Trustees' 'secrecy' invites speculation, distrust of 'U'

MSU is a public institution, not the private fiefdom of the MSU Board of Trustees. No weight of padlocks can obscure the pattern of secrecy and dissimulation that has characterized recent board actions, from their furtive handling of the potentially disastrous medical school move - to their inexplicable refusal to conduct a presidential search. The more secrecy that surrounds their deliberation of large policy matters for which they are answerable to the faculty and staff, students and the people of Michigan - the more the trustees invite the unavoidable conclusion that they have something to hide.

Business keeps Visa check card numbers

An unnamed local establishment was found to have saved check-card numbers, a practice that breeches Visa's policies, of 2,000 card holders, prompting one bank to reissue new accounts to some of its members. The name of the restaurant, which is being withheld by Visa, has not been found of any fraudulent activity during investigations. Some area banks are on alert after notification that the restaurant has compromised the safety of the accounts. "Visa sent out notices that numbers have been compromised, but how they were compromised or if they were used is not yet known," said Joyce Banish, spokeswoman for Michigan State University Federal Credit Union, which has contacted its impacted members.

Chemistry demos might suffer

Students taking chemistry classes this fall won't get to see as many demonstrations as their predecessors, because chemistry demonstrator Sheldon Knoespel will no longer be experimenting. Knoespel, who was in the position for 14 years, was responsible for doing all the demonstrations in different chemistry classes that emphasized what was being taught in the classroom.

Enrollment down in business program

Enrollment in MSU's Executive Masters of Business Administration program has gone down over the last five years, while many of the nation's schools have seen steady enrollment, university officials said. MSU saw a drop of almost five students per year on average in its EMBA program. And nationwide, more than three-fourths of responding Masters of Business Administration programs reported a decline in applications, according to a recent Graduate Management Admission Council survey, although MSU's figures have remained relatively steady. Also, 25 percent less students took the GMAT test for admission into business school than in 2002. "Given that the number of people who've taken the GMAT is down, there is a smaller pool of students," said John Delaney, associate dean for MBA Programs with the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management. This limited number of candidates means universities in the top 10 of national business programs can syphon away students from MSU, he said.

Trustees, E.L. residents vie for 'U' board

Two MSU trustees are up for re-election in the fall and candidates from both Democratic and Republican parties are clamoring for the chance to oust the incumbents. Trustees Randall Pittman, R-Ann Arbor, and Democrat Joel Ferguson, D-Lansing, will be up for re-election in November. Faylene Owen, an East Lansing Democrat, and Melanie Foster, an East Lansing Republican and MSU alumna, have indicated to party leaders that they would like to be considered for the job.

Kicking the habit

Ruined grades left and right, poor sleeping habits and subpar social skills - maybe Internet addiction still is a devastatingly widespread problem and not quite an absolute evil.

Police briefs 08/10/04

McCallie enters New England Hall of Fame

MSU women's basketball head coach Joanne P. McCallie was selected to be inducted to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. McCallie will be honored at a ceremony on Sept.

Police briefs 08/10/04

Davis on preseason Wooden Award list

MSU junior forward Paul Davis has been selected as one of the Top 50 Preseason Candidates for the 2004-05 John R.

E.L. robbery could be serial case

A man walked into the East Lansing Standard Federal Bank at 1390 W. Lake Lansing Road just after noon on Friday and handed a teller a note which read, "This is a hold up," police said. Bank officials said no one was hurt in the robbery. "The teller put the money in a brown paper bag and the subject left northbound," East Lansing police Sgt.

Admittance by legacy not for 'U'

Echoing the recent comments of President Bush, MSU President M. Peter McPherson said Saturday he is against legacy college admission preferences that favor the children of alumni. McPherson said MSU does not give special treatment to sons and daughters of MSU alumni, except for small scholarships for out-of-state students already accepted to the school on merit. "I'm quite proud of that fact," McPherson said.

Saginaw hears Bush push economy, jobs

Saginaw - Amid chants of "four more years," and as thousands waved American flags in support, President Bush took the stage at Wendler Arena in Saginaw on Thursday. About 8,000 listened as the president gave his views on terrorism, the economy, public schools and job creation.

Parade celebrates African Americans

Lansing - State Rep. Michael Murphy, D-Lansing, watched one of the nation's oldest and largest black parades in Chicago every summer as a child and eventually participated in the parade when he was old enough.

Building up 'U' football

Waking up at 5:30 a.m. every morning to lift weights and then heading off to work for an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Police briefs 08/09/04

Family mourns lost son

There's a display board resting against the old piano in the little white house on Stuart Avenue.

Net speed increase to benefit research

By next year, MSU will connect to the Internet at up to 10,000 times the speed of typical homes and businesses - a critical improvement for researchers who transmit large amounts of data. Students, however, will see no difference in speed until on-campus equipment in residence halls and computer labs is upgraded.

Closed session

When the MSU Board of Trustees closes itself away in a secret meeting at a yacht club in Petoskey and bars access to the press, it doesn't look good. It doesn't even matter what's on the table for discussion - either trivial or of vast importance - it looks underhanded and makes people distrust their elected public servants.

Trustees examine budget at retreat

Petoskey - Full of expectations for the upcoming school year, the MSU Board of Trustees finished their three-day planning retreat after extensively examining budget difficulties and ongoing university projects. "It certainly would come as no surprise to people that one of the significant challenges that the university faces is the budget cuts or the budget freezes from the state," Trustee David Porteous said.