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News

MICHIGAN

MSU officials challenge justifications of year off

In what the U.S. Department of Education has called “a historic investment,” President Barack Obama proposed expanding financial aid offered to college students. And although the stipulations of the proposal — which include an expansion of funding for the Federal Perkins Loan Program from $1 billion to $6 billion per year — would not go into effect until 2010, MSU officials agreed current high school seniors should not take a year off in hope of saving money.

MICHIGAN

E.L. readies for St. Patty’s

Having early morning classes Wednesday might deter students from drinking green beer and wearing shamrock paraphernalia today, but the economy most likely won’t. The number of people going out has remained the same, but instead, many are spending less, said Paul Stewart, general manager of Crunchy’s, 254 W. Grand River Ave.

NEWS

Donations to universities may decline in next 2 years

Although charitable giving to higher education in the U.S. reached an all-time high in fiscal 2008, MSU officials don’t expect that trend to continue this year. Last year, $31.6 billion was given to the nation’s universities and colleges, according to the Council for Aid to Education.

MICHIGAN

Expert to speak on cougar population

A debate that has raged for several years within Michigan during the existence of a breeding population of cougars will come to East Lansing next week. Dennis Fijalkowski, a wildlife executive who has spoken to residents in the past, will be at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, on March 26 to talk about cougars.

MSU

Study shows conservative states purchase more porn

Regions where people have “old-fashioned values” have discovered a way to have some newfound fun. People in states that tend to be politically and socially conservative subscribe to pornography Web sites more frequently than their more liberal counterparts, a Harvard study concluded.

MSU

Court to rule on faculty First Amendment rights

Speaking out could have potentially unwelcome consequences for faculty participating in academic governance. A California case in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could define whether faculty speech during governance proceedings is protected under the First Amendment, said Steve Sanders, an attorney with the Mayer Brown law firm in Chicago, who is representing the American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, in the court case.

MSU

Nursing College receives more than $1.1M to fix shortage

The Michigan Nursing Corps is awarding more than $1.1 million in grant funding to the MSU College of Nursing to address a shortage of nurses and nursing faculty, MSU announced today. The grants are meant to increase the number of nursing faculty through financial aid to students in the College of Nursing’s graduate programs, by encouraging them to graduate faster and give back through nursing education.