A OPINION Page 4 Eteta nv t Michigant Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Wednesday, April 15, 1981 Reflections on MSj Vol. XCI, No. 159 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, M1 48109 Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board Revising program review T HE LSA FACULTY dealt a set- back to the proposed elimination of the University's geography depar- tment Monday by rejecting a review committee's recommendation that the department be discontinued. Some faculty members raised questions about a possible bias in the review committee because two of its four members had participated in a similar committee in 1975 that was critical of the geography department. Though the review process - with allegations of bias, closed meetings, and a real student voice entirely ab- sent - was hardly ideal, both the ad- vocates and opponents of the proposed cut have had the opportunity to present their cases. The University ad- ministration - the LSA Executive Committee, Vice President for Academic Affairs Bill Frye, and the Regents - will have the arguments for each side on which to base its decision. Even if the review committee's report was not entirely objective, defenders of the geography department have had the chance to respond to the criticism and offer their own suggestions on the subject. Now it is up to the ad- ministration to carefully weigh all sides and to base its final decision on a full understanding of every point of view. To suggest that the whole review committee report be scrapped and that the entire process be started over because of a possible bias in two com- mittee members is unreasonable. There is simply not enough time to spend another two-and-a-half months reliving the same hearings and com- mittee meetings..In the face of looming tuition hikes, decisions concerning where cuts will be made in the University must be made im- mediately. But, at the same time, there is a large number of significant im- provements that can be made in the review process before the next depar- tment or program is targeted for scrutiny. Most importantly, the review process must be open to all members of the University community. The bulk of review discussions and decision- making must not go on behind closed doors in the administration or the LSA building. Interested students and faculty members should be allowed to attend and observe, with careful con- sideration of public comments sessions. Although the closing of a very few personnel discussions to outsiders might be justified, all discussion of policies should be above-board. Second, students must be granted a more meaningful role in the review process. To date, students have only been allowed to voice their opinions during a few open hearings. But, students can offer a unique insight into educational planning and must play a larger role in making the decisions which will shape their own educations. The first department review was rocky, but was at least successful in in- spiring a full public discussion of the issues. The inevitable future reviews will hopefully be much smoother, and more open, if we have learned from the struggle with geography. This past year has been a good one for the Michigan Student Assembly. We have made numerous contributions to improve students' lives in Ann Arbor. It is appropriate at this time-the changing of administrations at MSA-that we pause to reflect on the job we have done. In doing so, we should attempt to define our past strengths and weaknesses as an organization so as to learn from our ex- periences. More importantly, we should share with the incoming Assembly members a sen- se of where we have been, so that they may develop an awareness of where they will be heading." Our year as an Assemly began with a bang. Early in September, MSA threw its support behind the efforts to restore late night operating hours to the North Campus buses and the UGLI. Both of these struggles were successful ones. As a result, MSA received a good deal of complimentary coverage in The Michigan Daily. Thus from the very start of the year we had hit the ground with our wheels spinning. Following the outbreak of multiple homicides against women in Ann Arbor, the Assembly formed a security task force. Over the year, this body has addressed just about every security issue on campus. Among its many contributions, the MSA Security Task Force has successfully fought for increased lighting and telephones on and around cam- pus, offered a free self-defense class, and has worked to extend Night Owl bus service to 2 a.m. In October, MSA unleashed a massive campaign against the Tisch Tax proposal. The campaign began with MSA's coor- dination of an extensive voter-registration drive. During the 10-day drive, more than 4,200 students were registered to vote. The an- ti-Tisch campaign took many forms, in- cluding: a diag rally, extensive leafletting by Assembly members, a direct mailing to all students, and the circulation of an infor- mative slide presentation prepared by the Of- fice of State and Community Relations. This campaign demonstrated that MSA could ef- fectively take an active leadership role on issues of concern to students. In November and December, MSA distributed 8,000 free copies of its LSA cour- By Marc Breakstone se evaluation booklet. The distribution of "Course Encounters" marked . the culmination of over a year's efforts by the MSA Course Evaluation Committee. The booklet was so well received in the fall term that by March, many students were anxiously awaiting its second publication. In early December, MSA successfully fought for the provision of decent temporary housing to incoming international students during the summer months. This victory exemplified the effective advocacy role that MSA can play. Throughout the year, members of the Assembly have been actively working with other interested students to design a structure for a real student role in the governace of the Michigan Union. The passing by the Assem- bly in March of the Michigan Union Charter culminated the eight-month long struggle by many committed students to see a real student voice in the Michigan Union gover- nance. In February, MSA initiated a campus-wide campaign to prevent the Regents from en- tering into their investment portfolio the names of five industries involved primarily in defense production. Although this effort ap- pears to have been unsuccessful, we never- theless expanded students' awarenesstof issues of the social responsibility of the University. In January and February, MSA realized with the rest of the campus that the budget cuts issue was one that demanded its serious attention. Immediately, we became involved in the budget cuts process by providing direct student participation on the various review sub-committees for non-academic units. More important than this direct role, which was a very limited role because these sub- committees are only advisory, were our effor- ts to inform students of the proposed cuts, and to mobilize them to speak out against them. Thanks to the prodding of several non- Assembly members, MSA began to take direct actions to intervene in the budget cuts The Michigan Doily A labors process. In my opinion, as a representative body, we have been remiss in our responsibility to students by our relative lethargy on the: budget cuts issue. Early in January we should: have responded to the perceived crisis by- mobilizing our resources to formulate{ creative alternatives to the University's pr- oposals. We should have approached the short term problems as the commencement of a set' of problems with longer term implications. Instead, we reacted with piecemeal' panaceas and short term solutions. This response severely weakened our ability to critique the University's long-term plans for redirection which were being introduced at that time. If not for the "It's Our University"w group, which formulated the beginning of a student critique of "smaller but better," students voices would have been silenced on the question of the future of the University. I believe that in the coming year, students must play a proactive, rather than a reactive role in the unfolding of the University's plans for the future. In my opinion, the issues of budget cuts in the short term and redirection in the longer term will be most central to students' future concerns. As such, MSA must establish itself early as a legitimate represen- tative of students by preparing a responsible critique and if necessary, a set of alternatives to the central administration's proposals. Things have been and will continuerto happen very rapidly. Therefore, it is essential that the new Assembly assert itself its proper role at the earliest possible date. I hope that the present Assembly's suc- cesses through the direct action advocacy model will be instructive. to the incoming MSA. At the same time, I hope that next year's Assembly can learn from our shor- tcomings and do an even better job of representing student concerns to the Univer- sity Community. Marc Breakstone is the former president of the Michigan Student Assembly. His term in office ended yesterday. 4 Weasel by Robert Lence Health Service fee hike y ELL BOYS, WE GOT A cIAo«F- TODAY - Gwl.l oR TUNA SAt,-RA. WONDER IF THEtR = A ' MA G141 LI s AMV &OOD .p BETTERro "m TH TuASALP MEN" H EALTH SERVICE Director Dr. Caeser Briefer has proposed a 40 percent increase in mandatory Health Service fees for the 1981-82 academic year. Although the hike comes at a time when tuition and other student fees are expected to soar, we feel this increase is well-merited given the benefits of Briefer's proposal. The current Health Service fee is $33.50 per term, which covers basic of- fice services. Students, however, are assessed additonal costs for most tests and any other health services provided. Under Briefer's proposal, the fee would rise to $47, but more than 70 services would be offered without additonal charges. Some services that would be offered without an additional charge include injection service, injection medication, contraceptive fittings and insertions, pelvic examinations, and several emergency services. The $13.50 in- crease that the plan would entail cer- tainly seems reasonable for the ad- ditional services that students would receive. Another benefit is the savings it would provide for Health Service. Ac- cording to Briefer, Health Service could save several hundred thousand dollars in the next few years in billing costs. These costs could then be ap- plied to expanding health care for the students. If the Regents accept this proposal, however, University and Health Ser- vice officials must make every attem- pt to let the students know about the in- crease in services. If students are not informed of the increased benefits, the fee increase of the bill will seem totally unreasonable. Also,.students should be aware of what they are paying for. Although a significant increase from this year, the Regents should accept Briefer's Health Service plan in order to improve student health care and, as Briefer said, get Health Service "out of the business of being a business.'' 4 LETTERS TO THE DAILY:, Wise faculty decision on Geography To the Daily: On Monday, April 13, an assembly' of the University faculty voted not to approve the Geography Review Committee's report on the recommended Timely gun control stand To the Daily: Your editorial stand in support of stricter gun regulation is sound and timely. We compel automobile owners to get a new license each year, and refuse one to reckless drivers. Handgun owners might well be compelled to get an annual license, issued only to persons of responsible character. All the arguments against this, except one, are wholly without substance. For instance, that it is a constitutional right to be ar- med; the provision in question relates to the militia, whom no one is proposing to disarm! The one specious argument is that criminals would get guns anyhow. This cannot be wholly prevented, but could be discouraged by fines and confiscation for unlicensed gun owners and heavy additions to the punishment for persons convicted of crimes in which guns are used. The alternative is to leave our cities, as at present, several times as deadly as corresponding cities in Europe, where handguns are harder to get. -Preston Slosson Professor emeritus Knox, Penn. April 6 discontinuance of the Geography Department. We would like tocommend this decision by the faculty to for- malize a position expressing their mutual fear and confusion con- cerning the discontinuance process. This position signifies a change in the faculty's con- sciousness - a recognition of their power to influence Univer- sity policy. However, this decision demon- strated only a single step toward collectively reaching an alter- native to "discontinuance." The faculty must follow through on this action in which they have shown a desire to change the direction of the budget review procedure. Do they want to continue in the direction they have chosen by not accepting the Geography report? We support the faculty's choice to finally enact the power that they have always possessed. -Marc Breakstone, president, Michigan Student Assembly; Jon Feiger, MSA president- elect; Bruce Goldman, MSA elections director; Shawn Goodman, MSA mem- ber; David Swaine, writer for Ann Arbor Line. April 14 i °a Rru \tE h yl fM j ~, 1 I I vIE ci tL a Free' Health Service f' .fg THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL pin A J To the Daily: So Health Service fees may go up 40 percent? Rn this wilal 11nw Health Ser- find an economist who knows that words have meanings. They will find that "free" does not mean "that which others pay for again- MEMELT--T Ar141F XL