When speakers talk about economic development and the important role of higher education, the presentation most always focuses on research facilities, the technology transfers, the nano, macro and micro matters, available at the 16 campuses of our state university. When the speaker is in Greensboro, the focus, rightly, is on the important role played by North Carolina State Agricultural and Technical State University and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Greensboro is the only city in this state that can claim to be home to two state universities. At long last, these speakers are beginning to extol the many strengths and capabilities of Guilford Technical Community College. The higher education picture in Greensboro is truly one of the strongest assets of our City.

Those state-owned institutions are worthy of respect and admiration. However, I also want to lift high the voices of the independent, liberal arts colleges in this county: Bennett College for Women, Guilford College, High Point University and of course, my college - Greensboro College. Indeed, the voices of the thirty-six independent colleges in North Carolina. According to statistics released in 2002, the total economic impact of private colleges in North Carolina was $6.66 billion in 2001. Furthermore, 22.5% of our NC House members and 34% of our NC Senate members attended an independent North Carolina college or university. Even our current governor attended a private college for 2 years before transferring to the University system.

At the Annual Meeting of The Greensboro Partnership former Governor Jim Hunt paid tribute to the exceptional work done by our City in recruiting new businesses to the area. He encouraged the audience to continue relying upon the assets of our higher education community to develop job-training programs and research opportunities for new business cluster markets. The Governor and others talked about the importance of entrepreneurship and retail. They talked about the critical need for a strong K-12 education. They talked about the Creative Class as cited by Richard Florida and how best to prepare CEOs for their duties. With that introduction, let me make a case for the liberal arts college in economic development.

When talking about opportunities in economic development business leaders talk about the need for a community to find ways to promote Entrepreneurship and to provide students with skills in Retail. Our independent colleges do this job extremely well. In fact, the Business Division at Greensboro College is annually one of the three largest divisions at the College. It is led by a faculty of whom 100% hold terminal degrees. The Chair of the Department of Business Administration and Economics teaches many of the retail courses, along with marketing and merchandising courses. Courses in Entrepreneurship are taught by others in the department. The department has demonstrated its strengths for many years and is highly respected by similar programs around the country. In addition to recent reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and School, today it is a candidate for accreditation by Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. Entrepreneurship and retail options - critical to our economic development program.

Business leaders as well as political aspirants, when talking about economic development note the importance of the public and private school systems. Corporations considering opening facilities in Greensboro want to be assured that the schools are the highest quality. Most observers agree that the key to strong B-K-12 schools is professionally qualified classroom teachers. The key to training such teachers for our classrooms resides in the teacher preparation programs of our Colleges. Greensboro College has an exceptional record among public and private colleges and universities across the state in the preparation of teachers for our school systems. K-12 Education - critical to our economic development program.

Several years ago, business analyst Richard Florida, introduced to the national business dialogue the term, The Creative Class. In explaining the characteristics of the Creative Class, Florida talked about the importance of the liberating arts that free individuals from lock-step regiments and provides for an atmosphere that encourages imagination, dreaming, envisioning, and as the phrase goes, thinking outside the box.

A recent article in BUSINESSWEEK reported a study showing that China is having a hard time finding enough Chinese managers and so they are hiring a lot of Americans because of our ability to think critically, problem-solve and make decisions as opposed to the Confucian manner of memorize and repeat back. Singapore, too, has instituted a focus on innovation in their education system because they recognize that is what is missing and that America does a good job educating students to be able to be innovative. These skills are at the heart of the liberal arts.

Richard Florida concludes this is the kind of preparation that contributes to CEO preparation. Certainly, there are specific task-oriented skills any leader must have. Leaders are not born, they are made. They are made by lots of hard work. But just as certainly, leaders must not be hamstrung by patterns and diagrams. They must be free and encouraged to test, experiment, innovate.

Nowhere is that done better than at a liberal arts college that puts leadership skills at the forefront of its educational offerings. At Greensboro College, there are not only formal leadership classes, but the lessons of those classes must be applied in various campus and community events and internships. If students complete enough such leadership experiences, they receive a Certificate I Leadership. The Creative Class, CEO preparation - critical to our economic development program.

Not long ago, the Greensboro College Business Advisory Board met with the Business Division faculty. This is a group of business executives who consult with our Business Division faculty to help them keep the academic classrooms in touch with the needs of the every day marketplace. In summing up their meeting, the Board stressed the obvious importance of sound management skills and general accounting knowledge. They also focused their conversation on leadership, intelligence and integrity. Though the words vary from school to school, this is a central part of the mission of our liberal arts colleges.

The independent liberal arts colleges in Greensboro are not likely to be able to train a potential employee how to build an airplane engine. Sorry, Mr. Bill Diffenderffer, CEO of Skybus Airlines, Inc. Greensboro College cannot help with that task, but GTCC certainly can do it for you. However, we can help prepare the next President or Chief Financial Officer or Chief Operating Officer to run the business for you. As a matter of fact, I am willing to project that if you review the credentials of your leading management team, you will find more independent liberal arts graduates than more narrowly trained graduates. You may be surprised to know that independent colleges in North Carolina award one-third of the bachelors degrees, in the state; more than half of the medical degrees; and more than sixty percent of the law degrees.

Not only is that true for Skybus, it is probably true for most of the larger corporations in Greensboro. As a matter of fact, it is true for the Board of Directors of our newly re-structured Greensboro Partnereship that has become such an asset in our citys reinvigorated economy.

The liberal arts is not about training people, but rather it transcends the trends and is the thought process which generates all new technology and ideas. Together, the public and private sectors of higher education can continue to be a strong educational force for the good of economic development in Guilford County and beyond.

Craven E. Williams
President
Greensboro College