Centers of Excellence Proposal

• Download the complete proposal document.

• Download the PowerPoint presentation Center Directors made to college presidents on January 21, 2026.

• Download all 50+ letters of support. (4.8MB)

Excerpts from letters submitted by statewide partners:

“The institutional knowledge, trusted relationships, and sector-specific expertise embedded within the Centers are system assets that cannot be easily replaced without significant risk to both colleges and industry.”

”Continuity matters because trust and working relationships take years to build. Many employer partnerships with the community and technical college system exist because Centers created and maintained the connective tissue.”

”For industry partners, the Centers of Excellence ARE our connection to the CTC system — the single point of contact that allows us to work seamlessly across all 34 colleges.”

“The idea of centralizing or elimination of Centers would be more than disruptive, it would be a critical misstep.”

”We understand budget constraints are real. However, we want to ensure decision-makers understand how much we value this partnership and what would be lost. Starting over would require years to rebuild the sector knowledge, trust, and working relationships that already exist.”