On Saturday, the Brown Political Union hosted the West Point Speech and Parliamentary Debate Team to debate the primary purpose of a college education. Before the event, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee gave an introductory speech on the importance of open debate in higher education.
At the debate, representatives from Brown and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point presented arguments for and against the value of higher education — whether it be liberal arts or service education — in preparing one for a career.
“The almost dichotomous approaches that the two schools take warranted a type of discussion like this,” Nik Greborunis ’28, speaker of the BPU, said in an interview with The Herald.
Daniel Solomon ’26, president of the BPU, added that understanding “the cost-benefit analysis of a college degree” is a “pressing issue” as tuition at Brown and similar institutions of higher education continues to rise.
In his speech before the debate, McKee reflected on the United States’s 250th anniversary and how the country’s political values allow individuals to hold open debates such as those hosted by the BPU.
“When someone of that nature shows up, and you talk with them, it humanizes them,” Greborunis said in an interview with The Herald. “It’s good for everyone to interact with their leadership, but specifically young people who are impressionable.”
Following his opening speech, McKee discussed the debate topic on both the state and federal levels, as well as his reelection campaign, in an interview with The Herald.
In his position as governor, McKee said that his primary concern is Rhode Island’s state schools, but it’s important to “make sure that you’re engaging the higher education throughout the state in a real, interactive and productive way,” he said.
At Rhode Island College, McKee helped to establish the Hope Scholarship — which launched in 2023 — as well as the school’s cybersecurity institute.
“Our investments are based on where the career paths are,” he said, adding that one of the main tenants of his 2030 plan for Rhode Island includes “helping young people reach their potential” and “raising incomes across the board.”
Higher education helps people develop their communication skills in addition to their professional skills, McKee added.
McKee also touched on safety at R.I. schools following two recent mass shootings in the state. He said he is “making sure all the universities come together again” and discussing what safety should look like at institutions of higher education in the state.
In terms of federal funding cuts for universities, McKee asserted that “the attack on higher education coming from Washington right now is shameful.”
He added that there is “no place” for the “blackmail that’s going on in many instances.”
The federal government “is shifting their responsibilities down to the states,” McKee said, referencing recent funding cuts for research and development programs in Rhode Island. “The states can’t absorb the heavy costs that are coming our way.”
McKee attributed the “considerable amount of pressure” that universities are facing right now to President Trump’s “bias towards higher education in a way that is damaging.”
The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Recent polling data shows McKee falling behind opponent Helena Foulkes, the former president of CVS Pharmacy, in the upcoming gubernatorial race.
“I really don’t worry about polling,” McKee said. He added that he has spoken to voters who cited affordability as one of their main concerns, which is why he is looking to eliminate taxes on Social Security, create a child tax credit for families and lower energy costs.
People “want to be able to live in a great state like ours,” he added.
Annika Melwani is a metro senior staff writer covering state politics and justice. She is from New York City and plans on concentrating in English and International and Public Affairs. In her free time, she can be found reading or drinking an iced vanilla latte.
