What 3 Michigan university presidents said about state's higher education
Ora Hirsch Pescovitz was just inaugurated as Oakland University’s new president, while Thomas Haas announced he will retire next year as president of Grand Valley State University, and Eastern Michigan University President James Smith is two years into his time running the Ypsilanti-based university.
The times and tidings of the three presidents couldn’t be more diverse. As the school year winds down I had a chance to catch up with the three leaders and ask them about a variety of topics.
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Pescovitz at OU
Pescovitz was inaugurated April 20. OU was established in 1957 as Michigan State University-Oakland, the school had 19,333 students this school year. The main campus is in Rochester Hills, with two locations in Macomb County and a center Auburn Hills.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the next year?
A: This fall, I will be looking forward to the finished renovation of our student union, the Oakland Center, because I think it is going to open up a whole new area for learning, collaboration and community building on campus. I am excited to finish the newest student housing facility and to watch students and their parents when they see the thoughtful attention to detail that went into Hillcrest Hall. It is not the dorm that existed when you and I went to college.
Q: Everyone talks about the talent gap. Your thoughts?
A: There is no lack of talented students on our campus. I feel good about the next generation of professionals and leaders we are educating at OU. I am proud to say the vast majority of OU graduates stay and work in Michigan — many in the tri-county area. We are closely working with companies to make sure we are educating our students and their future workers to provide them the skills needed for the 21st century.
Q: How does Michigan compare with other states when it comes to dedicating resources and focus on higher education?
A: Michigan is challenged. We rank 34th in the proportion of adults with a four-year degree and we come in a dismal 47th in higher education in the U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of best states for education. Having the money to do all the things we want to do on campus is certainly one of the biggest issues we face. In an ideal world, we’d have the resources to support athletics and the arts and meet the needs of our entire campus community.
Q: What is the biggest challenge before OU?
A: Underfunding from state government is a major challenge. A large portion of our student population comes from working class or first-generation in college families. That is precisely the population in greatest need of a quality, affordable four-year education. OU is also one of the youngest universities. Our endowment is not as mature as the other large state universities we compete with for the same students. Our graduates remain in Michigan, contributing mightily to the economy and community.
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Smith at EMU
James Smith took over as president of Eastern Michigan University almost two years ago.
EMU is the second-oldest university in Michigan and was founded in 1849. The university has 20,000 students with its main campus in Ypsilanti.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the next year?
A: We will complete Strong Hall, the final phase of our science complex. This is a world-class facility where the focus on STEM education and career development is the highest priority. We are introducing new academic programs in engineering and in the sciences, meeting the expanding needs of Michigan employers. To keep up with the growth in those programs and others, we are investing in renovations to Sill Hall, home of our College of Technology, and new lab space for neuroscience, the College of Business, the Quirk Theatre building, and the Rec/IM, which is a student priority.
Q: Everyone talks about the talent gap. Your thoughts?
A: The talent gap is a very real issue. This is why Gov. Snyder introduced his Marshall Plan for Talent in February. Our universities play a significant role in developing and training the skilled workforce necessary to work in fields such as automated vehicle technology, information security, drone technology, and in the health and science areas. A recent statistic defines just how significant the talent gap is: Every day in Michigan, 20 engineering jobs go unfilled. This is why Eastern has announced two new engineering programs in the last year, and why we are investing in modernizing our facilities where those programs are held.
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Q: You recently cut four sports from your athletic department. Why?
A: Similar to many universities across the country and here in Michigan, we are facing budgetary challenges brought on by the decreasing number of high school students in the state; the declining number of students in community colleges, which is reducing the number of transfer students; and, reductions in federal and state support. These factors combine to create a scenario where universities around the nation are making difficult budget decisions, which, in some cases, include reducing the number of sports teams. At Eastern, we have adjusted budgets across campus to accommodate the new fiscal realities, and this includes athletics. In our case, we previously offered 21 sports, which was the most in the Mid-American Conference. In today's environment, this is no longer sustainable. The decision to cut four sports was painful, but necessary.
Haas at Grand Valley
Thomas Haas has served as president of Grand Valley State University since 2006. He will retire in June 2019 and a search is underway for his successor.
GVSU has strong financial support from businesses in the community. The school has 25,000 students with campuses in Grand Rapids and Allendale and regional centers in Holland, Muskegon, Traverse City and Detroit. It also operates 26 charter schools in Detroit, with two more scheduled to open in the fall.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the next year?
A: We’re expanding our health campus on the Medical Mile in downtown Grand Rapids with the opening and dedication of the Raleigh J. Finklestein Hall in July and the groundbreaking of the Center for Interprofessional Health in October. We’re meeting the needs of the state by increasing the opportunities for students to study nursing and health professions.
I’m looking forward to my involvement with our Laker Effect campaign. We have an $85 million goal to put more money directly to student opportunity, affordability and careers that have relevance for the region. We want to double the number of scholarship recipients and increase our capacity to teach students.
Q: Everyone talks about the talent gap. Your thoughts?
A: We have a shortage in Michigan of people with post-secondary credentials, so that affects the skilled trades as well as professions that require a minimum of a four-year college degree. We need to encourage legislators to invest in education across the board to ensure we have a talent base. We know that states that have the highest number of college graduates have the healthiest economies.
Q: How does Michigan compare to other states when it comes to dedicating resources to high education?
A: Michigan needs to do better. In 2001, it ranked 20th in state support for higher education. Today it ranks 43rd. Education is a public good and needs to be supported by the state, and I’m a big proponent of the funding being tied to performance. Right now, we have a small percentage of state support tied to performance, and Grand Valley has been recognized as a leader in the state when it comes to graduation and retention rates, and providing access and affordability. So why are we at the bottom when it comes to funding per student from the state? There is a systemic problem in Michigan because historically the Legislature has not taken enrollment or performance into full account. So funding for universities with growing enrollment, like Grand Valley, did not keep pace with need.
Q: College athletics gets much attention. Tell us about GVSU and its athletic record.
A: Our athletic program is a point of pride for our entire community. Our success in Division II maintains a balance between being a student and being an NCAA athlete. ... We’ve had the top program in Division II for 12 of the last 14 years. Our championships have come from a variety of both men and women’s sports. We often get asked about moving to Division I, but we think we’re right where we need to be. Right now, athletics is a relatively small amount of our budget at 2.65%.
Contact Carol Cain: 313-222-6732 or clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of “Michigan Matters,” which airs at 11:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS 62. See MSU President John Engler as he appears at the Free Press’ inaugural Breakfast Club event.