All this year, Michigan Radio’s Morning Edition host Christina Shockley has been speaking with people from across the state about the three things they think we can all do to help the state.  For this edition of the series, Christina sat down with Mary Sue Coleman, President of the University of Michigan.

As President of the University of Michigan, Mary Sue Coleman focuses heavily on education for her three ideas to help Michigan. Her first idea, however, is to reignite the entrepreneurial culture in Michigan. “We were very entrepreneurial at the beginning of the twentieth century,” says Coleman, adding, “Great names like Henry Ford and William Kellogg, the Gerbers. You just name it, there’s so many things that we did.”

But Coleman says the state became complacent about the need to start new businesses, and she sees colleges and universities as a means of reinvigorating the entrepreneurial spirit in Michigan. “Universities across the state are trying to help students live out their entrepreneurial ideas and help them become successful,” says Coleman.

As to how individuals can help improve the entrepreneurial culture in Michigan, Coleman urges people to change their view of entrepreneurial success. “I believe that we need to have the expectation that failure is not always a bad thing,” explains Coleman, suggesting that the seeds of entrepreneurial success may be sown through initial failure.

For her second idea aimed at helping the state of Michigan, Mary Sue Coleman calls for families to raise their expectations when it comes to the education of their children. “In this century, education is the key to a good life and to a good job,” says Coleman.

President Coleman references established links between education and economic strength to reinforce her point. “There’s an almost one-to-one correlation between the education of the population and economic prosperity… Those states that have the highest-educated population are the most economically vibrant. And we know that educational attainment will lead to opportunities. It will make us an attractive place for companies to start,” Coleman explains.

For her third suggestion for the state, President Coleman focuses on the public school system. Coleman says, “I’m quite troubled by the notion that geography, or race, or economic circumstance determines the future life of young people in Michigan.”

Specifically, Coleman calls attention to issues such as curriculum, the achievement gap, teacher preparation, and teacher pay. Coleman says, “Our young people should have good public schools whether they live in the Upper Peninsula, in a rural area, in inner-city Detroit, or in Ann Arbor.”