Most Tennesseans want their state government to demonstrate a more sustained commitment to higher education, according to a statewide survey commissioned by WGU Tennessee.
Among those surveyed, 89 percent of respondents said they want Governor Bill Lee‘s administration to devote more time and resources to higher education and workplace development, with 46 percent also demanding an allocation of more state funding for college educations.
Furthermore, 62 percent of respondents believed that the state government should do more to ensure that public school students are better prepared for college-level work. Only 26 percent believed that government officials were currently doing a “good job” in this area.
One thing that most Tennesseans did agree on is the importance of a college degree. 91 percent of respondents found it very important or at least somewhat important for students to obtain either a college degree or a career-related certificate beyond a high school diploma.
“The information is not only useful for WGU Tennessee, but we think it is also of interest to others involved in higher education, to legislators and policy makers, and to the general public,” Dr. Kimberly Estep, chancellor of WGU Tennessee, a state-endorsed online nonprofit university, said in a statement.
“The results show there is solid support for helping more Tennesseans have access to post-secondary education and training.”
To compile the responses, the university employed the Dallas-based market research firm Dynata. Dynata surveyed 600 randomly selected registered voters who are currently employed to gauge their general opinions and attitudes regarding higher education issues throughout the state.
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