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IN-DEPTH PROFILE Digging deeper into Larry Burdick’s time in Isabella County, 1B
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
WMU med school $100-million donation breaks records George Ross: ‘Kudos to Western’ By Maria Amante Senior Reporter
The largest cash gift ever given to a Michigan college or university was reportedly donated Tuesday to WMU’s School of Medicine. The donation of $100 million was announced Tuesday by WMU President John M. Dunn and the private medical college’s partners, Borgess and Bronson hospitals’ respective chief exec-
utive officers, Paul Spaude and Frank Sardone. CMU President George Ross said the announcement was wonderful. “Kudos to Western,” Ross said in an interview with CM Life. “I congratulate them, I think its great. I think it demonstrates support for what they’re trying to do — produce more physicians and more health care ... and what we’re trying to do.” Ross said he was not able to announce any donations for CMU’s College of Medicine yet, but hopes to before the April board of trustees meeting.
“We’re in negotiations (for the donations), as I’m sure Western was,” Ross said. “Negotiations take a while, but we have significant gifts in the pipeline right now.” Kathy Wilbur, CMU vice president of Development and External Relations, is involved with the College of Medicine fundraising initiative. “There is a great deal of private donations that will come in,” she said during an open forum on the university budget Tuesday. WMU was excited building up to its announcement, said
Cheryl Roland, WMU executive director of university relations. “This grew out of a long relationship with the donors and had to do more with their vision and confidence of the university, and their conviction that what we’re doing here will be an amazing success,” Roland said. WMU has fundraising goals of $175 million to $300 million for its School of Medicine. Erin Smith, Bronson media spokesperson, said the hospital offers resources and staffing. “There has been no financial
jeff smith/staff photographer
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Two construction workers secure siding near a window being installed Tuesday onto the CMU College of Medicine.
Spring is (NOT) here
Region’s population grows in 2010 census Mount Pleasant remains above significant 25,000 figure By Theresa Clift Staff Reporter
Isabella County, Mount Pleasant and Union Township are all more likely to receive increased state aid in the future because of higher population counts. According to 2010 U.S. Census data released Tuesday, the city of Mount Pleasant’s population remained stable at 26,016 — a 70-person increase from 2000. Jeff Gray, director of planning and community development, said he is pleased to exceed the city’s goal of 25,000, because it is
jake may/photo editor
Manistique junior Kathy Leonard runs alongside her friends as St. Clair Shores junior Dave Giles pushes a shopping cart as fast as he can between Moore Hall and the Music Building as Waterford junior Katie McBee and Ohio sophomore Karen Opper laugh, holding on while sliding across a slick snow-covered sidewalk. The group found the shopping cart in Moore and, after asking a few faculty where it came from, the trio was asked to get rid of it. “Pieces of the cart were literally flying off of the wheels as we flew around,” McBee said. “It was pretty scary, but when we slowed down to a stroll, I was able to try to catch snowflakes in my mouth. The rush was amazing, but the ride was pretty scary.”
Though the spring season officially started March 21, Mount Pleasant is still facing typical winter snow storms. Walt Felver, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, said between 5 and 7 inches of overnight accumulation was expected, a common figure for the mid-Michigan area. “It’s generally going to be snow,” he said. “You may see a little bit of sleet mixed in with that ... but I think more than anything it’s just going to be snow.” Fraser senior Cameron Hunt said he thinks the snowfall is inconvenient, and hopes it won’t affect his day-to-day activity.
By Ariel Black Senior Reporter
sara winkler/assistant photo editor
Fresh footprints are made onto the newly fallen snow by students walking on campus Tuesday afternoon between Moore Hall and the Music Building. A downpour of snow began suddenly as a Winter Storm Warning was issued for Mount Pleasant with predictions of snow, sleet and freezing rain into Wednesday.
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CMU’s Student Government Association now officially supports genderneutral housing. The SGA passed a resolution Monday night in support of the measure. Co-President of Transcend Shawn McKeever said he was surprised at the number of questions and positive support from the audience. Many people asked what they could do to help, he said. “Hopefully this will generate publicity and student support, allowing students to see gender-neutral hous-
u n iversi t y b u d g e t f o r u m
Verdict unclear over CMU’s chance at tuition incentive By Carisa Seltz University Editor
Ashley Chaplain said she has read through Gov. Rick Snyder’s 156-page budget proposal and she does not like the accounting gimmicks she sees. About 40 students attended a University Budget Forum on Tuesday night to hear university administrators Kathy Wilbur and David Burdette discuss the politics behind the governor’s proposals and the impact on CMU’s budget. “It seems like everything is coming off the backs of students,” said Chaplain, a Wixom
senior, during the meeting in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium. Wilbur, vice president of Development and External Relations, said if CMU does not raise tuition by more than 7.1 percent to receive Snyder’s tuition incentive grant, it will shrink its proposed state cutback from 23.3 percent, or $61,431,100 in funding, to 15 percent, or $68,108,900. “I would expect that we would be able to do that,” she said. But Burdette, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, said the state has not specified whether the $6,677,800
in incentive funds would funnel into CMU’s base or if the funds would be a one-time grant. If it was given as one-time funds, Burdette said CMU would not be able to count on it in 201213. “Unless that becomes part of our base, that could be one-time money,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like this and it could be a challenge.” Burdette said the university will have to decrease expenditures and raise the tuition rate to cover the $12 million loss in funding from 2010-11 when CMU received $80,132,000. “Tuition isn’t going to solve
that problem,” he said. “Part of it, but not all of it.” University President George Ross told the CM Life March 17 there is no possibility tuition will be increased by 7.1 percent or more, but a “moderate” increase is expected. Because some faculty groups took a zero-percent wage increase, Burdette said there is $5.2 million in expense reductions available to replace part of the lost appropriations. CMU received the biggest cuts in funding among Michigan’s public universities, Burdette said, because the budget office calculated the average
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SGA backs genderneutral housing Groups work together for policy change
By Randi Shaffer | Senior Reporter
a critical number in funding formulas. Gray was also satisfied with the city’s 80-percent participation rate. “The results are a credit to the people of Mount Pleasant who took the time to fill out the forms,” Gray said. “Also, to the committee members and city staff that worked hard to get the word out and get people to participate.” Gray said it is hard to estimate how the results will affect the region’s future. The population of Isabella County has reached a record high of 70,311. The number is 11.4 percent greater than in 2000 and the population has been steadily increasing since 1960. Only Clinton and Livingston counties saw larger
tuition hike to be 8.3 percent. He said that figure was skewed because of the CMU Promise phasing out. “We had the Promise so we have what we call different cohorts,” Burdette said. “If you fall off the Promise, you go from what is a pretty low rate to a higher rate.” Because the tuition hike was calculated to be the highest among Michigan’s public universities, CMU received the biggest cut, he said. Wilbur said the governor also proposed passing the budget
More than 90 Years of Serving as Central Michigan University’s Independent Voice
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ing as a viable option,” said Owosso senior Sarah Winchester, political chair of Spectrum. Transcend member Ryan Quinn said he was pleased with the result of vote. “I definitely did not expect the vote to be unanimous (in the house),” the Walled Lake senior said. The proposal from last April was generally outlined and information from other universities that have implemented this type of housing was presented, Winchester said. The topic was briefly discussed at last week’s SGA meeting but was not voted on until Monday. “While CMU says they help transgender students on a case-by-case basis, there is nothing in writ-
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[inside] NEWS w Academic Senate votes to change school year calendar, 3A w University Theatre’s "Stone Girls Dreaming" opens today, 5A
Sports w No. 25 gymnastics headed to Alabama, 6A
Community w HANDS: Take a closer look at locals at work, 1B w City looks at purchasing 40 acres for a new runaway at its airport, 4B