Michigan's elected officials have the difficult job of addressing a budget deficit of nearly $1.5 billion. The governor has asked for shared sacrifices, and though it will be challenging, higher education must bear some of that burden. We will continue to work as a partner with the state to balance fiscal necessity with the need to keep Michigan's public universities strong and competitive. We will remain committed to being a positive force in reinventing our state and meeting this century's economic challenges - and we've shown time and again that investing in higher education reaps a solid return.

Four years ago, when the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michigan State University formed a partnership called the University Research Corridor (URC), we set out to leverage our expertise and resources to transform the state's economy. While the three URC institutions generate more than $400 million in state tax revenue and represent a powerhouse of research on par with the best of the nation's similar "clusters of innovation," we believe strongly that robust investment in all Michigan's public universities - and through that, our students -- is key to the state's future economic prosperity.

We believe that as the state's finances stabilize, our state leadership will recognize the critical importance of investing in higher education. Here at the University Research Corridor alone, the return on that investment translates into more than $14.8 billion in statewide economic impact.

Returning Michigan to economic prosperity and making it attractive to both businesses and individuals - including our own graduates -- will require creativity and new ways of collaboration. We look forward to being part of the solution.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.