Worth of college an issue, panel hears

Raising income levels by increasing the number of bachelor degrees awarded is one of the key educational issues facing Missouri, the new Commission on the Future of Higher Education has suggested.

But business, community and education leaders who attended a meeting sponsored by the commission Monday at Southeast Missouri State University say that goal may be unrealistic. Missouri ranks 49th among the states in the difference in median earnings for high school graduates compared to those with a bachelor's degree, according to figures provided at the meeting.

"It's hard to get people to go to college if they don't see the benefit to going to college," said Bekki Cook, the former secretary of state and one of the Southeast Missouri members of the commission.

Cook was one of 16 community, business and education leaders invited to a meeting Monday with representatives of the commission. Gov. Bob Holden created the commission last March with the mission of soliciting input on how to build the state's higher education system in a time of lean funding.

Attendees included university students, faculty and administrators along with state Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, state Rep. Lanie Black, R-Charleston, and Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson.

Technical education, many in the group said in different ways, is one of the greatest needs in Southeast Missouri, along with the need to train more people in science and mathematics.

"What we can't get are technically trained people," said Gary Rust, chairman of Rust Communications.

In Southeast Missouri, one of the difficulties higher education faces is convincing students that going to college is worthwhile, some said. "We literally have to be at their kitchen tables to get them to go to college," said Dr. Sue Shepard, interim dean of the Southeast Missouri State University College of Education.

Dennis Jones, president of the Colorado-based National Organization for Higher Education Management Systems, moderated the meeting. He questioned whether the southeast part of the state has an active family literacy program. "Literacy is so intergenerational," he said. Shepard said there is a need for that kind of program.

Kathy Swan, a Cape Girardeau businesswoman is a member of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, said the university has done a remarkable job of bringing learning to students through its education centers in towns like Malden, Kennett and Perryville. But she wondered whether the line that is drawn between higher education and the rest of the state's educational resources may hinder attempts to make higher education a priority for younger students.

"It may be the way we govern," she said.

Jones provided a barrage of statistics showing the state is losing manufacturing jobs and college graduates. Kinder noted that most of the states which have the most success retaining college graduates do not have income taxes.

Other statistics suggest the state may have difficulty attracting new industry. One-third of the state's adult population has not finished high school. One-fourth of residents ages 18 to 24 have not finished high school.

"If I'm an employer, that says there's a great deal they cannot do without advanced training," Jones said.

Not everyone took that view. "We don't want to lose sight of the value of general education," said Dr. Bill Eddleman, a biology professor at the university.

The commission's work is being conducted in conjunction with three national organizations. Besides Jones' group, the other two are the Educational Commission of the States and the National Center for Public Policy in Higher Education.

The other issues identified by the commission include:

Increase the number of high school graduates taking the 16 units of the ACT core curriculum.

Increase need-based financial aid for low- and middle-income families.

Increase awareness of public benefits of higher education.

Measure collegiate learning.

Don Dickerson, president of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents, told Jones there is a need for a program similar to the GI Bill that educated millions of veterans after World War II. Dickerson said people who earn between $25,000 and $50,000 per year are being squeezed out of the higher education market because they can't qualify for grants but don't earn enough to afford tuition.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182