Rao talks med school at A-Senate

University President Michael Rao reaffirmed his support for the addition of a medical school to Central Michigan University at the Academic Senate meeting Tuesday.

He said he feels strongly that someone needs to take action and address the physician shortage in Michigan.

“I remain very driven that if the 65th largest public university in the United States doesn’t do something to address the health care needs from this area north, then I don’t know that anyone will,” Rao said.

Philosophy and religion professor Robert Stecker asked if there was an estimate of how much it would cost to educate one medical student for a year.

Rao said it would probably cost about $40,000 for a student to be fully educated and receive his or her degree from CMU.

Rao said there are currently 125 medical schools in the United States and 10 institutions are considering adding a program.

“Our studies have made clear that Central Michigan University is indeed quite well prepared for part of what would be involved in medical education,” Rao said.

The Board of Trustees unanimously approved a medical school at its Sept. 18 meeting.

Rao said a medical program at CMU would be a teaching-based program focused on education rather than research.

He also said during the meeting that discussion on the medical school and program can still take place.

“Are you saying that this is a done deal or that it isn’t?” said mathematics professor Donna Ericksen.

Rao said the decision made by the Board of Trustees was to allow the administration to continue planning.

“The decision to authorize me to continue planning to establish a medical school means that indeed we could have a medical school,” he said. “The fact of the matter is that the curriculum is not developed.”

Diversity presentation

Denise Green, associate vice president of institutional diversity, presented an overview of CMU’s Strategic Plan for Institutional Diversity.

“The reason why we have a strategic plan is to bring the entire campus community together to focus on the issues and make the climate comfortable and welcoming for everyone so that ultimately all of our students will learn, gain a degree, graduate and be culturally competent,” she said.

The plan has five priorities: creating a welcoming campus environment; recruiting, hiring and retaining a diverse workforce; recruiting and retaining students from diverse backgrounds; infusing diversity into curriculum; and creating supportive administrative and organizational structure.

Green encouraged the Senate to use its voice to reinforce the importance of diversity and achieving a welcoming campus climate.

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