January 31, 2025

News from MASU

MASU has updated our legislative priorities for the 103rd Michigan Legislature. Click here to read our updated 2025 Legislative Priorities document, or read our CEO Dan Hurley’s commentary below:


2025 Legislative Priorities of the State Universities of Michigan

Daniel Hurley, Optimizing Education (Jan. 29)


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MASU Presentation: A New Day for College Access & Affordability: Leveraging the Michigan Assured Admission Pact and Michigan Achievement Scholarship. View webinar recording and presentation materials (1/22/2025).

Events

Finish Forward Initiative: Reverse Transfer and Automatic Degree Conferral

Michigan Community College Association

By facilitating reverse transfer agreements between community colleges and four-year universities, students can transfer credits earned at four-year institutions back to community colleges, ultimately allowing them to earn their associate degrees. Additionally, a focus on degree reclamation highlights the importance of institutionalizing practices that support students who have accumulated substantial credits without completing a degree.


MASU encourages our members to join an informational session to learn more about reverse transfer.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 1:00-2:00 PM (ET)

In the News

Economic Development

Detroit-Ann Arbor link vital to future of Michigan's tech economy [UM]

Crain’s Detroit Business (Jan. 24)


Tech community rallies to keep startup in Detroit after national hunt for lab space [WSU]

Crain’s Detroit Business (Jan. 31)


Educational Attainment

Share of Michigan adults with postsecondary degree rises, but state lags nation: report [UM]

The Detroit News (Jan. 30)


Facilities Planning & Campus Improvement

GV Rec Center prioritizes accessibility with new renovations

Grand Valley Lanthorn (Jan. 27)


More dorm space coming for University of Michigan complex in Detroit

MLive (Jan. 28)


UM's lease expansion in new District Detroit tower delays affordable housing plans

Crain’s Detroit Business (Jan. 28)


Inside the University of Michigan’s new $40M Ypsilanti Health Center [EMU]

MLive (Jan. 30)


Michigan Republicans propose bathroom, sports restrictions for transgender students

MLive (Jan. 30)


Federal Policy

Michigan's largest public universities watching, preparing for policy changes under Trump [MSU, UM, WSU]

The Detroit News (Jan. 26)


MSU cancels DEI event following Trump order, threat to investigate [UM, UM-D]

Bridge (Jan. 27)


‘Uncertainty’ for Michigan health officials amid Trump messaging blackout [MSU, UM, WSU]

Bridge (Jan. 27)


Cities, universities that rely on federal money try to assess funding pause [MSU, UM, WSU]

The Detroit News (Jan. 28)


Michigan groups await answers on 'unprecedented' federal funding freeze; Nessel sues [UM, MASU]

The Detroit News (Jan. 28)


What a potential freeze on federal funding could mean for Michigan college students [UM-D]

WKBD FM (Jan. 28)


Paused pause? Michigan reeling from potential threat to federally-funded programs [CMU, UM]

Detroit Free Press (Jan. 28)


MSU officials scrambling as Trump moves to limit DEI on college campuses [MASU]

Lansing State Journal (Jan. 29)


Universities address diversity, equity and inclusion [SVSU]

WJRT TV (Jan. 29)


Executive orders from President Trump threaten diversity programs on university campuses [MSU, MASU]

WILX TV (Jan. 29)


UM and EMU brace for possible ICE visits

WEMU FM (Jan. 30)


Amid fears of Trump DEI orders, MSU cancels Chinese New Year student lunch [UM]

Bridge (Jan. 30)


Michigan State Cancels Lunar New Year Event Following Trump’s DEI Order

Inside Higher Ed (Jan. 31)


U-M advises community as Trump targets students from pro-Palestinian rallies

Detroit Free Press (Jan. 31)


Governance & Speech

Pro-Palestine group shut down at University of Michigan

MLive (Jan. 30)


Higher Education Finance — Institutional Dynamics

Michigan State athletics operated through 4th budget deficit in past 5 years in 2023-24

Lansing State Journal (Jan. 27)


Higher Education Finance — Other State Support

Ferris State & Shimadzu Lab earns $800,000 state grant to monitor wastewater, evaluate regional infectious disease prospects

WYBR FM (Jan. 28)


Higher Education Finance — State Student Financial Aid

New scholarship helps cut college costs, but not reaching tens of thousands in Michigan [GVSU, MSU, OU, UM, WSU]

The Detroit News (Jan. 30)


Institutional Leadership

Santa Ono sits down with The Daily to talk Campus Plan 2050, DEI in higher education and campus tensions [UM]

The Michigan Daily (Jan. 28)


Labor Relations

MSU Extension employees plan union vote in February. What we know

Lansing State Journal (Jan. 29)


Leadership Transitions

Michigan’s Gary Peters won’t seek reelection to U.S. Senate. Here's why [CMU, LSSU, MSU]

The Detroit News (Jan. 28)


WMU’s presidential search enters recruitment phase

Western Herald (Jan. 29)


WMU provost stepping down to return to faculty position

Western Herald (Jan. 30)


Western Michigan University provost resigns after two years

MLive (Jan. 30)


Program Delivery

Inaugural semester of Lake Superior State University's MBA program gets high praise

Soo Leader (Jan. 30)


Recognitions & Awards

These 5 Michigan colleges rank in the top-300 nationally, Research.com says [UM, WSU]

MLive (Jan. 24)


New Ivies? University of Michigan makes prestigious Forbes ranking

MLive (Jan. 27)


Student Success

The UPside - The Student Leader Fellowship Program at NMU

WLUC TV (Jan. 28)


Workforce Alignment

Students share career goals at Michigan Tech University spring career fair

WLUC TV (Jan. 28)

Commentaries

Florida: Together, Detroit and Ann Arbor can be leaders in innovation [MSU, UM, WSU]

The Detroit News (Jan. 27)


DEI is secret sauce of University of Michigan's success | Opinion

Detroit Free Press (Jan. 31)

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