Higher Education 2/23/23

THE HIGHER EDUCATION ISSUES AMONG INSTITUTIONS THAT YOU DID NOT MENTION, SOUTHWEST STATE, I UNDERSTAND ALSO HAS A DECLINE IN A NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND IS ALSO STARTING WITH THIS ISSUE.

LET'S KICK THIS OFF, AND YOU TALKED TO REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI ABOUT A BILL COMING OUT OF THE HOUSE THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

LET'S GO AROUND OUR HYPOTHETICAL TABLE HERE.

>> OKAY.

SO WHAT THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE IN THE HOUSE SPENT ALL BUT ONE OF ITS HEARINGS ON ARE THE BUDGETS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, MIN STATE SYSTEM AND THE OFFICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION SO WE WOULD GET A BETTER HANDLE ON EXACTLY THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM.

I ASKED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND THE MIN STATE SYSTEM, A 10 YEAR REVIEW STARTING IN 2013 OF THE ENROLLMENT.

WE WILL GET AN UPDATE SOON ON 2022.

THE RESULTS WERE NOT GOOD.

ACROSS ALL OF THE SYSTEMS WE HAVE CHRONIC AND IN SOME CASES CRISIS IN DECLINING ENROLLMENT.

HOW THAT HAPPENED, IT'S A NATIONAL ISSUE.

BUT WE ARE NOT DEALING NATIONALLY.

WE ARE JUST DEALING WITH MINNESOTA.

WE HAVE RAISED TUITION TO A POINT WHERE IT'S SIMPLY UNAFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO COLLEGE.

PLUS, YOU CAN GET A GOOD JOB NOW.

JOBS ARE OPENING ALL OVER THE PLACE.

ALSO OUR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN SLOWING THE JOB CRISIS.

WHAT WE HAVE IN FINANCE, WHICH WE HAD A HEARING ON A WEEK AGO TUESDAY, EVERY HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR IN MINNESOTA SHOULD HAVE THE OPTION OF GRADUATING NOT JUST WITH A DIPLOMA WITH BUT AN EMPLOYABLE SKILL SET.

LOOKING HOW TO RELINK TECHNICAL COLLEGES AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO THE K-12 SYSTEM SO THAT THOSE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACQUIRE A SKILL SET.

AT ONE TIME A NUMBER OF THESE INSTITUTIONS WERE VOCATIONAL, AND THEY WERE INSIDE THE SYSTEM.

WE MADE THEM TECHNICAL COLLEGES, AND WHEN WE MADE THAT MOVE THEY MIGRATED, TEACHERS, EQUIPMENT, ALL OF IT, AND SIMPLY WAS NOT RETURNED.

THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN EVERY AREA, BUT IN THE VAST MAJORITY IT IS.

SO OUR GOAL IN THE COMMITTEE IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN HELP THE SYSTEMS.

THIS WOULD INCLUDE, ALSO, THE PRIVATE COLLEGES IN RESTORING ENROLLMENT AND MAKING COLLEGE AFFORDABLE AND HOW WOULD WE RELINK THE TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS TO THE K-12 SYSTEM SO THAT THOSE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GRADUATE.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE URDAHL, YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI HAS CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED AS A CRISIS SITUATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN MINNESOTA.

>> WELL, CERTAINLY IT IS A CRISIS OF THE DECLINING ENROLLMENT.

I'M GLAD TO SEE REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI IS WORKING IN THIS AREA.

I THINK HE IDENTIFIED A LOT OF THE NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN HIGHER EDUCATION, AND I APPLAUD HIM FOR THAT.

ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED AS WELL IS HOW WE PREPARE OUR TEACHERS, WHAT IS THE PIPELINE LIKE FOR THE FUTURE.

ONE BILL THAT I'M INTRODUCING PROBABLY NEXT WEEK ALONG THOSE LINES IS TO PAY SOME SORT OF STIPEND TO WHERE STUDENT TEACHERS, AND IT'S, I THINK, PROBLEMATIC, A LOT OF THEM, THAT IF YOU HAVE GOT TO GO OUT AND STUDENT TEACH.

YOU ARE LEAVING THE JOB THAT YOU MAYBE HAD, CAN'T GET ANOTHER ONE WHEN YOU ARE STUDENT TEACHING, AND IT'S A DIFFICULT SITUATION.

SO MAYBE WE CAN STIMULATE WHO WANTS TO BE A TEACHER AND HELP THEM OUT WITH THE STIPEND.

LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT.

>> Barry: SENATOR HOWE, AND I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION FOR REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI.

SENATOR HOWE.

>> THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO TRACK, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS NOW ARE STARTING TO MIGRATE INTO THE TRADES.

THEY SEE THAT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.

I LIKE THE IDEA -- I WAS WORKING, TALKING TO A SUPERINTENDENT.

WE WERE TRYING TO FOCUS ON GETTING 16, 17 YEAR-OLDS IN THE CONSTRUCTION FIELD IN THE SUMMER BECAUSE THEY WORK ON BUILDING HOMES DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEY GET SOME OF THAT OSHA STUFF.

THEY GET SOME OF THAT TRADE MATERIAL AND EXCITEMENT.

BUT WHEN IT COMES IN THE SUMMERTIME, THEY CAN'T GET HIRED ON THE CONSTRUCTION SITE TO CONTINUE THAT EDUCATION OUT IN THE FIELD.

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT'S A MISTAKE.

I MEAN, I'M A BUILDING OFFICIAL.

THE REASON I GOT TO BE A BUILDING OFFICIAL IS BECAUSE I POUNDED NAILS WHEN I WAS 16, 17 YEARS OLD.

THAT SUPERINTENDENT TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, HIS TEACHERS ARE REALLY ILL EQUIPPED TO TALK ABOUT THOSE AND GUIDE THOSE KIDS, SCHOOL KIDS, INTO THE TRADES BECAUSE THEIR EXPERTISE IS THEY WANT TO -- THEY GOT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL.

THEY WENT TO COLLEGE, AND THEY CAME BACK AND TAUGHT.

THEIR FIELD ISN'T IN THE TRADES.

THEY GUIDE THEM INTO AND TALK THEM INTO GOING TO COLLEGE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY KNOW.

THAT WAS HIS INPUT.

HE WAS STRUGGLING TRYING TO GET HIS TEACHERS TO IDENTIFY WITH THAT TRADE MENTALITY AND HOW TO GET THESE FOLKS AS REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI WAS TALKING ABOUT, JOB QUALIFIED FOLKS TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY FIND A JOB OUT THERE.

SO I THINK THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED AN ISSUE THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI, FURTHER COMMENT ON THIS.

THE THIRD RAIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION IS ALWAYS THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE TOO MANY INSIDE STATIONS.

THIS OF COURSE IS A MAJOR POLITICAL ISSUE.

IT'S A VERY SENSITIVE QUESTION FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, BUT YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT YOU OPENED THE PROGRAM WITH AND NOT SAY THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CAPACITY ISSUE HERE AS WELL.

I AM JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT AS WELL AS COMMENTS THAT YOUR COLLEAGUES MADE AS WELL.

>> I THINK A CAPACITY ISSUE IS ONE THAT THIS SESSION ISN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY YET.

I WANT TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THESE SYSTEMS, AND THE PRIVATE SYSTEM IS EQUALLY IN TROUBLE.

YOU HAVE SEEN AT SOME OF OUR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS MAJOR PROGRAMS BEING DROPPED AND A DOZEN FACULTY LAID OFF.

THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT I WANT TO EXPLORE HOW TO HELP AND RESURRECT.

I THINK WE NEED TO DO RELINKING OF OUR K-12 SYSTEM AND HIGHER ED SYSTEM.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 30 YEARS, WE WILL HAVE A 2 PLUS 2 SYSTEM IN WINONA AND MINNESOTA STATE SOUTHEAST TECH WHERE WE EDUCATE WHAT YAD TO BE VOCATIONAL ED TEACHERS.

YOU WILL HAVE A TWO YEAR TEACHER EDUCATION SYSTEM AT WINONA STATE.

THAT'S STEP 1.

STEP 2 IS NOW TO GET THOSE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE.

WHICH MEANS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A COOL DAY FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO TAKE THOSE SKILL SETS.

IT MIGHT MEAN THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A TWO-YEAR INSTITUTION OR BRING TWO-YEAR FACULTY OVER TO THESE HIGH SCHOOLS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE SOLVED IN ONE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

WE MADE MISTAKES, I THINK, OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.

IT'S TIME TO CORRECT THEM.

I THINK THE FIRST THING I WANT TO DO IS SEE HOW WE CAN CORRECT THEM.

>> Barry: WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER PURSUE THESE ISSUES BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS AN AREA OF CONCERN FOR THE RESIDENTS OF MINNESOTA.

WE FREQUENTLY GET QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATUS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE BUDGETS FOR RESPECTIVE INSTITUTIONS.

BUT LET'S MOVE ON TO SOME OTHER TOPICS.