Greenfield Community College President Bob Pura handed out a document to the GCC Board of Trustees Wednesday outlining the questions surrounding Gov. Deval Patrick's proposal to make the state's community colleges free to residents.

The document shows research on facts and figures such as the cost of implementing the plan, the benefits of higher education on individuals and community and the number of people this program could serve. It gives a statistics on the educational pipeline for Massachusetts, stating that out every 100 ninth-graders, only 26 of them finish a college degree.

"A lot of people in our community are not in the pipeline. They are not getting the education and training they need," Pura said. "They are not getting the degrees they need for employment or civic participation." Pura noted that GCC is the path for a stronger Franklin County both economically and socially and is pleased to see the governor recognizing the importance of community colleges throughout the Commonwealth. He lauded the G.I. Bill of the 1940s, which helped pay for college for military veterans, and said that this plan is the G.I. Bill of today. He noted his support for the associate's degree as the new standard for public education.

Board member Brian Lees told the Board members that they should be prepared because this proposal has its opponents from the private schools. He said that many of the members of the legislature are graduates of those private schools and are influenced by them. He said they will likely argue that if public schools are to receive this kind of increase in money, that they should receive more money too.

Board Chair Patricia Crosson said there are also people in the state who are suggesting that instead of just free community colleges, the state should pay for the first two years of college whether it be at a community college or a four-year college or university. Board Member Tim Farrell said the state should take a look at other countries that have made some or all of their higher education free to the public and held up Ireland as a good example of that. When Ireland entered the European Union as a poorer nation, it received some money to help its economy. It used much of the money to build up its technical school and community college infrastructure and that has paid off. It is now held up as one of the modern day economic success stories. The Board will continue its discussion of the plan as it develops statewide.

The Board also watched a video of Jean Cummings accepting the Council for Resource Development Benefactor Award. Cummings accepted the award in Washington D.C at a banquet on Nov. 2. The CRD is a national organization that supports fundraising endeavors for two-year colleges. Through advocacy, education and mentorship, the organization helps individuals and groups to better support community colleges. The Benefactor Award, which has been given out annually since 1993, is given to nominees chosen for their spirit of philanthropy, leadership and volunteerism. Cummings was the woman who brought the idea of forming a community college to Franklin County. Since then, she supported the school as a teacher, as a member and president of the Greenfield Community College Foundation and of other boards and by donating yearly to the college. Since the beginning, she has watched the small school grow into the institution it is today and has seen students graduate and go on to become leaders of the community. "All I can say is that for me, seeing the kind of great school GCC has become has been ample reward for what little I may have done," she said during her acceptance. "This award is just icing on the cake." Only 10 people were chosen from all the schools who submitted nominations for the Benefactor Award. CRD, an affiliate organization of the American Association of Community Colleges, serves more than 1600 members. Cummings is the winner for Region I, which includes community colleges in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Labrador, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward and Quebec, Canada.