I heard a rumor today– mind you, just a rumor since I haven’t seen it reported anywhere, and I’ve been kind of busy wrapping up my spring teaching to do much “investigation” on my own– that the governor’s office has pulled the plug on the funding for remodeling Pray-Harrold and put that money instead into the Detroit Metro Airport.
Again, this is all rumor-land. For all I know, no decision has been made and/or the exact opposite decision was made and the PH renovations begin in the fall. But, the rumor goes, the governor was apparently not amused when her candidate for the EMU President position, Mike Flanagan, didn’t get the job, and she “retaliated” by pulling the plug on the funding. And, this same rumor goes, she also fired Roy Wilbanks’ wife from some kind of state board she was on.
Personally, I don’t buy any of this. If the decision had been made to not fund Pray-Harrold, I would have assumed we would have heard about it in a more public forum by now. And there are plenty of reasons beyond getting even for Granholm to not fund Pray-Harrold renovation– the fact that the state is super broke being but one example. Still, it is an interesting rumor. Anyone out there want to shed any light or guesses on this?
I do know that the giant Aerotropolis project is moving forward and that recently written legislation must be introduced this summer. I am sure that this project will suck alot of state dollars.
Instead of continuing to worry about State Funding… Why not get some real funding for Pray Harrold? You know actual money?
I have an idea to share with the gang here:
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and researching and I may have a good idea I’m willing to try out.
Instead of writing useless checks to EMU and the money just gets spent and there’s no real way to protect the integrity of the alumni donation….Why doesn’t there exist a STOCK MARKET Investment Account for Academic and Infrastructure purposes?
Even if the investment account produces no more than $20,000, which is insanely miniscule, that still pays for some furniture or supplies or repairs to Projectors and etc.
Essentially, you would have 5 stocks, all of which pay good dividends and are in 5 different sectors. I’m thinking STEEL + COMMODITES + GAS & NAT. GAS + Alt. ENERGY + INDUSTRIAL.
The dividend money gets paid no matter what the stock price does and it can go 100% into funding Academics and Infrastructure.
But, I haven”t figured out how to ensure that the money gets spent wisely.
I don’t want Janice Stroh to use the dividend money for “College Place” for example.
I do have the belief that perhaps if the EMU STUDENT GOVERNMENT got on board this idea and perhaps became a sort of a “sponsor” to the fund, then there would be a lot more FUEL to the FIRE for ensuring the money is spent for what it was intended for rather than Indoor Football Facilities.
In effect, if the money 10 years from now accumulates dramatically as more donors pitch in some cash then every Budget Decision Meeting the Regents hold, everyone can ask the Regents about the impact of the FUND and ensure the money is paying for things EMU desperately needs.
Unfortunately, EMU Student Government has been extremely unreasonable in their opposition to funding PRAY HARROLD outside of “lansing protests.”
Sometimes all you have to do is ask. Here’s a reply from Freeman Hendrix to my question about the Pray-Harold funding. Although we asked for $40 million it appears we will get $31 million.
In a deal struck by the JCOS conference committee Eastern Michigan University was included in a list that was significantly shorter than that which had been tossed back and forth between the House and Senate earlier this month when all 15 universities projects where being discussed for possible state funding. Ultimately Democrats and Republicans agreed to split evenly only $220 million to fund just six university projects.
The other universities that will move forward with their projects with the help of some state money are Ferris State University, Michigan Tech, Oakland University, Western Michigan, and Saginaw Valley State.
The list also included 12 community colleges: Washtenaw, Wayne, Henry Ford, Jackson, Kalamazoo Valley, Monroe, Mott, Muskegon, Southwestern Michigan, Kirkland, Montcalm, and Westshore.
The majority of the state’s money ($143 million) will go to fund the six university projects the balance ($77 million) will be used to help pay for brick and mortar projects at the 12 community colleges that made the list.
The breakdown in state support to the universities for Capital Outlay funding is as follows:
Eastern Michigan University State Share $31.5M
Ferris State University State Share $21.1M
Michigan Tech University State Share $18.7M
Oakland University State Share $40.0M
Saginaw Valley State University State Share $21.0M
Western Michigan University State Share $11.0M
The bill did not move Friday night/Saturday Morning as we had hoped. It currently awaits adoption by the Senate and then the House. It was being held as “negotiating leverage” by the Senate to entice the House to support a K-12 budget they have yet to agree on. As expected there was heavy lobbying by firms representing a couple of the other universities (not in the bill) to undo this proposal. We will continue working with the leadership in Lansing until this bill is brought to a vote and sent to the Governor for her signature hopefully when they return from the holiday break during the week of July 14th.
On a final note, although our proposed share of state funding of $31.5 million falls short of the amount we originally requested ($40 million), given the small Capital Outlay budget the committee finally agreed on, the nine other universities that were not included in the bill, and the political environment we are working in, by any measure this is an important victory for the University!
Thanks again for the inquiry and feel free to stay in contact.
Freman Hendrix
Chief Government Relations Officer
Eastern Michigan University
202 Welch Hall
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
(734) 487-7048 office
(313) 737-6865 cell
(734) 487-9100 fax
freman.hendrix@emich.edu
Thanks, Alum, for checking out the facts! Freman is a reliable source of information, and there was nothing in the public record that i could find to support the “rumor” that sitedad reported here.
And hey Jeff — Janice Stroh was fired. She no longer works for EMU. You can contribute funds to EMU for designated purposes, and the money will be used for those purposes. Truthfully.
WOW… Thanks for the Tip Mike on Janice Stroh.
I guess score another victory for JEFF MACMILLAN for his astute ability to call a culprit out when he sees one. I’ve not been wrong yet on any negative opinions I’ve had towards an EMU Administrator as it seems every single one of the ones I did not care for have all been fired now.
This definitely lifts my spirits up a great deal.
I’ll give EMU Foundation a phone call sometime today and schedule an appointment.
The $8.5 million shortfall in Pray Harrold Funding should still be seen as a good reason to Donate to EMU. Perhaps a better reason.
P.S. I’ll provide an update as soon as I get approval to set-up an EMU Donations Investment Fund in some form or another.
Janice Stroh was fired a few months ago, Jeff, so it’s “old news”. Of course, she should have been fired about 2 months into her tenure at EMU, as by then she’d already proven herself to be unethical and incompetent. So far, to my knowledge, it has not been made public what the terms of her separation involved.