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This paper presents an evaluation of Colorado's educational needs related to economic competitiveness and to providing equal access to higher education. The paper looks at the Colorado economy's shift toward an information/service based system. Thus the paper argues, the educational needs of Colorado's workforce are higher and to maintain its competitive edge, those needs must be met. Also discussed are demographic shifts changing the makeup of the future workforce which will be older, more female and more diverse. Also, the paper argues, demographic shift will not lead to an equitable distribution of educational participation without efforts to increase the participation of previously disenfranchised individuals. Consequently a statewide ethnic minority graduation goal of 18.6 percent by the year 2000 has been adopted. If that goal is funded by the state, the public institutions would need to graduate an additional 1,484 minority graduates above current projects in the year 2000. The paper argues that if Colorado public educational institutions are to continue to produce their current percentage of the demand for sub-baccalaureate and baccalaureate degrees, the estimated annual cost to the state for public institutions to meet that demand is $45 million above the costs already estimated in the higher education demand projections. Ten references are included. (JB)

Recommendations of six state reports that addressed issues confronting state governments and public higher education in the last 2 decades, as well as some new issues, are considered using content analysis. The reports were prepared by formal study commissions in the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, and New York. In addition to briefly reviewing related literature, the recommendations are categorized, and new trends in the relationship between the state and higher education are identified. The potential impact of the recommendations on flagship universities are also assessed. The 301 recommendations are grouped into 18 categories, of which those most represented in the reports are: program review, finances, governance, size and scope, and economic development. For each of the 18 categories, tables indicate the frequency of the recommendations found in the six reports, and the distribution of the categories by state. The following conclusions are offered: many of the issues affecting statewide governance have persisted over time; new issues are found; both increased centralization and decentralization are recommended; flagship universities are likely to benefit from recommendations aimed at differentiation; and governors are becoming more active in higher education issues. Four pages of references are included. (SW)

Rural community colleges are faced with issues similar to their urban counterparts, but many challenges for rural schools are further exacerbated by limited resources, geographic isolation, and a static economy. This paper argues that the difference between success and failure can be the ability to create strong partnerships. Of the 15 colleges in the Colorado Community College System, 7 are rural, 2 are located in mountain communities, and 6 are in urban areas. Approximately three-quarters of the colleges have multiple campuses, many in rural locations. The Colorado Rural Development Council (CRDC, a part of the National Rural Development Partnership) was created in 1993 to improve school-business relationships for rural schools. A 30-member interim steering committee was created from the 300-plus people attending a statewide conference on rural development. The interim steering committee hired the Council's executive director, who was assigned the task of convening networking community meetings in order to create the CRDC board. Each CRDC has two private, two nonprofit, and two local government representatives. CRDC meetings are preceded by community forums, which provide input regarding the issues. The Council creates its Annual Plan using these common issues. The paper gives a brief history of the CRDC from its inception to the present. (Author/NB)

This document contains action plans for four states (Colorado, Indiana, Mississippi, and Missouri) involved in the Jobs for the Future program designed to enhance states' ability to handle economic change. The first section, "A Call to Action," discusses what Colorado's public and private sectors must consider doing to meet the challenges that lie ahead and why. It focuses primarily on employees and employers and describes an education and training system that supports the lifelong learning needed to ensure a competitive future. Section 2, entitled "Executive Report of the Jobs for Indiana's Future Program," describes the context for change in Indiana, explores job skills workers need, reviews the vocational learning system, and proposes an action plan with six strategies for successes. The third section consists of two papers on the situation in Mississippi. The first, called "Seizing the Future: A Commitment to Competitiveness," presents strategic recommendations for steps Mississippi needs to take to create a rising standard of living for all its citizens. The second paper, "Mississippi: A Globally Competitive People," describes current efforts to develop the skills and talents of the people of the state and suggests strategies to increase and improve these efforts. It looks at each target population, outlines the magnitude of need and key issues to address, summarizes current Mississippi practices to assist each group, and discusses best practices and recommendations for future action. The final section, called "The Missouri Challenge," analyzes Missouri's current competitive posture; assesses the problems and promise for Missouri businesses, workers, and government to compete; and offers an action plan for a future in which workers will have better skills. (YLB)