60
OPINION
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Page 4
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Thursday, February 18, 1982
The Michigan Daily
0
Editor's note: The political cartoons of artist Pete Sinclair will now
be appearing on the Daily's Opinion Page on a regular basis. Sin-
clair, who graduated from the University in 1975 with a bachelor's
degree in fine arts, lives and works in Midland, Mi.
Sinclair
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Vol. XCII, No. 115
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, M1 48109
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...THIIS TDFENKSE. OU
REPRESENTS, THEI 50B
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
A lesson on tenure
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N LSA committee claimed Tues-
Aday that it was concerned with the
way tenure is granted at this Univer-
sity. Such concern is extremely valid.
Members of the LSA Curriculum
Committee raised the possibility
Tuesday that perhaps too many
professors were being granted tenure
on the basis of their research abilities
and not enough were being granted
tenure on the basis of their teaching
abilities. Specifically, thy cited the
case of English Prof. Barbara Bono,.
wh' was denied tenure last year. From
allreports Bono is a fine teacher. Last
year she received the Class of '23
Distinguished Teaching Award. And
et she was denied a tenured status. If
she was denied this tenure because her
research record did not meet up to her
teadhing record, then the University
may be headed for trouble.
There undoubtedly is a shift of focus
toward research at the University.
Fromn the introduction of a robotics
center to the preliminary plans for a
Michigan Research Corporation, the
University seems bent on placing its,
money on the profitable fields of
research.
But if this shift spreads to the hiring
and tenuring of teachers, then the
University may be making a drastic
Playing
S ECRETARY OF State Alexander
Haig and Defense Secretary
Caspar Weinberger, with their recent
feuding, have helped turn U.S. foreign
policy into a complex guessing game.
For allies, who traditionally look to
America' to provide the rules of the
game, the object is to guess which
secretary expresses the actual ad-
ministration position.
Hiaig and Weinberger have a
netriously long history of mutual,
animosity. Now the two are letting
their personal differences threaten
s4ch sensitive foreign affairs issues as
the Mideast and Poland. With their
petty squabbles, the secretaries may
be on the way to undermining U.S.
credibility in the entire international
arena.
The secretaries' differences sur-
fced dramatically this week during
Weinberger's Mideast tour. Wein-
berger paved the way for a major
policy contradiction by publicly sup-
porting an advanced air weapons sale
to Jordan. Israeli leaders, fearful of an
arms sale that could damage their air
superiority, justifiably demanded a
policy clarification. The' ad-
Ministration promptly discounted any
intention of such an arms sale, while
Haig staff members quickly spread
mistake. The University's primary
responsibility is teaching students, not
turning out technical reports.
Professors who excel in research do
not always excel in teaching. Because
a professor spends most of his or her
time in laboratories does not mean he
or she will be able to educate students
in an intelligent and productive man-
ner.
If teaching is not stressed when
making tenure decisions, it reflects a
gross neglect of the student body's
wishes. Students do not enroll 'in the
University at the undergraduate level
because three-quarters of the faculty
had articles published in scientific or
literary journals.
The administration's desire to keep a
prestigious member at the
University is understandable. A
famous faculty certainly looks good in
national academic circles. But
perhaps the administration has lost
sight of what a quality faculty really
is-teaching is just as important, if not
more so, than research.
The ability to educate-students on a
quality level should be one of the basic
priorities of this University. If it isn't,
then maybe someone should do a little
research on the subject to find out why.
to lose
rumors of Weinberger's pro-Arab
stance,.
These official antics have extended
to the administration's sanctions on
Poland. While Weinberger presses a
-hard and threatening line on allied
cooperation with Reagan's sanctions,
Haig projects a conciliatory tone.
Haig, too, urges allied support, but
claims that European realities may
rule out severe action against neigh-
boring Russia. European leaders, con-
fused about where to place their bets,
have expressed doubts on just what the
American stand on sanctions really is.
These fun and games by Haig and
Weinberger carry serious consequen-
ces - contradictory policy statements
could undermine allied faith in U.S.
foreign relations. This is one area in
which allies still consistently look to
America for leadership.
Unfortunately, the follies of Haig and
Weinberger may be leading our
political reputation down a dangerous
path. In a game assensitive andtas
immediate as foreign policy, the
United States must be able to provide
its allies with intelligent and com-
prehensive answers to intricate
questions. If the United States can't
find the leadership to do so, then we,
and our allies, will end up as the big
lners
MILITAM MIND'
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Boosting Michiganeconomy
with dollars for defense
Phil Ruppe, a former Upper Peninsula
representative to Congress, is running for
the Republican nomination for
Michigan's 1982 senatorial race. Ruppe,
whc left Congress in 1978, hopes to
replace Sen. Donald Riegle in the fall.
Ruppe has already received the backing
of 46 state representatives. He spoke to
Daily Opinion Page Editors Andrew
Chapman and Julie Hinds last week about
Michigan 's declining economic condition
and federal defense spending.
BEDTIME FORELSAL'ADOR
.Daily: What do you think about the
economic future of Michigan? Do you think
that growth in fields such as high technology
and robotics is the answer to our economic
problems?
Ruppe: We need jobs in Michigan; we need
a change in the economic climate and direc-
tion of the state. We can, at the state and
federal level, assist the auto industry in tur-
ning around its sales and production. But
there's no question that new business is im-
portant. I feel strongly that even if the auto
industry is restored to health and vigor, there
will still be three, four, perhaps half a million
people needing jobs in Michigan. It's been
said that these new industries have the means to
provide some 200,000 new jobs, plus future
growth.
To look even further, the defense budget
could be very important for Michigan. We get
a very poor return in terrs of defense dollars
for Michigan-we get back only 35 or 36 cents
for every dollar we send to Washington. The
defense budget is going to be spent, so I think
it's up to our senators to find out how more of
this research and more of these production
dollars can be spent in Michigan.
Daily: How would you work in the Senate to
stimulate Michigan's economic climate?
Ruppe : We're not getting our share of
defense contracts in Michigan. We should be
finding out why we don't get defense produc-
tiop jobs into Michigan. From a long-term
perspective, we also need the federal gover-
nment to increase its investment in basic
research, much of which would flow into the
University system.
I think we may have to have a retraining
program for industrial workers. We should
put a strong emphasis into a retraining
program for those industrial employees who
have lost their jobs because of foreign com-
petition. These people obviously are skilled
and want to work, they have all the attributes
we need for this country.
Daily What about easing auto restrictions?
Ruppe: On autos, I think our senators
should take the lead in passing legislationathat
would ease emissions standards in cars for
the next couple of years. It would save large
amounts on cars.
Daily: What about the effect on the en-
vironment?
Ruppe: Well, the National Council on Air
Quality said that there would be no more
damage to air quality. In fact, you could have
an easing of the standards for the next couple
of years and still have an improvement in air
quality, because for every new car you sell
and every old car you scrap you havean
automatic increase in quality.
Daily: Do you support President Reagan's
"New Federalism" swap?
Ruppe: I think federalism would work out;
I think we have to think it out a little more
carefully. You wouldn't want a system where
some states do better in terms of providing
services, and other, less fortunate states give
their citizens substa'ntially less. And one has
to be sure that if a state took over a federal
program it would meet the various
requirements of minorities and of urban
populations around the state.
Daily: Do you think "Ne'w Federalism"
would particularly affect Michigan?
Ruppe: It's too early to say. But the head of
social services has indicated that by taking
over basic welfare and food stamps and
giving the federal government Medicaid, the
swap would result in large savings for the
state.
Daily: Do. you think $:eagan has ,put too
many federal programs, especially social,
services?
Ruppe: Generally, last year I would have
supported his budget cuts. Last year we
looked at the civilian programs for waste,
duplication, overlap, etc. I think this same
type of examination should be given to the
defense budget. And in my opinion, if that's
done, we can save anywhere from eight to
twelve billion dollars. It's important that
people who have been affected by cuts in
social programs, that before they're affected
any more, they have to have a sense that all
aspects of the federal budget, including
defense, get the same careful scrutiny.
Daily: What about cuts in federal and state
aid to higher education?
Ruppe: When I was in Congress I was a
very strong supporter of federal aid to
education. I would have voted for the Reagan
cuts last year, but before we make any fur-
ther education cuts, we've got to take a look at
other budget areas, such as defense.
Daily: What do you think about the Reagan
sanctions against Poland?
Ruppe: It's very difficult to initiate tougher
sanctions against Poland when we don't have
world cooperation. We can only initiate an
embargo if we have support. I would hope
that we would make every effort to ensure
that we don't' ship high technology infor-
mation or products to Japan, and other
foreign allies not backing our sanctions.
4
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Daily: 'What about an issue like El
Salvador?
Ruppe: I think we should give them aid. I
don't think we should put American troops-
here, and I think we should put heat on the'
Salvadoran government to stop tortures and
come up with an agrarian reform policy. I
would like to see us pressure for reform by
using a combination of carrot and stick with
foreign aid.
Dialogue is a weekly feature of the
Daily's Opinion Page and appears every
Thursday.
Weasel
TS FTORMIFA
CONTNUES... 1xi You 150ys
KNOW THAT
1UN719 IS I U. AL
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By Robert Lence
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