As MSU’s Board of Trustees heads off to Detroit for its three-day retreat, it seems like a strange place to conduct talks about the future of the university.
Most meetings are held on campus. This, we assume, gives all members of the MSU community a central place to converge should they want to check up on how the university is being run. Moving the meeting to the MSU Detroit Center seemed like a move that excluded the members of the community who come from the west side of the state and those living right here in the Greater Lansing area.
It is especially worrisome when one considers that these will be the first discussions of MSU’s future since the state House of Representatives voted to freeze higher education funding at the previous year’s levels. The first impressions the public could gain could be crucial to how discussions evolve over the course of the budget process. In other words, this is a meeting worth attending. In addition to it being the first meeting of the summer, it also will be the last regular meeting until mid-September. This could be one of the few chances in the next few months to get an inkling of what the trustees are thinking.
There are, however, compelling reasons for the board to meet in Detroit. As Bill Beekman, secretary to the Board Trustees, pointed out, the meeting also will focus on fundraising for the university.
Beekman goes on to say the location was chosen because of the research and alumni connections in southeastern Michigan. It makes a great deal of sense to go to the communities of the people from whom MSU will need to secure financial assistance.
Furthermore, Beekman stated that more than a quarter of MSU’s students come from that area and 120,000 alumni currently reside there. Given that this is the summer and must people have gone home, it makes sense to choose a location where students could be prevalent.
Last, and perhaps the most compelling reason for choosing Detroit, is that it is the future of the state. That is to say, as long as the largest city in the state remains among the worst cities in the country, Michigan can never thrive. Even if the point is to raise funds for MSU, building a relationship with Detroit wouldn’t hurt. The whole state is rebuilding — some cities less than others — but in the big scheme of things we are attempting to change the entire basis of the economy. Detroit will have to be a part of that. It might be the place to start.
If that’s the case, MSU should get in on the ground floor. The university is already attempting to position itself as the “green” authority, so why not go the extra step and build a relationship that can be nursed over the coming decades? Perhaps meetings of this nature could become a regular, instead of an “every few years,” event.
Support student media!
Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Discussion
Share and discuss “Summer board meeting locale full of potential ” on social media.
