Danielle Horton, 21, will be graduating in May from Michigan State University with a degree in social work and a debt that worries her. “I will be approximately $60,000 in debt,” says the mother of two young children. “It’s discouraging. I pray I make enough money to afford tuition for my children so they will […]
Michigan State University
Posted inBusiness Watch
What’s up, who’s down in state economy?
While the Holland area may be better known to outsiders for its Dutch heritage and pristine Lake Michigan beaches, the locals know its economy is driven by manufacturing. The area suffered as manufacturing output fell by a third during the Great Recession. Unemployment exceeded 13 percent. But a strong rebound by auto suppliers, office furniture […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Why is education establishment resisting school reform?
By Peter B. Ruddell/Wiener Associates It’s about the kids, not the district. Despite the Center for Michigan’s recent report and Michigan’s mediocre (but improving) education achievement, the entrenched education establishment is arguing the status quo is good for kids. This time the arguments come high atop the traditional education establishment’s ivory tower – from David […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Is a student from China taking my kid's college slot?
As state funding for public universities drops, do the chances of your son or daughter getting in the University of Michigan also drop? That’s the question parents are asking, as U-M and Michigan State University increase the shares of their incoming classes that are made up of out-of-state and international students. Bridge uses the charts below to tell […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Plan calls for Pure Michigan to be big, too
The widely praised Pure Michigan advertising campaign has been credited with resurrecting the state’s tourism industry, putting Michigan on the national travel map and giving Michigan residents something to crow about. Now in its seventh year, Pure Michigan has even been called one of the best tourism promotion campaigns of all time. What could managers […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Next frontier for state tourism — the world
Sarah Nicholls said she observes an odd phenomenon every time she takes a flight from her native England to Detroit’s Metro Airport. “The vast majority of people coming from England are making connections in Detroit — very few are staying in Detroit,” said Nicholls, a tourism expert and associate professor at Michigan State University. Nicholls […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Facts you might not know about Michigan’s 15 public universities
You probably didn’t know this about Michigan’s public universities: * The University of Michigan’s 90 percent graduation rate is 22 percentage points higher than the average at peer institutions. * Michigan State University’s 126-1 student-to-administrative staff ratio is nearly twice as high as peer institutions. * Central Michigan University’s state aid of $3,699 per student is just slightly […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Right to Work bills revamp how courts handle challenges to them
In September, an Ingham County Circuit Court judge ruled against a state law backed by Gov. Rick Snyder and the Republican legislative majority to require state employees to make an additional payment to their pension plan. It’s not the first time that an Ingham County judge has ruled against the state as part of that […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“I find that a great part of the information I have, was acquired by looking up something and finding something else on the way” – Franklin P. Adams, radio commentator. * A new report from the Michigan Agri-Business Association talks up the potential of agriculture’s prospects in Northern Michigan – and offers at least one very […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
One man’s appetite for snacks leads to growing Northern Michigan firm
Ed Girrbach likes potato chips. So much so, he’s put money, determination and business acumen toward a made-in-Michigan venture that is frying 20,000 pounds of raw potatoes a week in the hills outside of Traverse City. The Great Lakes Potato Chip Co., co-owned by Ed, 63, and son Chris, 33, has gone from a conversation […]