Higher Education
Committee Members (*Red Denotes Committee Chairs)
| Name |
Company |
Position |
| Alicia Ritter |
Ritter Consulting |
President |
| Dean Haagenson |
Contractors Northwest |
President |
| Kevin Learned |
The Network Group |
Retired President/CEO |
| John Grossenbacher |
INL |
CEO |
| Brent Lloyd |
Futura Corp |
President/CEO |
| Hatch Barrett |
Trebar |
President |
| Jack Lemley |
Lemley & Associates |
President |
| Lori Frank |
Avalon Landscapes |
President |
| Pat McMurray |
Wells Fargo |
President & CEO |
| Pete O'Neill |
O'Neill Enterprises |
Chairman |
| Gary Michael |
Albertsons, Inc |
Retired CEO |
| Judy Meyer |
Parkwood Business Properties |
Partner |
| Mike Gwartney |
Farmer & Merchant Bank |
Retired Chairman |
| Curtis Eaton |
First Security |
Former Area Pres. for First Security |
| Bill Glynn |
Intermountain Industries, Inc. |
President/CEO |
Share of new jobs, 2000 - 2010
Jobs that require postsecondary education will make up more than two-thirds of new jobs.
- Access:Right now in Idaho, too many of our citizens lack access to higher education. Idaho is 45th in the nation in the percentage of high school students that go directly to college.
- Retention:Right now in Idaho, too many students drop out of college. Idaho is last in the nation in the proportion of first semester freshmen who enroll for a second semester.
- Efficiency: Community colleges offer great efficiency at reasonable cost because they are able to utilize a lower cost teaching model than four year schools. Right now in Idaho, we are paying too much to educate some of our students. Because Idaho lacks a statewide community college network, many students who might more appropriately attend a community college and do better there academically are forced to spend nearly twice as much in fees. (Three credit hours at a four year Idaho institution currently costs twice as much as three credits cost under a typical community college model - $520 v $214/three credit hours.)
- Convenience: Many of our citizens are place-bound by job, family and budget considerations. The community college model can and does deliver quality education and workforce training to rural communities and under served populations.
- Competitive Advantage:Right now in Idaho, our economy faces a competitive disadvantage. A comprehensive community college network will increase access, improve retention, and improve efficiency all of which will help produce the smart, skilled workforce needed to propel the Idaho economy for years to come.