Higher Education

Paul listening to the concerns of students outside Macomb Community College

For Michigan to succeed, for Macomb County to succeed, we will need to expand the number of Michigan residents who access our world-renowned universities.  Just as the old economic models don’t work, we will also need new models for how universities provide educational opportunities for our citizens.

Jobs in the new economy are going to require precise technical skills, critical thinking and advanced degrees.  The average age of a college student is now 26 years old.  Just as the population of students changes so do the jobs of the new economy requiring more technical skills and advanced degrees.  Investing scarce educational programming dollars in working residents of Michigan means a greater chance that our public investment will pay off and help Michigan prosper.

Universities can also play a part in economic diversification efforts as an essential component of any turn-around or re-positioning strategy for Michigan.  In addition to the publicly supported resources in data, research, forecasting and visioning, universities need to partner with our industries on research and development and workforce preparation.  Communities that have survived the loss or decline of their signature industries and positioned themselves to compete have done so by partnering with their universities.

Additionally, we need to consider how and where we are serving the changing world of students.  Macomb County is the largest county in Michigan and the 3^rd largest county in the US without a university within it’s boundaries.   Universities need to demonstrate how they are serving the whole state with the tax dollars that receive from residents throughout Michigan.

Many of us have made this issue a priority, calling for Macomb University.  The steps to getting there are to partner with our existing university to attract more programs that serve the needs of our residents who, for decades, have helped support these same institutions.  We are now able to chart some progress.  The following programs are examples of new higher education programs in Macomb County:

• The community wide effort to attract the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine.
• The Sterling Heights, Macomb County and Oakland University Incubator.
• The Macomb County Wayne State University Reference and Research partnership.

Even with this new investment, Macomb County remains underserved by our state university system.  We need a state commitment to employing all of our resources to transform the economy, helping workers access the skills to compete for new jobs and ensure all areas of Michigan receive a fair return on their investment.

As your State Senator, I will: