MSU President M. Peter McPherson discussed how to help students graduate sooner in his State of the University address Tuesday.
McPherson identified several areas of the university that need improvement, such as assisting students with earlier graduation and raising MSU's academic standards for incoming and current students.
It takes the average MSU student 4.5 years to achieve an undergraduate degree, he said.
"There is no question students can save money if they get through more quickly," McPherson said to more than 200 students, faculty and administrators during the speech. He added that the university could go to a block-pay system to encourage students to take more classes, or charge a higher tuition for the fifth year as an early-graduating incentive.
But interdisciplinary studies in social science junior Dan Basom said the university shouldn't push students to graduate more quickly.
"A student has the right to go along with whatever pace they need and they shouldn't be pressured to graduate sooner," he said.
None of the possible solutions McPherson brought up were final decisions - they were merely suggestions for the university community to consider, he said.
"We have a cross-disciplinary approach to solving problems in contrast to many other institutions," McPherson said. "We are also very practical, seeking solutions that really work.
"We are a 'can-do' place."
McPherson also spoke briefly on several topics that have recently gained public interest, such as the university's acceptance of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's tuition deal, Provost Lou Anna Simon's impending liberal arts proposal and the expansion of MSU's medical school into Grand Rapids.
MSU officials recently pledged to keep tuition no higher than the rate of inflation - 2.4 percent - in exchange for fewer state cuts to higher education this year and no further cuts in the 2004-05 fiscal year. Granholm will announce her final budget plan Thursday.
But accepting the governor's challenge doesn't pull MSU out of its budget rut, McPherson said.
"The university still must reduce the budget by more than $20 million next year," he said. "These reductions will be difficult and certainly painful."
The reductions come at a time when the provost is reviewing liberal arts at the university, but McPherson said the review "is not driven solely by budget challenges but by a pursuit of enhanced quality."
"Like other universities reconsidering the role of the liberal arts, we are in a 'change-or-be-changed' situation," he said.
Another topic that has gained public concern is the fate of MSU's medical facilities.
In mid-January, officials from both MSU and Grand Rapids said they were having ongoing discussions about the school's possible expansion or relocation into the Grand Rapids area, but McPherson stressed that no decision has been made on what "expansion" means.
"To be sure, it is our expectation - yes, our mandate - to explore how our medical colleges can better serve Michigan," he said.
Terence Blackburn, dean of MSU-DCL College of Law, attended the speech and said the keynote allowed the listeners to understand how hard MSU officials have worked to combat some of the problems the university has faced and how it will face future issues.
"He's identified some of the major challenges facing public education," he said. "All of us hope that, over time, we can see some restitution for public universities in the state."
