Page 4-Tuesday, January 30, 1979--The Michigan Paily
I
Ehe ichian BatilR
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Eighty-Nine Years of Editorial Freedom
- j
The state of the Department
Vol. LXXXIX, No. 100
Samoff Student Support Committee
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
A
Reach One-Keep one
N FEBRUARY of 1970 the Black
Action Movement (BAM) lead a
successful boycott of University
classes. At one point in the two-week
long incident more than fifty per cent
of all LSA students avoided classes.
The strike showed strong campus sup-
port for BAM demands - ten per cent
black enrollment.
Since ten per cent black enrollment
could not be achieved over night, BAM
and the administration reached a
compromise. Then University
President Robben Fleming promises
that the University would work toward
ten per cent black enrollment by 1973.
Scholarship funds to fuel this goal
have been available since 1973, but
black enrollment over the past eight
years has never been higher than 7.2
per cent. Last year the figure dropped
to 6.6 per cent. The University ad-
ministration announced last week it
would take new steps to make good the
first promise to BAM. the ad-
ministration launched the "Each one
- reach one" campaign.
The intention behind the campaign is
good. The admissions office wants to
make the recruitment process more
personal by asking blacks attending
the University to help contact prospec-
tive black students. The Admissions of-
fice sent letters to more than 3,000
black students which ask for names of
friends and relatives who might need
some encouragement to attend the
University.
Each one - Reach One is an in-
novative idea. We hope it is as suc-
cessful as Admissions officials think it
will be. But the administration must
realize that this program is not
enough. It must be backed with a much
more aggressive black recruitment
drive. And no matter how much atten-
tion is given to prospective black
students, they will not come unless this
campus and school is made more at-
tractive to them. That means
providing more black faculty mem-
bers, more black administrators, and
perhaps most important, more special
counseling to keep. them here. It is dif-
ficult to understand how admissions of-
ficers can expect a huge response to
the Each One - Reach One campaign
when so many blacks here are con-
sidering leaving. The administration
has not yet shown enough concern for
the growing problem of high black
student attrition. A serious study of
this problem is much needed.
Eachone - Reach one is, like most
University programs aimed at
benefiting students, too little, too late.
But at least it is a step, although small,
in the right direction. We hope the ad-
ministration will begin assuming full
responsibility in this area.
At first glance, the vote of
the tenured faculty in the
Political Science Department to
reject the recommendation of the
department's own executive
committee to promote and tenure
Assistant Professor Joel Samoff
seems confusing. After all, there
is no dispute over the high quality
of his teaching or his community
and University service, and his
research is at the forefront of an
emerging field within political
science, political economy.
According to national sureveys
(Roose-Anderson, 1969; Ladd-
Lipset, 1977 the department is
highly ranked and respected.
Without question the prominence
of several senior faculty mem-
bers has afforded it the
reputation necessary to remain
in the hierarchy. Even so, major
problems have arisen in at least
two areas-student recruitment
and scope.
Over the past year, both the
Graduate and Undergraduate
Political Science Associtions' hve
met with and written letters to
department, college, and Univer-
sity officials regarding the lack of
diversification in the methods
and courses offered by the depar-
tment. Unfortunately, the efforts
have availed little in the way of
change.
A review of the clases
scheduled for the 78-79 academic
year show few or no courses on
current political theory, or
philosophy and epistimology of
social science. In addition, the
only factulty member actively
doing research in and teaching
courses on political economy and
South Africa has been fired.
Oddly enough, students do not
stand alone in their criticisms of
the department's narrow scope.
Some faculty members critical of
the narrow orientation have not
only voiced their dissatisfactions
and concerns, but have pointed
out the fact that the excluded
courses and approaches are
precisely those branches of
political science likely to be
critical of the research methods
used by most of-the faculty in the
department. Perhaps it is time to
recognize Samoff's firing for
what it is.
At the Political Science depar-
tment's November faculty
meeting the director of graduate
admissions and financial aid
presented a report on 78 Fall ad-
missions which clearly showed a
substantial decrease in the num-
ber and proportion of graduate
applicants accepted in political
The University of Michigan
Department of Political Science
. O
x Tt A
ficient number of graduate
students? This is not an easy.
question and the findings miy be.
perplex. However, as students we
are aware of a number of factors
which interact to enhance the
broad spectrum of skills and in-
telligence required to excell in
research 'and scholarship and
thus have an alluring quality.
They include quality teaching,
dissertation advisement, ands
counseling.
To provide them requires a
heavy commitment of time and:
effort, along with talent. For
teaching is an art as well as a,
profession. In essence, Political
Science Prof. Joel Samoff has
delivered On all three. Thus the
decision last Fall to oust him not'
only points out the failure of the.
department to recognize ex-
cellence in teaching as an asset
or pertinent part of tenure and'
promotion evaluations, but more
importantly it made clear to
junior faculty members that they
are not in an educational arena in
which certain approaches and
methods will be emphasized, but
one in which few will be
"Taught" or tolerated if they hve
hopes of being tenured. This state
of affairs can only result in fewer
commitments to excellence in
teaching and innovation.
It is ironic that in Samoff's
first year, a collague was granted
tenure almost entirely on the
strength of his teaching record,-!
while now, a teaching record at
least as strong seems not to count
at all.
We call on department officials
and faculty members to address
these problems and redress, the
grievances and not simply
dismiss them as aberrations. To
do so will only preldicate a set of
depreciating conditions in what
could be one of the most vital
departments in the country, as..
opposed to one struggling to at-,"
tract students.
The isolated
A T THE MOMENT the University
expanded its facilities and created
North Campus a problem
arose-isolation. Students living on
North Campus have always been con-
fronted with the problem of distance
from Central Campus and its much
needed services and social life the area
provides.
The University's answer to the
problem was free transportation via
bus, from North to Central Campus.
The bus service is a lifeline for North
Campus residents. It, however, has
caused problems too. North Campus
residents are forced to mold their lives
around a bus schedule. Classes, ap-
pointments, and study time at the
libraries must be arranged according
to when the bus leaves. That is a
hassle; but a hassle which can be han-
dled, provided the bus is running.
Bus service currently stops at 12:30
a.m. Central Campus activities do not.
The Undergraduate Library, for
example, is open every night, except
Saturday, until 2:00 a.m.
The Michigan Student Assembly
formed a special committee on North
Campus transportation. This commit-
tee is nowurging the administration to
extend the bus service hours. We sup-
port the committee's effort.
It would seem that if students want
to study until 2:00 a.m. they should be
able to do so. This should also apply to
any activity in which students may
engage. By no means does socializing
in Ann Arbor stop at 12:30 a.m. Bars do
not close until 2:00 a.m. and parties of-
ten start about 11:00 p.m.
There is evidence which shows that
extended bus service would be ap-
precited by North Campus residents.
During a month long experiment the
buses ran until 2:00 a.m. More than
2000 persons took advantage of the ex-
tended hours.
The Assembly's special committee
will meet with interim president Allan
Smith today. We hope Mr. Smith can
allocate funds to permanently extend
bus service hours.
Regardless of the motivation
behind the narrowing of scope
and the firing, students are on the
losing end. Our education is being
improvished. In an institution as
highly ranked as the University
of Michigan this is an inexcusable
and intolerable state of circum-
stances for students to find them-
selves in, and we hasten to add,
fewer are.
science. Whereas the department
desired a class size of 30-35, only
22 students entered. The rate of
acceptance marked an eight year
low, only 20 per cent of those ad-
mitted came.
Why is the largest and one of
the most prominent departments
of political science in the nation
finding it difficult to attract a suf-
Letters
The Hyde Amendment impinges First Amendment right
Nelson Rockefeller
FORMER VICE President Nelson
Rockefeller, who died from a
heart attack last Friday night, was not
particularly noted for his reserve and
philosophical judgment. He was an ac-
tive man who said what he thought. As
a result, sometimes there were good
consequences and sometimes bad. But
everyone always knew where Mr.
Rockefeller stood.
His list of accomplishments is as
long as his list of failures. But in his
case, whether it was success or failure,
nothing was small. There was
something of an element of noblesse
oblige in his dedication to public life.
Although many of his critics argued
that was his problem. For example,
despite his knowledge of finance,
someone had to explain "take-home
pay" to the multimillionaire during his
first election campaign.
After hearing of Mr. Rockefeller's
death Henry Kissinger said that Mr.
Rockefeller was the greatest
American he ever met. That point can
be debated. But we can all agree that
Nelson Rockefeller was instrumental
in making this country what it is today.
To the Daily:
Several nationally syndicated
columnists including George Will
and William Buckley have recen-
tly criticized the ACLU for
arguing that the Hyde Amen-
dment violates the First Amen-
dment right to religious freedom.
The Hyde Amendment is a
federal law that prohibits federal
medicaid reimbursement for all
but a few abortions. Except for
abortions, medicaid pays for all
medically necessary physician's
services and prohibits exclusion
based on diagnosis. Why then has
abortionbeen singled out? Why
was the Hyde Amendment
passed?
Certainly, the Hyde Amend-
ment was not passed in response
to the need to reducethe cost of
the medicaid program, or for
health reasons, or for any other
secular purpose. The Hyde
Amendment was passed in
response to those who believe
that human life begins at the
moment of conception, and that
from that moment on, such life is
separate from the mother's life.
To those who hold that belief,
any fetus-one minute old, one
day old, one month old-is in-
distinguishable from. an infant,
and therefore abortion is murder.
Those who hold this belief oppose
abortion itself, and certainly do
not want their taxes used to sup-
port it. That is understandable,
from their point of view.
But when human life begins is
essentially a religious question.
There is not scientific consensus
on this question and there is no
religious consensus. The current
political controversy over abor-
tion is fundamentlaly a con-
troversy overy religious doctrine,
and that's where the First Amen-
dment comes in.
becomes a human life-is
similarly a religious question.
Freedom of choice should reign.
Yet the Hyde Amendment does
what the First Amendment
prohibits. It elevates one
religious belief by law upon
everyone else.
Those who oppose abortion on
religioussgrounds claim that their
religious freedom is being
violated because their taxes are
being used to pay for medicaid
abortions-which they regard as
murder. But conscientious objec-
tors to war have in the past objec-
ted to killing on religious grounds
and they have not been exempt
from paying taxes. They have,
however, enjoyed freedom of
choice and were not forced to
violate their own religious beliefs
by participating in what they
regarded as murder.
Similarly, those who oppose
abortion cannot escape paying
taxes. They are free to choose not
to participate in abortions, either
as patients, doctors or nurses.
And they are free to persuade
others to join them. They are free
to lobby Congress. But Congress
is not free to force their religious
view through law on the rest of
us.
That is why we have asked the
federal courts, on First Amen-
dment grounds among others, to
Ashe-stick to tennis
To the Daily:
Arthur Ashe's remarks (Mich-
igan Daily, Jan. 16, 1979) on
behalf of Aetna Life and Casualty
reiterate the stand taken by U.S.
corporations including the U. of
M. The essence of this stand
exemplified by the Sullivan prin-
ciples isy that racist
discrimination is the problem in
southern Africa and that through
corporate "affirmative action"
integrating blacks into the
existing political and economic
system things will be fine, just as
they are here in the U.S.
The black majority of southern
Africa is oppressed and exploited
by the white minority but the
problem does. not rest with the
color of the people in power. The
conflict stems from the fact that
a small number of colonialists
have, with the aid of transntional
corporations created an
economic and political system
based on cheap labor, easy ac-
cess to natural resources, and
super privileges for the ruling
similar results. Is it necessary to
remind people of U.S. corporate
roles in Chile, Nicaragua, Puerto
Rico, Iran, Vietnam, etc.?
The issue is not what percen-
tage of a particular minority oc-
curs in government but rather
whether the majority in a nation
has the power of economic, social
and political self-determination.
Mr. Ashe, Aetna, G.M., the U.
of M. among others must feel
very generous offering the people
of southern Africa a choice bet-
ween "Three meals a day or the
right to vote." A black South
African trade unionist, speaking
'at the U. of M. spoke of a different
choice. He said, "Which would
you prefer, three full meals in
prison, or one meal in your home
with your family?".
Mr. Ashe does not recognize the
problem, if he did it might inter-
fer with his ability to collect his
salary.
Ashe's view of the U.S. is
similarly distored. To say that
business "built the U. of M., will
f(non the nnnr aond nfnvc fnr
strike down the Hyde Amen-
dment. It was in part to prevent
such bitter religious divisiveness,
which has plagued other coun-
tries for centuries, that the First
Amendment was adopted. It has
served us well for nearly two
hundred years. Protected by the
First Amendment, we have en-
joyed more religious freedom
and diversity than any other
country. We dare not shrink from
that protection now.
-Howard L. Simon,,
Executive Director
American Civil Liberties
Union of Michigan
A telegram
to Carter
To the Daily:
The following telegram was
sent to President Carter. We urge
Daily readers concerned about
Iran to send telegrams or letters
to the President calling on our
government not to intevene.
President Carter:
The Iranian people are
struggling to establish' a
democratic government under
Khomeini's leadership. We op-
pose our government's interven-
tion in maintaining the un-
popular, repressive Bakhtiar
regime. We must stop sending oil
and our tax dollars to the Iranian
military.
The presence of U.S. naval for-
ces in the area is a direct threat
to peace and democracy. It
reminds us of the early days of
the Vietnam war.