Independent Higher Education
as an Economic Engine:
The Latest Action Research
Commission on Independent
Colleges and Universities
Terri Standish-Kuon
Vice President, Communications and Administration
December 4, 2002
Overview
• Role of colleges
and universities
– Education
– Research
– Economic benefit
of these dual
missions
• The general public
appreciates the
connection
– The economy and
education are top
concerns
– Higher education
related to economic
development and
quality of life
1
Role of colleges and universities
• Mission: education and research
• In the process of fulfilling these dual
missions, Independent Sector campuses
make a profound and sizable contribution to
the economic well-being of New York State
2
The education mission
• Students can study anything in New York
State — in a wide range of settings
• The Independent Sector includes: long-time leaders
in women's education; the nation's largest group of
private engineering schools and programs (15);
more private medical schools than any other state
(8); two dental colleges; 13 law schools; the greatest
concentration of historically-religious institutions in
the United States; plus nationally-recognized liberal
arts colleges and research universities
3
Importance of higher education
• Businesses locate
where talented,
highly-educated,
people live
• Higher education
relates to income -and thus to personal
income tax revenues
4
New York’s higher education
enterprise is unique
• Private colleges and
universities in New
York State compose
the nation’s largest
Independent Sector
– Collectively, these
campuses are the
State’s leading source
of bachelor’s and
graduate degrees
5
Independent campuses provide
higher education access
• 426,000 students, most
in baccalaureate and
graduate programs
– 290,000 New Yorkers
6
The Independent Sector produces
in high-need disciplines
• Example: In 2000,
two in three
baccalaureate degree
nurses in New York
State — 2,906 nurses
in all — graduated
from an Independent
Sector college or
university
7
The research mission
• Colleges and universities bring federal and
private dollars into the state through grants,
awards, and research funding
8
World-recognized brainpower
• Top-notch minds
work and study in
New York State
– 132 Independent
Sector faculty and
alumni have won
Nobel prizes
• 38% of the world’s
total in economics
• 26% in medicine
• 21% in physics
9
Universities attract federal funds
• Higher education
institutions attracted
nearly half of the federal
R&D funds that came to
New York State in 2000
(approximately $1.5
billion)
10
Investments in high technology/
biotechnology infrastructure
11
Additional capital investments
12
A foundation for technological
competitiveness in world markets
13
Additional investment in
research infrastructure
14
Economic effects
• Employ 131,000 individuals -- from
teaching faculty to administrative staff to
maintenance crew and cafeteria workers
• The sector encourages tourism, bringing
families of students and other visitors to
communities
15
Additional benefits
• Independent campuses promote
entrepreneurship and business development,
through dedicated centers and partnerships
with area companies
• The Independent Sector helps stabilize
communities
16
Collectively, independent
campuses are major employers
• Employ 131,000
New Yorkers
• $6 billion payroll
• Generate $40.2
billion annually in
economic activity
17
Higher education is a regional
economic engine
• In the five boroughs of
New York City
– 185,000 students
– 65,165 employees
• $3.2B in salaries
• In Central New York
– 54,000 students
– 19,900 employees
• $735M in salaries
18
Sharing knowledge
• New York’s independent campuses sponsor
500 research centers and institutes available
to businesses and industry
• Searchable database: www.cicu.org
– Click on “Experts Search” to find contact
information for academic researchers and
program directors
• By keyword, location, and industry cluster
19
The general public links higher
education and the economy
• Poll conducted in October 2002 for CICU
by Zogby International
– margin of error, ± 3.2%
– sample: 1,007 adults
•
•
•
•
334 in New York City (five boroughs)
337 in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Rockland
335 in Upstate (remaining counties)
Regional samples are individually valid; the statewide totals
were calculated using appropriate weights to reflect the
distribution of the state's population
20
It’s the economy - and education
• What is the single
most important issue
facing New York State
today?
Most Important Issue
Jobs/economy
Education/schools
Taxes
Terrorism
State budget/spending
Health care/prescription drug costs
Crime/drugs/violence
Environment
Businesses and people leaving the state
Welfare/child care
Social Security/elderly
Politics/government
Utility rates
Other
Not sure
Overall %
35
20
13
6
4
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
0
6
5
21
Leading issues: the economy and
education
Most Important Issue
Jobs/economy
Education/schools
Taxes
Terrorism
Crime/drugs/violence
State budget/spending
Environment
Health care/prescription drug costs
Welfare/child care
Social Security/elderly
Politics/government
Businesses and people leaving the state
Utility rates
*Other
Not sure
NYC %
35
29
6
6
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
0
-6
5
Suburbs % Upstate %
29
41
19
12
17
16
8
4
2
2
5
5
1
1
5
3
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
2
-0
7
5
7
8
22
Colleges and universities
anchor communities
• Is there a college of
university in your
local community?
Local Colleges
Overall %
Yes
88
No
11
Local Colleges
NYC %
Yes
89
No
9
Suburbs % Upstate %
90
89
9
11
23
Higher education important
to the local economy
• How important is the
college or university to
your local economy,
very important,
somewhat important
or not important?
Importance to Local Economy
Overall %
Very important
51
Somewhat important
31
Not important
14
Not sure
4
24
Economic importance
greatest Upstate
Importance to Local Economy
NYC %
Very important
52
Somewhat important
29
Not important
14
Not sure
5
Suburbs % Upstate %
36
61
33
32
24
5
8
2
25
Colleges and universities
contribute to quality of life
• Please rate how the college or university
contributes to the quality of life in your
community, excellent, good, fair or poor, in each
of the following areas:
Impact of Local Colleges on Quality of Life
Overall %
Positive* Negative*
An educated workforce
68
24
The arts
63
28
Technology
59
31
Jobs
57
34
K-to-12 education
49
35
Community service
49
38
Tourism
33
52
(*Positive combines excellent and good; negative combines fair and poor)
26
Colleges and universities matter
to communities across the state
Impact of Local Colleges on Quality of Life
NYC %
Suburbs %
Upstate %
Pos*
Neg*
Pos*
Neg*
Pos*
Neg*
An educated workforce
69
24
61
24
70
26
The arts
60
30
58
28
68
27
Technology
56
34
55
29
66
29
Jobs
54
35
52
36
64
31
Community service
53
34
43
39
52
40
K-to-12 education
51
35
45
36
48
39
Tourism
31
50
25
57
40
52
(*Positive combines excellent and good; negative combines fair and poor)
27
Summary
• Role of colleges
and universities
– Education
– Research
– Economic benefit
of these dual
missions
• The general public
appreciates the
connection
– The economy and
education are top
concerns
– Higher education
related to economic
development and
quality of life
28