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Wayne State signs agreement with St. Clair County Community College

Wayne State and St. Clair County Community College recently entered an agreement to provide degree programs to St. Clair County residents. The agreement will enable the institutions to engage in educational programs to help eligible participating students obtain both an associate of arts degree and a bachelor's degree through their respective institutions. A photo of President Irvin D. Reid and Provost Nancy Barrett, along with representatives from St. Clair Community College is included.

Firm develops saliva test to detect drugs

David Schneider, associate professor of neuropharmacology at Wayne State , is the founder of a Troy company that has developed a drug test utilizing the power of an advanced scientific instrument to analyze saliva. Schneider has applied for more than two dozen patents for test kits used for collecting and handling saliva samples that can be analyzed by a mass spectrometer. Such tests can be used to test for drugs and the procedure is much faster than the traditional urine-sample method. The WSU professor also is working on tests that could provide early detection of cancer.

Book lawsuit could hobble Internet

A suit brought by five book publishers against Google for copyright infringement could spell the end regarding how information searches on the Internet are carried out. The publishers claim that Google is exceeding the free use of limited portions provision of the law by making digital copies of entire books. Professor Jessica Litman, who teaches Internet law at Wayne State University , points out that Google intends to use only limited extracts from books for an index, and indexes traditionally have been deemed fair use under the law.

Turnaround leads mayor to a surprising victory

Lyke Thompson, director of the Center for Urban Studies here, is quoted in a story about Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's come-from-behind victory in Tuesday's election. Helped by vigorous campaigning and a widely televised eulogy at Rosa Parks' funeral, the incumbent mayor won 53 percent of the vote, compared to Hendrix's 47 percent, confounding pollsters who had predicted an easy victory for Hendrix. Now, the question is whether Kilpatrick can lead the city in the type of turnaround he pulled off in his own campaign. "The elephant in the room is the deficit," Thompson points out. The city projects a shortfall of $130 million to $300 million this year and has been trying to bridge the gap by cutting back on services and laying off personnel, including police officers.

Freshman numbers at record high

A story about freshmen enrollment at public universities includes a comment by WSU Provost Nancy Barrett. The story indicates that freshman enrollment in the state is up overall this year, to 40,536, according to the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan . But freshmen enrollment at some universities, including Wayne State , is down. Barrett said the drop, from 3,120 to 2,879, was somewhat anticipated because WSU had large freshmen increases in 2003 and 2004. "We've been growing by leaps and bounds, and I think this is a correction," she said.

'Elimination communication' is hot topic in potty training world

Carolynn Rowland, a nurse and researcher in the WSU School of Medicine, is quoted in a story about a new method of infant potty training. The method involves starting toilet training before children can talk or walk. Rowland has reservations about the method. "My concern is if you put the onus on the child to do something you want them to do that they're not capable of doing, you may be setting them up for problems, and you're putting a whole lot of pressure on them," she said. The story ran on the Knight Ridder newswire.

Multiple sclerosis diagnostic guidelines updated

This and other online newsletters carried this item about an international panel of neurologists updating guidelines for diagnosing multiple sclerosis. Among those quoted is Dr. Robert Lisak of Wayne State University . He is chair of the American Neurological Association's public information committee. "The changes in diagnostic criteria for primary progressive multiple sclerosis are particularly helpful," he said. "The ability to make the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis early and accurately is important for both patient care and for clinical research. . . ."

Michigan's affirmative-action battle is not over yet

The "Ways and Means" column notes that a three-judge panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals last week ordered the Michigan Board of Canvassers to certify a November 2006 ballot measure that would amend the state's constitution to ban race- and gender-based preferences in university admissions. If approved by voters, the measure could preclude the University of Michigan from benefiting from its own landmark legal victory, a 2003 ruling upholding its law school's use of race-conscious admissions.

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