Cherry
Commission Releases Report
Guarantee
higher education for all Michigan residents. Double the number of
college graduates over the next decade. Help them move through the
system faster and easier. Elevate high school standards to turn
out college-ready students. Boost Michigan 's strategic research
capacity. These are some of the recommendations in a report released
Wednesday by the Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth,
led by Lt. Gov. John Cherry.
In
accepting the report at a news conference, Gov. Jennifer Granholm
called it a "road map" for fundamental change and a stronger
economic future for Michigan.
"This report makes it clear that our state's path to a robust
economy with good-paying, 21 st century jobs requires all of our
residents to complete their education beyond high school,"
she said in a news release.
The
report emphasizes the link between post-secondary education and
economic success. It identifies 19 strategic initiatives that will
facilitate Michigan's
transition to a "brain power" economy. One issue it does
not address is how the recommendations would be funded in a climate
where budget shortfalls in recent years – and those projected in
the near future – have led to declining state support for public
universities.
NMU
President Les
Wong said
the report is not about securing more resources right now, but establishing
higher education as a priority in the context of existing resources
and future budgetary decisions.
"The
report strongly points out that education is an investment on the
part of the state and, as such, there are and should be returns
on that investment," Wong added. "It will help citizens
and policymakers alike understand that we are in this together.
A key theme is the invitation to build effective partnerships between
K-12, higher education and the private sector. It stresses that
no one state-supported group is an island. If higher education recognizes
and continues to develop its relationship with other entities, we
can collectively be mindful of being as efficient as possible and
using public funding wisely, keeping the public interest in focus."
Granholm
said her administration will move quickly to implement the recommendations
because "Michigan's future cannot wait." The full report
can be viewed at Cherry
Commission.
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