Report calls for 4-year university; Economic growth depends on easier access to higher education, says panel set up by Granholm.

Macomb County should begin laying the groundwork for a four-year university to help boost the county's economy in the future, according to a report released Monday.

The 25-page report -- the result of a 10-month study by the Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth in Macomb County -- recommends that a new university be established in the county.

In the meantime, colleges in Oakland and Wayne should expand their current offerings into Macomb, the report recommends. The commission was established by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

"I think we were impressed by what we heard from the high school students who really perceive significant obstacles to achieving a four-year degree," said U.S. District Judge George Steeh, who chaired the 15-member panel. "We are pretty much in agreement the economic benefits that would flow into the county from a four-year institution would assist in transitioning from an automotive (economy) to something more diverse."

Commission members acknowledged that tough economic conditions may prevent the establishment of a four-year institution in the county immediately, though groundwork could be laid now.

The report found that Macomb's residents, on average, have attainted a lower level of education than the rest of the state. Among adults 25 years and older, 20.7 percent of Macomb residents have a bachelor's degree. The statewide average is 24.7; in Oakland County, it's 41.3 percent.

Among the recommendations:

¥ Michigan should allow Macomb Community College and other community colleges to grant bachelor's degrees in applied technology fields.

¥ The progress of recently graduated high school students should be tracked.

¥ County organizations, agencies and institutions should coordinate efforts to eliminate enrollment and completion barriers.