Millions of Americans — including many Michigan State University students and alumni — continue to wait to see if they’ll get relief from their student loans.
Business & Economy
Controversial loan program benefits Michigan colleges
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COLLEGE LOANS: Five Michigan colleges have taken advantage of a USDA loan program for rural and agricultural areas to finance new buildings and facilities. Alma College’s president says the $39.4 million it borrowed has paid off in rising enrollment. Others are Adrian University of Olivet, Glen Oaks Community College and Bay Mills Community College. The Michigan Association of Independent Colleges and Universities says the benefits are visible on participating campuses. Some rural borrowers nationally haven’t seen the expected benefits, however. By Elijah Taub. FOR ADRIAN, BAY MILLS, MARQUETTE, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS AND ALL POINTS.
Business & Economy
Universities strive for more growth in international student enrollment
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Enrollment of international students at Michigan’s public universities is rising after a pandemic-related decline, bolstering the state’s economy and diversifying perspectives on campuses. We hear about Ferris State, Oakland and U-M. By Anish Topawila. FOR BIG RAPIDS, DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, IRON MOUNTAIN, MIDLAND, CORP, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.
Business & Economy
Are Great Lakes cities ready for climate migrants?
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CLIMATE MIGRANTS: Michigan and other Great Lakes states may become destinations for climate migrants from other parts of the country beset with rising sea levels, drought, extreme weather and other adverse consequences of climate change. A U-M expert, whose team expects to work with Grand Rapids, Duluth and Buffalo to implement urban planning strategies,. By Kayla Nelsen. FOR MARQUETTE, IRON MOUNTAIN, GREENVILLE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.
Business & Economy
Pay for private college presidents on the rise, including in Michigan
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PRIVATE PRESIDENTS: How well paid are the presidents of Michigan’s largest private colleges and universities with annual budgets of $100 million or more? We look at Hope, Hillsdale, University of Detroit Mercy and the Homer Stryker School of Medicine at Western Michigan University. They made between $1,137,144 and $306,993 in 2021, according to a new analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Story also references Baker College with its five campuses. We talk to a U-D Mercy faculty leader, the Hope student body president and a national expert. By Alex Walters. FOR HOLLAND, HILLSDALE, DETROIT, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CADILLAC AND ALL POINTS.
Arts & Entertainment
More small businesses embrace artificial intelligence
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SMALL BUSINESS: About one-quarter of small businesses surveyed in the state use AI for tasks such as marketing, data analysis and business operations. MSU and Central Michigan experts point out ethical issues.We hear from a company in Hancock that provides services to Michigan Tech and Grand Valley State, an Ann Arbor company that helps clients reduce food waste and the Small Business Association. For news and business sections. By Theo Scheer. FOR IRON MOUNTAIN, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, CORP!, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, DETROIT, CADILLAC, CLARE COUNTY, CRAWFORD COUNTY AND ALL POINTS.
Education
Admission guarantee for students with 3.0 GPA boosts applications to public universities
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GUARANTEED ADMISSION: Ten of Michigan’s 15 public universities now admit any in-state student graduating high school with a 3.0 or higher GPA, a change intended to make the application process easier that is already credited with an increase in applications at some campuses. The Michigan Assured Admission Pact, or MAAP is part of an effort to raise enrollments. We see the impact at Oakland and Wayne State and hear from the Michigan Association of State Universities. Opting out of the program are U-M, MSU, Grand Valley, Western and Michigan Tech. By Owen McCarthy. FOR DETROIT, BIG RAPIDS, IRON MOUNTAIN, SAULT STE. MARIE, MIDLAND, GREENVILLE, BAY MILLS, ST. IGNACE, HOLLAND AND ALL POINTS.
Arts & Entertainment
Humanities, arts, take hit as enrollments drop
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HUMANITIES CUTS: Some public universities are cutting or restructuring humanities, arts and world language courses because of declining student interest. We talk to the Michigan Association of State Universities and learn about the situation at Oakland University, Central Michigan and Ferris State. By Anish Topiwala. FOR DETROIT, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE MARIE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, WKTV, MIDLAND, LANSING CITY PULSE, IRON MOUNTAIN, BIG RAPIDS AND ALL POINTS.
Campus News
The challenge between students, faculty and large lectures
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A common issue amongst college students is the lack of connection between academic faculty and students.
Business & Economy
Community colleges push to make adult education access easier
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Mid Michigan Community CollegeMid Michigan College President Tim Hood
By BRANDY MUZCapital News Service
LANSING – Community colleges in Michigan are making moves to improve educational opportunities for their adult students. Brandy Johnson, the president of the Michigan Community College Association, said the Michigan Reconnect program has helped students above 25 years old get through school.
Michigan Reconnect gives free or discounted tuition to adult learners to earn an associate degree or certificate.
Johnson said it is easy to apply for the program.
“Doing the application on your phone, it asks certain questions, which are the eligibility questions, and you hit submit and immediately what comes up is, ‘Congratulations, you’ve been admitted to Reconnect,’” she said. The eligibility requirements are minimal, Johnson said.
“Be 25, have a high school diploma, live in Michigan for at least a year, want to pursue a certificate or degree, and that’s basically it,” she said.
Tim Hood, the president of Mid Michigan College in Harrison, said that Michigan Reconnect has helped adult learners go back to school. “Without this funding opportunity and without the program, in many cases it made the difference between whether they were able to either return to college or come to college for the first time,” he said. Hood said that there is a focus on assisting students individually to keep them in school.
Arts & Entertainment
Community colleges revive sports programs
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SPORTS: Some community colleges are expanding their athletics programs as a way to recruit and retain students and help athletes succeed academically, although sports facilities are expensive to build and maintain. Among them are Mid Michigan College in Harrison and Montcalm Community College in Greenville and Sidney. The Michigan Community College Association explains. For news and sports sections. By Kelsey Lester. FOR CLARE COUNTY, GREENVILLE, WKTV AND ALL POINTS.