Wayne State University

Warrior strong
Login
Search

In the news

EDITORIALS: Gaffney faces WSU professor

This editorial endorses incumbent Ed Gaffney, 62, in a race for state representative over his leading contender, Wayne State political science professor Tim Bledsoe, 53. The editorial points out that Bledsoe has attacked incumbent Gaffney for raising money for the state GOP and that Bledsoe says he was surprised at how much money Gaffney receives from special interests. However Gaffney has countered that he is proud of being the No. 1 fundraiser in the House for the GOP and it allows him to have more influence in the Legislature on behalf of his district.

The New Wayne State

During a two and a half-minute report on the early-evening news, the station's Paul Herdtner reports on some of the exciting developments taking place on the Wayne State campus. President Irvin D. Reid took Herdtner on a tour of the campus, with stops at the Smart Sensors Lab, residence halls, Recreation and Fitness Center and other facilities. Engineering professor Greg Auner explained some of the innovations being developed in the laboratory, including a robotic device that can assist doctors with surgery. The university also is working on an engine that can run on various types of fuel, while minimizing pollution. Herdtner mentions that the rooms in WSU's new residence halls "look more like upscale apartments," and President Reid points out that the university has located many of its newer facilities in the heart of campus for the convenience and safety of students.

Oak Park firm proves survival of the e-fittest

Neveen Awad, assistant professor of information systems, is quoted in an article about Biznet Internet Solutions' evolution from a web-site design company into an online business software developer with a new emphasis on building flexible software applicable to various industries. "If your web-site is slow or not user-friendly, if it's hard to search, to find what you're looking for, then that will dissuade and push browsers away from that site and keep them browsing," Awad said.

Taxing the imagination

In a commentary piece, Michael Rogers, vice-president of communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan, states that while Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University are "genuinely world-class "educational institutions, that doesn't mean they are necessarily providing what Michigan's economy needs for the future: training and education that fosters entrepreneurialism, innovation and risk-taking. He contends that "simply shoveling more money at higher education" is not the answer and that state government needs to operate "lean and mean," just like small businesses do.

GM builds Kerkorian roadblocks

Law professor Peter Henning comments in an article that focuses on the recent attempt by GM investor and maverick shareholder Kirk Kerkorian to gain more control over the company's board of directors. Henning said he isn't sure if GM is expecting another foray by Kerkorian "but I would say they are preparing for one." GM has retained Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley - two renowned investment banking firms - to help prepare for a potential Kerkorian-led proxy fight or other hostile action. A GM spokesman said the automaker's main focus is continuing its company-wide turnaround.

Don't hamstring urban development by restricting the assembling of land

In an opinion piece, law professor John Mogk says passage of Proposal 4 in November would cripple Detroit and damage the state of Michigan . If passed, the proposal would amend the state Constitution to prohibit use of eminent domain for economic development purposes. Mogk contends that Proposal 4 is not about protecting property owners so much as it is about blocking the Michigan Legislature from being able to authorize eminent domain for economic development, even in the public interest. "Without eminent domain," Mogk writes, "a single owner holding out in Detroit . . . could scuttle an economic development project of great public value. . . ." He calls for a "no" vote on the proposal.

Community-based writing groups

This article focuses on a lecture given at Michigan Technological University , Oct. 11, by WSU professor Ruth Ray, known for her work in feminist gerontology. In her comments about "Community Based Writing Groups," Ray cited an exercise where WSU sophomores were paired with senior citizens to learn and write about their lives as a way of learning more about the elderly. "We wanted to bring an emphasis on sharing stories of faith and spirituality," she said. The article provides a Web site address for the WSU English Department for more information on "community writing" of the type Ray discussed.

Self-defense claim denied

A Lenawee County circuit judge has not yet set a date for a hearing on whether to bar Daniel Kennedy, Wayne State University criminal justice professor, from testifying as an expert defense witness on behalf of the defense in a case against a state trooper who shot into the car of a suspect who was fleeing from police. The state Attorney General's Office, on behalf of the trooper, has proposed putting Kennedy on the stand to give his opinion on the mental states of the shooting victim, who died, and the trooper, who says he shot in self defense. The victim's family brought suit against the officer.

Group accuses U. of Michigan of giving more weight to race in admissions despite limits imposed by court

A Virginia-based advocacy group that opposes race-conscious admissions charges that the University of Michigan has increased the amount of consideration it gives to the race and ethnicity of undergraduate applicants since 2003, when the Supreme Court struck down the admissions policy previously used by U-M's chief undergraduate program. The Center for Equal opportunity also alleges that the university's law and medical schools continue to favor black and Hispanic applicants heavily. A U-M spokesperson responded that the center's key findings are "flawed and shallow." According to the article in the Chronicle, the center's report on undergraduate admissions is based on data that the Michigan Association of Scholars obtained from the university through the state's open-records law.

Port-Security Plan, A Bid to Foil Terror, May Slow Deliveries

A federal anti-terrorism program that will take effect in late 2006 will require truck drivers to prove they are legal U.S. residents. Undocumented drivers currently make up as many as half of the port-trucking workforce nationwide, according to Michael Belzer, professor of industrial relations here. Belzer wrote a book, titled "Sweatshops on Wheels," about adverse results of the de-unionization of the trucking industry. Many illegal drivers carry false Social Security numbers or work under assumed names. The story is on today's front page.

Scandal claims another executive

Comments by law professor Peter Henning in this AP story about a corporate boardroom controversy at UnitedHealth Group appear widely in newspapers around the country. The chairman/CEO will leave UnitedHealth by Dec. 1 in the wake of questions about how the company issued stock options to its leaders. Other officials also will be leaving. Henning points out that the challenge for the company's officials is "to make sure that it looks to the (federal) regulators that they have done a thorough job and gotten all the miscreants out, but they have to maintain their credibility with Wall Street."

Privacy and University Policies

Wayne State University © 2023