For decades, social scientists and demographers have warned that some of the fastest growing segments of our population—racial and ethnic minorities, individuals for whom English is a second language, and immigrants—are the least well prepared to gain access to and benefit from careers in the knowledge-based economy. They are the most significantly underrepresented in college preparatory courses and college classrooms.

For decades, policy makers and educational leaders have warned of a growing middle class “squeeze,” with even relatively well-off families finding it harder and harder to give their children access to the quality higher education programs that will allow them to be competitive in the new economy.

These trends are not unique to Massachusetts, of course. They exist, to one degree or another, in all the states with whom we are competing for leadership. But there is one glaring difference between Massachusetts and our smartest rivals, one powerful strategy they have embraced that we, to date, have shunned: investing in public higher education.

These other states are well aware that filling the jobs requiring the highest levels of preparation and creativity relies on robust public research universities. They know that providing meaningful access to quality education is the special strength of public
colleges and universities. They recognize that only a diverse and vibrant public higher education system can ensure affordable quality for all their citizens.