MARKIE DURING THE 2016
LEGISLATIVE SESSION, HIGHER
EDUCATION FUNDING WAS SLASHED BY
MORE THAN $153 MILLION DOLLARS,
MAKING COLLEGE DEGREES
INACCESSIBLE TO SOME OKLAHOMANS.
AND THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE
CASE IF THOSE DEEP FISCAL CUTS
AREN'T MENDED.
IN AN ATTEMPT TO ALLEVIATE THE
PROBLEM, AN ADVOCACY GROUP
CALLED OKLAHOMA TOMORROW HAS
LAUNCHED.
HERE WITH US IS ITS CEO DEVERY
YOUNGBLOOD
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH
US.
I RU A LOAD OF YOU SAID ABOUT
THE CURRENT BUDGET SITUATION AND
YOUR MISSION.
HE SAID WE CANNOT ALLOW THE
CRISIS TO CRIPPLE TOMORROW'S
FUTURE.
FROM WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED,
THAT SEEMS TO BE THE BACKBONE OF
YOUR MISSION.
DEVERY: IT'S HARD.
WE HAVE SHORT TERM PROBLEMS THAT
ARE DEVASTATING.
HIGHER EDUCATION IS A LONG
INVESTMENT.
IF WE DO WHAT WE ARE DOING, WERE
NOT GOING TO HAVE THE OUT IT'S
WE NEED TO WE ARE LOOKING THIS
PRIVATE SECTOR FOLKS INTO THE
JOB PIPELINE AND WE NOT GETTING
THE KIND OF GRADUATES WE NEED
NOW.
IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS ROAD,
IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARMFUL TO
US AND THE STATE IN THE FUTURE.
MARKIE: WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A
16% CUT ACROSS THE STATE.
MAKING DEGREES LESS OF AN OPTION
BECAUSE WITH LESS FUNDING COMES
A SPIKE IN TUITION RATES.
DEVERY: IT'S ALL OF THAT.
IT'S NOMINALLY THAT PART, IT'S
16% LAST YEAR.
WE HAVE GOT HIGHER EDUCATION
MORE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAN
ANY STATE IN AMERICA.
WE HAVE LESS IN THE SYSTEM THAN
WE DID IN 2001.
WE CAN'T GET THE TEACHERS AND
PROFESSORS WE NEED FOR MANY OF
THE JOBS WE NEED MOST.
WE ARE IN THAT NEW KNOWLEDGE
ECONOMY AND IT REQUIRES MORE
ENGINEERS AND NURSES AND
HIGH-TECH JOBS THAT NEED MORE
TRAINING.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO GET THOSE
KIND OF THINGS.
MARKIE KEEP ON TAKING ME
THROUGH THIS DOMINO EFFECT.
TAKE ME THROUGH THIS LIST.
ONE OF THE TOP THINGS YOU ARE
ABOUT MOST WOULD COMES TO THIS
DROP IN FUNDING WE SEE?
DEVERY GENERAL LEAVY, THE
COMMANDING OFFICER IS TELLING
ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN TO HIM
THAT HE CAN HIRE EVERY SINGLE
ENGINEER THAT WE GRADUATE IN
OKLAHOMA NEXT YEAR AND STILL
HAVE EMPTY CHAIRS.
THAT UP TO SCARE US.
WE SEE THAT CARRIED OUT OVER ALL
OF THESE OTHER PLACES THAT NEED
PLACES AS WELL.
ALL OF THESE OTHERS DESPERATELY
NEED THAT.
WE ARE NOT ABLE TO PRODUCE THEM
AT THE LEVEL WE NEED, MUCH LESS
IN THE FUTURE.
MARKIE: EVERY PUBLIC NURSING
SCHOOL IN OKLAHOMA IS AT
CAPACITY.
NEW STUDENTS THEY CAN TAKE IN,
WE ARE TURNING AWAY STUDETS
LEFT AND RIGHT.
DEVERY: WE HAVE A CRITICAL
NURSING SHORTAGE NATIONWIDE AND
IN OKLAHOMA WE'RE MAKING IT
WORSE.
WE ARE TURNING AWAY PEOPLE WHO
ARE QUALIFIED, BUT WE DON'T
EXPAND THEM INTO THE THINGS IT
WE NEED.
ONE SIMULATED PATIENT THAT A
NURSE HAS TO WORK ON COSTS
$85,000.
SOME OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE TO HAVE
MULTIPLE OF THESE.
YOU WANT THEM WORKING ON THESE
THINGS.
WE HAVE A CRITIC NEED AND WE
ARE TURNING PEOPLE AWAY.
MARKIE: IF WE ARE TURNING AWAY
THESE PEOPLE, WHAT DOES THE
FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR US WHEN YOU
HAVE NOT EDUCATED AN ENTIRE
GROUP OF PEOPLE WANTING TO GO
INTO THOSE FIELDS?
DEVERY: WE WANT TO DIVERSIFY OUR
ECONOMY SO THE NEXT OIL AND GAS
DOWNTURN DOESN'T HURT QUITE AS
MUCH.
THE VERY THING THAT WE NEED TO
DO WE'RE MAKING IMPOSSIBLE.
WE MIGHT SOLVE A SHORT-TERM
PROBLEM BUT WE ARE MAKING A
LONG-TERM PROBLEM WORSE AND WE
WILL HAVE MORE PROBLEMS IN THE
FUTURE.
WE ARE NOT PRODUCING THE KINDS
OF GRADUATES WE NEED.
MARKEY: PEOPLE ARE BEING TOLD
THAT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS
BAD.
I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE HOPES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE AT HOME WANT TO
BE HIT WITH THE TRUTH.
AT WHAT POINT DO YOU GET BACK ON
YOUR FEET FROM BEING IN THESE
KINDS OF TRENCHES?
WE'RE TRYING TO FILL A BUDGET
DEFICIT HERE.
DEVERY WE HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS
THERE AND PEOPLE THAT WE ARE
TALKING WITH AT ALL LEVELS.
IF THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND
OTHER PLACES.
WE WANT TO WORK WITH THEM.
THEY HAVE BRUTAL DECISIONS THEY
ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE.
IF YOU SUPPORT SOME OF THOSE
OTHER THINGS LIKE, NED AND ALL
OF THOSE THINGS, YOU NEED TO
SUPPORT THE ABILITY TO PUT
PEOPLE THROUGH THE COLLEGE
SYSTEM AND BE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS
OF SOCIETY.
THAT'S LONG-TERM HOW WE GET MORE
DOLLARS FOR ALL OF THIS.
THE FIRST THING WE HAVE DONE IS
GET OUT TO SEE THE COLLEGES AND
UNDERSTAND THINGS OURSELVES.
WE HEAR THINGS IT WE WANTED TO
VERIFY FOR OURSELVES.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONE IS HIGHER
AND IS FLUSH WITH MONEY.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT AT ALL.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO
THINKS THAT THE SITDOWN WITH THE
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT ANY
ONE OF THESE QUALITY -- COLLEGES
AND UNIVERSITIES.
IT'S JUST NOT THERE.
WE'RE TRYING TO CUT THROUGH AND
FIND OUT WHAT IS REALLY GOING
ON.
AS WE LOOK OUTCOME WE KNOW IT'S
GOING TO IMPACT IS EVEN MORE.
MARKIE: THE NEXT SESSION STARTS
FEBRUARY 6 WILL YOU BE AT THE
CAPITAL EVERY DAY TALKING TO
LAWMAKERS?
DEVERY: WE WILL BE TALKING TO
THEM AND AS MUCH AS ANYTHING
SHOW WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE
PRIVATE SIDE.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN THE VOICE OF
THE TABLE AND THAT IS ON US.
THEY ARE FIGURED OUT HOW TO PUT
THINGS IN PLACE.
WE ARE THERE NOW.
MARKIE: I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING
TO STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING
THROUGH THIS.
A DEGREE IS NOT AN OPTION FOR
THEM.
WHAT HE HEARING FROM STUDENTS?
DEVERY: I LEARNED MORE FROM THEM
FROM ANYBODY ELSE I TALKED TO.
WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE IN
OKLAHOMA WHO ARE'S WORKING SO
HARD TO STAY IN COLLEGE.
THEY ARE PAYING THEIR OWN WAY.
MOST ARE INTO YOUR SCHOOLS.
THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE THE
FIRST GENERATION IN THEIR
FAMILY.
MARKIE: WHAT IS THAT NUMBER TO
QUITE TOO?
DEVERY IT'S 45% OF EVERYBODY IN
COLLEGE ARE IN OUR TO YOUR
SYSTEM.
THEY ARE ONE CAR REPAIR AWAY
FROM SHOPPING OUT OF COLLEGE
FOREVER.
WE ARE EXACERBATING THE PROBLEM
A LOT WHILE WE TRY TO SOLVE A
SHORT-TERM PROBLEM.
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