BIG RAPIDS – Ferris State University continues to be at the forefront of teaching and meeting the needs of its students and community by hosting the second Michigan Energy Conference April 16 and 17. This year’s conference will focus on energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprint.

The outcome of the conference is for participants to leave with an understanding of the carbon footprint; along with the opportunities and challenges with Michigan’s renewable portfolio and realizing sustainability through renewable resources. This includes the transmission and distribution of energy, alternative energy, energy efficiencies and solutions.

Bringing industry, government and educational leaders together to discuss our energy challenges puts Ferris in line with the State’s recent commitment to have Michigan a leader in renewable energy, said Ron McKean, associate dean of Ferris’ College of Engineering Technology. “The Energy Conference provides a forum to discuss important energy issues and foster ideas that will result in opportunities for Michigan,” McKean added.

Conference events are open to the public as well as students, teachers and faculty; and begin Thursday, April 16, with workshops during the day that include energy auditing for business owners, becoming a home energy rater, HVAC commissioning and understanding alternative fuels for transportation. The evening wraps up at Ferris’ G. Mennen Williams Auditorium with presentations by Paul Proudfoot from the Michigan Public Service Commission on Michigan’s new energy laws and initiatives, Jeff Goody from Vestas Blades of America sharing wind energy solutions and Bill Harper from Chevron Energy Solutions on responding to our energy challenges. Student poster contest awards will also be presented.

The conference starts in earnest on Friday with keynote speakers Michelle Buckler from Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber introducing carbon footprint and Stephen Hamstra from GMB Architects discussing reducing carbon footprint. The rest of the day will focus on break-out sessions covering topics on creating and delivering renewable energy, alternative energy — site solutions, and energy efficiency solutions in business and industry. There will also be special guest speaker, Stanley Pruss, director of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth, during lunch on Friday.

The Michigan Energy Conference participation and support includes: The Association of Energy Engineers; ASHRAE; Cascade Engineering; Consumers Energy; DTE Energy, Greater Grand Rapids The Right Place, Inc./Innovation Works; Green Mechanical Council; NextEnergy; Viessmann; West Michigan Environmental Action Council; and West Michigan Strategic Alliance, among others.

Ferris has built upon some of these partnerships and is working closely with them on other efforts, including the recent award of a grant designed to build community partnerships promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy use. Ferris’ Director of Corporate and Professional Development Tom Crandell said, “This is a countywide effort that ties into sustainability efforts at Ferris to become known as the energy efficiency center of Michigan. By hosting this conference we are providing a forum for the public to understand solutions for renewable energy and offer workshops targeted at industry professionals.

The first Michigan Energy Conference held in 2008 had more than 200 business and community leaders, faculty and students; and was highlighted with a speech from Grand Rapids businessman Dick DeVos. “We are planning for even larger attendance this year,” said Debra Fisher, Michigan Energy Conference committee member.

For more information, admission pricing, or to register for the second annual Michigan Energy Conference, visit www.ferris.edu/mec. If you are interested in sponsoring please visit the Web site and request information before March 31, 2009.

BIG RAPIDS – Ferris State University has selected Neumann/Smith Architecture of Southfield, Mich., to design and build the new facility for the Michigan College of Optometry/Center for Collaborative Health Education, for which construction is slated to begin in May 2009.

After years of lobbying efforts by Ferris and the Michigan Optometric Association, the state of Michigan has committed the funds for the new facility, which has a total projected cost of $26.9 million, with the state of Michigan providing 75 percent of that cost, or $20,175,000. Ferris is responsible for raising the remaining 25 percent, or $6,725,000. To date, more than $1,356,000 has been pledged to or raised by the university for the new facility, including a $1 million gift from the Dow Foundation.

“The new facility will be a tremendous asset in meeting MCO’s goal of educating students to become successful optometrists,” said David Eisler, president of Ferris. “Not only will a modern facility attract the best and brightest students and faculty from across the U.S., but it will provide patients with a more comfortable health-care environment,” added Eisler.

Specifically, the new facility will feature a ground-floor eye and vision care clinic offering clinical training for optometry interns and optometric/medical eye care to area residents; optical and contact lens dispensary where student interns receive practical hands-on training in the fitting of optical devices; a laser surgery room for staff ophthalmologists allowing student interns to gain experience on campus in the handling of pre- and post-operative care of patients undergoing eye surgery; classrooms, laboratories and faculty/administrative offices; distance-learning facilities; teaching auditorium; research laboratories; and an Optometric Center for Lifelong Learning and Competency for the continuing education of MCO/FSU graduates.

“The MCO family has dreamed of a new building for more than 15 years,” said Dr. Nancy Peterson-Klein, interim dean of the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris. “We are extremely grateful to all those who have helped us secure funding for our building, and we look forward to our continued success in realizing our vision of gradating outstanding healthcare providers of tomorrow.”

Neumann/Smith plans to build the estimated 91,000-square-foot modern health-care facility on the proposed site at the corner of State Street and Ferris Drive, next to the College of Allied Health Sciences, creating an educational synergy within the health sciences complex of Optometry, Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences at Ferris.

The architecture firm is no stranger to the Ferris campus. The firm most recently designed the Interdisciplinary Resource Center connector, and they also designed the Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education, and the Timme Center for Student Services.

Neumann/Smith’s design and management capabilities are complemented by the construction management firm Clark Construction Co. of Lansing and Petoskey; the medical expertise of Medical Design International (MDI); mechanical and electrical engineers from DiClemente Siegel Design, Inc.; technology specialists from The Sextant Group; site/civil engineers and landscape architects from Hubbell, Roth and Clark; and structural engineers from Desai/Nasr Consulting Engineers. Collectively the team offers extraordinary expertise and experience to complete the new Michigan College of Optometry facility at Ferris State University.

By Justin Harris
The State News
Published: February 20, 2009

MSU will share its College of Human Medicine campus in Grand Rapids with Ferris State University’s School of Pharmacy after the Ferris Board of Trustees unanimously approved the 10-year lease today.

MSU’s Board of Trustees approved the lease last week, which will allow Ferris’ School of Pharmacy to occupy the seventh floor of the Secchia Center.

“Both sides, us here at Ferris State and also at Michigan State worked very closely and very hard to put this partnership together, and we really think this is going to do great things for our pharmacy school,” Ferris spokeswoman Leah Nixon said.

“We’re quite pleased with the opportunity and looking forward to the partnership with Michigan State University.”

As part of the lease, MSU will fund and complete construction of the seventh floor according to Ferris’ specifications.

During the first five years of lease, Ferris will pay MSU back for construction costs as well as paying a base rent. Construction is expected to cost about $4.6 million.

The Secchia Center is set to open in summer of 2010.

Ferris will pay a base rent of $18 per square foot with a 3 percent annual increase, as well as its share of maintenance, insurance and utilities. For the first year of the lease, Ferris will pay about $420,000 in base rent, which doesn’t include operation costs or build-out payback.

Published on Friday, February 20, 2009

BIG RAPIDS – As the new year begins so do spring semester classes at Ferris State University, where officials are reporting spring enrollment figures remain healthy.

The fastest-growing public university in Michigan, Ferris officials report there are 12,687 students enrolled systemwide. With 280 more students attending classes in Spring 2009 over 2008, this translates into a 2.3 percent enrollment increase systemwide.

In particular, the university’s College of Allied Health Sciences has seen enrollment growth of nearly 12 percent over this time last year, said Dean of Enrollment Services Kristen Salomonson. The university also continues to see steady growth in online learning and in its freshman student population.

“Strong growth in the College of Allied Health Sciences illustrates Ferris’ ability to remain nimble and offer degree programs students want, and offer career opportunities with a positive occupational outlook,” Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs Dan Burcham added.

Such programs include a new Associate of Applied Science degree being offered in the CAHS, Salomonson noted. The curriculum allows recipients of Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) funding the ability to earn a two-year degree, continue pursuit of a bachelor’s degree and remain TIP eligible. TIP program funding assists low-income students by providing tuition assistance for the first two years of college and beyond. Eligibility requirements are set by the Michigan Department of Human Services.

The A.A.S. also is beneficial to students, who for a variety of reasons, decide to step out of their program, or who are unable to progress in their program of choice, by providing them with a core set of skills that will allow them to obtain employment in a health care setting. According to CAHS Dean Ellen Haneline, there are 25 to 30 students each year that are unable to enter their degree program of choice, with half of those students choosing to leave the University without a degree.

The A.A.S. degree provides an opportunity for those students to obtain a degree that will lead to their employment in the healthcare field.

Along with its degree offerings, the University also offers students a wide array of scholarship opportunities that help defray the cost of obtaining a degree at Ferris, Burcham said. Nearly 7,000 scholarships worth a total value of $18.9 million were awarded to students for the 2008-09 academic year.

Included in that funding was $2.1 million in Ferris grant money that was distributed among approximately 1,500 students qualifying for need-based assistance. Salomonson noted the university is helping more students today, with total financial aid funding increasing in just a few short years from $81 million to more than $100 million today.

“Traditionally, Ferris students have been financially challenged, and if students want to come to school, we want to make sure we can help them,” Salomonson said.

“The student-centered approach of our faculty and staff has created a supportive educational environment for which students are responding positively,” Ferris President David Eisler said. “The kind of career-oriented education we offer is important to students today. Our graduates leave with degrees that prepare them to succeed in an increasingly competitive global economy.”

Besides its main campus in Big Rapids, Ferris offers degree programs in Grand Rapids through the College of Professional and Technological Studies, and at Kendall College of Art and Design, and at more than 20 off-campus locations throughout Michigan.

Enrollment has remained steady at the university’s Big Rapids campus, with 8,989 students enrolled. There are 2,441 students enrolled in the College of Professional and Technological Studies, and other sites throughout the state, an increase of 230 students.

Kendall also saw an enrollment increase, with 1,257 students attending classes this spring.

“It is gratifying to see how much the programs we offer are resonating with students,” KCAD President Oliver Evans said. “With faculty who are professional artists and an atmosphere that promotes creativity, Kendall attracts some of the most talented young artists and designers around.”

BIG RAPIDS – Ferris State University was awarded one of five grants designed to build community partnerships promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy use. The $24,896 grant partners Ferris with the city of Big Rapids, DTE Energy, Mecosta County, Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce and Mid Michigan Community Action Agency.

The grant is funded by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth but is only one of several components included in the proposal, which also includes in-kind contributions of time and resources by Ferris faculty and staff, and $12,500 provided by the MMCAA, along with a grant award of up to $30,000 from the DTE Foundation.

The proposal includes multiple tasks, Ferris’ Director of Corporate and Professional Development Tom Crandell said, some of them including:

• MMCAA conducting energy audits for five low-income families;

• Ferris conducting walk-through energy audits for 10 middle-income families;

• Ferris hosting public education sessions, from a general public seminar on understanding energy bills and solutions for renewable energy to workshops targeted at industry professionals;

• DTE Foundation providing grant funding that will provide passes for professionals to attend the second annual Michigan Energy Conference at Ferris April 16 and 17, 2009.

Information on how to participate in the energy audits will be available by the end of January at www.ferris.edu/energy. Individuals may nominate themselves.

“This is a countywide effort that ties into sustainability efforts at Ferris to become known as the energy efficiency center of Michigan,” Crandell said. “We’re hoping the model we create will be replicated across the state.”

Other energy efficiency efforts at the university include coursework for Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration students designed around service-learning principles. Some HVACR students participate annually in Heat the Country, which provides cleaning, servicing and replacing of furnace parts for low-income families each fall. Others, through coursework, already are conducting commercial energy audits as classroom projects, Crandell added.

The College of Engineering Technology also hosted the first Michigan Energy Conference during Spring 2008. The conference was designed to promote open dialogue on using energy effectively and efficiently to create sustainable environments at home and work.

Written by Ferris State University

BIG RAPIDS – The College of Technology at Ferris State University has changed its name to College of Engineering Technology.

The name change reflects the college’s need to remain competitive and more accurately represents the extensive and applied aspects of the college’s programs and curricula, said Ken Kuk, Welding Engineering Technology professor at Ferris.

Kuk, who was instrumental in changing the college’s name, worked with the 11 other departments that make up the college in presenting to University officials the need for the change. “I really wanted our college to be representative of what our programming is and will be in the future,” Kuk said.

This is not the first time that the college has changed its name. When Ferris started offering technology curricula, it was through the Collegiate Technical Division which later became the School of Technical and Applied Arts; and the program offerings were only two-year degrees. Over time, four-year degree offerings and more programs were added and the name was changed to the College of Technology.

“Careers are increasingly requiring four-year instead of two-year degrees,” added Daniel Burcham, acting vice president for Academic Affairs. “As parents and students look at schools and programs, they are looking for bachelor offerings.”

The American Society for Engineering Education Profiles in Engineering & Engineering Technology Colleges lists Ferris State University as awarding the most bachelor’s degrees for Engineering Technology, the second highest University to award women with Engineering Technology degrees and the highest enrollment for an Engineering Technology school. This is significant when Ferris is compared to schools like Michigan Technological University, Penn State University, Purdue University and Wayne State University, to name a few.

The change is also representative of the mission of Ferris State University in preparing students for successful careers and serving the rapidly changing global economy and society. “We want our students to not only succeed, but to exceed,” stated Burcham.

Industry experts have echoed that sentiment by saying that Ferris graduates not only know and understand the technology, but they can hit the ground running on their first day of employment.

The College of Engineering Technology at Ferris State University is made up of 33 programs in 12 departments ranging from Architectural Technology to Welding Engineering Technology. Students in the College of Engineering Technology participate in national competitions, including being crowned national champions at the 2007 national Rube Goldberg competition. More information on the College of Engineering Technology can be found at www.ferris.edu/technology.

BIG RAPIDS – The Ferris State University Board of Trustees approved three international agreements during the board’s regular meeting Friday, Nov. 7.

Educational cooperation agreements with Otemon Gakuin University in Japan and Hubei Polytechnic University in China were approved along with an agreement for cooperation and exchange with the Kuwait Cultural Office.

The five-year agreements between Otemon Gakuin and Hubei Polytechnic will provide opportunities for Japanese and Chinese students to study at Ferris, and for Ferris students to study in Japan or China. The three-year agreement between Ferris and the Kuwait Cultural Office will provide opportunities for Ferris to host Kuwait-sponsored students.

“The purpose of these agreements is to enhance the educational experiences and cultural understanding of students from both institutions,” Ferris’ Acting Vice President for Student Affairs Dan Burcham said.

Currently, the university has partnerships for semester-long study with 15 foreign higher education institutions in such countries as France, Germany and the United Kingdom, among others, he said, adding more than 120 Ferris students studied away during the 2007-08 academic year. During that same time, international students from more than 35 countries attended Ferris.

Terms of the five-year agreements are Jan. 1, 2009, through Dec. 31, 2013, between Ferris and Otemon Gakuin, and Dec. 1, 2008, through Dec. 1, 2013, between Ferris and Hubei Polytechnic. Ferris’ three-year agreement with the Kuwait Cultural Office is Jan. 1, 2009, through Dec. 31, 2011.

The board also voted to approve two educational grants, including the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Grant, and the Michigan Center for Career and Technical Education Grant.

There is $223,418 in funding included in the Perkins grant, with Ferris matching $215,000, that will be used for academic support services and equipment purchases for the university’s two-year occupational programs, College of Technology Dean Tom Oldfield said.

The Perkins funding is a recurring grant based on the number of Pell Grant recipients studying in Ferris’ two-year occupational programs, with the university submitting an application for the funding yearly, he said. Such programs benefiting from the grant in the past include Radiography, Automotive Technology and Industrial Chemistry Technology.

“Ferris is committed to providing students with a real-world education that provides a seamless transition from the classroom to the workforce,” Ferris President David Eisler said. “Funding programs such as the Perkins grant help strengthen learning opportunities in the classroom for Ferris students.”

Funding for the MCCTE grant includes $359,850.

Trustees also approved Phase V of the Classroom Renovation Project, with a total projected cost not to exceed $970,000. To date, 63 classrooms and laboratories have been updated as part of the project.

In other business, the board approved the following:

* A final 2009 general fund operating budget of $172 million, which includes $50 million in state funding – a 1 percent state funding increase over Fiscal Year 2008;
* Endorsement and immediate implementation of the university’s strategic plan. More information about the strategic plan is available at www.ferris.edu/president/strategic;
* Renaming the College of Technology the College of Engineering Technology to more accurately reflect current and projected programs within the college;
* The 2009 Motorcycle Safety Training Program Grant in the amount of $156,360. Training will include 53 21-hour courses to approximately 677 individuals from Oct. 1, 2008, through Sept. 30, 2009;
* Professional services contracts that include:
– Hiring Greystone Global, LLC/John Berry, Design West Michigan to strengthen connections between Kendall College of Art and Design and industry professionals, as well as respond to current trends and demands of design education through development of an undergraduate program;
– Retaining a Washington, D.C.-based organization or individual to represent the university’s interests at the federal level;
– Contracting with Plas Legal Services to provide up to 1,600 legal services hours annually;
– Submitting requests for proposals for a signage consultant to assist in conducting an inventory of all exterior campus signage and to facilitate a four-year phased implementation approach to replacing all exterior signs;
– Contracting with Hubbell, Roth and Clark, Inc. for civil engineering services for Fiscal Year 2009 parking lot, roads and sidewalk repair projects;
– Retaining Parsons to inspect, analyze data and update the electronic facility condition database for Ferris’ Physical Plant;
– Hiring the services of STV Architects to assist with renovations to the South Campus Green in coordination with the renovation of the Rock Café;
– Executing the professional services agreement with Michigan State University for clinical pharmacy services two days a week at Sparrow Clinic, where Ferris has clinical placements;
– Hiring Delphin International for curricular re-design services for the College of Pharmacy, which must meet new accreditation standards;
– Contracting with Peak Positions for additional Web marketing services;
* Charter school board appointments including Daniel George, Creative Technologies Academy in Cedar Springs, through June 30, 2011; Holly Lehman, Creative Technologies Academy, through June 30, 2012; and Authur Evans, Northridge Academy in Flint, through June 30, 2011.