MSU
Goat display caps off agriculture week
By Tevye Sussman For The State News It's nearly noon on Saturday and two volunteers are feverishly putting the final touches on a potluck table.
MSU
Students aid Katrina victims
It's hard to get a tan in environmental suits and dust masks, but the MSU students who headed to the Gulf Coast for spring break last week didn't seem to mind. The students did community service work in storm-ravaged New Orleans as part of an alternative spring break program.
MSU
University earns award for global education
MSU will add the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization to its credits after a ceremony in late May. The award is being presented to the university by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a global organization that promotes international education and cultural exchange. The association picked MSU for the award, as well as four other universities, to honor MSU's commitment to increasing international education both on campus and abroad. MSU has about 200 study abroad programs in 60 countries, according to the Office of Study Abroad. The award will be presented to the university during a conference scheduled for May 21-26 in Montreal. The university also will be featured in a report, "Internationalizing the Campus 2006: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities," to be published on the Web site www.nafsa.org.
MSU
Students aid Honda in car ad campaign
Forty MSU students are creating and producing a marketing campaign for American Honda Motor Co. Inc. this semester. MSU is one of 18 universities nationwide — and one of two in the Big Ten — that are participating in this spring's Honda Fit Marketing Challenge. The other Big Ten university is the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The challenge allows students from each university to develop an advertising campaign featuring American Honda's new subcompact car, the Fit. Each university received $2,500 to produce their campaigns during a 12-week period. "It's just a really great way to actually gain real-world experience," said advertising and English senior Brianna Bartemeyer, who also is in charge of public relations for MSU's campaign. "We're able to put everything that we've been able to learn through our years here and implement it into this campaign." It's possible that some of the students' campaigns could be used by American Honda in their actual advertisements, said Ariel de la Merced, a senior analyst with American Honda. "We're confident that the end result of this project would be very positive, and we would like to use some of the material for our own marketing strategies," de la Merced said. MSU's students are enrolled in the Advertising Campaigns class under visiting lecturer Jim Gilmore, who sets up the classroom as a full-service advertising agency that includes various departments, from research to accounting. "We were really set up for the way that (American Honda) wanted this done," Gilmore said. The class is in the creativity stage of the campaign and is preparing for an on-campus promotional event for the Fit on April 7, he said. "They're trying to get ideas from young people on how to reach young people," Gilmore said. MSU also is doing something differently than the other schools by offering national advertising through TV and radio commercials and print and Internet advertising, he said. American Honda chose to feature the Fit for this program, since it is aimed at college students, de la Merced said. "It's a perfect fit to have students involved with the marketing (and) advertising for this," he said. "We're using the true experts in that field, and hopefully from this program they can come up with ideas that we would probably use." The Fit was introduced in January at the Detroit Auto Show but isn't available to auto dealers until April, de la Merced said. American Honda did a similar program to feature the Element about three years ago, he added. EdVenture Partners, a California-based education and marketing consultant, selected the universities for the program and serves as a facilitator between MSU and American Honda. "We provide the day-to-day management of the program and are essentially the project managers between students, educators and the clients," founder and CEO Tony Sgro said. "We link college students with real clients … (and) we bring education to life." He added that MSU was selected for the program based on the university's reputation and connection to the demographic that the client is looking for. When the program ends in June, five students and a faculty member from the top three campaigns will travel to Los Angeles and meet with 50-75 American Honda executives. The students will present their campaigns in a 25-minute PowerPoint presentation, followed by five to 10 minutes of questions and answers with the executives, Sgro said. The winning teams receive anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, which goes back to the university's advertising department, Sgro said.
MSU
Officials could observe melees
There could be more university officials on the streets if a civil disturbance takes place in East Lansing during this year's Final Four tournament. An independent commission that convened to investigate the April 2-3 disturbances recommends members of MSU's administration be on hand to observe the actions of students as well as police officers, if a similar situation should occur in the future. "If there were other witnesses — not in anybody's camp — there is fairness and accuracy of description," said Beth Alexander, an independent commission member and the university physician. Alexander said the idea grew out of the commission's concern that differing accounts about actions taken during the disturbances from both police and students could not be independently verified. "There was a discrepancy of viewpoints of what happened," Alexander said. East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said more bodies on the streets mean more safety concerns, which is why he would want a dedicated group of observers who could meet officers ahead of time. "We wouldn't want people to just show up and say, 'We're here to observe,'" Wibert said. It would be important for observers to be able to pass through police lines, he said, so they would have to be in constant communication with police. Alexander said having more observers present would provide a neutral perspective on any actions, from both sides, that take place during any future disturbances. "It allows us to learn what we are doing well and what we are not doing so well," she said. Lee June, MSU's vice president for student affairs and services, said his department's staff members plan on being out on the streets should something happen again this year. June and other administrators were outside during April's disturbances and said the experience revealed a lack of communication between police and students. "We did not communicate the rules of engagement," June said. He said the first step is for the university and city to establish a clear message of what the rules are and what type of activity could lead to people getting arrested. During past disturbances, June said he has been in similar situations to April 2-3 and has run into students he knows.
MSU
Council proposes revamp of AOP
Members of Freshman Class Council said the Academic Orientation Program could use some fine tuning, and they created a bill suggesting how to do just that. The Academic Orientation Program, or AOP, aims to prepare incoming freshmen for their college experiences at MSU. "The bill is a statement that tells exactly what we're looking for in orientation, the stuff we didn't like and what we'd like to see added," said Chris Lopez, Freshman Class Council president.
MSU
Innovations: Injury's impact
Name: Assistant Professor Tracey Covassin Department: Athletic training and kinesiology Type of research: Sports-related concussions Date of research: Covassin has been doing this research for four years at five universities in three states, and said she plans to continue the research at MSU. Basics of the project: Covassin uses a computer program called ImPACT to study and prevent concussions in student athletes. Prior to any injuries, athletes take the software's base test, which measures verbal memory, reaction times and motor-processing skills in the brain, Covassin said. About 2,000 MSU athletes have taken the base test, she said. Covassin and other athletic trainers then can compare the results of the base test with a post test, which is given after an athlete suffers a concussion. Concussions can happen when a person suffers a blow to the head, which sometimes results in a temporary loss of consciousness. The second test measures the same basic abilities as the base test, and Covassin said differences in the amount of time it takes to complete the tasks can help determine if the athlete should continue playing. Second Impact Syndrome can result if the athlete suffers a second concussion while still recovering from the first, and this can be fatal, Covassin said, adding that the software aims to prevent that. Social impact of research: Covassin can protect athletes from Second Impact Syndrome by interpreting their test results on the ImPACT software. "This provides an objective measure and you get the results immediately," she said.
MSU
MSU might establish minors
The issues of creating academic minors and placing students' additional majors on a single diploma were among the items brought before the Executive Committee of Academic Council at its meeting Tuesday. Academic minors, or a set of courses in a specific field of study, are offered at every Big Ten university except MSU, but teaching minors are available for students preparing for teacher certification. Instead, some colleges offer specializations or cognates in certain subject areas. This proposal for MSU to establish minors — which was raised by the University Committee on Academic Policy at the meeting — came after several years of recommendations from ASMSU's Academic Assembly. ASMSU is MSU's undergraduate student government. Under the proposal, each academic department would decide whether to offer a minor and what requirements should be necessary for a student to earn the minor. The issue was referred to the University Committee on Curriculum and the University Committee on Student Affairs for further consideration before any new action can be taken. The academic policy committee also recommended not to include a student's multiple majors on a single diploma — another request that originated in ASMSU's Academic Assembly. MSU's student diplomas list the individual college granting the degree and the major attained by the student. This already is more than most other universities because majors aren't usually listed on a diploma, academic policy committee chairperson Ralph Putnam said. Based on long-standing practices and input received from the University Registrar, the academic policy committee recommended that the diploma should state only the overall academic achievement, such as the degree granted. The transcript can list any additional majors, cognates and specializations a student pursued, the academic policy committee recommended. Although Academic Assembly Chairperson Robert Murphy reiterated the students' rationale for wanting additional majors listed on a diploma, he supported the recommendation with the rest of the executive committee. Also at the meeting, Provost Kim Wilcox said the accreditation site team from the North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission will give a brief exit interview before they leave campus today. An accredited status for the university potentially can lead to further federal financial aid funding, and the site team visited with faculty members and administrators Monday and Tuesday to discuss the progress and future of the university. The team's feedback so far has been "almost exclusively positive," Wilcox said. A final report from the site team will be issued to the university in the next couple of months, and the university's reaccreditation status will be determined in August.
MSU
Celebrating snapshots
Three State News photographers were recognized this weekend by the Michigan Press Photographers Association, or MPPA, for their work in college photojournalism. Travis Haughton, who currently is on an internship, was named the 2005 College Photographer of the Year. Dave Weatherwax, a State News photographer currently on an internship, placed second, and staff photographer Mike Itchue received an honorable mention. "I honestly wasn't expecting it," Haughton said.
MSU
Survey says 'no' to smoking
Smoking in dorm rooms might not be a housing option next year. The Residence Halls Association, or RHA, passed a bill last week that recommended University Housing "eliminate all smoking options in the residence halls by fall 2007." RHA officials conducted an online smoking survey last fall, and more than 1,000 students participated. The majority said they would support a ban on smoking in the residence halls. In 1994, the MSU Board of Trustees approved a smoking ban in university vehicles and in campus buildings, except residence halls. RHA is proposing to make all residence hall rooms, hallways and lounges smoke-free.
MSU
Young cadets learn ROTC skills
By Justin Kroll For The State News Cadet Jay Knight paid close attention as he observed Cadet 1st Lt.
MSU
Students win turf war
Police vs. students sounds like a familiar rivalry, but this time the issue wasn't parking tickets or party noise. They brought their game to the football field. Residents of Brody and West Circle complexes joined MSU police officers Sunday at Duffy Daugherty Football Building to compete against each other in a friendly game of touch football. The game was played as a fundraiser for the American Red Cross. Lorrie Bates and David Isabell, both MSU police officers, began planning the inaugural game three weeks ago.
MSU
Student earns award to study slave trade
To Sowande Mustakeem, a library full of historical documents is like a playground for children. And in her playground, this MSU Comparative Black History Program doctoral student rifles through letters and logs related to the transatlantic slave trade — an era she believes should be further explored.
MSU
Redesigned MSU.edu site launches today
The new MSU home page is set to launch today between 6 - 8 a.m. The design will be "snappier" and the site will adhere to current Web standards, said Rich Wiggins, senior information technologist for Academic Computing & Network Services. "We want to take advantage of new standards and be as current as we can, but we want to make sure it works on most of the Web browsers people have," Wiggins said. The new Web site has been tested with more than 90 percent of popular browsers, he said, including Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla and Firefox. Among the changes is a photo with another inset photo — usually a professor or student, but in one case a panda — with a story to go along with the visual, Wiggins said. The actual transition to the new site should be very brief, he said. "It's like one minute you're on the current site, the next minute on the new one," Wiggins said.
MSU
Food for the soul
For nearly six years, Todd McFadden and his sister Pam McFadden have been trying to get soul food on the menu at the Union's Heritage Cafe.
MSU
Commission to evaluate MSU accreditation process
After almost two years of preparing data on its programs, MSU has just two days to make its case for re-accreditation — which could bring more federal funding to the university in the future. A 13-person site team from the North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission will meet with more than 100 administrators, faculty and staff members when they come to campus Monday and Tuesday. The association is an Arizona-based accrediting organization for K-12 schools and universities. "It's the end of a two-year process of looking at ourselves, collecting data from a whole set of sources and trying to pull it together to tell the MSU story," said Karen Klomparens, dean of The Graduate School and co-coordinator of MSU's accreditation self study. Federal financial aid is based on an institution's accreditation status, which is decided every 10 years, Klomparens said. The site visit is meant to personally verify the university's self study, which was submitted two months ago, Provost Kim Wilcox said. "It's to confirm what we've written is accurate, and also for them to get a sense of how we put the goals into action on campus," Wilcox said. Universities are required to meet five criteria in the self study — defining their mission and integrity, preparing for future opportunities, providing evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness, supporting creativity and social responsibility and maintaining a commitment to engagement.
MSU
Profs: E-mail aids student learning
Several MSU faculty members agree that e-mail has increased the ability of students and professors to communicate, even if the volume of that communication can prevent instant answers to questions. Some professors say, however, that poor e-mail etiquette can confuse a student's meaning, and can make it harder for an instructor to respond with a clear answer. "Some students do expect immediate responses at all hours, and are unskilled at using e-mail effectively to communicate," said Robert Wiseman, a management associate professor who, incidentally, responded via e-mail. He said student e-mails that have an inappropriate tone or word choice hinder the intent of the communication.
MSU
Task forces to reform Academic Governance
Five committees began working this semester to restructure the Academic Governance system, review administrators and academic programs, define the role of fixed-term faculty and improve communication within the system. To improve the presence of faculty input and voice in the Academic Governance system, the committees were formed last fall through Faculty Council. The idea for the committees came about last spring, after faculty members revealed their concerns about their input in important university decisions. Faculty members were upset with the administration following the release of then-Provost Lou Anna K.
MSU
Human Ecology program to relocate this summer
Better collaboration among faculty and students will be possible with the Department of Family and Child Ecology's move to the College of Social Science this summer, faculty administrators said. The department, currently located in the College of Human Ecology, and its move is part of MSU President Lou Anna K.
MSU
Candlelight vigil to be held on campus today
MSU Students for Life will host a candlelight vigil about legal abortion at 7 p.m. today at the rock on Farm Lane. The Rev.