The poor condition of Michigan's transportation system, detailed in a report released Monday by a national organization, did not come as a surprise to John Niemela, the director for the County Road Association of Michigan. "This is not news to us," Niemela said.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lansing-area road conditions received an "F" in a report released Monday by the nonprofit organization The Road Information Program, or TRIP.
The city of Lansing is contesting the constitutionality of a state law that would allow for the construction of a pipeline through southern Lansing along the I-96 expressway. The law, approved by Gov.
An area group that raises money for South African schools and scholarships has raised more than $35,000 for the cause since the organization's conception. Linking All Types of Teachers to International Cross-Cultural Education, or LATTICE, is a local nonprofit organization that focuses on promoting global understanding in elementary and secondary schools. With unemployment as high as 40 percent in South Africa and education costs at about $150 per student, many children's educations are cut short, the group members said. Tuition, books and uniforms add to the cost, which leads many South African women to fall back on their skills in the ancient art of basket weaving to raise money to provide their children with a basic education. This is why LATTICE joined with Skills Dynamic in South Africa to export the weaver's baskets into the United States. Some Lansing-area teachers and LATTICE members have created pen-pal relationships between their students and students in South Africa who received scholarships.
A McDonald's in East Lansing has been dubbed the "Blighted Business of the Week" by a national activist group. The McDonald's, 1024 E.
By Justin Kroll For The State News Cadet Jay Knight paid close attention as he observed Cadet 1st Lt.
Republican John Findlay will not seek a recount after last week's special Senate election primary in which he was defeated by Vince Green by only one vote. Green won over Findlay with 1,317 votes to 1,316. Green will now face Rep.
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.
By Erin Atkinson For The State News Puddles of beer dampened the pavement and the distinctive ale smell permeated the street at the Winter Beer Festival in Lansing's Old Town Saturday. While most opted for traditional kegs and coolers, the Dark Horse Brewing Co. found a way to make its "Scotty Karate" flavor stand out. The company distributed its beer from the shoulders of an armless mannequin. Local beer aficionados stood sipping on hundreds of flavors including "Quit Jerkn' my Firken" and "Big Phat Abbey Ale," from 21 brewing companies across Michigan.
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.
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.
Michigan is facing a shortage of specialty physicians and will face a critical shortage of general practitioners by 2020, researchers said. The Blue Ribbon Physician Workforce Committee, made up of representatives from the MSU colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine, found that Michigan is experiencing the shortage most acutely. Specialty groups that face a deficit of doctors include general surgeons, internists, psychiatrists and radiologists. The shortage is due to a number of factors, said Carol Parker-Lee, executive director of MSU Area Health Education Center.
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.
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.