Why expanding access to higher education in Michigan matters

On Friday, Dr. Antoine Garibaldi will end his tenure as president of the University of Detroit Mercy. He was both the first Black president and first lay president of the university, more than tripling the school’s endowment since he started in 2011. He was dedicated to increasing student enrollment numbers – particularly for first-generation college students – and welcomed the largest freshman class since he took over as president of the university. He will return as a tenured professor in educational psychology after taking a sabbatical, and plans to write a book about leadership detailing lessons he has learned from his experiences in education.

“We [have to] make sure that students know that you really do not have an option — you have to get some form of post-secondary education.” —Antoine Garibaldi, University of Detroit Mercy

Listen: Outgoing University of Detroit Mercy President Antoine Garibaldi reflects on his tenure.

Guest

Antoine Garibaldi is the outgoing president of University of Detroit Mercy. He says Michigan has a high population of working-age individuals without post-secondary education because there used to be more opportunities in manufacturing, but this must change due to current labor market demands.

“Many of those individuals did not get a college degree because there were lots of opportunities to work in the manufacturing world and lots of other occupations. But today, many of our young people are looking for those opportunities to get a post-secondary education,” says Garibaldi. “And so, we have to make it not only affordable, but we also have to get into the schools and make sure that students know that you really do not have an option — you have to get some form of post-secondary education.”