The Michigan Daily-Thursday, September 9, 1982--Page 15=g Who's running the ' '? By BARRY WITT The people who run the University work here only two days a month. On the third Thursday and Friday of every month, six men and two women gather at the Administration Building to ap- prove the policies that affect about 50,000 students and faculty and staff members. It might seem odd that such a large ' stitution is run on such a part-time sis, but that's the paradox University officials would like everyone to believe. But few do. The idea that those six men and two women-collectively known as the Board of Regents-control the Univer- sity is purely hypothetical. In reality, a huge bureaucracy, headed by Univer- sity President Harold Shapiro and the si vice presidents, keeps the campus running. THE REGENTS, who are all elected by votes of the state to eight-year ter- ms, retain the final authority on every decision at the University. If they decide something needs to be done, they have the power to do it. But things rarely work that way on campus. Most decisions are made well before the issues are presented to the Regents, and the board has long been accused of merely rubber stamping the recom- endations of the administration. Because the University is made up of a decentralized system of schools and colleges, most questions on academics are left to the various deans and faculties. Other questions of Univer- sity-wide concern usually run through an elaborate maze of student and/or. faculty committees, lower-, and mid-, and high-level administrators, and eventually the Regents. Sometimes the bureaucratic process kes many months or even years; ther times the decisions are rather routine and take little time. In any case, the system is designed to allow input from appropriate members of the University community before decisions are finalized. OVER THE YEARS, however, many critics of the administration have said that that system doesn't always work that way. They have pointed to the any committees that work behind Wlosed doors as inhibitors to a process of open decision making. Not too many years ago, the Regents themselves met in closed sessions. But the Open Meetings Act of 1977 forced decision-making bodies in the state to meet in public. Since that time, the Regents have declared themselves the sole body on Deane Baker Baker, 57, is the lone Republican and usually the most vocal member of the board. An Ann Arbor resident, Baker operates a local construction and real estate firm. He is an outspoken defen- der of the Regents' autonomy in con- trolling University affairs and criticized suggestions last year that the office become appointed rather than elected. Gerald Dunn As a lobbyist for public schools in Michigan, Dunn, 47, remains well aware of the state financial situation which has plagued the, University in recent years. Dunn previously served on the state senate. Paul Brown Brown, 47, is the son of former U.S. Senator Prentiss Brown. The Regent, who lives in Petoskey, graduated from the University's law school. In recent years, he's been one of the quieter mem- bers of the board. Thomas Roach Roach, 53, pays close attention to the detail of matters that come before the Regents. Although the materials the Regents receive is often capsulized and rather limited, Roach often spots places where slip-ups may have oc- curred and insists on more detailed ex- planations. A Saline resident, Roach is running for re-election this fall. The Regents LSA faculty previously had asked that the department not be closed, although their vote was non-binding; only the Regents vote really counted. In the years when the Regents met in closed, sessions, they defended that practice as a means of more effective governance. They maintained that they could assess the issues more freely and tackle the tough problems the Univer- sity faced more effectively without the fear of public intimidation. EVEN THOUGH THE Open Meetings Act forbids the Regents from taking that approach any more, University decision making still works in much the same way; it's just that now the Regen- ts are left out. The executive officers and various other commit- tees-especially those that deal with budgets-still practice what is described as the "efficient" or closed- door method of decision making. They argue that public participation would mean meetings could drag on forever without accomplishing anything. In their monthly meetings, the Regents usually do have one or more lengthy discussions on various topics in addition to the routine acceptance of reports and approval of executive of- ficer proposals. The discussions often concentrate on financial matters, such as the construction of new University buildings or the status of state funding for the University. THUS FAR, the Regents have had lit- tle say on the University's budget reallocation plans because most of the budget reductions and additions have been made within individual University divisions. The Regents must approve the annual budget as a whole before it is implemented, but most of the actual budgeting is done by the central ad- ministration. The Regents also must perform the annual ritual of raising tuition. Even before the past three years of double- digit percent, tuition hikes, the Regents raised the price of a University degree by lesser amounts, but always "with deep regret." Whatever the mental anguish the Regents put themselves through, when it comes time to vote, they always find some way to say 'aye' to the increases. The same is true forafaculty and staff pay raises, which, are consistently called "inadequate" by Regents, ad- ministrators, and faculty membelrs alike. Nevertheless, the Regents keep finding that they must increase tuition above the inflation rate while keeping pay hikes below increases in the cost of living. Nellie Varner Varner joined the board in January 1981. She speaks up on women's and minorities' issues, but doesn't get in- volved much further. She is a partner in Strather & Varner Properties, a Detroit real estate brokerage firm. Robert Nederlander Nederlander, whose family operates many theaters around the country, is a 14-year veteran of the board. A lawyer from Detroit, Nederlander, 49, often questions the University's commitmen- ts and long-term obligations. Sarah Power Power, 47, worked in the Carter ad- ministration as deputy secretary of state for human rights and social af- fairs. The daughter-in-law of a Regent emeritus, Power is running for re- election to the board this fall. James Waters Waters, 42, often will express his dismay with matters in private discussions but rarely speaks at board meetings. He has proposed a number of liberal measures during his tenure on the board but is often outvoted by wide margins. campus with decision-making powers and have decided that administration and faculty committees serve only ad- visory roles, therefore giving such groups the right to close their doors to the public and press. WHEN ISSUES FINALLY reach the Regents at open meetings, members of the board usually have no option other than to accept the recommendations of those advisory committees and the ad- ministration. The Regents themselves do not have the time to do as lengthy reviews as those other groups had. Critics point to the example of the geography department's fate last year. After six months of closed-door review by a budget committee, the LSA executive committee, and the Univer- sity executive officers (the president and the six vice presidents), the Regen- ts immediately accepted their recom- mendations to eliminate the depar- tment. In an open debate and vote, the 0 HA T'S It At, 4, v) NIN -ti '- pj 0 0 0* \A ' C C!C n G~ r I a UM E? * Textbooks DISCOUNTED! L.AVC. 8111x. Zc. T//A YCER DAAL L.A_ t.A| " Al I I the Supplies you NEED _S.4r6AESr~ " All the "M" Imprinted Clothing and ;sr-.,.. i aIA rI LIIP Follett's hI AA YAJ9gI