A bud
By JOHN ELLIS
MOST PEOPLE would agree that bud-
get-cutting is neither easy n o r
pleasant. No matter how distasteful a
responsibility, serious questions about
the proces naturally arise.
With regard to impending cuts within
the University:
® What are the basis on which decis-'
ions will be made? To what extent will
"expedience" be the operating princi-
ple?
* Which groups will be represented in
determining these basis?
* Will any parts of this process be
public? Will the University community
be encouraged to consider which of its
activities should be preserved?
This is the contingency stage of budget-
cuting but the hard decisions are near.
It might be useful to see what tentative
answers have emerged.
The Daily recently reported that LS&A
is considering the elimination of the Pilot
Program if the Literary College is forced
to cut its budget by four percent, rather
than a possible two percent.
THE PILOT PROGRAM is an experi-
mental unit of LS&A where courses are
offered for freshpeople and sophomores
who live in Alice Lloyd Hall. Most of its
$44,000 budget pays the salaries of 18
graduate students who teach these cours-
es and who live in Alice Lloyd.
Four reasons have been mentioned as
possible justifications for terminating
the Pilot Program.
! It is "axeable" since no tenured
positions are involved.
* Its innovativeness has given it poli-
tical enemies on the committees which
make budget cuts.
A It is not a part of the "core" of
the University's educational activity.
0 The program, in its thirteenth year,
has lost its appeal for current students.
How do these stand up as bases for
making a budget cut?
THE FIRST REASON seems plaus-
able on the surface. The budget can not
be cut where positions cannot be elim-
inated. This leaves the non-tenured facul-
ty, teaching fellows and staff vulnerable.
In this sense, everyone in these groups
is "axeable". Two questions immediate-
ly arise. First, should people be cut at
all, i.e., where can cuts in non-salary
budgets be made? Second, where should
the personnel budget be cut, if it is
get
surgeon's
primer
necessary?
What becomes clear is that being axe-
able is not a distinctive characteristic
of the Pilot Frogram. Among those posi-
tions not protected, which are expend-
able? Here the second reason looms.
One of the most unpleasant possibilities
is the use of a budget cut to cloak poli-
tical retribution. Despite repeated denials
by the LS&A dean's office, it is difficult
to ignore that the Pilot Program has
long been opposed by those elements in
the College which now suggest that it be
terminated for financial reasons.
If back room politics is not the basis
for this suggestion, what is? The last
two reasons are relevant.
WHAT IS THE core of the University's
educational activity? The suggestion that
the Pilot Program might not be a part
came from the LS&A dean's office and
the six faculty members on the LS&A
Executive Committee. Shall the definition
of this core be their responsibility, or
should a larger segment of the Uni-
versity community be involved?
One question which would be a part
of a public consideration of the broad
bases for budgetary decisions is the rela-
tive value of innovation to the life of the
College. Extensive funding of innovative
programs could be viewed as a luxury
in hard times.
However, the Pilot Program costs two-
tenths of one per cent of the LS&A bud-
get (according to the University's official
financial report). Precisely because its
staff is entirely teaching fellows, t h e
Pilot Program has the lowest cost-per-
credit-hour of any unit in LS&A.
IT MAY NOT be a coincidence that
no students are members of the LS&A
Executive Committee, or even permitted
to be present, and that student disinter-
est in Pilot was seriously considered.
Since he story of its proposed elimination
was leaked to the Daily less than two
weeks ago, the Pilot Program has receiv-
ed a degree of student support rare in
recent times. The protests have not only
been from present and former Pilot stu-
dents, but from many others.
Current students may be more career-
oriented and fewer interested in an edu-
cation experiment for themselves. How-
ever, the spontaneous student support for
the Pilot Program seems to indicate
that a sizeable group of students does
want what Pilot ofers, and an even larg-
'You don't have an inferiority complex. You are inferior.'
~U~ £rti 3zrn atM
Eighty-four years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Friday, January 31, 1975
News Phone: 764-0552
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104
Sacred cows and knives
er number of students feel that the
existence of the Pilot Program may en-
rich their own education.
MANY OF THE ideas in the report
of the Dean's Commission on Graduation
Requirements in LS&A were influenced
by the work of the program over the
last thirteen years, and recent innova-
tions in academic counseling throughout
LS&A had their origin in Alice Lloyd.,
The whole has always been greater
than the sum of its financial pares at
Pilot. Much of the program represents
ao additional cost to the UniversityExam-
piles are Pilot sections of regular LS&A
courses and a whole range of activities
which have made Alice Lloyd Hall the
highest rated dormitory by its residents
for years (according to official surveys
conducted by the Housing Office). With
the rising costs of university education,
rarely is so little spent for so much.
The example of the Pilot Program may
not be indicative of how LS&A or the
University as a whole will approach the
cutting of its budget. It does point out
some of the dangers. Perhaps precisely
because budget-cuting is so difficult a
task, it must be shared broadly.
John Ellis is a graduate student in
higher education and a former Pilot Pro-
"ram staff member.
FACED WITH A FOUR per cent cut
in state funds. University officials
have reacted predictably by threat-
ening newer, innovative academic
programs with severe cutbacks or
virtual annihilation. Apparently, the
administration would prefer to see
such experimental efforts as the Pilot
Program, Course Mart or Women's
Studies feel the pinch before sacred
cows like administrative costs are
slashed.
Although some students, particu-
larly those enrolled in Pilot, have
made their opinions heard on the is-
sue, the fact remains that the de-
cision on cutbacks will probably be
reached by "higher" authorities, if, in
fact a decision has not already been
made. As administrators continue to
back down on many of the liberal re-
forms passed in the late '60's, it's be-
coming obvious that officials have
never particularly cared for those in-
novations, and would just as well like
to see them eliminated. While the im-
mediate future may look bleak, par-
ticularly as a result of the current
financial problems, students can at
least take some consolation in know-
ing for sure who their real friends
and opponents are.
--JEFF SORENSEN
Bomb Killing for peace?
T LOOKS LIKE the Weather Un-
derground is at it again, this
time with a bombing at the State
Department in Washington and an
attempted bombing in Oakland, Cali-
fornia, apparently protesting U. S.
support of the Saigon regime.
These actions are senseless. Vio-
lence is, after all, a tactic which is
used only when sense and reason
fail. But just as senseless is the Ad-
ministration's plan for escalating U.
S. involvement in Indochina. The war
was supposed to be over two years
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Susan Ades, Gordon Atcheson,
Dan Biddle, Barb Cornell, Anne
Marie Lipinski, Rob Meachum, Jim
Nicoll, Steve Selbst, Suanne Tiberio
Editorial Page: Marnie Heyn, S t e v e
Ross, Steve Stojic
Arts Page: George Lobsenz
Photo Technician: Steve Kagan
ago - "peace
ber?
with honor," remem-
The only difference between these
forms of violence is where they take
place, one in a "patriotic building"
and one all over a subcontinent
thousands of miles away. Unfortun-
ately, Americans have an unfortunate
tendency to ignore nastiness until it
erupts in their own back yard.
IT IS GOING TO take a joint effort
by everyone involved, including
our Secretary of State, to clear up
this mess. Congress must assume con-
trol of the purse strings. Henry Kis-
singer must forsake his megalomani-
cal plan for a pax Americana. And
the Weather Underground should
find less violent ways to protest.
And most importantly, The Ameri-
can people must finish the work of
ending long-distance violence over
there.
-ROB MEACHUM
ROTC
To TheIDaily:
IN THE interest of objectiv-
ity, I would like to clarify Step-
hen Hersh's article on the ROTC
mass meeting held Wednesday.
(Daily, 1/30/75).
After considerable empty dis-
cussion during which many peo-
pie left the meeting in disgust,
two proposals for acti,)n were
brought forward. In the opinion
of many "hese two motions
could have easily been meshed
into one the-eby gi n g , t h e
committee a tronkgtr bate of
unity. The adopted proposal is
based on the assumption that
student sentiment is not radi-
c a] enough to sustain the de-
mand that ROTC be kick d off
campus, therefore in the course
of the protes: we can only "de-
mand that the issue be raised."
This clever bit of soph stry is
a fine example of the reformism
a few people used to cloud the
I issue.
The second proposal it ex-
plained by Hersn, was based on
the fact that the ROTC issue
is not an isolated quest or of
academic credit, but rather is a
symptom of a crisis-ridder cap-
italist system trying to save it-
self througn stepped up military
aggression. We see this oemon-
stration in the context of a
growing student movement to
opose the system. The demand
to stop credit iL only a step in
the direction of getting ROTC
off campus. By limiting itself
to the crew" issue the commit-
tee is contributing to the very
anathy it claims is so pervasive.
I 'night add that the poorly pub-
licized meeting is more likely to
be responsible for the turnout
than a lack of anti-ROTC senti-
ment.
IN SHORT, the sweet-liberal
arguments to focus on the issue
of credit and getting wishy-
washy liberal professors out to
vote, insult the students' ability
to see this issue for what it is.
ROTC supplies the milrary with
over % of its officers. The mili-
tary must turn about recent
trends in the direction of declin-
ing ROTC enrollment in order
to save the U.S. imperialist sys-
tem. Reoewed aggression in the
Middle East and Vietnam are
timely ex'mples of this coun-
try's desptrate situation. RO'l.,
being summoned to the rescue,
wants t.i enhance its legitimacy
dwith aademic credit. Studeni
oposed i o ItOTC on any grounds
must )e un ted and it dIitant if
our den,-mriw are to be taken
erioj v" M a conservative fa-
Letters
or not to restore credit to
ROTC, I must say a few words.
I was a University student dur-
ing the years 1969-73. As some
of you might recall, 1969.70 was
a year of much concentrated
student effort against the war in
Southeast Asia - and against
ROTC. That year was the last in
a decade of student protest
against war and the military as
being imniot al, oppressi m,, ty-
rannical. Many students were
awakened to the horror of the
military t s they were being
faced with the threat of being
drafted intn the war in South*
east Asia. Others were also see-
ing the atr .:ity of U.S. involve-
ment in Viet N am - they saw
the U.S. as being responsjblo for
backing a corrupt regime and
helping to ruin a land anda ts
people, to the profit of war-
mongering corporations. These
aroused people joined together
toi oppose the military and the
e: stence of ROTC on campus.
W th such strong student senti-
ment, there was no way that
LSA could have done anything
but strip Ro .)C of University
cre.it.
NOW, IN 19' with st u'de n t
apathy regircing polil. " af.
fT.'is, the mater of RO1C credit
is resurrected. And the LSA
S aclaty w'm lean in favr of
RO' C have a chance to gain
favor for ROTC, because the in-
tellectual community here is
morally weak, after a period of
inflammatory activity against
immoral institutions, such as
the war machine. The flame has
grown dimmer - and the pro-
posal to give ROTC credit was
able to get through the LSA Cur-
riculatm (C(mmittee. There was
not enouh -voices to op,) se it.
I gradu ved from the Umryr -
sity in 1)3. I was in App '.achia
this past y-, r; I just recently
returnedl tr Arn Arbor. I saw
the ev'i dinn of multi national
corpvations in Appalaci A-
and I sce it here, backing the
U.S. rmihtar a institutions and
war research. And I see a fine
institution. the Universi y back
ing .hese same activities. As a
child who blossomed in the late
1960's. it maaes me sad to see
all the ,ibe'ating organizirn of
the 6.; 'a, haphazard and cha-
otic as u m ,r have bee ,- Oun-
done now.
STUDENTS of the 1970's: --
speak to any faculty ?e:,;s
you Brow n the final ho irs be-
fore tho(r : ute and aO e'
1SA acuny meeting, \lni lay,
Feb. 3, at 4:00 p m., An: K ",
offer clearly intended to be re-
fused. That the Administration
would deliberately not hire an
eminently qualified scientist and
administrator for the LS&A
deanship, and deliberately fail
to take advantage of an histori-
cal opportunity to follow through
on its publicly acknowledged
commitment to affirmative ac-
tion, is insulting not only to Dr.
Cobb, but to all individuals in
the University community who
are concerned about the persist-
ence of sexism and racism at
this insttution.
As graduate studentsbwe are
angry and frightened by t h e
Administration's apparent repud-
iation of its commitment to af-
firmative action. As members of
GEO we can testify that he in-
transigence of the Administra-
tion in collective bargaining on
affirmative action for graduate
employees is yet another exam-
ple of the hypocrisy characteris-
tic of its commitment to justice
for all women and minorities.
We hope that this outrage will
be prevented from achieving its
aim by the indignation and pres-
sure of all individuals commit-
ted to affirmative acton at this
institution.
-Anne Locksley
(Psychology)
Marti Halpern (History)
Basil Allen (American
Culture)
Members of GEO Fair
Practices Committee
January 29
To The Daily:
I AM A black faculty member
at Michigan and like so many of
your readers I have been follow-
ing your coverage of the Cobb-
Administration controversy with
mounting concern. Can a n y-
thing less be concluded than
that the Administration has be-
haved rather badly throughout
the entire affair? If the Ad-
ministration ever really intend-
ed to offer Jewel Cobb the posi-
tion of Dean of LS&A in good
faith that point has long been
lost in the present confusion. It
appears instead that the Ad-
ministration, despite the Re-
gents' firm go ahead, never
planned for Cobb to occupy this
very powerful post. Indeed, to
offer anyone the deanship with-
out a guarantee of tenure is a
pat on the head that certainly
Cobb could not have mistaken
for anything else.
Sadly, I find this rvealing dis-
play of public foot-shuffling put
on by President Fleming and
Vice President Rhodes an af-
already been done; why make
things any worse?
-,. H. Owens
Assistant Prfessor of
History
January 26
Kent State
To The Daily:
ON NOVEMBER 8, the eight
national guardsmen who killed
four students and wounded 9
others on May 4, 1970, were ac-
quitted. Thegrounds were that
there was not enough evidence
upon which to try them for the
"violation of the civil rights" of
the students. This cynical con-
clusion is supposed to leave the
people satisfied that "justice"
has been done.
It is sickening that even the
men who pulled the trigger to
murder four students in cold
blood have been let off by the
courts, but it should come asno
surprise. The acquittal comes
in the wake of similar inci-
dents. William Calley has just
been released from prison. And
Nixon, number one spokesman
for U.S. imperialism during the
height of the war and the shoot-
ings at Kent State and Jackson
State, is nursing his phlebitis
on a pension worth thousands of
dollars a year, and a total par-
don to boot.
When the case of the Kent
State shootings was taken into
court, many people sincerely
hoped that justice would be
done. But the courts have proven
to be a weapon used against
the people just as the national
guard was. Following the mur-
ders, 25 Kent students were in-
dicted. This slanderous attempt
to blame the shootings upon its
victims was met by such op-
position across the country that
the case had to be thrown out.
Then, last year, eight guards-
men were indicted. The guards-
men must be held accountable
for their actions. But the indict-
ments and all the publicity
around them were an attempt
to let the higher ups (like
Rhodes) go free and whitewash
the fact that an imperialist war,
which included massive bomb-
ing in Cambodia, had caused the
nationwide demonstrations that
led to the shooting at Kent and
Jackson State.
NOW THAT even tme guards-
men have been let of the hook
it has become clearer than ever
that in this society, "justice"
means pardons, dismissals, and
acquittals for those who serve
the system and its rulers well.
But for the students who pro-
to
The
Daily
continues to mean frameups, po-
lice attacks, jailing, and mur-
der at the hands of the protec-
tors of "law and order." In-
creasingly, Black and other
Third World people have borne
the brunt of violent repression,
while for working peo-4, as a
whole, "justice" has come to
mean unemployment, inflation,
and attacks on the basic right to
strike. And students aren't im-
mune either - tuition hikes, fin-
ancial aid cuts, and rising food
and gas prices have hit us too.
SUPPOSEDLY THE case of
Kent State is now closed. But
for us it is not and neither are
the cases of Jackson State and
Southern U. We students a r e
not weak. The power of the anti-
war movement was an aid to
the struggle of the Indochinese
against imperialism; and it shook
up this country's ruling class,
while spreading anti-war senti-
ment to millions of Americans.
The force of this and other
movements which have recent-
ly shaken this country is exact-
ly the reason why the ruling
class has gone to such lengths-
from the use of arms to the use
of the courts - to squelch them
and make us feel afraid to stand
up!
Our answer to this must be to
continue and build the fight
against all oppression and ex-
ploitation. The continued white-
wash of the murder of the Kent
State students, including the re-
cent acquittals, must be answer-
ed by the demand that the real
criminals be indicted!
-revolutionary Student
Brigade
December 21
dorm rates
To The Daily:
ON JANUARY 23 and again
on January 24, 1975 Glen Aller-
hand reports my alleged views
relative to the Regents approv-
ing an increase in residence
hall rates for 1975-76. Mr. Al-
lerhand's statements on my
views are erroneous and inflam-
matory. Mr. Allerhand was con-
fronted by me concerning his
first erroneous report on Jan-
uary 23. He admitted his error
to me yet on January 24 repeat-
ed similar false statements.
Rates in Univeristy residence
halls are established by the Re-
gents. On January :6, 1975 the
Regents were presented with
conies of the Rate Study Co-n-
mittee report which recom-
mends a rate decrease and
hQard the views of Mr. Richard
Munson, the principal author of
DE1EN-rEr