Invest in Universities to Keep Young People in the State

David Goodner, of Straight out of the Cornfield, is right on with this assessment of how to keep more young people to stay in Iowa.

Invest in universities

The next governor can retain and attract young people to Iowa by investing in an education economy, by developing the university industrial complex.

Young people want to do meaningful work in occupations with good wages and benefits. We also want to live in a rich cultural environment, where our viewpoints and lifestyles are respected.

We need cheaper tuition and incentives for nursing and education majors. We need to devote more resources to engineering, medicine, law and the sciences. We need to expand international studies, cultural geography and human-rights programs.

Young people will be challenged to stay here if we make Iowa an international center of education.
— David Goodner, Iowa City

I have written abou this issue numerous times (1, 2, 3) on this blog.

Then this past week, Diary of a Political Madman had this story about the Board of Regents being rumored to say they were going to cut all funding to the state universities.

Some University of Iowa faculty and staff are puzzled by statements attributed to Iowa state Board of Regents officials that UI should plan as though it would receive zero funding from the Legislature in the next five to 10 years.

They say they are even more puzzled that the regents -- President Michael Gartner and President Pro Tem Teresa Wahlert -- deny saying them.

Supporting our Universities is investing in our future.