Page 4-Saturday, June 9, 1979-The Michigan Daily
Michigan Daily
Eighty-nine Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Ml. 48109
Vol. LXXXIX, No. 28-S News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
IT t77I
Presidents face-
monumental task
M ICHIGAN STATE University (MSU) has
ended its tedious year and a half search
for a new president, selecting Dr. Cecil Mackey,
president and professor of law at Texas Tech-
nological University. We wish MSU and Dr.
Mackey all the best of luck in their cooperative
endeavors to raise further the all-around status of
our East Lansing peer institution.
Dr. Mackey's background suggests a learned,
competent individual who is accustomed to
dealing with private and public administration.
Several of the persons who have worked with him
and below him have lauded his intelligence and
leadership abilities.
These traits are valuable to a university
president, charged with orchestrating relations
with a wide range of public and private interests,
as well as a rapport with the state legislature. It is
hoped that he can help achieve MSUs goals at this
crucual time in the school's development.
Dr. Mackey's policies were criticized when he
was president of the University of South Florida
and Texas Tech. His strength on affirmative ac-
tion issues has been questioned by students and
faculty from his former presidencies, but it is
hoped that any previous difficulties stay behind
him.
Presidential selection is also a subject topping
the agenda of this University. As the list of can-
didates diminishes and the final stages commen-
ce, it is hoped that extreme care is taken to make
the wisest possible choice. The president will be
this institution's guiding force for the next decade,
and he must steer it deftly through the many
social and financial-difficulties.
Our next president will direct the overall em-
phasis on research and teaching, as well as affir-
mative action, tenure, and a host of other issues.
We look forward to his or her selection and forth-
coming leadership.
SPRING EDITORIAL STAFF
ELIZABETHSLWIEK
Editor-in-Chief
JUDY RAKOWSKY
Editorial Director
JOSHUA PECK
ArtsDirector
MAUREENOiWALLEY
LISA UDELSON
Photographers
STAFF WRITERS: Sara Anspach, Amy Dianond, Julie Engbrech, John Goyer,
Patricia Hagen, Vicki Henderson, Adrienne Lyons, Beth Persky, JohnSink-
evies, Tim Yagle.
BUSINESS STAFF
LISA CULBERSON ........................Business Manager
ARLENE SARYAN ...........Saes Manage
BETH WARREN .. ..... ....... ..Display Manage
MARKSCHWARTZ.....................ClassifiedAd Manager
STAN BERKMAN .............. National Advertising Manager
RANDY KELLEY.. ... Operatlons Supervisor
PBTE.PEfFRSHN . .. _ . dy ertising-oOdatr* a
1 11t W1
MSU picks president
TEXAS TECHNOLOGICAL
University lost a president
Thursday, when Michigan State
University (MSU) announced the
appointment of Cecil Mackey to
its own top post.
Mackey, a tall, lanky 50-year-
old transportation policy
specialist, had been a victim of a
tense, tumultuous MSU presiden-
tial search in mid-April, when he
withdrew from the field of con-
tenders after his name was
published in a list of candidates.
This leak came near the end of a
series of breaches against the
"confidentiality" and "privacy"
the MSU search committee
used to close its meetings to the
public.
After the April incident, the 17-
member search committee-of-
ficially monickered The Search
and Selection Committee Ad-
visory to the Board of Trustees on
the Appointment of a President,
an ironic illustration of the con-
fusion surrounding the
process-abandoned its task and
claimed the publicity had
destroyed its credibility.
MSU trustees then appointed a
select search committee to con-
clude the process.
Mackey said Thursday he
agreed to re-enter the presiden-
tial race after MSU trustees
assured him there would be no
publicity.
Makey's April withdrawal and
the hurried interview last week of
Barbara Reagan, an economics
professor from Southern
Methodist University in Texas,
made Mackey's appointment a
surprise to many people. Some
speculated that because Acting
President Edgar Harden, a
favorite in East Lansing, an-
nounced he would leave June 30,
the selection process that had
dragged for 1 months suddenly
accelerated.
In his wake at Texas Tech and
at the University of South Florida
(USF), Mackey leaves a
reputation dotted with both
praise and damnation. During his
1971-76 tenure as the head of USF,
Mackey faced no-confidence
votes from his faculty, demon-
strations from his students, and a
state investigation into his affir-
mative action policies. "My con-
dolences to MSU," said one USG
employee. Although Mackey's af-
firmative action policies at Texas
Tech reportedly were lacking,
they did not cause the disturban-
ces they did at USF.
"Heis a strong person and will
do a good job," said outgoing
President Harden. "He is
thorough and able on the basis of
his record in working with a state
legislature."
Democrats tour
Detroit
MOVE OVER Big Apple. Step
aside Philly. The Motor
City wants all of the action.
As the competition for selection
of a site for the 1980 Democratic
National Convention has become
more intense, the three
finalists-New York,
Philadelphia, and Detroit-have
stepped up efforts to woo the
Dems (and their pocketbooks) to
their respective turfs. So, this
week, '* i.fmbes ' bf the
Democratic Site Selection Com-
BEK IN REVIEW
mittee came to Detroit to check
out the feasibility of having the
city host their convention.
Detroit, which already has
snatched up the GOP convention,
is anxious to see yet another
major event take placetwithin its
borders. Economically, the
Democratic convention would
give the shops, restaurants,
hotels, and service-oriented
businesses a big boost.
Also, the selection of Detroit by
the Democrats would help'
reestablish a positive national
reputation for the Motor City,
both politcally and economically.
Detroit is successfully regaining,
life-by means of a "renaissan-
ce"-and it is vital that its image
be bolstered.
Ann Arbor also is playing a
major role in Detroit's pitch to
the Democrats. Because the city
and the University will be
providing a total of 3,500 rooms
for the Democrats, five members
of the selection committee toured
Ann Arbor Tuesday, sizing up the
various planned accom-
modations.
Committee Chairman Donald
Fowler said, "If there is a
question (about which city they
will select) it lies with hotel
space."
We can only hope the accom-
modations offered by Ann Arbor
live up to the committee's expec-
tations, for the University and the
city could surely benefit from a
convention held in Detroit.
University Regent Sarah
Power. (D-Ann Arbor), who met
with members of the Democratic
Site Selection Committee this
week, said "I think it's
(Michigan) and important state,
and people should realize that."
Holding both the Democratic and
the Republican conventions in
Detroit is important to Michigan
residents and to the nation.
Child Care Center
seeks site
T HE CHILD CARE- Action
Center (CCAC) has known its
days were numbered since early
Febraury. Due to the Depar-
tment of Social Services' crack-
down on fire code enforcement
the University-affiliated day care
facility will have to close its doors
when its license expires.
The Center currently operates
under a license that will remain
in effect for another year, at
which time a temporary license
of undetermined duration will be
sought by the Center.
The Center's directors say they
do not expect to terminate CCAC
upon evacuation, but they have
no place to go. The University is
unwilling to help the Center
relocate. CCAC directors have of-
fered to trade their 2,700 square
feet of office space in the
Education Building for a
destination on another part of
campus.
If the Center does close its
doors permanently, the 36
existing day care centers in Ann
Arbor cannot pick up the slack.
The city's centers are full and
many have extensive waiting
lists. The CCAC has a waiting list
of more than 100 parents' names,
with an average wait of one year.
The shortage of day care resour-
ces prevents women from joining
the work force.
Vice-President for Student
Services Henry Johnson admit-
ted day care is a fairly low
priority, and said the office's
obligation is confined to serving
married students on North Cam-
pus.
North Campus is favored as a
future site for the CCAC by its
directors. Operational policy, ac-
cording to Johnson, prevents
North Campus general fund
money from being spent on child
care. He also claims that locating
the Center there would raise ren-
ts for married students.
Week-in-review was written by
Editor-in-chief Elizabeth Slowik,
-Editorial -director -Judy Rakowsky,
and Managing Editor John Sinkevics.