On March 3, 2006, President Irvin D. Reid gave his annual testimony before the Michigan Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education.

Transcription

1 Submitted by: Harvey Hollins, Vice President STATE AFFAIRS FY State Budget On March 3, 2006, President Irvin D. Reid gave his annual testimony before the Michigan Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education. On March 30, 2006, the Senate unanimously reported SB 1088 (the FY higher education budget) with a 2.0% increase to U-M, MSU and WSU ($218,959,600 for WSU). Special provisions for the other twelve universities through floor funding and the Governor s formula provided for an increase of greater than 1.8% across the board. Senator Allen Sanborn introduced an amendment to split MSU, U-M and WSU s appropriation from the other twelve. This amendment was defeated by 4 votes ( ). Capital Outlay Wayne State University projects are now scheduled to come before the Joint Capital Outlay Subcommittee (JCOS) according to its normal schedule. Last November, JCOS sent a letter to all of the public universities and community colleges requesting that their respective governing boards adopt resolutions promising to comply with JCOS policy. While a few universities did so, most did not. Several universities, including WSU, U-M, and MSU instead responded by sending letters. President Reid replied on behalf WSU in January. On Thursday, March 23, 2006, Senator Shirley Johnson informed Wayne State that she would accept a second letter from the president, if it explicitly stated that he was replying on behalf of the Board. On Monday, March 27, 2006, the president sent another letter to the subcommittee co-chairs, Senator Johnson and Representative David Farhat, and that communication was accepted as the university s response.

2 Submitted by: Harvey Hollins, Vice President 2 Legislative Watch The following bills clarify citizenship requirements for certain scholarship programs. The bills were referred to the Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee on March 7, 2006: HB 5301 Michigan Nursing Scholarship Act. HB 5302 Independent Student Grant Program. HB 5303 State Competitive Scholarship Program. HB 5304 Work Study Program. HB 5306 Michigan Education Opportunity Grant Program. HB 5308 Legislative Merit Award. HB 5310 Merit Award. HB 5825 prohibits smoking in a college or university dormitory. Referred to the Judiciary Committee on March 7, SB 1161 provides tuition assistance to students whose parents have lost jobs due to outsourcing or employer s bankruptcy. Referred to the Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions on March 16, Legislative Outreach Hip-Hop Action Network Summit March 25, 2006 On Saturday, March 25, 2006, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) brought to Detroit the 2006 Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment. Sponsored by Chrysler Financial, Wayne State University s Bonstelle Theatre was the host site for the summit. Panelists included Fantasia, Three 6 Mafia, Russell Simmons, Don Omar, MC Lyte, Doug E. Fresh and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President and CEO of HSAN. Celebrities and financial experts spoke to the audience on the importance of financial literacy, the basics of banking, home ownership, repairing bad credit, understanding credit scores, entrepreneurship, vehicle financing and more. More than 1,100 attended the summit. Wayne State University Student Health Day at the Capitol March 28, 2006 Wayne State University hosted its first Student Day at the Capitol on Health Issues on March 28, Led by staff from Government and Community Affairs, thirteen graduate students from the Wayne State University s School of Medicine, College of Nursing and

3 Submitted by: Harvey Hollins, Vice President 3 Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences testified at a House Health Policy Committee meeting in the morning, participated in a luncheon and roundtable discussion, then held small groups meetings with Senators and legislative staff in the afternoon. Three students testified at the Health Policy Committee hearing. Legislators were very engaged with the WSU students, asking numerous questions of them. We received a number of positive comments about our students and how important it is to hear from them on issues of importance to students and the University. Wayne State University Student Day at the Capitol April 18, 2006 For the sixth year in a row, the Office of Government and Community Affairs will partner with the Dean of Students Office to host Wayne State Student Day at the Capitol. As in the past, this popular event will include individual meetings with House and Senate members, lunch with legislators and an introduction on the House floor. Board of Governors Retreat/Legislative Reception in Lansing May 10, 2006 The Office of Government and Community Affairs is coordinating the arrangements for the Board of Governors retreat on May 10, 2006, in Lansing. Key public policy officials will join the Board to discuss the Lansing budget situation and issues relevant to higher education in the state of Michigan. Board members will have the opportunity to meet individually with legislators and attend the annual legislative reception. The offices of Government and Community Affairs and Alumni Affairs are co-hosting the annual reception to honor Michigan legislators at Troppos restaurant in Lansing. The event provides legislators and key policy makers an opportunity to mingle with University administrators, faculty, students and alumni in an informal and relaxed setting. Visibility in Lansing and Support for the University During visits to Lansing in March, President Irvin D. Reid and Vice President Harvey Hollins met with the following members of the Michigan Legislature: Representative Bill Caul (R-Mt. Pleasant) Representative Mary Waters (D-Detroit) Representative Glenn Steil (R-Grand Rapids) Senator Alan Sanborn (R-Richmond) Senator Deborah Cherry (D-Burton) Additional meetings with House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee members, tricounty delegation members and legislative alumni will occur in the months of April and May. Discussions will focus on the University s economic impact in Michigan, and the

4 Submitted by: Harvey Hollins, Vice President 4 importance of the continuation of strong state support for the University s research and urban mission. FEDERAL AFFAIRS Lobbying Reform Update The U.S. Senate Rules Committee has voted to increase the amount of information Senators must disclose to the public about their contacts with lobbyists and make it harder to slip earmarks into legislation. The Committee approved a bill that would: Ban lobbyist gifts to Senators other than meals Require that meals accepted by Senators and their staff be reported online within 15 days Require that Senators privately funded travel by pre-approved Disclose travel details within 30 days, including who accompanied them Allow Senators to strike unrelated and narrowly targeted projects out of bills Require Senate bills to list earmarks, who proposed them, and explanation of government purpose A broad lobbying reform package has become entangled in issues of the line-item veto and the United Arab Emigrates Dubai port operations deal. In the U.S. Senate, a lobbying reform package bill was pulled from the Senate floor when an unrelated measure on the Dubai ports deal was injected into the debate. In the House of Representatives, legislation to overhaul lobbying practices is being attached to language granting presidential line-item veto authority. This is expected to reach the House floor before the Easter recess. The current Senate package would bar lawmakers from accepting meals and gifts, such as sporting event tickets, from registered lobbyists. This is a change from last month s report. The current House package would require additional disclosures and impose a ban on private paid travel. Interestingly, the Chairman of the House Ethics Committee, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-4), does not support banning private travel. Instead, he supports more disclosures.

5 Submitted by: Harvey Hollins, Vice President 5 Pell Grants Congress failed to raise the maximum value of the Pell Grant scholarship now set at $4,050. Student Loans Congress passed a budget-cutting (reconciliation) bill that takes a net of approximately $12 billion out of the federal student aid programs. Much of the savings generated in the bill are achieved by continuing the practice of forcing student and parent borrowers in many cases to pay excessive interest rates on their loans and by increasing college loan costs for parent borrowers. The bill raises the interest rate cap that parent borrowers pay on their college loans from 7.9 percent to 8.5 percent. The bill eliminates $2.2 billion in critical funds, which the Department of Education uses to administer and deliver federal student aid. The bill requires lenders to either collect a 1 percent insurance fee from borrowers on all college loans, or to raise this fee from other non-federal sources. Fiscal Year 2007 Education Budget In his FY 2007 budget, President Bush cut $2.1 billion, or 3.8%, from education funding. The FY 2007 budget would terminate 42 education programs, reducing the federal investment in education by $3.5 billion. Among the programs terminated are: GEAR UP provides critical funding to support college preparation for high-risk children. Perkins Loan Forgiveness provides loan forgiveness to students who pursue careers as law enforcement officers, teachers or who serve in the military. Safe and Drug Free Schools provides resources to ensure school safety and reduce drug abuse. Comprehensive School Reform provides assistance to schools to implement public school reform programs. Educational Technology State Grants critical funding to close the digital divide and improve academic achievement.

6 Submitted by: Harvey Hollins, Vice President 6 TRIO Talent Search provides competitive grants to colleges to boost high school graduation and college participation rates among low-income and high risk students. TRIO Upward Bound provides competitive grants to colleges to support intensive, college prep, instruction for disadvantaged high school students to generate skills and motivation necessary to pursue and complete a college degree. Dropout Prevention Programs helps keep children in school at a time when only 88 out of every 100 students who enter high school will graduate. Smaller Learning Communities provides resources to reduce school size, especially in high schools. State College Scholarship Program or LEAP This leveraged more than $1 billion in state spending on student aid in School Leadership improved training opportunities for principals and assistant principals. Elementary and Secondary School Counseling provides resources to support elementary and secondary school counseling programs all the more important at a time of war and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Even Start provides funding to support family literacy programs improving the literacy skills for 25,000 children and 19,000 adults. Arts in Education funds art programs for disabled children. Higher Education Act Education and Workforce Chairman McKeon will offer another 3-month extension to the Higher Education Act. The current extension expires on March 31, FY07 Appropriations The Appropriations Committee faces a tight discretionary allocation in Fiscal Year As a result, the Appropriations Subcommittees will not guarantee that any particular projects or programs will be funded. Members offices are being very careful to prioritize the projects and programs for which they are requesting funding. The deadline for submitting requests was March 16, On behalf of Wayne State University, our federal consultant firm, Access America Enterprise Corporation, submitted WSU project funding requests to Congressional staff.

7 Submitted by: Harvey Hollins, Vice President 7 State of the Union Speech follow up President Bush outlined his Advanced Energy Initiative, to help break America s dependence on foreign sources of oil (the now famous addicted to oil comments), during his State of the Union speech. The goal is to replace 75 percent of Middle East oil imports by The initiative will include: New Energy Sources for Homes and Businesses. To change how homes and offices are powered, more will be invested in zero-emission coal fired plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe, nuclear energy. New Energy Sources for Transportation. Increase research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars and pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. Additional research will be funded in cutting edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from wood chips, stalks, and switch grass. The goal is to make this practical and competitive in six years. A proposal to train 70,000 high school teachers to lead advanced placement courses in math and science; bring 30,000 math and science professionals to teach in classrooms; and get early help to students struggling with math. The President used the last week in February to call attention to energy issues, visiting several Midwestern sites, including one Detroit area site, the United Solar Ovonic plant in Auburn Hills (United Solar is part of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.). His visit there sought to highlight his push to increase investment in clean electric power sources. Wayne State s federal affairs consultants endeavored to arrange a visit by President Bush to Wayne State University or TechTown during his brief trip to Detroit. Because of time constraints to the President s schedule, he was unable to visit the University; however, our consultants were able to brief key White House advisors on TechTown and Wayne State University, and the existing collaboration between the two entities. Department of Education The Secretary s Commission on the Future of Higher Education is charged with developing a comprehensive national strategy on higher education. The Commission held its first meeting in October Two more meetings and two public hearings have been held since then; four additional meetings are scheduled before the August 1, 2006, deadline for the Commission to complete its work. The Commission intends to tackle the issue of access, affordability, accountability and quality. Charles Miller, former Chairman of the Board of Regents, University of Texas System, chairs this body. More Commission information, as

8 Submitted by: Harvey Hollins, Vice President 8 well as meeting transcripts, can be found at the U.S. Department of Education website, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Wil Bryant, former counselor to the Secretary of Education and head of the Office of Higher Education Programs, is now at Peace Corps as the new Associate Director of Management. President Reid and Vice President Harvey Hollins met with Bryant in November to discuss several WSU programs. Department of Defense U.S. Army The U.S. Army has put together a pilot program to send 21 Army officers to graduate school to learn about foreign languages, business practices and languages, highlighting a keen focus on Arabic. Officers in the pilot program are attending either the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA, Columbia University in New York City, or the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. The curriculum includes two years in the classroom and five months in language training overseas to earn their master s degree. The classes began this past July with global business issues and practices and international management. The Army is paying the cost for the officers annual tuition costs, which is capped at $13,000. The Army plans to place an additional 400 officers into advanced degree programs with an international focus. COMMUNITY AFFAIRS The Office of Government and Community Affairs is continuing its efforts to increase outreach to the community. We are actively seeking networking opportunities with local business and community organizations. The Office is also reaching out to the University s schools, colleges, centers and institutes to explore ways to develop new and exciting programs that will involve the community and intensify the University s good standing with its neighbors.

9 Submitted by: Harvey Hollins, Vice President 9 A Tribute to Maryann Mahaffey The Office of Government and Community Affairs sponsored a table at a March 24, 2006, event honoring former Detroit City Council President Maryann Mahaffey. The tribute highlighted Ms. Mahaffey s long career in public service and her dedication to equal rights for women and minorities. Several community, business and political leaders spoke at the event, including Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Congressman John Conyers Jr., and Wayne State Board of Governors chair Jaquelin Washington Civil Rights Summit The State of Michigan s Department of Civil Rights Commission, the Wayne State University Law School, the School of Social Work, the Office of Government and Community Affairs, and several community organizations hosted a full-day statewide Civil Rights Summit on Monday, March 27, 2006, at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center. The conference focused on three areas: hate crimes, segregation and affirmative action, with experts in the three areas participating in panel discussions and more. In the morning, President Irvin D. Reid welcomed the participants to the Summit and Wayne State s campus, and in the afternoon he introduced Governor Jennifer Granholm, who provided remarks. More than 250 participants from around the State attended the Summit. Following her remarks to the Summit participants, Governor Granholm attended a private reception at Jacob House with President Reid and several Board and Cabinet members. National Conference for Community Justice The Office of Government and Community Affairs continues to works with the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) on a May 2006 conference, 20 th Annual Interfaith Symposium, and the annual Walk as One fundraising event. NCCJ will hold its May conference on Wayne State University s campus.