Wrap up
Rolling along
statenews.com | 11/20/13 | @thesnews Michigan State University’s independent voice
WORTH IT? MSU’s trustees spend large amounts on tickets, travel, univ. entertainment
E.L. resident skates across country
Students recognize Turban Day
features, PAGE 6
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Physiology senior Mohkam Singh Brian Palmer/The State News
environment
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$26,319 Amount MSU spent on Trustee Faylene Owen's trip to Germany
MSU OFFERS ‘GREEN’ PERK TO GROUPS ON CAMPUS
Number of times you could pay $5 cover at Rick's American Cafe
By Justine McGuire
By Celeste Bott
jmcguire@statenews.com
cbott@statenews.com
THE STATE NEWS
THE STATE NEWS
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Anything from an oncampus laboratory to an MSU student’s dorm room has a chance to earn Green Certification from the Office of Campus Sustainability. The Green Certification program recognizes campus units that make efforts to reduce their environmental footprint, and that includes departments, offices, kitchens, laboratories and even entire f loors of student residence halls within the university. “People go online and rank themselves based on tasks like recycling, waste diversion or the water and energ y consumption in their workspace,” Assistant Director of Sustainability Ann Erhardt said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s two people or 20 people — anyone can apply.”
ore than $100,000 in travel and entertainment expenditures by MSU trustees in the past year have been defended by the university with claims that officials are following policy, but in some cases, those policies aren’t written, and in others, actions are in direct conflict with what is written. University spokesman Kent Cassella has said some trustee travel — such as expensive hotel rooms and paying for a spouse’s travel — are subject to exceptions, although there are policies that prohibit those practices. Despite a report from Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ that revealed some international trustee travel expenses that were above what university policies normally allow, a review by The State News of a 730-page expense document shows that most of the expenses incurred by trustees are allowed under limits set by the MSU Manual of Business Procedures. University reimbursement for hotel rooms costing more than established per diem rates and spouse travel expenses — including meals, airfare, ground travel and other incidentals — seem to be the only violations of the Manual of Business Procedures. But many of the board’s spending practices are neither authorized nor banned by university policy. They simply do not exist in writing. One of these common practices allows for only two international trips per trustee per four-year elected term, Cassella said, adding that policy remains unwritten so trustees have flexibility to go to international university events. Another unwritten policy allows trustees to receive up to four complimentary tickets to any athletic event or Wharton Center and Breslin Center show. A stricter written poli-
cy does, in fact, exist for former trustees. It gives them the option to buy tickets to any athletic event or show; complimentary tickets are awarded when the activity will benefit the university, such as entertaining a donor. Trustees are encouraged to attend athletic events, Wharton Center entertainment, alumni events and to travel on behalf of the university as part of their oversight role and to meet with donors and alumni, Cassella said. “Why would you want to be a trustee if you didn’t want to be part of the university and didn’t want to do anything?” he said. Money spent on travel, sporting events and shows for trustees comes from interest on investment accounts. The money does not come from tuition, federal or state money, university officials said. Monetary limits University documents on trustee spending during the past year show more than $68,000 spent on sporting events and more than $24,000 spent on shows. The documents show the trustees have followed the unwritten policy of receiving no more than four tickets per home event. “I don’t use much of that stuff,” Trustee George Perles said in an interview. “The little bit of entertaining that I do is to take people, if they are potential donors, to the school.” Cassella said it’s imposSee TRUSTEES on page 2 u
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Amount of money spent by trustees to attend MSU athletic events
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Two-semester fitness center passes
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$1,275
Nightly cost of hotel room used by Owen on trip to Germany
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Number of hours you would have to work at $7.40 (Michigan's minimum wage) to afford the cost of Owen's hotel room for 1 night
~ 18 courses ~Three-credit
>$24,000
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Amount spent by trustees across the past year attending shows at the Wharton Center
illustr ation by paige grennan and becca Guajardo | sn
The program was launched in 2009 after a series of pilots by officials The Office of Campus Sustainability is notified when departments score high enough to be certified, Erhardt said. “If they don’t qualif y, we’re here as a resource,” she said. “We can answer a nyone ’s que s t ion s or review their space to see if we can help them be more green.” The Green Certification process was launched in October 2009 after a series of pilots, said Sustainability Education Coordinator Lauren Olson, who helped develop the program. “The certification technology has morphed over time, and the characteristics have evolved based on feedback and changes at See PROGRAM on page 2 u
ADMINIST R ATION
student life
campus
Nominee for facilities VP announced by university
Hunger Games tix draw crowds
MSU, Greek life officials sign historic statement By Cayden Royce croyce@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
By Justine McGuire jmccguire@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
A pool of 100 applicants for MSU’s new Vice President for Strategic Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, or VP for SIPF, was further narrowed down to one Tuesday when.MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon recommended Kemel Dawkins to be the next VP for SIPF. The announcement comes more than two months after Dawkins was named as one of the three finalists for the position. “Kemel Dawk i ns br i ngs years of experience and a strong depth of knowledge to this critical position,” Simon See POSITION on page 2 u
Japanese junior Karla Davila, left, and advertising junior Jovanska Almanza, right, find out there are no more movie tickets Tuesday at Brody Complex Neighborhood for an advance screening of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” — Margaux Forster, SN See MOVIE on page 3
For the first time in 141 years, MSU officials formally recognized the Greek community as student organizations during a relationship statement signing Tuesday at the Hannah Administration Building, potentially pav ing the way for a deeper relationship between the two groups. “We’re ver y excited,” said Anna Richards, the vice president of external relations for the Panhellenic council. “It’s monumental, kind of making history in a sense.” All four Greek councils representing the 29 fraternities and 14 sorority chapters on campus were in attendance, as well as MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon. The Panhellenic council serves as the umbrella of
“We’re very excited. It’s monumental, kind of making history in a sense.” Anna Richards, Panhellenic Councll Vice President of External Relations
the organization that governs sororities on campus, Panhellenic Council President Camryn Ginsberg said. Because the agreement is in its early stages, specifics about exact plans to deepen the relationship between the two parties are broad at this point, officials said. “We just make sure that the community is safe, that we make sure that all of our scholarship practices are in order and governing all of those organizations,” Ginsberg said. Simon began the ceremony by thanking council members for their commitment and efforts to make the relationSee SIGNING on page 2 u