Strong Majority of Michigan Voters Believe Michigan’s Universities are Important in Creating New Jobs
Monday, February 6, 2012 by Business Leaders For Michigan According to a survey conducted by Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM) in January, Michigan voters strongly believe our universities play an important role in the creation of new jobs.
“Nearly 92% of respondents said universities were very or somewhat important to creating jobs,” said Doug Rothwell, President and CEO, Business Leaders for Michigan. “These results confirm that Michigan voters clearly understand our public universities are one of our greatest assets for growing jobs and Michigan’s economy.”
In addition, voters also believe that additional funding should be tied to performance in key areas. Nearly 68% of voters support the idea of allowing universities to earn back some of the money that has been cut from higher education if universities increase their graduation and retention rates, keep administrative costs low, and increase financial aid. By a margin of 47%-33%, voters preferred this idea to a proposal that would give every Michigan college student $9,500 without being linked to results. “Voters are willing to support more funding for our universities, but they want accountability and performance for that investment,” said Rothwell.
