Beebe: State schools should copy private

ARKADELPHIA - Arkansas' private colleges and universities must lead the way for state institutions as they work to increase student graduation rates, Gov. Mike Beebe said Monday.

Arkansas ranks 49th among the states in the percentage of adults who have four-year degrees, which must increase to boost the state's economic development, Beebe said during an annual meeting of Arkansas' Independent Colleges and Universities on the campus of Ouachita Baptist University.

Students enrolled at the state's private colleges and universities graduate at a higher rate than students enrolled in public institutions.

Some 61 percent of the 2,288 first-time degree-seeking students who started at private schools in 2000 graduated by 2006. At fouryear public institutions, 46 percent of the 10,480 first-time degree-seeking students in 2000 graduated by 2006, according to the Department of Higher Education.

Beebe said the difference in college graduation rates challenges public universities, creating a "healthy, constructive, positive competition."

"Whatever you're doing, it sure is helping our state," Beebe said.

Independent institutions' graduation rates should be broadcast in part to address critics who say state scholarships should not be awarded to students attending private colleges and universities.Beebe said that at one time, he was not an advocate of private institutions, but now is a "convert."

"As someone who recognizes that the value of our institutions of higher education in this state transcend those barriers which artificially have existed, and that the public schools and the private schools, working together providing their own respective areas of competence, influence and indeed expertise, all deserve a place at the table," Beebe said.

He added, however, that he isnot planning to appropriate general revenue funds to private institutions, he said.

"But I do believe in opening up those scholarship opportunities of public money for Arkansas students to be able to choose which college and university they want to go to - public or private - was just, right and appropriate, and more importantly now, was a huge benefit to Arkansas," Beebe said.

Kearney Dietz, president of Arkansas' Independent Colleges and Universities, said increasing graduation rates will take work on the part of all of higher education institutions to better prepare incoming students for college-level academics.

Dietz's organization, which advocates on behalf of the state's private schools, is working to prepare kindergarten through 12-grade teachers by awarding 12 $6,000 scholarships each year to juniors and seniors at independent institutions who agree to teach in the state in a critical-need area including math, science, foreign language or special education.

"For years, people have said, 'Well, everybody doesn't need to go to college. We need to have some kind of training [for] those kids that don't want to go to college that would prepare them for jobs,'" Dietz said. "But the truth is, higher education is absolutely essential."

Arkansas, Pages 8 on 10/30/2007

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