Simon tells Mich. legislators: ‘We need the state to be our partner’

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Lansing — MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon and Michigan’s two other top research university presidents testified before state lawmakers Tuesday, stressing the importance of state support for public institutions.

Simon, along with University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Wayne State University President Jay Noren, told the Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education that state financial support is critical to improving the state’s economy and keeping college affordable for Michigan residents.

Together, MSU, Wayne State and U-M make up the University Research Corridor, or URC. The three institutions account for 94 percent of the federal academic research funding distributed to Michigan. Although the URC brings in about $1.4 billion a year to the state, Simon said continued growth could only be accomplished with help from the Legislature.

“In order to compete for the additional federal funds available to fund research that will help transport Michigan’s economy, we need the state to be our partner,” Simon said.

Under Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s budget recommendations that were proposed last month, higher education would take a 3 percent cut statewide. MSU would lose about $9 million in state funding should the cuts go into effect.

The state Legislature must approve the budget by Oct. 1.

Bill Ballenger, editor and publisher of Inside Michigan Politics, said Tuesday’s testimony was an opportunity for the universities to show the Legislature how important they are to Michigan’s economy.

“These people from the URC, they want to make sure that the members on the (Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education) from both houses really buy into their argument that they need special protection,” Ballenger said.

For the majority of their presentation, the presidents discussed the URC’s economic development activities both individually and collectively.

Noren told the committee that Wayne State and U-M were supportive in MSU’s bid for the $550 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams that the university was awarded in December. The project is expected to create $1 billion of economic stimulus for the state.

Simon also highlighted IBM’s decision to locate its Global Delivery Center in East Lansing, attributing it to the success of Google’s operation in Ann Arbor, which opened in 2006.

After the presidents discussed their universities’ individual and collaborative projects, legislators were given a chance to ask questions. No questions regarding tuition were posed.

Simon said the lawmakers stayed away from tuition discussions because it’s still early in the budget process. She said she isn’t ruling out tuition increases next year.

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