In her tenure as governor of oil-rich Alaska, vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been supportive of higher education, especially vocational and workforce training programs. As Elizabeth Redden of Inside Higher Ed reports, Palin approved substantially increased funding for state universities for the 2009 fiscal year.

But she does not seem to be a simple yes-”man.” She also vetoed energy research and other programs that were endorsed by the state legislature, in addition to vetoing a similarly endorsed increase for tutoring and distance learning for the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program.

Relatedly, note that Palin’s position on federal earmarks (of which universities are often big beneficiaries) has been in the spotlight. She has warned against relying too heavily on earmarks, while implicitly acknowledging the value of earmarks in some, though fewer, cases. Redden comments:

In this way, her statement is not much unlike the love-hate relationship many in higher education have with earmarks. Many at colleges and universities dislike that earmarks undercut peer review and competitive grant processes, but also appreciate the stream of available federal dollars.

Redden does not report on Palin’s views on liberal-arts education, about which I will be seeking more information. Let us hope she shares Lynn Cheney’s wisdom on the subject.