William Anderson, a professor in the College of Human Medicine, said the new departments would provide additional academic opportunity for the increasing amount of students within the medical field.

Part of the reason for the increase involves the recent change in the demographics of health care providers since many professionals within the field are at the age of retirement, he said.

“Class sizes are steadily increasing,” Anderson said. “There is currently a great need for medical schools.”

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon also addressed the university’s positive response to this semester’s record-high number of incoming freshmen at the meeting.

Although more students decided to come to MSU this fall than expected, the hard work of university faculty provided a smooth transition, she said.

Simon said there is no specific number of incoming freshman the university accepts each year, but it can be roughly predicted using an existing model. The university’s careful management of enrollment stability and need for financial security also play major roles in the number of accepted students.

Simon also commented on the change in the average amount of years in which a student graduates from MSU. The average has dropped from about 4.7 to 4.2 years, she said.

“This average suggests we have worked collectively to improve courses,” Simon said. “These improvements will continue to be extremely important as we move forward.”

The faculty also discussed how the proposed closing of Red Cedar Elementary School will affect the MSU community.

If the school were to close, international students and faculty with families in the area possibly will feel displaced within the community, which might prompt the decision to move elsewhere, officials said.

The East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education will hold a public hearing regarding the motion Sept. 19, and a final decision will be made Sept. 26.
The school would close within the next four to five years if the motion passes.