Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson speaks with Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson about Wayne State's annual cycling event and how it helps WSU students in need. To listen to the full interview, please visit WDET's website.

The 2017 Baroudeur, Wayne State University's third annual urban cycling event, will be held on Saturday, August 19th. The Baroudeur is a fun, noncompetitive event that gives riders of all abilities an opportunity to explore the Motor City while helping economically disadvantaged students pursue higher education. Proceeds from the ride directly benefit WSU scholarships and the university's Helping Individuals Go Higher Program (HIGH) which supports students in unstable housing situations.

"(HIGH) started off to help homeless students, but the need is much greater than students that are homeless," says Wilson.

There are some students at Wayne State that aren't permanently homeless, but are "precariously housed." Because of this, they often find ways to stay on campus for extended periods of time.

"This program helps with these types of students," President Wilson says. "A lot of times what happens is that these students just drop out and what we really want is for these students to stay in school and graduate."

During the interview, President Wilson also addresses the issue of minority student enrollment at Wayne State, as well as public universities across Michigan.

The 2017 Baroudeur will be held on Saturday, August 19th. Register now at https://baroudeur.wayne.edu/