BE OUR GUEST

Dr. Haskell Monroe serves as chancellor for the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has served in that position since July of 1987.

Mr. Kinder, in a recent column, makes a good point regarding increased funding to support education in Missouri there is no place in this important debate for political rhetoric and mislabeling. I, too, believe Gov. John Ashcroft is sincere in his quest for improvement in Missouri schools, and those of us in higher education are ready to work with him to ensure public accountability and to refine our missions to better serve the needs of Missouri.

Like many Missourians, I grow tired of statistics that run down the state. One is reminded of the statement made by Huey Long in the 1930s about the state of Louisiana: "I am tired of people saying this is a poor state. We've got a passel of poor people, but we're not a poor state."

Likewise, Missouri is not a poor state by any stretch of the imagination. By every measure of which I am aware, we are well above average. That is, we are 21st in average annual pay, 11th in the number of major corporate headquarters, 15th in population, and 23rd in per capita income.

When it comes to education, however, our support has been dismal. We are 47th in our support for higher education. Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas outrank us. In state support for higher education, relative to personal income, we are 44th.

What do these low rankings mean? I fear they indicate we are a state with few aspirations for our children. Missouri is not investing in education at the same rate as its competitors. We are not investing at a rate that will allow our children to compete with Japanese children in the global marketplace nor are we investing at a rate that will allow a competitive edge against those who were educated in Arkansas and Tennessee.

Mr. Kinder asks what business has to say about the matter. A report issued by St. Louis and Kansas City business leaders in April 1990 explores the connection between economic vitality and higher education in Missouri. Their recommendation: "Missouri has paid too little for public higher education to allow it to function effectively into the next century or even to meet the needs of today. The task force of business leaders recommends an additional $300 million be raised each year and devoted to higher education."

The report, "Competitive Edge: Investing in Higher Education for Missouri's Future," followed months of study by the state's top business leaders. A sample of opinions from these business leaders was included in the report and shows genuine concern about Missouri's higher education system:

Lee M. Liberman, chairman and CEO of Laclede Gas Co., said, "...I feel strongly that Missouri is ill-equipped for the next decade and certainly for the 21st century in terms of its higher education system and the technical expertise that system is able to provide..."

Edward E. Whitacre Jr. chairman and CEO of Southwestern Bell Co., said, "...Increased funding for higher public education is not a luxury, but a necessity. Missouri businesses must be committed to support for better education for all..."

In another forum, Lowell Mohler of the Missouri Farm Bureau has stated: "...If we're to provide students the education they need to fill the high-tech jobs of the future, we must give better support to our colleges and universities..."

The benefits of a healthy education system extend beyond the headquarters of major corporations located in Missouri's metropolitan areas. Specific and personal examples of the impact of higher education exist in every county in the state. Citizens of Cape are well aware of the numerous contributions made by Southeast Missouri State University to the quality of life and economy of the area. The University of Missouri-Columbia, 225 miles away, also provides numerous examples of the impact of higher education.

MU currently enrolls 176 students from Cape Girardeau County. In addition, there are 597 citizens in the county who are MU graduates. You do not have to be among that number, however, to have benefited from investment an earlier generation made in higher education. Ask your doctors where he or she attended school. I am proud that 28 doctors practicing in Cape Girardeau County attended MU so did 17 teachers, 47 attorneys, including the county prosecutor, and 12 veterinarians.

The impact of higher education on a community extends well beyond the number of citizens educated. MU is the state's oldest university with the unique mission of teaching, research and service. The Delta Center, an MU research farm in Portageville, provides a close-to-home example of the benefits of higher education's research mission. Dr. Sam Anand and his colleagues at the center have developed a line of soybeans that is resistant to the cyst nematode, the tiny worm that feeds on plants. This development alone is worth about $3 million in Missouri's Bootheel alone.

These are but a few examples of the return Missourians received from an investment made generations ago by their parents and grandparents. Those of us who are proud of these accomplishments also recognize we are now living on borrowed time. We have not made the commitment to higher education that was made by our predecessors.

Last year in Cape Girardeau County, 606 students, capable of performing at the college level, were denied financial aid from the Missouri-Student Grant program, the state's primary need based grant program. These students met every requirement of need and ability but were turned downed simply because the money was not available. I believe Missouri can afford to do better. Missouri will never be a poor state. Will we be a rich state with a passel of poor people? We are the generation to answer that question.