http://statenews.com When Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposed a $9.1 million cut to MSU’s funding in February, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said there would be cutbacks. To compensate for the lack of state funding, she said it would take an almost 9 percent tuition increase or more than 700 faculty and staff layoffs. en-us Gryphon 2.2.3b-tsn (woodward)/Foundry5 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:03:56 -0400 webmaster@statenews.com http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39064 I’ve seen a lot of staff and faculty get their letter ‘not to return’ for next year. If this is the 4% cut for this year, next year I probably won’t have a job to come back to, and the following year this place is going to be so strangled that it will be a challenge to accomplish much of anything. Why the state isn’t trying to keep pumping money into a university and programs that are thriving and that bring a lot of money and educated workers into this state, is beyond me. Granholm continues to do little to help, and Obama sure isn’t helping much either. This is the change you voted for… congratulations. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:14:18 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39064 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39070 Am I missing something? I thought higher ed couldn’t be cut if the state was to accept any stimulus money? Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:48:14 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39070 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39079 I agree with JR. All of Obama and Granholm’s words were just talk. All talk and no action leads to this. Another tuition spike would be deadly to students and their wallets. Great change….not. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:46:13 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39079 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39090 Sell the dorms to DTN. Or to the highest bidder. Any bets that private enterprise can’t cut prices, improve service and still make a healthy profit? (Why did I move off-campus the first chance that I got?) MSU converts capital to cash, students are liberated: win-win situation. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:17:44 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39090 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39113 But DTN owns almost everything around here anyway. How will them owning even more improve anything? They’ll just have less competition. And clearly you’ve never lived in DTN-owned properties. They’re terrible managers and do not treat the students very well. Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:06:40 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39113 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39125 The dorms are not a part of the general fund so selling them to DTN would have no effect on the budget cuts being discussed. As an auxilliary (like athletics), their job is to provide servies and pay for themselves along the way. Ideally, they make a profit and help fund others activities on the campus (which they do). Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:42:19 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39125 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39133 I consider MSU to be too diversified academically. I mean, it is great to have all the academic field, but they need to be strong rather than flexible. If we take a look at what MSU offers we will notice that there are several academic programs that they provide flexibility within the University offerings but they are not strong. By strong I mean good rankings and solid enrollment. Also, they can be essential programs. This is more evident within the College of Social Science in all the IAH programs. I understand that they provide flexibility to create your own program and, in many times, the are used as majors for students that otherwise would be No Preference majors, but they have to be consolidated. Consolidation of programs helps recruit faculty, clarify objectives of the academic unit, provide better classes, and, therefore, improve the recognition of the program. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:03:56 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/39133