For universities, building these partnerships is both good politics and good policy. Colleges and universities long have been judged on the quality of education their students receive and the caliber of research their faculty members produce. Both remain central and vital. But state universities, dependent as they are on state funding, also have another responsibility. They need to become active players in promoting economic development.
All parties benefit.
The economy grows, and universities are recognized, not just as an asset to the people who attend classes and work there, but to the overall economic well-being of the state. This year's budget is a positive sign that strategy is working and will continue to work, for Hoosiers and for Indiana's research universities.