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WSU psychologist finds communication is key to defusing workplace bullying

A feature story examining research about workplace bullying includes comments from Loraleigh Keashly, director of the dispute resolution program at WSU. She says bullying in the workplace can be reduced substantially by programs that encourage employees to talk openly with management. Research that she and others conducted at the Department of Veterans Affairs (cited in the item above) is referenced. Bullying and other aggressive behaviors were reduced through a series of actions that empowered employees and gave them venues to address their frustrations. "Not only was the intervention they designed having an impact," says Keashly, "but the way they were operating was catching on with other people throughout the facility." A photo of Keashly accompanies the story.

WMU president fired as enrollment drop persists

Western Michigan University trustees on Tuesday asked President Judith Bailey to step down because of unsatisfactory performance and breach of contract. Bailey was appointed in 2003 to increase enrollment, balance the budget and increase community support for the university. Her current contract ends in 2009. Board Chairman James Holden cited erosion in enrollment compared to other universities, budget concerns and waning support for Bailey.

Former Wayne State professor dies

An AP story reported the death of State University of New York at Albany President Kermit Hall, 61, at a resort in South Carolina. Hall, who was swimming at the time of his death, may have had an underlying medical problem, police said Monday. The article mentions that Hall held prior academic and administrative jobs at other universities, including Wayne State. The Detroit News "Nation-World Briefs" item identifies Hall as a former Wayne State University professor.

Penny-pincher gives lasting gift to students

Columnist Desiree Cooper writes about the Howard Baker Foundation, which offers scholarships to deserving Wayne State University students. Baker, who founded the Baker Trucking Co. in the 1940's, left the bulk of his estate - $5 million - to the foundation in 1992. The scholarships, established especially for those studying nursing or the sciences, have totaled about $5 million over the past decade. "This year, we've pledged $1.1 million to support a pilot Urban Scholars/Leaders Program," said Michele Baker, who is executive director. "It will help WSU students combine community service with their academic program." Contact information about the Foundation and its scholarships is provided.

Hooked on hookahs: Teens' water pipe use raises health worries

The rising popularity of hookahs in restaurants and homes has health officials concerned about the health risks associated with the smoking device. Evidence suggests that puffing the ornate water pipes, popular in the Middle East, is at least as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. \"It\'s a growing threat for our state, for Michigan, and down the road will mean higher health care costs as (users) develop the diseases that come from smoking,\" said Virginia Hill Rice, a professor at the College of Nursing. The hookah, experts say, contains dangerous amounts of nicotine, tar and heavy metals, which can lead to life-threatening health problems such as lung cancer.

Juvenile lifer law needs fair hearing

An editorial notes that a recent Wayne State University survey suggested that only 5 percent of Michigan\'s residents support the state's juvenile lifer law. Drawing fire from human rights groups worldwide, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the law is being challenged by a bill sponsored by state Sen. Liz Brater, D-Ann Arbor, which would provide a chance at parole after serving at least 15 years, for the more than 300 juveniles who have been sentenced to life without parole. The editorial calls the proposed bill reasonable "offering the best hope of bringing Michigan's juvenile law into the 21st Century."

EDUCATION: More Michiganders getting degrees

Michigan is getting smarter, with the number of people holding associate\'s, bachelor\'s, master\'s or doctorate degrees up 14 percent in the last five years. But the state is still below the national average of people ages 25 and older with four-year college degrees -- 24.7 percent in Michigan compared with 27.2 percent. Despite the numbers, Michigan ranked 41st among states in terms of its increase in people with bachelor\'s degrees or higher.

Defense Department shelves proposal to increase restrictions on foreign scientists

The U.S. Defense Department has backed off a proposal to require significant new controls, including security badges and restricted laboratory access, for foreign researchers working with sensitive technology at American universities. Instead, the agency said it would require researchers working on its contracts to follow existing \"export control\" rules of the U.S. Commerce and State Departments, which are designed to keep technology and weapons important to national security from falling into the hands of terrorists or spies. The Defense Department\'s announcement came after universities and other research advocates directed a volley of complaints at the agency\'s original proposal. University officials predicted that it would interfere with valuable research and create an expensive, duplicative bureaucracy within academic laboratories.

Nurse-managed health center receives $1.2 million federal grant

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $1.2 million grant to the Nursing Practice Corporation, a nonprofit organization comprised of faculty from Wayne State\'s College of Nursing, on behalf of the nurse-managed Campus Health Center at WSU. The 3-year grant will allow the center to expand and supplement its primary care services to more than 3,600 students who will be living in Wayne State residence halls this fall.

Experts: Several factors important for startups to stand out

An article in a special section on how companies bring university research into the business world includes comments from Judy Johncox, director of venture development at Wayne State . She points out that the revenue stream generated by sales of a new company's product or service, the number of jobs it creates and the dollars it attracts from investors are all important indicators of success. "But for us that has another meaning: It says that the management team has successfully moved the technology from the university into a product with a customer acceptance." Johncox's photo accompanies the write-up. The section also has a small panel insert that lists patents granted to universities in the past 10 years. Of the three schools listed, Wayne State is second with 125.

Plan to grade teachers of teachers flawed

In an op-ed piece, Wayne State University College of Education Dean Paula Wood takes issue with the State Board of Education's plan to "grade" state colleges of education. Agreeing that education programs should be held accountable for the classroom effectiveness of graduates, Wood points out that the key issue is whether criteria established by the state will help produce quality teachers. She writes that she believes the new plan "will do very little to achieve this goal. Why? Because a number of the criteria have little to do with whether or not the teacher in front of the classroom received a quality education." She adds that the new grading system discourages institutions from enrolling nontraditional students who might require more time to get through a program. A photo of Wood is included.

People making news

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has appointed the following to its board of visitors: Lomas Brown, president and CEO of the Everything Sports in Orion Twp.; Tyrone Davenport, interim president and CEO of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit; Nancy Hakala, director of Wright and Filippis in Rochester Hills; Robert Milewski, president and CEO of Mt. Clemens Regional Medical Center; Robert Vandenberg, president of Kaul Funeral Homes Inc. in Clinton Twp.; and Nick Vitale, vice president of finance at Beaumont Hospital in Troy.

Getting into the spirit of the game: We're all tigers

Marketing professor Jeffrey Stoltman offers a viewpoint in this article about a series of controversial Detroit Tigers commercials on FSN-Detroit. The spots include such scenes as a woman charging into an expensive-looking painting at an art gallery, much as an outfielder would crash into the wall to catch a fly ball. Another features a man at a business meeting who gets up to throw a piece of food through a window, like a baseball pitcher. The ads end with the tagline, "We're all Tigers." Stoltman said he does not expect that the ads will incite viewers to repeat the antics in real life. "In the game of advertising, you try to do something that's different," he explains. "I think they're harmless and probably effective."

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