Public universities in Michigan face the collective loss of about $166 million in state grants this fiscal year following a deal by lawmakers Friday to partially balance the state budget. State officials say most of the money will be repaid and the fix is temporary, but universities have absorbed state budget cuts the last six years, adding up to $2,500 less per student statewide. The budget compromise flies in the face of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plans to double the number of college graduates in Michigan within 10 years, according to Mike Boulus, executive director of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan. "Michigan legislators have balanced the budget on the backs of college students and their parents in this state," he said. President Irvin D. Reid said, "It seems to me the message of the value of higher education has been diminished even further. How do you ask a part of society to help pull out of a declining economy, to re-educate a diminishing workforce, and then give the most severe cut to that entity? It's illogical." There is speculation that the budget cuts could lead to double-digit tuition hikes.

The biggest expansion of Michigan's medical schools in more than three decades has spawned open conflict between two universities and raised a multitude of questions about how best to graduate more doctors. The article delves into the disagreement between Wayne State and Michigan State about the latter's plans to establish a satellite location at the Detroit Medical Center for its osteopathic medicine program. WSU spokesperson Francine Wunder pointed out that the DMC residency program is already at capacity and bringing MSU students to the location "will force our M.D. students elsewhere." Dr. Joe Schwarz, former federal legislator, is chairing a panel to look at the medical education issue in Southeast Michigan.

A Detroit Free Press editorial opines that Michigan State University should not move some of its medical students into the Detroit Medical Center, especially during a time when the state of health care in Michigan is very precarious. It stated WSU has raised some legitimate questions and such a move could "chill" relations between WSU and MSU, especially at a time when the two schools and the University of Michigan profess to be working in concert as part of the newly-formed University Research Corridor. WSU, MSU, and the DMC cannot make decisions based solely on self-interest when the substantial public interest of health care is at stake. The Free Press calls on the MSU Board of Trustees to delay their May 18 deadline until after former congressman Joe Schwarz's fact-finding commission releases its report on the matter.

More than three dozen Wayne State University medical students and faculty voiced their concerns through e-mail last weekend over the possibility that Michigan State University could choose the Detroit Medical Center for a satellite medical school campus. The e-mails sent last weekend were part of an online campaign organized by the Wayne State medical school. One e-mail, signed by Wayne State medical school Dean Robert Mentzer and Executive Vice Dean Robert Frank, asked supporters to "send webmail messages to key opinion leaders" and "confirm that the DMC proposal will harm the WSU School of Medicine, which has been serving Detroit for 139 years." The emails directed supporters to submit their opinions through the medical school's "Be Heard" Web site at www.med.wayne.edu/beheard.

This is an overview article about Crain's reporter Sherri Begin's findings on the Top 10 most important research projects at Wayne State University. The story notes that metro Detroit is home to researchers such as Greg Auner, director of the Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems program in Wayne State University's College of Engineering (See Crain's Feb. 5 Focus section, Page 11) who has patents issued or pending that range from devices to stimulate the growth of neurological tissue, to retinal implants to improve vision, to acoustic-wave sensors to detect breast cancer. But the region's colleges and universities house scores of other research projects as well. The University Research Corridor - consisting of Wayne State University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan - have accounted for 79 spin-off companies that have 632 patents and about $192 million in revenue during the past five years.

Philip Cunningham, associate professor of biological sciences at Wayne State University, has developed new technologies to flag mutations in antibiotic drug targets having the potential to produce a strain resistant to antibiotics. Called combinatorial genetic technology, the process identifies molecules in bacteria that are essential for its multiplication, predicts how they might mutate and identifies antibiotics less susceptible to resistance. His WSU work is supported by a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. A photo of Cunningham is included.

The impact of the Kalamazoo Promise - the revolutionary program that began in 2006 that provides up to four years of free college tuition to graduates of the Kalamazoo Public Schools - is having positive results. More students are going to college and fewer are dropping out. In 2006, 332 students used the scholarship money to attend 14 colleges and universities, costing the Kalamazoo Promise $1.5 million. As this school year closes, 458 students will receive the scholarship. About 400 families have moved into the district since the Kalamazoo Promise was established, coming from 88 Michigan communities and 32 other states. Enrollment increased by almost 1,000 at the start of the school year, requiring the district to hire more than 40 teachers.

In his column, Finley writes about how Mike Duggan cut costs, improved efficiency and posted profits when Gov. Jennifer Granholm "bought him the chief executive's job (at the DMC)." Finley further opines that Duggan's accomplishments are eclipsed by his "ruthless drive to put Wayne State University under his thumb." Finley writes, "Duggan is determined to win at all costs and is deploying dirtball tactics that served him well in Wayne County politics. WSU officials accuse him of slurring the reputation of its medical graduates and the quality of a Wayne education." Finley further writes, "Because Duggan is using the DMC as a fattening pen for his and Granholm\'s political operatives, the speculation is that he wants to keep his team intact for a run for governor. But it may be that he\'s just having a big time and making a lot of money -- and a lot of enemies -- applying the theories of machine politics to medicine."

In an editorial, The Detroit News stated, "For all the unknowns surrounding health care in Detroit, one thing has been certain: Wayne State University would teach the area\'s doctors, and they in turn would treat the city\'s and state\'s residents. However, "excessive ego and politics" threaten this 150-year relationship, especially with the probability of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine moving to the Detroit Medical Center. "Both the DMC and Macomb are on board because they get the students and money that comes with them. Wayne State, however, is rightly concerned that this is a ploy hatched by DMC Chief Executive Mike Duggan to either force it out of the system or wrest control and money away from Wayne State with the entrance of another school onto the DMC campus. Either way it\'s a bad deal, and the MSU Board of Trustees should do what\'s right by voting not to move to the Detroit Medical Center." The editorial also noted that although the WSU medical school was reaccredited six months ago, the formal contracts with the DMC have not been signed yet, and another accreditation board will be visiting the school in 18 months. \"This is a real threat to the existence of the medical school in this community,\" says Dr. Robert Mentzer Jr., dean of the WSU medical school. If they return and find that an agreement isn\'t finalized and another school is moving in, Wayne State\'s future will be at risk, Mentzer says.

\"Leaders on Leadership\", co-produced by the Wayne State University School of Business Administration and Detroit Public Television, featured Rick Nahm, president of the Cranbrook Educational Community. The program is hosted by WSU\'s Larry Fobes (SBA) and showcases WSU students from the studio audience who ask leadership questions directly to the guest for on-air use. The program will be re-broadcast on Wednesday, May 16, and is available on-line at http://www.dptv.org/ --> On Demand --> Video --> Leaders on Leadership.

Pressure is mounting on Michigan State University\'s Board of Trustees to delay a vote expected Friday on where it will place a satellite campus for its osteopathic school in metro Detroit. Delaying the vote is being pushed by the leadership of Wayne State University, at least one MSU board member, medical school student leaders at three Michigan schools and Dr. Joe Schwarz, head of a medical education committee for the Detroit Regional Chamber and Detroit Renaissance. \"I think it should be delayed,\" Schwarz said Friday about the MSU vote. \"We need to decide what\'s best for health care in the city of Detroit and for its citizens... and how to provide the best quality medical education for students.\" Schwarz\'s group is to meet in full for the first time Monday, the same day Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid and Eugene Driker, chair of the WSU Board of Governors, meet with MSU leaders about MSU\'s plans to create a metro Detroit campus for 200 students. A photo of Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid is included.

Columnist Rochelle Riley writes about the positions of Wayne State University and the DMC regarding MSU's plan to open an osteopathic satellite campus in the metro Detroit area. WSU's medical school officials say Duggan is waging a misinformation campaign to convince MSU to accept a plan that would force WSU to close its operations at the DMC. Duggan says there is enough room for both MSU DO and WSU MD students. WSU says additional students would violate accreditation limits on how many aspiring doctors can train at DMC. Duggan says that he has no duty to WSU because a memorandum of intent that WSU signed with the DMC last November is non-exclusive. WSU countered, saying its regional outreach should not lead Duggan to force the entire medical school out of the DMC campus. Riley concludes, "But wouldn\'t it be more prudent to get a clearer picture before the MSU board decides this Friday to make such a vital choice for Detroit? Perhaps the board should table its decision -- at least until the conversation grows larger than he-said, they-said.

President Irvin D. Reid and Eugene Driker, chair of the WSU Board of Governors, will head to East Lansing Monday to ask Michigan State University not to expand its osteopathic school to the Detroit Medical Center campus. The article terms the visit a "last-ditch plea." Reid and Driker will meet with MSU President Lou Anna Simon and Joel Ferguson, who chairs the MSU Board of Trustees. The article rehashes background on the dispute between Wayne State and the DMC over possible location at the medical center of a satellite campus of MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine. Photos of President Reid and President Simon are included. WDTK Radio also mentioned the meeting during morning news segments.

Several media outlets carried an AP story about reductions in state funding for Michigan's public universities. Thirteen universities received less from the state last year than in 2001-02. Several of the institutions, including Wayne State, link the loss of state aid to a decline in faculty and staff. The statistics came from a report by the state Legislature's non-partisan fiscal agencies. According to the article, the average annual tuition paid by a full-time undergraduate student from Michigan at a public university in the state was $6,890 in 2005-06, up 39 percent from the average $4,948 in 2001-02.

This western Michigan newspaper editorializes against the proposal to fund Wayne State and Michigan's other two major research universities separately from the other 12 public universities. "Shouldn't the goal be to adequately fund all 15 public universities, not provide more funding for some students at the expense of others?" the newspaper asks. The editor urges readers to "let your legislators know how you feel."

WWJ reporter Vicki Thomas interviewed Wayne State University Concert Chorale director Norah Duncan during rehearsals this morning at the Emma Lazaroff Schaver Music Recital Hall. WWJ is also planning to do a followup interview with Duncan while the Concert Chorale is competing at the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition in Cork, Ireland, on May 2-6. The event is the centerpiece of the 53rd annual Cork International Choral Festival. Wayne State's Concert Chorale, the fourth U.S. choir invited to participate in this prestigious competition since the Festival's inception 53 years ago, will perform on May 5 in Cork's 1,000-seat City Hall.

According to a recent poll, 53 percent of 640 students surveyed at Wayne State University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan expect to move out of state upon graduation. Of the Big 3, WSU students are the most likely to remain in Michigan with 44 percent planning to move. WSU junior Imran Usmani, 23, an India native, said he will most likely leave after graduation next year but hopes to eventually return. Usmani grew up in Saudi Arabia and says his WSU degree will bring a higher salary in those countries. \"I\'ve got to go back because I don\'t think there is a good opportunity for me in Michigan,\" he said. \"When I have a secure job, and have earned enough money, I probably will come back to start a business or something over here.\" WSU junior Aaron Keast is also quoted in a sidebar. Photos of WSU freshman nursing student Patricia Hines and Usmani are included.

More than 4 in 10 Michigan college students hope to start their own businesses one day, according to a poll that surveyed 640 students at the state's Big 3 universities - Wayne State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan. Getting rich isn't the primary reason for students starting their own companies; flexibility and control are more important. "Think about it, if you work for somebody else, you have limitations," said Sherittia Green, 24, a WSU engineering student. There's only so far you can climb up the corporate ladder." More business majors (63 percent) than those in any other discipline hope to run their own firm. More non-white students (52 percent) than white students (37 students) saw themselves starting their own businesses.

Michigan State University officials will visit Macomb County tomorrow searching for a potential site for its new medical school. Among planned stops will be the site proposed by the Detroit Medical Center. Wayne State University officials endorsed the Macomb proposal while expressing concerns that the DMC plan would diminish the capacity of WSU's medical school program. DMC CEO Mike Duggan responded that plenty of spaces would be available for WSU internships at DMC-affiliated hospitals throughout the Detroit area.

Downriver athletes stand out on college team rosters Warrior senior first baseman Jon Weisman leads the Wayne State University baseball team with nine home runs, through the season's first 33 games. He is also third on the team with 30 RBIs and is hitting .318. In a team-high 10 appearances, sophomore pitcher Anthony Bass had a 4-2 record with a 4.66 ERA. Senior Chuck Pate had a 1-1 mark with a 4.15 ERA. Other Downriver hurlers for the Warriors include freshmen David White (1-1, 6.88 ERA) and Brady Cooper (1-1, 10.32 ERA). Danny Lyall is a redshirt freshman pitcher. Photos of the WSU players are included.