ST. PAUL, Minn. – State Representative Gene Pelowski, D-Winona, a retired high school teacher, will chair the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee when the Legislature convenes January 3. House Speaker Melissa Hortman made the appointment. Pelowski sees these as major issues:
> Declining enrollment.
> Program stabilization.
> Faculty retention.
> Student debt
“We also need to work towards relinking higher ed’s two-year institutions as well as K-12 schools,” Pelowski said. “Every Minnesota high school senior should have the option of graduating not just with a traditional diploma but also with an employable skill set.” Pelowski was re-elected in November for his 35th year in the Legislature.