NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE

STATE OF ARKANSAS

State Capitol

Little Rock, AR 72201

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Little Rock -- Nov. 6 -- Gov. Mike Huckabee announced Thursday that he's forming a Blue Ribbon Committee for Higher Education to make recommendations for improving colleges and universities in Arkansas.

"As our effort for public school education reform produces better students, more Arkansans than ever will be entering this state's colleges and universities," the governor said. "With that in mind, it's time to assemble a highly qualified group of Arkansans to study the current higher education system and suggest improvements."

Huckabee said the panel will examine the higher education systems of other states before proposing steps to improve higher education in Arkansas. Topics on which the committee will focus include college participation rates, graduation rates, retention rates, research, funding, diversity and economic development.

The governor said he would like recommendations from the panel to be presented within six months. Monthly meetings will begin in December. Phil Ford of West Memphis, the chairman of the state Higher Education Coordinating Board, will serve as the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee for Higher Education. Huckabee said other members will be named later.

"I'm hopeful this group will be able to present me and the Legislature with a blueprint for what must be done to improve the quality, funding and accountability of higher education," Huckabee said. "There have been similar efforts in states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Dakota and Kentucky. As we begin to focus on higher education in addition to our K-12 system of public education, a key goal is to increase the participation in higher education and improve college retention rates. One of the things that holds our state back economically is the fact we're basically tied with West Virginia for having the lowest percentage of residents in the country with at least a bachelor's degree.

"We must have a core curriculum in high school that prepares students for college. We must educate parents and students about what's required to succeed at the college level. And then we must make sure our colleges and universities are affordable while using technology to increase the access to college courses throughout the state.

“In the area of college retention, we must implement strong retention strategies and find ways to reward those institutions that graduate a high percentage of their students. We must also dramatically increase the number of graduates in strategic areas such as math, science and teaching."

Huckabee said the state also should find ways to encourage and improve research. He said more university-based research would help Arkansas expand economically.

"One of the best things we've done as a state is to devote part of the money from the tobacco lawsuit settlement to research," the governor said. "For each state dollar we put into research, we obtain several additional dollars in the form of federal grants and private funding. Now, we need to take that effort to the next level. Several decades ago, the leaders of North Carolina realized the textile industry and the tobacco industry were in decline. They made a decision to place an emphasis on research, and that decision has paid off tremendously for North Carolina. We need a similar emphasis on research in Arkansas."

Huckabee said he also hopes the committee will find ways to coordinate individual campus plans with statewide goals.

"We must use our limited resources more wisely and strengthen the partnerships among the various institutions of higher education in this state," he said. "We also must strengthen the ties between our colleges and the businesses in Arkansas. We should closely monitor employers' satisfaction with the college graduates we're turning out. If we take the proper steps now, we'll improve the prosperity of all Arkansans.

"In the competitive world economy, we must build a workforce fully equipped with lifelong learning skills. The job market of the 21st century requires graduates who are not only educated in the traditional sense but who also possess leadership, problem-solving and communication skills. Those graduates who succeed in the high-tech economy will be the ones who are equipped with skills that transcend specific job categories. There's a heightened sense of urgency on the part of business leaders. They're telling us we can do a better job preparing the workforce of the future. If we don't, Arkansas will fall far behind other states economically."

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