[Plantsci] Emailing: The value of an educated person

[Donna-Rae Marquez]

 <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/> Description: The Arizona
Republic


The value of an educated person


by Eugene G. Sander - Sept. 4, 2011 07:57 PM
President of the University of Arizona 

It certainly is popular these days to question whether a college education
is worth the investment, especially in light of tuition increases and budget
cuts nationwide.

At the University of Arizona, that question has been resoundingly answered,
by our students and their families. By any measurement, interest in and
access to a UA education is at an all-time high in spite of some pretty
historic challenges.

More than 27,000 students applied to the UA for the 2011-12 academic year;
more than 7,300 enrolled. A record 38 percent of the freshman class consists
of out-of-state and international students. Academic performance of incoming
freshmen and class diversity are up significantly.

And students are averaging more credit hours than ever before, a testament
to class availability and student diligence.

I commend these students and their families on their decision - not because
they chose the UA, but rather because they recognized the long-term value of
an education at a quality research university.

I would argue that the value of an educated person is as high as it has ever
been.

While the nation has been languishing at a 9 percent unemployment rate for
more than a year, the unemployment rate for college graduates is only 4.3
percent.

But a college education is about much more than completing a degree in
business, the arts, science, engineering or any other discipline.

It is about providing an experience that allows students to contribute
across all corners of our society after they leave.

Today's students require a bevy of skills beyond their primary area of
study. They need to write and speak well, embrace technology, understand
personal and organizational financial management, relate to people of
diverse backgrounds and have the skills to change careers during economic
downturns or when particular industries decline.

The next generation of scientists, engineers, artists, teachers, doctors,
economists, public servants and leaders in other fields is overwhelmingly
likely to come from institutions like the UA.

Sure there are exceptions. But for every Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs,
there are tens of thousands of successful professionals whose first job was
that of an inquisitive student at a great university.

Every emerging power across the globe shares a unifying trait - they are
investing in research universities and using the American system as a model.

In these competitive times, we absolutely need to boost the ranks of
educated people, who will be integral in providing solutions to the problems
facing our society.

Eugene G. Sander is president of the University of Arizona.

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