In a piece about the symptoms of menopause, as well as various treatments and coping methods, Wayne State researchers were acknowledged for conducting a study which concluded that a slight rise in women's core body temperatures above a thermonuclear zone can trigger hot flashes.

A story by the Associated Press points out that more than half of college students in the country have at least one credit card that is billed to them and about a quarter of these students have used their cards to pay tuition. A study by the American Council on Education found that many schools, particularly state institutions and community colleges, allow students to pay tuition with credit cards for convenience. But some schools do not approve of the practice, fearing it will steer students toward more expensive ways to borrow. Other colleges say the fees charged by credit card companies to process payments "aren't worth it."

Kami Pothukuchi, Wayne State associate professor of urban planning, commented about the recent revenue boom generated by the People Mover. She said a transit system is essential for Detroit to grow and compete with other big cities such as Chicago and New York. Pothukuchi added that the system moves people around when they get to downtown, but it\'s not an alternative for a transit system that provides access from various parts of the city to the downtown region. Marsden Burger, former operations manager of the People Mover, who has lobbied for expanding the train\'s route north to the Detroit Medical Center and the New Center area, said this idea would also extend the route to Wayne State. This, he said, would create a new downtown, four miles long.

Paula Wood, dean of Wayne State's College of Education, is a scheduled guest on Frank Beckmann's morning show today which airs from 9-11:30 a.m. weekdays. Wood will be discussing the State Board of Education's plan to "grade" state colleges of education, a proposal she addressed in a Detroit Free Press op-ed yesterday. Agreeing that such programs should be held accountable for the classroom effectiveness of its graduates, Wood wrote that the rating plan will do very little to achieve the goal of helping to produce quality teachers. Today's interview is scheduled between 11-11:30 a.m.

Tuition hikes in Michigan are expected to be much lower this year, as a result of the 3 percent average increase in state funding that colleges and universities are getting. Michigan State University, for example, will be increasing tuition 5.9 percent, much lower than last year\'s increase of 13.5 percent. The three University of Michigan campuses will set their tuition on Friday, while Wayne State, Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University have yet to vote. Thus far, the highest tuition hike in the state has been at Michigan Tech, a jump of 8.7 percent. According to a study done by the Senate Fiscal Agency last year, tuition at the state\'s 15 public universities has risen 67 percent over the last 10 years, while state funding has increased 12 percent. Michigan\'s three largest universities, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University have lost a total of $106 million in state aid during the last three years. Wayne State is also noted in the story for receiving the smallest increase of 2.5 percent, along with Michigan Tech.

The Michigan State University Board of Trustees unanimously approved a 5.9 percent increase for in-state undergraduates and 6.9 percent for out-of-state undergrads. Combined with housing, it will cost $14,837 for an in-state freshman to attend the university. To help offset the tuition increase, MSU again increased funds for financial aid and approved a new program, called the Spartan Advantage, to replace student loans with grants and work study for freshman whose families are at or below the federal poverty line - about $20,000 for a family of four. It will benefit about 350 of the estimated 7,350 incoming freshmen.

Governor Jennifer Granholm announced Monday two efforts aimed at increasing access to higher education in Macomb County. She created a 15-member panel to assess the need for expanding options for postsecondary school programs in the county and commissioned an independent study of the county's higher education needs. The study, which will be paid through private funding, will determine the best ways to expand higher education options in the county, according to Granholm.

The University of Michigan is engaged in a campaign to woo top faculty to its teaching and research ranks. U-M officials are increasing the number of endowed chair positions, allocating money for recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty and creating more opportunities for faculty research to enter the marketplace. At stake are millions of dollars in federal and private research and development grants for which talented faculty fiercely compete. Grant funding can produce key breakthroughs in research that lead to patents, inventions, spin-off companies and royalty income for the professor and the university.

Patricia Brown has been appointed chief of internal medicine at Detroit Receiving Hospital . She remains associate professor of medicine in the WSU School of Medicine.

Wayne State University College of Education Dean Paula Wood opined about the State Board of Education's plan to "grade" state colleges of education. Agreeing that such programs should be held accountable for the classroom effectiveness of its graduates, Wood says however that the key issue is if the criteria established by the state will help produce quality teachers. "I believe that this 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 wrote. "In short, the new grading system encourages institutions to enroll the traditional, younger student who has enough financial resources to complete a program in a traditional period of time. It discourages institutions from enrolling nontraditional students who might require more time due to life circumstances but who might also make excellent teachers." A photo of Wood is included.

Leaders at Michigan State University are expected to increase tuition today by "single digits," compared to last year's 13.5 percent increase, and University of Michigan leaders said its Board of Regents will vote Friday on an increase less than last year's 12.3 percent hike. Under a budget agreement between lawmakers and Gov. Jennifer Granholm, all public universities in Michigan are expected to get an increase in state funding - which will be the first for most schools in four academic years. Eight of the state's 15 public universities have set tuition rates for the fall ranging from a low of 4.9 percent at Saginaw Valley State University to a high of 8.75 percent at Michigan Technological University - the only school thus far to have a higher rate increase than last year. Wayne State is noted as receiving the lowest percentage increase of state appropriated monies at 2.5 percent, along with Michigan Tech.

Wayne State last week launched a billboard campaign in Macomb County as the first step to increasing its presence in the county. WSU is spending about $200,000 on the campaign and a feasibility study to determine which courses it should offer in the county and where it should offer them. Currently, WSU offers courses at Macomb Community College's University Center. Enrollment there this year dropped 11 percent to 402 from 453 in 2003, said Nancy Barrett, Wayne State provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. If WSU expands in the county beyond its University Center presence, it will do so initially through a relationship with a local high school, she said. "There's been a lot of attention that Macomb County doesn't have a four-year university, Barrett said. \"What we\'d like to do is step into that void and be able to provide the upper-level courses people need to get a bachelor degree and to do it in the county.\"

Wayne State University is noted as potentially receiving a 2.5 percent increase as part of the state's 2007 budget. The package includes an overall 3 percent increase in operations for community colleges and universities and a $210 per-pupil increase in the basic foundation allowance for K-12 schools. Under the deal, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University will receive a 3 percent increase while Oakland University will get a 3.4 percent increase, and Eastern Michigan University a 2.7 percent increase.

Ann Stacks, director of the infant mental health program at Wayne State University's Merrill-Palmer Institute for Child and Family Development, offers tips for parents hunting for a house. Although there are plenty of amenities to consider when hunting for a house, human interplay still has the biggest impact on kids' development, says Stacks. "Just moving to a nice neighborhood may not be enough," continues Stacks, who works with children from birth to age 8. "You really have to reach out and know your neighbors and who your children are playing with." That can be a tall order.

Wayne State University and The International Institute of Metro Detroit will be offering English as a second language and citizenship classes in Warren if Gov. Jennifer Granholm approves a $100,000 grant funding the Peacock Project, which provides for the renovation of the former police mini station into an eight-office suite and community center. The Peacock Project was submitted in May to the Michigan Cool Cities Initiative and was chosen as one of the top 12 projects. City and county officials expect to receive an answer from the governor within the week.

A federal Department of Defense consultant and think tank president will speak at Wayne State University Thursday on energy policy and national security. Sheila Ronis will speak at 6 p.m. at WSU\'s Welcome Center auditorium on \"Energy Policy and National Security: What the Automotive Industry Needs to Know.\" The free event is sponsored by the Detroit Council for World Affairs at Wayne State's Center for Peace and Conflict Studies and the DTE Energy Foundation. Contact and reservation information is provided.

Wayne State was noted in this story for hosting, along with the Detroit Opera House, the American Ballet Theatre\'s summer intensive. Participating in the program are 164 students from around the country, all between the ages of 12-20.

Wayne State University Law School professors Robert Sedler and David Moran commented about a case involving a man who was held in the Wayne County jail for 106 days, 25 without arraignment. Jerry King, Jr.-El, who is a Moor, was charged with assaulting two Michigan state troopers after being stopped for a traffic violation. Sedler, whose specialty is constitutional law, said state troopers and the courts may have violated King, Jr.-El's First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution if they targeted him as a Moor, as well as his constitutional right not to be subject to summary punishment. Moran, an expert in criminal procedure, said that King, Jr.-El should have been arraigned in 48 hours. "I've never seen a case where anybody's not been arraigned for such a long period of time," he said. "There either has to be some reason or his due process rights have been violated."

Tigers fantasy: Detroit Tigers fantasy camps at Comerica Park are scheduled on July 28-30 and Aug. 25-27. The camps include one game under the lights, Tigers home jersey and instruction by former Tigers players. Contact information is provided.

An article about the propriety of endorsement questionnaires sent by the Livingston Country Republican Party to candidates in nonpartisan judicial races includes comments by Robert Sedler of the WSU Law School . He said he believes the questionnaires are an appropriate attempt to get information to the public. "Those questions are all related to judges' beliefs and views, things that are relevant to the voters," he said. He also pointed out that the candidates are free to respond or not to respond to the questions, as they prefer.