Experts dissect Detroit crisis

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is holding a two-day Detroit Economic Forum at Wayne State University designed to help the city rethink urban government. Among issues discussed are Detroit\'s population decline and the per capita cost of city services for residents. Detroit's population has dropped from just below 2 million in 1950 to about 900,000 today. Today the forum will focus on solutions to the structural fiscal problems. A Detroit News editorial also highlights the summit and notes Wayne State as the site.

January 5, 2005

2005 Book of Lists

Wayne State University is ranked 11th in Detroit among the city's largest employers with a full-time workforce numbering 5,021, a decrease from the 2003 total of 5,154.

January 5, 2005

Detroit Public Television offers fresh perspectives and personal insights from some of the auto industry's top executives

"Leaders on Leadership," produced by Detroit Public Television in association with the Wayne State University School of Business Administration, is featured as one of Detroit's leading shows that offers access to the top business leaders in America. Guests respond to questions posed by host Larry Fobes, director of the SBA's Institute of Organizations and Industrial Competitiveness and Wayne State students in the studio.

January 4, 2005

Affirmative action can harm students

Frank Wu, dean of Wayne State University Law School and also supporter of affirmative action, argued a recent study by UCLA law professor Richard H. Sander, who states that eliminating racial preferences in law schools will actually result in more, not fewer, black lawyers. Regarding Sander, Wu said, \"He uses old data from 2001 to support his claims that without affirmative action there would only be a 14 percent decline in the number of African-American law school applicants. If Sander had used new data from 2002 and 2003, there would be a more significant decline of 35 to 45 percent of African-American applicants.\"

January 4, 2005

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The morning news cast showed a live shot of Wayne State men\'s swim team working out in the pool.

January 4, 2005

Detroit struggles to overcome urban blight

George Galster, professor of urban affairs in CULMA, spoke extensively to NPR reporter Cheryl Corley about Detroit's launching of a crackdown on urban blight. A new city department will aggressively pursue building owners for code violations in an attempt to clean up the urban landscape.

January 3, 2005

R&B Singer KEM Donates $20,000 to Detroit Area Community Organizations

Four local community organizations each received $5,000, a portion of the proceeds from R&B Singer KEM\'s SOLD OUT concert at the Detroit Opera House on December 29, 2004. The organizations included Detroit Rescue Mission, Highland Park Development Corporation, The Aneurysm Genetic Study Group at Wayne State University, and African Americans and Allies Against Domestic Violence.

January 3, 2005

Hilberry Theatre to stage American classic on Jan. 7

The current events column on the front page includes a mention of one of the Hilberry Theatre\'s latest productions, \"Death of a Salesman.\" It runs in rotating repertory until March 24, with the first performance Jan. 7.

January 3, 2005

A bit of Italy to be a lot closer

From 1990 to 2000, nearly 7,200 people of Italian ancestry moved to Macomb Township while Warren lost more than 3,200, said Kurt Metzger, research director of the Center for Urban Studies at Wayne State. Nearly 109,000 Macomb County residents claim Italian ancestry, according to 2000 census data for Macomb County. They represent nearly 14 percent of the county\'s population.

January 3, 2005

Experts to examine Detroit's financial woes at meeting

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is assembling a group of experts who will meet at Wayne State University to examine the city\'s financial woes and suggest solutions. The city faces a potential $214 million budget shortfall for 2005-06, and it remains to be seen whether there is a deficit this year.

January 3, 2005

Economic grants just don't work

The federal government spends tens of billions of dollars every year on economic-development projects, but it's not clear if the projects work. In 2001, for example, the figure was $57 billion. Peter Eisinger of Wayne State University observed that despite their dubious value the programs enjoy wide popularity and there is \"extremely broad agreement as to the desirability of substantial government involvement in the creation of private-sector employment.\"

January 3, 2005

Making the Grade

Josh Millet of Harvard University recently created a website devoted to making College Board test-preparation classes available to all students for free. Would-be test takers work through ha series of online questions in order to prepare for the ACT SAT and Graduate Record Examinations.

January 3, 2005

A Mandate to educate

A recent report by the Lieutenant Governor's Commission on Higher Education calls for all Michigan citizens to strive for the completion of a post-secondary degrees or additional credentials. No state has gone this far to make post-secondary education degrees a commitment to its citizens. Today only 37 percent of Michigan's 18- to 24- year olds are enrolled in higher education.

January 3, 2005

President Scrooge slashes aid for college students

Despite his promise to continue to expand Pell grants to encourage college education the Bush administration has contrived a new Pell Grant eligibility formula that will eliminate 80,000 to 90,000 students eligible to receive the grant in 2005. Although Bush has promised for four years to raise the maximum award to $5,100, the grant tops off at $4,050.

January 3, 2005

Binge Drinking blamed in EMU case

A 20-year-old Eastern Michigan student died following hours of drinking at a fraternity party. The student also consumed pills -- probably ecstasy -- before he went into convulsions. Jim Vick, vice president for student affairs said the death is "sad, traumatic and devastating," but he hopes it serves as a reminder to students about the dangers of misusing alcohol and drugs.

January 3, 2005

Quicken boss has big-league dreams

A feature on the front page of the business section about millionaire businessman Dan Gilbert mentions that he attended the Wayne State University Law School. Gilbert, owner of Quicken Loans, is reportedly negotiating to purchase the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA team.

January 2, 2005

New WSU Web site a first of its kind for a university

The newspaper re-ran an article published in December about WSU's new Web site that is aimed at junior and high school students. The site features animated characters to entertain those who access it, thereby making it fun to obtain helpful information about Wayne State. In addition to playing the games, site visitors can enter drawings for free T-shirts that feature the game characters.

January 2, 2005

Americans' rights at work must be protected

An op-ed piece by David Bonior, identified as a professor of labor studies at Wayne State University, charges that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a federal agency empowered with enforcing labor law, has stripped workers of legal protections during the last several months. Among examples, he cites a July ruling by the NLRB that declared graduate teaching and research assistants were students and not technically employees, therefore universities do not have to bargain with them.

January 1, 2005

Americans' rights at work must be protected

An op-ed piece by David Bonior, identified as a professor of labor studies at Wayne State University, charges that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a federal agency empowered with enforcing labor law, has stripped workers of legal protections during the last several months. Among examples, he cites a July ruling by the NLRB that declared graduate teaching and research assistants were students and not technically employees, therefore universities do not have to bargain with them.

January 1, 2005

Wayne State's labor studies

The labor school at Wayne State University begins its winter session during the second week of January 2005. A listing of classes and contact information for students is included in the story.

December 31, 2004