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Plan adds power to small business

A coalition of regional economic developers outlined a plan Tuesday to secure $50 million to build and expand a regional network of business accelerators. Representatives from the 13 institutions and municipalities comprising the Economic Development Coalition of Southeast Michigan gathered at NextEnergy in Wayne State University's TechTown to announce the effort. The funds would expand the business incubation activities taking place at TechTown, at NextEnergy and two other business accelerators in the region.

What are you afraid of? Metro Detroiters share insecurities and a ghost story

Sarah Kish, a catcher on the WSU softball team, was among several people interviewed by the Metro Times for a feature regarding what frightens them most. Kish indicated that she is afraid of simple answers to complicated questions. "The simple answer tells us what we wish to hear rather than what we need to know," she explained. She cited the situation in Iraq and the Patriot Act as examples of simplistic answers to problems.

Charter boom could begin

Declining enrollment in the Detroit Public Schools could open the door for several new charter and private schools in the city. Currently, Grand Valley State University is working to open new Detroit charter schools, while Wayne County Community College has the option of chartering an unlimited number if DPS enrollment should drop below 10,000. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has announced that he has been looking into bringing more charter and private schools into the city to fill the gap as DPS closes schools in the wake of declining enrollment. The number of students enrolled is down about 61,000 from a decade ago.

Governor's funding plan concerns CMU

Central Michigan University officials disagree with Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to separate Michigan's three flagship universities - Wayne State, Michigan State and University of Michigan - from the state's 12 other public universities in the governor's 2007-08 budget proposal. "They aren't the only institutions in the state that do research," commented CMU spokesman Rich Morrison. "CMU was just recently recognized for the amount of research we do based on the number of Ph.D. programs we offer." He added that the governor's plan to separate the three research universities from the others with regard to funding will "exacerbate the problem with two separate funding sources." State Rep. Bill Caul of Mt. Pleasant, minority vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee on Higher Education, said he believes the budget proposal is "moving in the wrong direction. It creates an opportunity for more disparity."

GM link strong in Chrysler sale talk

Hal Stack, director of the Labor Studies Center, is quoted in a story about speculation the Chrysler Group will be bought by General Motors Corp. He believes the UAW would not welcome such a development. "The first thing GM would have to do is say where their excess capacity is," he observed. "If you're the union, I'm not sure you want GM to buy it." David Cole, an auto industry analyst, agreed that union relations would be a top consideration in any merger or buyout. He said GM's only incentive to buy Chrysler would be to gain leverage in seeking concessions from the UAW.

Wayne State alumni lecture highlights Detroit economic growth

Detroit Renaissance President Doug Rothwell and Strategic Staffing Solutions CEO Cynthia Pasky will speak during the Wayne State University Alumni Association's Arthur L. Johnson Urban Perspectives Lecture Series on April 5 at the Alumni House. The discussion will focus on Detroit Renaissance's plan titled The Road to Renaissance: a Collaborative Strategy for Regional Economic Growth. "The Arthur L. Johnson Urban Perspectives Lecture Series is one of the many ways the alumni association offers alumni and friends the opportunity to reconnect with the university while gaining new insights," says Marguerite Rigby, alumni association executive director. "This particular lecture is especially relevant given the recent dialogue about the issues facing Michigan and metro Detroit's economy."

A lasting solution

According to an opinion piece, one of the obstacles to the Detroit region's effort to transform its economy is the absence of a lasting solution between the Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University over the future of their joint medical-residency program. Late last year, Gov. Jennifer Granholm brokered a 3-year agreement that continues the partnership between Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center. The deal keeps intact the core training programs as a joint venture between the two entities. However, each entity may negate the agreement after 18 months. Gov. Granholm is urged to move forward with her proposal to create a Blue Ribbon Committee of regional business, community and political leaders to resolve the dispute "because it is in the community's best interest to craft a workable, long-term solution."

Back to school

Allen P. Kovacs, Wayne State University adjunct professor of mechanical engineering, writes in a letter-to-the-editor that the "biggest long-term goal for a strong, financially secure Michigan is advanced education, beyond K-12, especially in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)." He adds that this is China\'s formula for a global surge, and it should be Michigan\'s, too. "Michigan has an abundant supply of universities, but it fails to graduate enough STEM degrees. Tomorrow\'s success will be found in new sciences, technologies, engineered devices and mathematics."

State's social climate is its next foe

Berman writes in her column about an unidentified finalist for the dean of arts and sciences position at Oakland University. She implies that the candidate's decision to withdrew his application may have been influenced by Michigan's "harsh social climate," particularly an appeals court decision ruling that state universities could no longer offer domestic partner benefits. "Some faculty members," Berman writes, "complain that Oakland's administration has been unwilling to champion its gay faculty members by joining in the legal appeal filed by the ACLU, as the University of Michigan and Wayne State University have done."

Eagle Discount Card is win-win proposal

A planned cooperative program between Eastern Michigan University and Ypsilanti businesses encourages the businesses to offer a discount card to EMU students, employees and alumni. So far, 11 businesses have signed up. When the number reaches 25, the program will get underway, according to Ted Coutilish, associate vice president for marketing and communications. He mentions that he worked on a similar program at Wayne State, where the program started with 25 business participants and grew to about 170. The newspaper praises the program in a March 26 editorial, calling it a "win-win proposal" for the community and the university.

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