In the news

Dissecting Diversity: Scholars weigh in on the meaning of diversity

Wayne State Law School Dean Frank Wu is featured in a cover story defining diversity. Wu and other selected scholars participated in a dialogue for this inaugural issue of "Diverse Issues in Higher Education." Wu said even though the diversity numbers often look great [in colleges] because there are many Asian Americans, increasing the number of Asian Americans doesn't do anything to appreciably help the condition of African Americans. Wu's photo is included on the publication cover and inside the story. In the same issue, Wu is quoted in a story titled "Stepping Forward: Historically not viewed as leaders, Asian Americans say, they are taking steps to create a leadership pipeline in the academy." "Asian Americans are thought of as very successful," Wu said, "but the path to leadership is important to all Americans. We should care as a society because this is a nation where anyone can rise up, even to the White House.

Prof 'smuggles' science into art

Free Press theater critic Martin Kohn discusses Carl Djerassi's play, \"An Immaculate Misconception,\" which opens today at the Hilberry Theatre. Djerassi, who is noted as holding his first academic position at Wayne State University in the 1950's, will also participate in a Sept. 15 symposium titled "An Examination of Assisted Reproduction Through the Lens of Carl Djerassi," 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Hilberry. It will feature professors from Wayne State 's medical and law schools and the department of sociology, and includes lunch and a special performance of the play.
News outlet logo for favicons/wayne.edu.png

Wayne State, LTU, LCC offer free tuition, housing to students at universities closed by Katrina

Wayne State University said last week it would offer a full tuition and housing waiver to students whose universities have been closed down by Hurricane Katrina. The offer applies only to students who have paid their tuition and housing for the fall semester in full. The university said two students taking advantage of the offer, Denetra Mack and Doctor Ashe, had just completed their first week of classes at Xavier University in New Orleans when they were ordered to evacuate at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. Mack is a junior chemistry major from Detroit , while Ashe is a junior psychology major from Detroit . They and 16 other undergraduate students from Xavier, Tulane and Loyola universities in New Orleans are now Wayne State University students. More at www.wayne.edu/katrina_aid.

Schools and Universities Open Their Doors

Colleges and Universities are offering Hurricane-displaced students opportunities to continue studies via Society for College and University Listserv. Most are offering students the opportunity to continue their studies on their campuses temporarily during the recovery period. Wayne State University is offering free admission and housing to students from universities closed due to Hurricane Katrina. WSU is reaching out to undergraduate, graduate and law students. For those enrolled in schools where they already paid their tuition WSU is offering a full tuition waiver for the fall 2005 semester. Students may be eligible for other assistance on a case-by-case basis. "Our admissions staff is ready to work with these students," said Susan Zwieg, executive director of undergraduate admissions and student financial aid.

Identity theft greets incoming college freshmen

Most universities have implemented practices of their own to prevent tampering with personal information. Social Security numbers have been replaced with student I.D. numbers. At nearly every campus across Michigan , PIN numbers are needed to access information via the Internet. A Wayne State University spokesperson pointed out that the university has taken every precaution to safeguard against outside persons getting into student records. Students may also elect not to permit outside access to information that is contained in the online student directory. To do so, students fill out a designated form at the time of registration, specifying they do not want personal information available online.

An intimate quest for perfection: women turn to plastic surgeons for vaginal rejuvenation

Women are having their genitals made over; procedures once reserved for women with traumas or medical problems are now being done for cosmetic reasons. "I don't think that's right," said Dr. Susan Hendrix, a professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Wayne State University . "It's really the wrong thing to do. Your goal as a physician is to help patients, but this is creating business by telling patients something is wrong with them when there is nothing wrong. And these people are operating for cash. It's morally and ethically unacceptable. To me, it's genital mutilation."

Courts to Allow Google Book Copying

While writers and publishers object, copyright law appears to be on Google's side, and despite objections legal experts say Google's initiative to digitize library books, will weigh in the search engine's favor. "The principle that Google should have to ask [for permission] is proving untenable," said Jessica Litman, professor at Wayne State 's Law School , who has published a book on protecting intellectual property. "The opt-out mechanism is pretty reasonable."

Fighting Breast Cancer - A Native woman's journal - The loneliest journey

This breast cancer patient, within months of diagnosis and initial treatments, had her cancer come back. Doctors ordered a bone marrow transplant at Wayne State University . During bone marrow transplants, doctors extract a patient's healthy stem cells and freeze them. Then they give the patient enough chemotherapy to kill every cancer cell, even though the therapy will bring the patient to the brink of death.

Is Your Boss a Bully?

A bullying boss probably won't punch you in the face or extort your milk money, but he'll do persistent, subtle things that will take time for you to recognize as an undermining pattern of behavior. He might, for example, belittle your opinions; spread malicious gossip about you; exclude you from meetings; make sarcastic remarks when you speak; take credit for your successes and make you the scapegoat for his failures. And he's probably a consummate politician, toadying up to his superiors who would then be incapable of believing such a jolly good fellow could do such nasty things. So if you're inclined to speak up, you look like a whiner and malcontent. It's a pretty good Catch-22 and excellent way to consolidate power. Dr. Loraleigh Keashly, associate professor of communications at Wayne State University in Detroit , says a WSU study presented in 2004 shows that 7% of Michigan workers report being persistently mistreated by bosses. "[Bad] behaviors that come from a boss hurt more than the same behaviors coming from a subordinate, because bosses are in a position to control things that people value, like salaries and performance reviews" Keashly says. "It's seen as an abuse of authority."
News outlet logo for favicons/wayne.edu.png

Katrina's Aftermath: Metro Detroit pitches in

College students who have paid their fall tuition at another school and were displaced by Hurricane Katrina can receive a full tuition waiver at Wayne State for the fall semester, according to Susan Zwieg, executive director of undergraduate admissions and financial aid. Students needing a place to live also will be given a free room in one of WSU's new residence halls. Those in need of financial aid will be given assistance in finding loans and grants, Zwieg added. About 25 students displaced by Katrina are expected on campus, including eight who have already enrolled. President Irvin D. Reid wants to do this as part of our humanitarian outreach," Zwieg noted. "We'll worry about how to pay for this later. A Web link is provided for more details at: www.wayne.edu/Katina_aid.

WSU taps research hub

Wayne State University plans to add a $26 million engineering development center at its main campus over the next five years, according to this AP story that quotes a report in The Detroit News. President Irvin D. Reid told The News that he wants to speed everything from cancer diagnosis and treatment to detection of environmental hazards. "Our laboratories are equipped to build the research equipment we need on campus," he said. Also planned for Wayne State are a new business school and an education center at The Detroit Medical Center, the article says.

Broad-spectrum investing

Wayne State University is noted as part of the Community Telecommunication Network (CTN), a consortium of Detroit area organizations including Detroit Public Television, Detroit Public Schools and the Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency. Service providers are being asked to explain what they would do if they had the right to lease up to seven broadcasting licenses in the 2.5 to 2.7 gigahertz spectrum, a wavelength that had been used for educational TV broadcasts until June when CTN stopped broadcasting. Patrick Gossman, director of academic technologies and customer services for Wayne State and executive director of CTN, comments in the story.

Labor pains

Steve Babson, who teaches labor relations at Wayne State University , talked about the historical development of the labor movement in the U.S. and the daunting challenges workers are facing today, particularly in light of the Northwest Airlines strike. He said labor will make a comeback, but it may not be along the same identifiable lines. \"It\'s obviously going to be a different labor movement from the one in the past that we associated with manufacturing and labor," Babson observed.