The Detroit Free Press has this report today: Cash-strapped families seek colleges’ free events, advice.

A snippet:

In tough economic times, a university or college’s free offerings — from dinosaur museums to legal clinics to personal finances workshops — are invaluable to Michiganders dealing with new financial realities.

Though oft-overlooked, public service is a cornerstone of a higher education institution invested in its community, said Molly Corbett Broad, president of the American Council on Education, a national advocacy group for colleges and universities.

Did it occur to those of you who are local readers that many of the events at Monroe County Community College are open to the public?

Yes, the entertainment and theater acts at the La-Z-Boy Center are do cost some money. But the college band and choir concerts are free, as are the Big Read events (we should be seeing 2009 Big Read campaign events announced soon). And both the main campus and Whitman Center host free art and educational exhibits and lectures during the year.

There is also a variety of short-term courses, many available at very low cost and open to the public, through the college’s community education program called Lifelong Learning.