Minnesota students need more math and science to ensure state's future
James H. McCormick
March 9, 2006
The call for students to take more science and math has been sounded far and wide.
A National Academy of Science panel documented trends that show this country losing its edge in scientific innovation. A Time magazine cover story, "Is America flunking science?" detailed how other countries surpass us in training scientists, research spending and scholarly journal articles. President Bush and leading Democrats promised new initiatives to reverse these trends.
But now, a disturbing new poll suggests parents don't see the need. About 70 percent of high school parents in the poll conducted by Public Agenda, a national research group that tracks education trends, say their child gets the right amount of science and math.
The evidence in Minnesota is clear, however, that high school students need a firmer grounding in these subjects. Mathematics made up more than half of the catch-up courses taken by students in the state's public higher education institutions, according to the latest college readiness study by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the University of Minnesota.
This weak showing in math among entering Minnesota college freshmen also means too few students major in math, science and engineering. Out of nearly 66,000 graduates from all Minnesota institutions of higher learning in 2003, only 2,500 majored in engineering, math and physical science. Evidence of that low number showed up in a recent report card by the Corporation for Enterprise Development, which ranked Minnesota 26th in the number of science and engineering graduate students.
You may ask why science and math are so important. Let me be clear. We still need college graduates in communications, social sciences, and yes, the fine arts. A rich, vibrant and strong state demands citizens with those degrees, too.
But put simply, mastery of math, science and engineering will, in large part, determine whether this state can compete. As the National Science Foundation leadership recently noted, "Civilization is on the brink of a new industrial order. The big winners in the increasingly fierce global scramble for supremacy will not be those who simply make commodities faster and cheaper than the competition. They will be those who develop talent, techniques and tools so advanced that there is no competition." Without an abundance of well-trained engineers and scientists, Minnesota cannot maintain a fertile environment for its businesses to become the 3Ms, Honeywells and Medtronics of the future. In short, what's at risk is our ability to maintain a high quality of life for the next generation.
To produce more science, engineering and math majors, we must act now. In the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, we are addressing this challenge in three ways: 1) upgrading outdated science labs; 2) ramping up recruitment of students and teachers into science and math programs; and 3) increasing access to students - largely low-income and minorities - who traditionally have not been part of the higher education system in large numbers.
Since 1998, the Legislature has approved our requests to invest $296 million in updating science labs. If the 2006 Legislature approves the $84 million we seek for more science lab upgrades, we will have made substantial progress at many of our 53 campuses.
To draw more students into science and math, we have established two Centers of Excellence focusing on engineering and manufacturing. By strengthening ties with K-12 educators, we aim to excite students about these challenging fields. In fact, the main mission of these centers, which involve 17 of our state universities and colleges, will be to produce a pool of talented and highly skilled engineers and manufacturing workers who think creatively and adapt rapidly.
We also believe that Minnesota will not be able to meet this challenge without bringing substantially more citizens into the ranks of the college educated. Too many citizens still do not pursue formal education beyond high school. In 2004, only 26 percent of Minnesota's young adult students of color were enrolled in higher education. That's a lot of lost talent. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities offer the best value and a logical steppingstone to pursuing baccalaureate or advanced degrees.
So, the question that sits squarely before lawmakers, policymakers and the public is: How can we produce more engineers and scientists? The answer seems clear: By making a solid investment in public higher education, we can secure a bright future so our children and grandchildren stay in Minnesota and prosper.
This commentary appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
