Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 16, 1994 TAG: 9401190005
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOSHUA DARDEN and HAYS WATKINS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Although some Virginians might not realize it, such a product is exactly what they are receiving from their public system of higher education. We know, because we have seen the system at work, both as businessmen and as members of the governing bodies of two state universities.
For 300 years, Virginians have been building a system of higher education that has become the envy of other states and nations. It is a system that produces men and women who move into the vanguard of their fields. It is also a system that should make Virginians proud. And as tough decisions are made about the future of these institutions, those same Virginians should be aware of the contributions higher education makes to the commonwealth.
As members of the business community, we have seen time and again the links between a superior system of higher education and a growing economy. Consider these factors:
A recent national study noted that universities are the most important of five key assets attracting business development to a region.
1992 survey of 761 top business people in the commonwealth said that Virginia higher education ranked first among 20 factors as positive influences on the business climate.
According to U.S. Census data, future job growth will concentrate on occupations requiring high levels of education and training.
The Department of Labor projects greater reliance on higher education for professional training as the basis of our economy evolves from manufacturing to service.
Corporations are no longer capable of guaranteeing lifelong employment, which means their employees are likely to shift fields at least once during their careers. While specialized job training will continue to be important, Virginia must equip its graduates with skills that will last a lifetime: critical thinking, decision-making and communications.
With the downsizing of the military in Virginia, the need for training and retraining becomes even more vital. Virginia's colleges and universities are ideally positioned to train the workers and managers for Virginia's next economic expansion.
Virginia's citizens historically have given strong support to their system of higher education, most recently voting overwhelmingly in favor of a bond referendum that will help supply badly needed facilities for college campuses. But in some other ways, the state's commitment to quality higher education has come into question. For example:
The commonwealth has made bigger cuts in its higher education budget than any other state in the nation. In the past four years, $413 million in state support has been slashed from college and university budgets.
During the same period, higher education suffered a bigger swipe from the budget ax than any other state agency. Virginia now spends only 12 percent of its budget on higher education, down from 16 percent four years ago.
Virginia now ranks 43rd in the nation in tax dollar support per student. The commonwealth ranks below Arkansas and just ahead of Mississippi.
As state funding has fallen, Virginia's colleges and universities have cut costs. But cutting costs has also threatened quality. To offset some of the decreases in state support, Virginia schools have been forced to raise tuitions. Today, Virginia institutions average the second highest tuition of all public systems in the country.
The efforts to preserve high quality in the face of these unprecedented reductions have worked - so far. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the University of Virginia 21st in the nation for overall performance when compared with the nation's best universities. The College of William and Mary ranked in the first quartile.
The most significant finding came when the magazine looked at efficiency. Despite recent claims of wasteful spending on Virginia's campuses, the magazine found that two of Virginia's schools are among the most efficient in the nation. William and Mary ranked fourth, while UVa ranked 13th (and first in efficiency among the nation's top 25 universities). At the same time, James Madison University and Mary Washington College ranked first and second for efficiency among regional colleges and universities in the South.
How much longer can Virginia's colleges and universities continue to maintain their high quality and efficiency? Our experience in business tells us that we are pressing the limits. We are dangerously near the point where we will begin to see declines in quality across the entire system of higher education.
Virginia has a choice. Its citizens have long been strong supporters of higher education. The commonwealth's policy-makers face difficult budget decisions during this term of the General Assembly, decisions that will have an impact on higher education and its ability to attract and retain the business and industry this state needs to prosper.
It is now time for those policy-makers to renew their commitment to efficient, high-quality education in Virginia, and time for the people of the commonwealth to renew their investment in their future.
Joshua Darden is president of Norfolk-based Darden Properties Inc., and former rector of the University of Virginia.\ \ Hays Watkins is chairman emeritus of Richmond-based CSX Corp. and former rector of the College of William and Mary.
by CNB