Gov. Jennifer Granholm accepted the Cherry Commission report last week and said she got an education about how tightly the economy and higher education are linked. "After studying the 10 most robust economies in the country, I see a correlation between the number of college degrees, unemployment rates and personal income," said Gov. Granholm at a Lansing news conference.
The report of the Lt. Governor John Cherry's Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth was issued on Wednesday. President Mark Murray is a member of the commission that was charged by Granholm with developing ideas on ways to double the number of college graduates in the state. Murray joined Granholm and Cherry at the announcement of the report. "The Cherry Commission report makes clear that this state is at a critical period in its history," explained Murray. "It is of the utmost urgency that we expand the number of individuals who complete some form of post-secondary education."
The report contains 19 recommendations, including guaranteed financial help to make post-secondary education a possibility for all students. It also calls for more challenging high school course requirements and making it easier for students to transfer from one college to another. The Associated Press reports that the governor said, "These recommendations no doubt will appear in one form or another in policy. Stay turned for specifics."
Murray said the responsibility does not fall strictly on the state and its 15 public universities. "Every person in the state has a role in this," Murray said. "We in education must continue to find ways to expand access and improve student success. The public must raise overall expectations for young people and working adults. Higher education helps students grow, become full citizens, and be better positioned for work. The report focuses on the latter point and lays a good path for the coming 10 years."
