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September 21, 2004State panel hears input on educationTuition, training are focus of public hearingByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Colleges need to train people differently, keep tuition down and market themselves to help prepare workers and improve the economy, educators and others told a state commission here. The Lt. Governor's Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth conducted its third of six statewide public hearings Monday at Northwestern Michigan College's Great Lakes Campus. About 20 people from around northern Lower Michigan planned to speak. Leonard Zolnierek, chairman of the Alpena County Commission, said schools need to train people to be entrepreneurs, rather than rely on others to provide jobs. "The thinking used to be, 'How do I get a job at the cement plant or how do I get out of here so I don't have to work at the cement plant?" he said. He said tuition needs to be kept down so the average person can afford it. Lt. Gov. John Cherry said that some state universities charge far less for tuition than people realize. "That's the other issue," Zolnierek added. "Selling the programs that are out there." Robert Van Dellen, president of Baker College of Cadillac, said schools need to work together more. "We need to have a better collaborative effort between public and private institutions at all levels," he said. One way is through regional planning on courses to improve services, he added. Anyone who wants to comment to the commission in writing may do so by mail at Cherry Commission, c/o Public Sector Consultants Inc., 600 W. Saint Joseph St., Suite 10, Lansing, MI 48933-2267. E-mail comments may be sent to comments@cherrycommission.org
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