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education, research, and graduate education. Based on the pervasive strength we now
feature at UK, we are confident that this action plan can be successfully implemented,
and as a result we will be able to make great strides toward our ambition to become the
next great university.

       President Wethington asked if there were any questions about undergraduate
education at the University of Kentucky.

       Ms. Sparks asked whether or not students get credit for University 101. Dean
Kraemer explained that they don't currently get general education credit, but that he
thinks that is one of the things we would like to look at in terms of the reform of general
education. He also noted that it's important that some of these transition year experiences
not be add-ons and that they do count.

       Mr. Guthrie asked if Dean Kraemer did any research with the students, such as
market research on satisfactory levels of what they like and what they don't like. Dean
Kraemer stated that they did do research. There is a senior survey that is administered
every two years, and they are aggressively pursuing this. Dean Kraemer also noted that
many of the concerns that are reflected in previous student satisfaction surveys have been
the impetuous for many of these items in this plan.

       Governor Breathitt made note of the Pritchard Committee Annual Meeting where
there was a presentation of a world-respected national study that was done which showed
that there were no throw away children. He went on to say that if you give the same
advantages at the first, second, third, fourth and fifth year of life, children from
disadvantaged homes do as well as children from advantaged homes. Racial, ethnic,
sociological differences are really stereotypes that we have, and these children have just
as much ability to succeed. Governor Breathitt continued by stating that if this is carried
forward, and it is valid, it would mean that there would be less need for remedial
education at the college level and at the high school level.

      Dean Kraemer agreed with Governor Breathitt and added that with early
intervention all things are possible. He also noted that there's also the opportunity to
intervene with those students who have not had that kind of quality experience early on.
He said that he believes that we have to be very careful in defining a quality student in
terms of simplistic means such as GPA and ACT. He does not think that there are many
minds that come to the University of Kentucky that cannot do well, regardless of their
ACT and GPA. He continued by saying that he thinks that ACT and GPA very often
become too convenient, that we all would like to work with the very best students and
that students with high ACT scores tend to be very good students. However, he has had
quite a number of students who have not done well on these measures but with the right
motivation, experience and nurturing have ended up doing very well. In terms of long-
term, he does concur with Governor Breathitt and feels that it's imperative that as a
society we begin to recognize this.