructing buildings and securing financial aid for students.

Many of our Foundation Board members have a personal tie to the college. For me, my experience in hiring PTC students and graduates convinced me that the college is an institution that I respect and that I want to support. The quality of learning PTC students bring to the workforce never fails to amaze me. Perhaps the average PTC student’s age of 29 indicates a maturity that is often lacking in younger college students or graduates.

It also pleases me to know that all PTC academic credits transfer to other colleges or universities in the state. Many young people choose to complete freshman and sophomore classes at PTC before attending another educational institution. Lower tuition costs at PTC also offer students an opportunity to save for their continued education.

I am proud to serve as chairman of the Pulaski Technical College Foundation and I am excited about the future of the college. It is meeting a need in Central Arkansas while providing the state with potential workers who are well trained and well educated. Pulaski Technical College may just be Arkansas’ best kept secret…but not for long. We intend to spread the word!

Stephen A. Leek
Chairman
Pulaski Technical College Foundation Board

Message from Joyce Taylor

Last year Pulaski Technical College observed its 20th year as a fully-accredited two-year college, culminating two decades of incredible physical growth and life-altering student achievements! Who would have ever predicted such accomplishments back in 1945 when the original facility, the Little Rock Vocational-Technical School, was founded?

The PTC Foundation faced tremendous opportunities when it was formed in 1991. The college was literally bursting at its seams and was in dire need of more space, better facilities, additional faculty members, and of course, funding. The Foundation and its board went to work and have not stopped raising awareness, friends and money. Today Pulaski Technical College is the largest two-year college in Arkansas and the state’s fourth largest college or university.

During its first decade, the Foundation helped to expand the Aerospace Technology Center’s hanger-style facilities; renovate the former Little Rock Expo Center, located on Interstate 30 near Bryant, to house the Arkansas Culinary School, automotive programs and college level educational courses; construct an attractive 92,000 square-foot Campus Center which has become the hub of campus activity; renovate and enlarge the Ottenheimer Library; and build the Business Technology Center on the main campus providing more classrooms, conference rooms and offices. With the PTC Foundation’s assistance, the entire face of PTC changed during this short time.

Our successful grants program has allowed us to enhance and expand our educational opportunities and academic programs.
The PTC Foundation has proven itself a good steward of monies from private, corporate and governmental sources and raised more than $15 million in grant funding in the past four years. We continue to apply for and receive grant funding from a variety of sources each year.

The PTC Foundation currently awards a large number of scholarships, yet from still meager funds, to students in need of financial assistance for tuition or textbooks each year. A discretionary fund is also maintained by the Foundation to provide monies for students with immediate needs such as transportation.

None of these activities or accomplishments would have been possible without generous community support generated by special events, in-kind or outright gifts and through planned giving. The philanthropy of donors who continue to see potential in our two-year college has helped PTC to advance on every level. We are forever grateful.

Joyce Taylor
Executive Director
Pulaski Technical College Foundation

Pulaski Technical College students come from a variety of backgrounds. For most Pulaski Tech students, college is the natural progression after high school, but there are also students for whom college is a new concept. They represent their family's first-generation ever to attend college. Special programs and dedicated faculty members can help these students overcome intimidating circumstances and barriers. For many, Pulaski Tech can truly be a life-changing experience.

--Pulaski Technical College Foundation, Inc.