Page 62-Thursday, September 7, 1978-The Michigan paily

You and ;
the'U
Finally, we bring you what is
perhaps a less than-rosy portrait of
2 the University. You've already
been bombarded by University }
booklets and brochures and have
probably been through orientation.
As a result, you've begun to form
Syour own opinions and have a small
idea of what your stay at the
University will be like.
But it's a big place and there's a
lot to learn.
So, to increase Sour awareness}
of the options offered on campus
and acquaint you with the ins and
r outs of the University, we present
You and the 'U.' We don't profess
to be all-knowing but experience
has taught us a few things about
the University which we hope to
share with' you. Think of You and
the 'U' as a sort of textbook to 7
help you prepare for your ultimate
test-life at the University. Go do
your homework. -The Editors
-Th Edtr
* 4

Faculty and student
quality win 'U' acclaim

By SUE WARNER
You've made your decision, and for
whatever reason you decided to come to
the University it probably had
something to do with getting an
education.
As the University has undoutedly told
you, this place has a very prestigious
reputation. Depending on whose survey
you're reading, the University usually
ranks in the nation's top ten schools,
and often the top five. It's right up there
with Harvard, Yale and Stanford,
which is somewhat unusual for a public
institution.
BUT DETERMINING a value for
something as intangible as education is
next to impossible. The rankings don't
mean a whole lot without an understan-
ding of the factors behind them and how
those factors affect an individual's
academic experience.
University officials take great pride
in the quality of the faculty they've
lured into their stable. Many big names
in education are based at the Univer-
sity, where they teach in addition to

pursuing their own research or writing
on a particular subject. Their names of-
ten pop up in current articles and jour-
nals.
"It's the high quality of the faculty
that makes the difference here," says
Assistant to the Vice President for
Academic affairs Edward Dougherty.
According to Dougherty, the University
faculty's excellence is "shown in the
number of research dollars they bring"
to the University.
BUT STUDENTS often complain that
a good researcher and a good teacher
are not necessarily one and the same.
They say their instructors are
sometimes too involved in outside
projects and don't have enough time to
meet the needs of their students.
University administrators, however,
disagree. "Our feeling is that when you
have a good researcher you have a good
teacher," says Dougherty. He says
administrators consider both factors
when hiring or promoting faculty and
that research and teaching evaluations
prove his point "over and over."
In addition to faculty, the quality of

the student body accounts for a large
part of the University's prestige. Out-
of-state students continually rank in the
90th percentile on their SATs while in-
state students are in the 80 to 85th
pecentile.
"IT MAKES IT an exciting place for
teachers to teach and for students to
learn," says Dougherty.
The University's tremendous size
also plays a part in the quality of the
education it offers. Many promising
students are turned off by large
University lecture halls and rather im-
personal teaching methods. Yet others
claim University teaching fellows and
professors are accessible and willing to
help.
BUT BECAUSE of the University's
size, it can provide an extremely diver-
se education, unlike smaller colleges.
"It's a matter of the students
deciding what's most important to
them," says Dougherty of the choice
between a large or small school. "At a
large university, students can build
their own community and their own ap-
proach to education."

Daily Photo by ANDY FREEBERG
Students often cloister themselves among the stacks at the Law Library.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLh:

Cv.
STUDENT CO-OP HOUSING:
" Group living on North and Central Campus
* Peole sharing work, decisions, good times
9 Room, board, utilities, laundry and more
9 Savings of at least $50 /mo. over dorm rates
Inter-Cooperative Council
" .J/ 4002 Michigan Union, Ann Arbor, 662-4414

Booking it in campus libraries

By JUDY RAKOWSKY
"Coming to school here is like joining a circus -
or riding a ferris wheel around and around - or
smoking a cosmic cigarette on a bus trip to Toledo,"
proclaims one of the more intriguing literary works
housed by the University library system. It is, of
course, scrawled across a wall.
But whatever "coming to school here" turns out
to be for you, it will undoubtedly include a substan-
tial number of visits to at least one library. There
are about 25 University libraries to choose from, but
the major ones are the Undergraduate Library, ap-
propriately dubbed the UGLI, and the monolithic
Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library or 'grad' for
short.
THE DISTINGUISHING features between cam-
pus libraries lie primarily in the type of atmosphere
they convey, and the resources they contain. While
you may be able to concentrate better in the grad,
you may end up spending hours in the UGLI wading
through mandatory reserve readings or socializing
-depending on which resources you wish to
cultivate.
The UGLI personifies its nickname with a trashy
aura of candy wrappers, empty cans (beer and
pop), day-old coffee and stale cigarette smoke
evoking a response similar to hungover Sunday

mornings. It is in these surroundings where one fin-
ds the majority of reserve readings (specific ar-
ticles and books assigned by instructors) which are
not loaned for home use because of high student
demand.
And forbid you should ever even think of spiriting
one of these readings, or any other library property,
out the door without stopping first at the checkout
desk. Library security has devised an intricate
alarm system which emits a tell-tale "beep" should
you attempt to leave the building while in
possession of library goods.
THE GRAD FEATURES a multitude of volumes
explaining every topic imaginable in probably
every language imaginable. However, locating a
particular book is often impossible in this structure
which in spots resembles an ancient labyrinth of
catacombs. If you can't find something, don't waste
your time - ask.
Students often favor the grad because it is far
more attractive than its UGLI next-door-neighbor,
and because it offers private study carrels and a
generally studious atmosphere. Another draw is the
massive card catalog located on the second floor
which lists every University-owned book in a cen-
tral location.
Because of these factors, however, the grad is of-

ten crowded and library personnel urge students t
"use their own libraries" which means that uj
dergrads belong in the Undergraduate Librar'
Alas, the rule is hardly enforceable.
THE NUMEROUS divisional libraries, which'ar
smaller and serve specific subject areas, provid
unique resources which are not available in th
general libraries. But, they are not as centrall
located as the two main libraries and often kee
peculiar hours.
The ability, or desire, of a student to study wher
he or she lives frequently dictates how much tim
they will spend in libraries. Study spots like the La
Library and Furstenburg Study Center abound o
campus and are popular among serious, o
desperate, students who can't study at home.
The Law Library is a spacious, stuffy place with
high ceiling and stained glass windows. Cand
wrappers and beer cans are rarely seen in the fo
mal, esoteric environment of the Law Library'
main reading room.
Furstenburg Study Center is located in th
University Medical Center and provides a moder
comfortable study space. It is not a library as such
and is supposed to be restricted to medical student
but other students frequent the facility. It also ha
large group study rooms with blackboards an
audio visual equipment.


Counselors aid academic mania

MICHIGAN BOOK STORE
322 SOUTH STATE
662-16594
- - ------------------------
5% Discount on all NEW textbooks.
------------N------------------ I
-------------------------------------
25x Discoui n on all USED textbooksI
CHECK OUR PRICES ON:
School and Office Supplies
Spiral Notebooks-Ring Binders
ALSO
Mchigan T-Shirts-Sweatshirts
Gym Shorts-Warmups-Children's Wear
AND
Trnrle~ AAMrli,~I flnnI rirnrl I nu

By SUE WARNER
At times it almost seems like you
need a college education to figure out
the jumble of University pre-requisite,
concentration, cognate and distribution
plans required to get a college
education at the University.
But making sense out of division
numbers, concentration requirements
and course descriptions can be a lot
easier with the help of an academic
counselor who knows the ins and outs of
the University's degree requirements.

THE HUB OF campus academic
counseling is on the first floor of Angell
Hall, where LSA Academic Counselors
inhabit Room 1213 and the Student
Counseling Office (SCO) is just down
the hall.
LSA counselors are available to ex-
plain various academic programs and
help students plan course loads which
fulfill one of the distribution patterns
required for an LSA degree.
According to LSA counselor Liina
Wallin, the office is busiest during the



1 1



fit/d

I -

C*k

J. a6Ymep

C

time when students are trying to decid
which classes they should take th
following year. Wallin says that coun
seling appointments usually can b
made a day or two in advance excep
during registration when it may tak
from one to two weeks.
STUDENTS CAN seek the advice o
several different types of LSA coun
selors. General counselors are familia
with the literary college's degre
requirements and can help student
with basic questions about academi
options.
Once a student has declared a major,
they are directed to concentration ad
visors who counsel students on depar
tmental requirements in their concen
tration area. These advisors, usually
faculty members, are appointed by
their departments and are familiar
with the specifics of concentration
requirements such as mandatory
classes for a given major.
Concentration advisors also have
more expertise in the academic field in
which they counsel and can help
students construct a program which
fulfills departmental requirements but
allows students to pursue their par-
ticular educational interests.
NON-LSA students can receive more
personal academic counseling througl
their own school or college which has
the benefits of more faculty in-
volvement.
SCO is a unique approach to cun
seling at the University. Staffed by
students who specialize in certain con-
centration areas, the office provides
peer counseling which students can't
get at 1213 Angell .Tall.
According to $CO Coordinator Jeff
Coleman, student counselors are more
in tune with student needs and give
straight answers to academic deci-
sions. He says the office's slogan 'Who
knows more about being students than
students' is the basis of the office's ad
vantages.
BESIDES counseling, SCO has exteri
sive student-compiled course
evaluations which comment about
classes and professors. The purpose is
to give students an idea of what to ex-
nect before they enroll. so thevycan see

Aside from the good time you're looking for from university
life, you probably want to indulge your parents' whim for good
grades and intellectual growth. You couldn't hope for a better
atmosphere than ATO for achieving your high scholastic goals.
In addition the active brothers seek degrees in Engineering,
Business Administration & Pre-Law among others. There are also