Michigan\'s community colleges should hold the line on annual tuition hikes. The schools are the best hope for students looking for affordable college classes. This year, the state\'s four-year universities refused to cut budgets enough to keep tuition hikes low. They hit students with increases of up to 19 percent, nearly six times the rate of inflation. As a group, university presidents decided to push the hikes, take the heat and then go ahead and force students to come up with the extra money this fall. The state\'s education safety net is wobbly, with universities blaming high tuition on uncertain state funding. Either way, many students are reeling. At Wayne State University , for example, students are primarily commuters; most hold down jobs out of necessity and more than a third are minorities. The school meets these conditions with cheaper tuition. But the school\'s urban role has been jeopardized by Wayne \'s 18.5 percent tuition hike, amid reported plans to raise tuition substantially higher over four years.

Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan in Detroit , named Bill Winkler to its board of directors. Winkler, who is assistant director of planned giving at Wayne State University , will serve as secretary on the Gleaners' board.

A recent study by the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) warns that Michigan patients may be facing a shortage of physicians to choose from in the near future. The study showed that Michigan 's supply of active physicians likely will remain relatively flat over the next 15 years, fluctuating between 30,000 and 30,500 actively practicing physicians. Demand will grow, however, as Michigan 's older population increases, current physicians retire and young physicians strive to balance work and family. MSMS is working with Wayne State University , Michigan State University and the University of Michigan to gather more data including an analysis of medical education and medical education capacity in Michigan . Results are expected in 2006.

A story about the Michigan economy includes comments from state Treasurer Jay Rising, who cited a study by Wayne State researcher Kurt Metzger that found the state added more than 91,000 professional scientific and technical services jobs between 2000 and 2003. That was second only to California for the period.

Michigan\'s economy is \"stabilizing,\" but predicted growth for next year won\'t allow Gov. Jennifer Granholm and lawmakers to avoid difficult budget decisions in the weeks ahead. State economists Wednesday predicted that modest summer revenue growth since previous estimates in May will add about $69 million in fiscal 2005 and $67 million in fiscal 2006. The amounts are meager in the context of a combined $19 billion budget for discretionary state spending and aid to local public schools…Republicans also proposed a redistribution of state aid to universities that would punish better-funded schools in predominantly Democratic areas, Northern Michigan University and Wayne State University . Granholm opposes both cuts. Additional state aid could be used to pursue funding equity without cutting NMU and WSU, said Michael Boulus, a higher education lobbyist.

The GLIAC volleyball coaches have picked Wayne State to finish fourth in the South Division. The Warriors have five players back for the upcoming season. Findlay is picked to win the division title.

David Strauss, dean of students, is quoted in a story about how to ease students' transition from high school to college. Most colleges and universities have counseling centers that offer psychological support and free consultations for students because "administrators realize there is a serious problem on our college campuses," he said. The article gives tips from counselors and others at various area universities.

An article that offers safety tips for students on college campuses mentions WSU in the lead, as follows: "Whether students live on a compact urban campus such as Wayne State University, a fairly isolated expanse such as the University of Michigan or attend a local suburban community college, campus safety is an issue on the minds of administrators, students and parents." The article gives five tips on how to prevent becoming a crime victim.

In March, the ACLU filed suit on behalf of 21 couples who receive health care coverage from public employers. The group is contesting a legal opinion by the state attorney general that bars public employers from offering domestic partner benefits in future contracts. Among the plaintiffs is Peter Hammer, a Pittsfield Township resident who receives benefits from Wayne State University .

An article about actor and University of Minnesota theatre professor Ray Schultz notes that he earned master's and doctoral degrees in theatre from WSU. He is currently acting in the production "Take Me Out," produced by the Performance Network.

This article profiles Matt Kelly, starting goalie on the Wayne State men's hockey team. The article also featured a photo of Kelly.

A feature on former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer notes that his foundation awards $50,000 in scholarships to Western Michigan University and a like amount to Wayne State University .

During his morning show, Frank Beckman interviewed Dr. Emanuel Tanay about his new book on Holocaust experiences and identified the author as a clinical professor of psychiatry at Wayne State University .

Art DeMonte, executive director of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur\'s Quest said Tuesday that it is virtually certain the business competition will not take place this fall, and a second cycle of awards, usually held in the spring, will probably not occur as well. He said the organization\'s four major funding sources - including Wayne State University - \"have all declined to support the Great Lakes Entrepreneur\'s Quest this year.\" Judy Johncox, director of venture development at Wayne State , said she and other GLEQ board members are trying to get the program more permanent support. She said the board soured on searching for funding on a year-to-year basis, and wants to put GLEQ on firmer long-term funding if it is to survive. \"The enthusiasm for this program has not waned at all," she pointed out. "It\'s just a question of how we continue this program in a sustainable way."

David Lutz, WSU's 2004-05 Male Student Athlete of the Year, is profiled in an article about his scholarship and athletic abilities. The Rochester Adams High School graduate, who is majoring in civil engineering at WSU, is carrying a 3.75 GPA and is an All-America swimmer. Lutz's busy schedule might have forced some college athletes to give up on sports, but he finds time to practice and compete while taking a full load of classes, working as an intern at the Michigan Department of Transportation and coaching young swimmers at the Detroit Yacht Club about 10 hours a week. "David found a way to get it done, "says men's swimming coach Sean Peters. Lutz practiced on his own much of time because of his hectic schedule. "David is very goal-oriented, not just for himself but the team," Peters explained. "He wanted our program to get better." Lutz has four All-American accolades and 10 All-America honorable mention performances during his four-year Wayne State career. "In a long list of deserving candidates, the accomplishments of David are singular," said Athletic Director Rob Fournier.

Henry V. Bohm, emeritus professor of physics, takes issue with a July 21 Detroit News editorial titled "With massive tuition hike, WSU forgets role." Bohm writes that even after the very large tuition hike, the WSU charges are still lower than those at several other state-supported universities. "This university has suffered cuts in its appropriations in each of the past several years," Bohm writes. He points out that the university is severely short of general fund dollars which are "essential for the academic heart of the university." Bohm concludes that unless Wayne State University is allowed to function at a competitive, high-quality level, the economic opportunities in and social functioning of Southeast Michigan will not prosper.

Business columnist Susan Tompor gathered comments from Wayne State University students regarding the escalating costs of course textbooks. College textbook prices have risen at twice the rate of annual inflation in the last two decades, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. During her second semester at Wayne State's Law School, Anderson-Williams estimates she saved $300 to $400 by buying her books online. \"You soon realize you can\'t drop $400 or $500 each semester for books,\" said sophomore Ben Dempsey-Klott. Dempsey-Klott and his brother Nick Dempsey-Klott visited the Barnes & Noble at Wayne State last week to jot down the prices for books. A photo of Anderson-Williams is included with the front-page story.

Kurt Metzger, research director for the Center for Urban Studies and director of the Michigan Metropolitan Information Center, helped introduce a new Web site Tuesday night that is designed to connect Detroit nonprofits and community organizations with funding sources. The site, www.datadetroit.org, offers users greater online access to information on the latest demographic and research data and assists organizations in program development and in writing successful grant proposals. Metzger says the site will continue to grow and evolve as more data is added and will eventually expand beyond Detroit to the entire metropolitan area.

Jon Grabarek, following a three-year stint with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, has committed to play for the Warriors men's hockey team. Grabarek, a Sterling Heights resident, says he looked at other collegiate offers but chose Wayne State because "it's close to home and Bill Wilkinson is a great coach." Grabarek played for Team Michigan at the 2001 USA hockey Select 17 Festival and 2000 Select 16 Festival before joining the RoughRiders for the 2002-2003 season. A photo of Grabarek is included.

Dale Thomson, research associate at Wayne State's Center for Urban Studies, comments about the city of Detroit's decision to pursue a high-priced condo development instead of senior housing at the site of the former Rochdale Court Apartments. Located at the corner of Lafayette and Orleans, the building - which offered senior citizens affordable housing - was torn down in 2002 with the understanding that its replacement would serve the same kind of residents. "The data doesn't account for the quality of housing," Thomson says. "There are a lot of affordable units in Detroit that are in terrible condition or in bad areas. You can't account for this through the data, but we know this to be true."