An MSU report released Thursday recommends moving a large portion of the College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids, but a local leader says the report is inconsistent with a previous agreement reached with MSU President M. Peter McPherson.

This is the second misunderstanding the two groups have had concerning the medical school in the past two weeks.

The Bowersox Report, developed by a group of MSU faculty and administrators, assesses the practicality of expanding the college to the west side of the state.

Don Bowersox, a supply chain management professor, led the study, which reports that the College of Human Medicine would move all but about 25 first- and second-year students to Grand Rapids. The College of Osteopathic Medicine would, however, increase its yearly class size by about 80 students and remain in East Lansing.

The school would enter into a partnership with Spectrum Health System in Grand Rapids. Officials from Spectrum did not immediately return calls Wednesday.

But East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows, who is a member of the group of local and state leaders who have been working since early 2004 to ensure that the school remains - at least in part - in East Lansing, said the report doesn't match the agreement reached a day before.

"I don't even think this Bowersox Report is even relevant anymore," Meadows said.

Meadows said while MSU's report recommends keeping "approximately 25" first- and second-year students in East Lansing, local leaders and the university agreed to "no less than 25" students. Another discrepancy between the two documents is the increase in the number of students per class in the College of Human Medicine. Bowersox's version says the average third- and fourth-year class size would increase by two students, but Meadows said he was under the impression that number would be higher.

"It may well be that Don (Bowersox) did not have an opportunity prior to yesterday's agreement to amend his report to reflect the actual university plan which resulted from that agreement," Meadows said. "We'll have our consultants analyze the report and see if it's valid."

McPherson said he wasn't sure why Meadows saw the report as inconsistent.

"I don't know what aspects of this would make him think that," he said. "The Bowersox Report goes into much greater detail, that's probably what he's saying."

McPherson said the report will be discussed in several forums on campus before the MSU Board of Trustees makes the final vote at its May 7 board meeting.

Bowersox could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Meanwhile, growing unrest prompted an unofficial meeting Thursday evening among college faculty, staff and students who voiced concerns over the lack of faculty involvement in decision making.

"The faculty ought to be involved," said Nigel Paneth, associate dean for Research and Graduate Studies and professor of epidemiology and pediatrics. "None of these people have ever taught a medical class."

Many said they fear the university has purely economic goals in mind.

"The reason many students came here was because they knew the faculty cared about the quality of medical student education," said Howard Brody, a professor of family practice and philosophy. "This seems to be an about-face from that mission to treat the quality of medical student education as a fifth or sixth priority."

College of Human Medicine Dean Glenn Davis said Wednesday that he believes faculty will have an influence on the final decision.

"All change is a challenge, and you have to listen to the people who are responsible for implementing this," he said. "There will be a lot of listening going on over the next couple of weeks."

Davis declined to comment on Thursday about the Bowersox report.

But the discussion about the document could be moot. Meadows said, if Spectrum can't support the school.

"We're still waiting to see if there is even a reason to discuss an expansion into Grand Rapids," he said.