Daily News

posted on Nov. 24: Students approve increases in health services, recreation fees

Student Health Services and Athletics & Recreation were thrown a lifeline by students who voted "Yes" to fee increases this week. "We're thrilled and very relieved," said Julie Fairservice, Student Health Services clinic director. "We will be able to maintain our current programs." In a MSU referendum held Tuesday and Wednesday, students were asked to approve an $8.75 health services fee increase and an $11.88 increase for athletics & recreation services. Fairservice said if the fee increase -- the first in 11 years -- hadn't been approved, the clinic would have had to cut more programs, services and hours. Two years ago health services cut the registered dietician and reduced physician and nurses' hours, she said. Last year, health services started to charge fees for some services and this year weekend and evening hours were eliminated. Athletics & recreation director Therese Quigley said the vote means the hours of operation and existing programs now offered will be maintained. If students had vetoed the increase, "the impact for next year would have resulted in further significant cuts," she added.

posted on Nov. 22: Board chair predicts shift in role of post-secondary education

The new knowledge-based economy will shift the role of a post-secondary education from imparting new knowledge to a focus on teaching, the chair of the University's Board of Governors says. Douglas Barber believes the "knowledgeable society" of the future will look to academics less for new knowledge and much more for teaching. "That teaching will not only be about what is known, but it will also be teaching young people to discover what isn't yet known -- the skills of research," he said. "That teaching will also have to be broader and more liberal while still providing excellence of specialization." Society will continue to look to academics, Barber added, "for the radical new thinking and discovery that comes from those exceptional, broad-minded, widely learned young people of uncommon genius."