News Highlights from the Last 7 Days

The family of one of the three students killed in the Feb. 13 mass shooting at Michigan State University filed a notice of intent to sue the school. The notice is required under state law to file a lawsuit against a state government entity. Alexandria Verner, then a junior, was shot and killed during a lecture in Room 114 of Berkey Hall. Her family claims the school had an insufficient video surveillance system, a lack of locks inside classroom doors in Berkey Hall, a lack of armed security personnel and metal detectors and was too slow in sending emergency alerts to students. The notice also states that about five months before the shooting, two staff members raised concerns about the inability to lock wooden classroom doors in Berkey Hall. Attorneys for two students who were wounded in the shooting but survived, Nate Statly and Troy Forbush, have also filed notices with similar claims. 

 

Two former MSU trustees have called for current trustee Dianne Byrum to resign after The Detroit News reported she used a state tax exemption to underpay property taxes. The state’s homestead exemption allows homeowners to claim one primary residence, for which they don’t have to pay school mileage taxes. However, Byrum and her husband claimed exemptions on two homes, saving at least $75,000 since 2012. “Recently, I was made aware of an error regarding the way our property taxes had been calculated,” said Byrum. “Upon learning of this error, I immediately notified the local assessor and re-submitted all necessary forms to ensure the calculation was accurate and all paperwork was up to date. I have also paid all property taxes owed in full.” However, former trustees Brian Mosallam and Pat O’Keefe wrote in a joint letter, “It is unbelievable, that as a former state legislator and minority floor leader, Byrum was unaware of the basic law that you can only claim one house as your primary residence. That weak excuse that it was a ‘paperwork error’ is proof that she either does not care enough about making sure she is in compliance with State law or that she is using political influence to have local township officials give her cover, especially considering her daughter is the county clerk.” Byrum’s daughter, Barb Byrum, is the clerk of Ingham County, where one of the two homes is located.

 

The MSU Board of Trustees approved a $3.3 billion budget for the 2023-’24 fiscal year and authorized the development of a new student recreation and wellness center. The budget invests $224 million in student financial aid, a $16.4 million increase over last year and the school’s largest investment in financial aid to date. In 2021, the board approved a 3% increase in undergraduate tuition for the 2023-’24 school year, but with the investment in financial aid, students from households earning less than $75,000 per year won’t see an out-of-pocket increase in tuition spending. The budget also includes a separate 3% tuition adjustment for most graduate students, increased funds for faculty and staff salaries and $8 million for campus safety initiatives; student, faculty and staff health and wellbeing; and the Title IX office. The university also announced that its new wellness center, which it has been planning since December 2021, will be located on Shaw Lane, between Birch and Harrison roads. It will replace the Intramural Recreational Sports West building when it’s complete and will feature “several gymnasiums and multiactivity courts; a turf arena; an indoor running track; strength and fitness studios; racket sport courts; two university classrooms; locker and toilet rooms to meet gender-inclusive needs; and a 50-meter recreational pool to support simultaneous uses, including courses, water fitness and open swim,” according to the school. Construction will begin in July, and “substantial completion” is expected by February 2026.

 

MSU is now a majority stakeholder in Detroit’s historic Fisher Building. According to the Detroit Free Press, MSU’s endowment fund invested $21 million in the real estate partnership that owns the building, two adjacent parking lots and a parking structure. The school now holds a 79% ownership stake in the partnership, with the other partners being Detroit-based development firm The Platform and MSU Federal Credit Union. MSU said it plans to support “an array of educational, administrative and community-facing functions” within the Art Deco building, which is a National Historic Landmark and is considered “Detroit’s largest art object.” The MSU Research Foundation will open a startup incubator within the building later this year. “For decades, MSU has been working with partners in Detroit to support economic development, advance the arts, transform schools, improve health and sustain the environment,” Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff said. “Our collective presence in the Motor City yields $317 million of economic impact for the region and, more importantly, our partnerships and collaborations throughout the region improve the lives of Detroiters and Michiganders alike. This new investment signals our continued intent to be part of Detroit’s storied history and vibrancy.”