MSU's Board of Trustees will discuss Friday ways to strengthen the College of Education via a $5 million grant awarded earlier this semester and review recent findings of the Red Cedar Greenway Master Plan study.
The university was one of four institutions to receive the grant from the Carnegie Corp. of New York. Other colleges to receive the grant include Bank Street College of Education in New York, University of Virginia and California State University, Northridge.
Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education Barbara Steidle said she could not divulge any details about the plan until the trustees are informed Friday.
"It's a fairly intricate proposal," Steidle said. "It really is intended to bring MSU to the next plateau, in terms of teacher education."
Trustee Colleen McNamara said she was unaware of what the briefing entails, but is still proud of the College of Education.
"I think it's a real tribute to our College of Education," McNamara said.
Also on the agenda, trustees will review Greenway's plan, which focuses on improving pedestrian and cycling traffic on campus by extending the Lansing River Trail along the Red Cedar River onto campus.
"One of the ways to keep it looking good is to have people using it," said Fred Poston, vice president for finance and operations. "Most of the attention is on the Red Cedar, but it's also on the surrounding areas."
The trail currently stops at Harrison Avenue.
New plans could call for more footbridges and for altering sidewalks, Director of Campus Parks and Planning Jeff Kacos said.
Part of the plan also focuses on separating foot and bicycle traffic throughout the 1.8-mile long trail that accompanies the Red Cedar River on campus.
The study, which was started by the Greenway Collaborative Inc. in early 2001, is being sent to trustees this week. MSU and East Lansing officials worked together to bring the $39,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation to the university. MSU also pitched in $11,000 for the study.
If approved, the next step is to present the plan to the East Lansing City Council, where it could then request state grants to fund the project.
"It would be a first step in providing some separation between pedestrians and motorists," Kacos said, adding the study encountered some bumps along the way.
"My initial directive to (Greenway) was to see if all bicycle traffic could move into the streets into bike lanes, but we ultimately saw in some areas we couldn't do that."
