Community in the news

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WSU president discusses higher education with Holland residents

WSU President M. Roy Wilson hosted a reception Tuesday, July 24, at New Holland Brewing to discuss higher education with Holland residents. The evening was one part of his “Road Warrior” challenge, a 500-mile bicycle ride across the state. As he biked through Michigan, he stopped in four cities — Marshall, Holland, Owosso and Imlay city — to spark conversations with community members about their expectations of higher education. “There’s really no better way to get to know a community than this,” Wilson said. Having never been to Holland before, he arrived with an open mind to learn what the Holland community can bring to Wayne State. For Wilson, the evening was very much an opportunity to think outside of the box and get to know cities he doesn’t usually interact with.

Thinking beyond the box

Dr. M. Roy Wilson isn't just thinking outside of the box when it comes to understanding the needs and concerns of those seeking higher education, he's literally going beyond the box to do so. And he's doing it on two wheels. The 64-year-old president of Wayne State University is stepping out of Detroit to embark on his second 'Road Warrior bicycle tour' in an effort to engage citizens in open and candid dialogue about higher education. The 500-mile trip will take Roy and his four companions through Holland and Owosso before landing in Imlay City on Thursday, July 26. While in Imlay City, Wilson will be at Hiram's Tavern from 5:30-7 p.m., to chat with patrons and visitors.
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Why Wayne State is Forgiving Debt to Reengage Stop-Out Students

Wayne State University is attempting to unlock the door for students who have been kept out of higher education when they owe small past due balances. Wayne State University, the Detroit Chamber of Commerce and Macomb Community College worked together to receive a Lumina Talent Hub Designation and create the Warrior Way Back Program, which is a cornerstone of our current institutional efforts. The Warrior Way Back is a way for students to “learn their way” back into the higher education ecosystem. 
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WSU hosts DHack June 21-24

WSU hosted 600 attendees on campus for the newly rebranded DHack: Detroit's Hackathon. During DHack, college and high school students and the community came together to create tech projects in an overnight event culminating in cash and technology prizes for the winning projects. Formerly known as HackWSU, DHack transformed the second floor of the David Adamany Undergraduate Library into a hub of ideas and innovation as beginner, intermediate and expert hackers collaborating on software and hardware projects, including mobile apps, web applications, robotics, drones and more. .
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The college-graduation problem all states have

The percentage of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 who had earned an associate’s degree rose by 7.4 percent between 2007 and 2017—a difference of more than 5 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Still, that puts America at 10th in the world, according to the latest available data. Tiffany Jones, a researcher at Education Trust, said it can also help for colleges to assist groups of people with very specific needs. Detroit’s Wayne State University, for example, has just launched what it calls the “Warrior Way Back” program that forgives the debt of former students with an outstanding balance of less than $1,500 and no degree, and allows them to return to school. 
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University seeks to lure students back with debt reduction

Wayne State University announced a debt forgiveness plan to bring students who started but didn’t finish back to the institution to complete their degree. The Warrior Way Back initiative allows students who are two or more years removed from taking classes and who owe $1,500 or less in institutional balances to re-enroll and reduce their past-due balances by one third at the end of each successfully completed semester until the debt is eliminated.