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MSU

Faculty groups' work could be delayed

Kristen Daum
April 11, 2006

An idea to combine a series of committees, formed to increase faculty input in university decisions, could stall the outcome until the fall — and some faculty members said the action could be detrimental to the impact they hope to have on the Academic Governance system. Five committees, called the Faculty Voice Task Forces, were created last fall to address faculty's role in specific issues — such as restructuring the Academic Governance system, reviewing administrators and academic programs, defining the role of fixed-term faculty and improving communication within the system. After working the entire semester, four of the five committees looking to increase faculty input in university decisions have final recommendations ready for approval — but some faculty members have concerns about whether these recommendations should be implemented yet. Discussions are expected to be held at today's Faculty Council meeting regarding an integration committee, which will look at the costs and logistics of each committee's recommendations to find out if they're feasible to carry out.

MSU

House candidates debate on campus today

Ken Osborne
April 11, 2006

The declared Democratic candidates for the 69th District seat in the state House of Representatives will meet in a debate today at MSU. Mary Lindemann and East Lansing City Councilmember Mark Meadows are seeking the nomination. The debate is free and open to any student or community member.

MSU

Officials seek student input on smoking

Fredricka Paul
April 10, 2006

University Housing officials are seeking more student input on smoking in residence halls by conducting a paper survey to be released Tuesday. Employees will be in residence hall cafeterias across campus during dinner, passing out the survey and using candy bars as an incentive for completing and turning it in on the spot. "That's our way of thanking them for participating," University Housing Director Angela Brown said. Students also will be able to pick up the survey at the front desk of residence halls until Friday. The survey will be on Scantron sheets, and students will be able to bubble in their answers.

MSU

WEB EXTRA: 2 students chosen to participate in 8-week scholars program

Kristi Jourdan
April 7, 2006

Two MSU students will participate in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars' Distinguished Scholars Program, which is designed to place students in internships that match their career goals. Na-Yeong Kang, a telecommunication, information studies and media junior, and Ashley Waldorf, a professional writing junior, will live, work and study for eight weeks.

MSU

WEB EXTRA: Open house aims to teach patrons about animals

Lindsay Machak
April 7, 2006

The annual open house for the College of Veterinary Medicine will be held Saturday. The open house, "Vet-A-Visit", will feature demonstrations and exhibits for guests, including how-to sessions on such things as milking cows and determining the age of a horse. Another feature of the open house will be the Stuffed Animal Clinic, which features student doctors fixing stuffed animals, as well as collecting stuffed animals for charity. The open house begins at 9 a.m., and it will be held at the Veterinary Medical Center on the corner of Bogue Street and Wilson Road. Admission is free, and the event is open to the public.

MSU

College leads nation in black graduates

Lindsay Machak
April 7, 2006

The MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has been recognized by Diverse magazine as the top school in the country to graduate black students in agriculture-related studies. "We found out when the University of Georgia at Athens called and told us that they wanted to come and visit to see what we do because we were No.

MSU

Two-day campus religious forum begins today

An on-campus conference, called "Understanding Wahhabism," will focus on the methodology and origin of Wahhabism, a religious establishment and the model for the Saudi Arabian regime, international relations Distinguished Professor Mohammed Ayoob said. The conference will begin at 9:30 a.m.

MSU

Bill could end dorm smoking

Ken Osborne
April 6, 2006

Cigarette smokers living on campus might have to take their butts outside if a bill introduced last month in the state House of Representatives becomes law. The bill, introduced by Rep.

MSU

Forum to address African studies

MSU is one of only seven universities in the nation to have an African American and African Studies program, university officials said. The program, which was implemented in 2003, will be discussed at a conference, "The Black Scholar and the State of Black America." The conference begins today to bring together faculty, students and the public to discuss the direction black studies programs are taking. "It will be a forum for dialogue on black studies programs and the future," said Gloria Smith, acting director of the program.

MSU

WEB EXTRA: MSU College of Law students hold debate on Solomon Amendment

Fredricka Paul
April 6, 2006

Speakers both for and against a controversial military recruiting amendment debated in front of about 20 people Tuesday at the MSU College of Law. The Solomon Amendment allows the federal government to deny federal funding to colleges and universities if they deny military recruiters access to campus. The military has a "don't ask, don't tell" policy with regard to the LBGT community, stating that recruiters and other military officials cannot ask or pursue any rumors about a person's sexual orientation. The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Solomon Amendment is constitutional after some schools challenged the amendment because they felt it is discriminatory. Gerald Walpin, a director at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Individual Rights, debated in support of the Solomon Amendment and Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan's LBGT Project, debated against it. The MSU Triangle Bar Association and the MSU College of Law Federalist Society cohosted the debate. Walpin said he believes having military recruiters on campus is a form of free speech and that they should not be banned from coming. "The federal government has the right to condition its grants or funds on universities not implementing military recruiting," Walpin said.

MSU

MSU coordinates teaching of Arabic

Josh Jarman
April 5, 2006

MSU will coordinate the Michigan arm of a national language initiative to teach more people to speak Arabic. The National Strategic Language Initiative, first announced at a conference of U.S.

MSU

Innovations: learning linguistics

Kristen Daum
April 5, 2006

Name: Professor Barbara Abbott Department: Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages Type of research: Analyzing what words and sentences mean Date of research: Abbott started the research during graduate school in 1970.

MSU

Author Chris Mooney to speak on campus

Lindsay Machak
April 5, 2006

Author Chris Mooney will speak on campus at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Wilson Hall Auditorium. The event will be open to the public. Mooney wrote the best-selling book, "The Republican War on Science." He also works for Seed Magazine and The American Prospect. Mooney's books will be for sale after the event, and he will do a book signing. The program is sponsored by MSU's Science, Technology, Environment and Public Policy Specialization.