By Linda Stamato/NJ Voices
Before the State of the Union message, there was speculation about what President Obama would emphasize, indeed, what priorities would take precedence in his second administration. It’s clear, now, that he is thinking big on climate change, immigration reform, energy independence and investing in a “rising, thriving middle class.” What surprises me, though, is the lack of emphasis on how, for the most part, these priorities are to be met. How, for example, will we deal with the problems we face without investment in higher education? And, about that, about higher education, very little, other than cost relative to value—no small matter to be sure—was mentioned despite the fact that the very means to address challenges in the priority areas rest, significantly, in our nation’s institutions of higher learning, research and service.
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