The Michigan Doily - Thursday, September 12, 1985-- Page 7
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Se temb_____________volume 4, no. 1
,Editor's Note: The MSA Campus Report is the successor to the MSA News, and is
published by the Michigan Student Assembly. Originally, we intended to publish every two weeks in the
Michigan Daily, but that is no longer practical.
The MSA Campus Report will be published every two weeks on Thursdays according to the following
(approximate) schedule: September 26th, October 10th, October 24th, November 7th, November 21st,
and December 5th. It will be available in most buildings around campus.
If you are interested in contributing to the MSA Campus Report call MSA at 763-3241. Submissions
are welcome with the understanding that the MSA Campus Report reserves the right to edit or reject
submissions.
MNM
MSA
- WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOUl?
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mFROM
THE
PRESIDENT
On behalf of the representatives, employees, and volunteers working at the Michigan
Student Assembly, welcome to Ann Arbor for another (or perhaps your first) year at the
University. MSA, as the representative for all students in campus-wide decision-making, has
Eeen quite active since the election last April.
W Recapping, MSA has maintained previous commitments to issues addressed by last
?ar's Assembly: the Proposed Code of Non-Academic Conduct (I'll return to this),
'ffordable off-campus housing. the problems of minority student recruitment, retention, and
graduation at the University. and the establishment of the University Sexual Assault Crisis
renter. to name a few.
Because of the impact that tuition increases and cuts in financial aid are having on
-udents. MSA is re-commiting itself to independently research the University budget
and budget process. MSA has formed a coalition with the Rackham and LSA Student
Governments to sponsor student-directed and initiated research on the $800 million
University budget. This will help us prepare for on-going and upcoming unit reviews of
University academic and research programs.
Students can be assured that we will be presenting results of this research as they surface
in public forums. press conferences. and the news media in Ann Arbor and Southeastern
Michigan. We are also planning to work with the Administration in two areas: future state
allocations to the University, and Federal Financial Aid reauthorizations, to help maintain
and expand U of M's funding.
The issue that MSA has the most visibility on across campus concerns our work around
the Proposed Code of Non-Academic Conduct. From countless meetings with University
administrators, including President Shapiro, as well as many Regents, it is clear that the
University is fully prepared to implement a Code and Judicial System within the next year
DESPITE INADEQUATE PROTECTION OF STUDENT DUE PROCESS RIGHTS.
This year is crucial to University desires to implement a Code despite student opposition.
Students must take it upon themselves to protect their own rights, and the rights of future
students at the University. MSA cannot protect your rights without you. We need your
-input, time. work. and at the least, support at rallies and forums. This will demonstrate to
the Administration and Regents that we will not support any code of conduct that is not in
the best. interest of all UM students.
~~ Finally, students have expectations of what they want their student government to do
for them; somethimes these expectations and desires are expressed to the Assembly. Often,
these concerns aren't communicated, and some students simply refuse to work with, vote
"Tor. or comment on MSA. despite their dissatisfaction with the University. Don't simply
+ine us out, bring us your concerns and suggestions, vote with care and knowledge in MSA
elections, give us a call. This year you should see a number of changes within MSA to
help us help you. My door is open to all students (and other members of the University
4tommunity) every day. Your perceptions and comments mean a great deal to the quality of
the decisions we make and the actions we take. Take the time to know us so that MSA can
help maintain the University of Michigan's tradition of excellence.
I hope to see you at the MSA Open House Wednesday, September 18th.
With best wishes for the year,
Paul Josephson
President, Michigan Student Assembly
The Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) is
YOUR campus-wide student government. Con-
sisting of 39 elected representatives from all 18
schools, colleges, and divisions on campus and nu-
merous volunteers, MSA is the voice of student
interests, needs, and concerns within the bureau-
cracy known as the University administration.
MSA believes in a democratic education. It is
OUR education; we pay for it; we have a right to
be involved in its development. However, a demo-
cratic education cannot exist without student in-
put and participation in all decision-making in the
University. MSA ensures that student input is re-
ceived and participation is respected.
MSA INTERNAL COMMITTEES
Academic Affairs-This committee addresses
the quality of education at U-M. Last year, mem-
bers of this committee examined the quality of
TAs. and professors on campus, and investigated
the issue of academic integrity and how each school
and college handles it. This committee is consid-
ering the possibility of establishing an honor code.
Budget Priorities-This committee's primary
function is to allocate approximately $25,000 to
the more than 450 registered student organiza-
tions which request funding. In this role, this com-
mittee assists the funding of numerous student-
organized programs each term.
The procedure for funding is as follows: appli-
cations for funding of recognized student organiza-
tions are received by the committee each month;
the request is reviewed by members of the com-
mittee; a hearing is held during which the group
is questioned and given a chance to discuss their
program; after gathering and reviewing this infor-
mation. the committee makes a recommendation
to the full Assembly, the Assembly votes on this
recommendation for funding at their weekly Tues-
day night meeting.
Communications-This committee is respon-
sible for publication of the MSA Campus Report,
a bi-monthly journal of the Michigan Student As-
sembly. This committee is also responsible for im-
plementing MSA's external communications and
publicity program which informs students about
what MSA is working on and how to get involved.
Housing-This committee works with both
the Residence Hall Association and the Housing
Office on the quality of dorm life, and with the
Ann Arbor Tenants Union (AATU) on off-campus
housing issues and education. This committee's
responsibilities also include planning MSA's Hous-
ing Fair every Spring for off-campus housing infor-
mation.
International Student Affairs-This commit-
tee works toward improvement of living and learn-
ing conditions for foreign students on campus. It
provides foreign students with ongoing orienta-
tions to the University and U life, works as a sup-
port group for foreign students, and sponsors a
World Music Night as well as other educational
and social activities geared specifically to needs of
international students.
Legislative Relations & Financial Aid-This
committee monitors campus, state, and federal
legislation pertaining to the status of students and
higher education in general. This committee acts
as a liason between students and campus, state,
and federal legislators on issues of concern to stu-
dents. Much of the committee's efforts last year
were focused on financial aid and the threatened
financial aid cuts at the federal level. The commit-
tee sponsored letter writing campaigns and sent
representatives to lobby for financial aid in Lans-
ing and in Washington, D.C. This committee has
also researched and lobbied against state and fed-
eral educational funding cuts and tuition increases;
conducted voter registration drives, lobby days
and letter writing campaigns; and worked on the
Solomon Amendment.
Minority Affairs-This committee addresses
the specific needs of minority students on cam-
pus, focusing on such issues as the quality of mi-
nority student services, the need for increased mi-
nority student support services, recruitment and
retention of minority students on campus, and ful-
fillment of affirmative action goals for U faculty,
staff, and administrators. It has also addressed
the issues of University investment in corporations
doing business in South Africa, and of the link
between racism in Southern Africa and racism in
the U.S. In addition, this committee plans educa-
tional events specific to the interests of minority
students.
year the board registered over 450 student organi-
zations thereby providing them with certain priv-
ileges, such as funding through the Budget Pri-
orities Committee, mailboxes, office space in the
Union and League, bake sales in the Fishbowl and
MLB to raise money, and student organization ac-
counts. None of these priviledges are unavailable
to non-registered student groups. The committee
plans to work this year on increasing interaction
between and among student organizations.
Student Rights-This committee has been in-
strumental in preventing the passage of the pro-
posed Code of Non-Academic Conduct and Uni-
versity Judicial System. The Code and System
would prohibit certain behavior and impose sanc-
tions for violations of these prohibitions. Th Code
and System are bad because they would give the
University administration illegitimate power over
students' private lives and violate students' rights.
Because students and faculty overwhelmingly op-
posed the Code and System, the Administration
backed down from its earlier threats to pass a
Code and System without student or faculty ap-
proval and sent the proposal back to committee.
Members of this committee are working on
the issue of divestment and the apartheid regime
in South Africa, and have been pushing the Uni-
versity to divest its remaining 5 million dollar in-
vestment in corporations conducting business in
South Africa. Members of this committee are cur-
rently working with the Free South Africa Coordi-
nating Committee on campus in planning for the
National Day of Protest Against Apartheid on Oc-
tober 11.
Women's Issues-This committee, made up
of men and women students, works on issues par-
ticular to women and women as students. Some
of the issues this committee has addressed in the
past include sexual harassment, contraceptive ed-
ucation, abortion, affirmative action goals, and
safety and security on campus. The main focus
of the Committee's efforts last year and continu-
ing this year have dealt with campus safety and
the problem of sexual assault on campus.
This committee has been instrumental in get-
ting the administration to recognize and admit to
the problem of sexual assault on campus, and to
begin to take action. Widespread perception on
campus that the administration has been unre-
sponsive to needs in this area led to an indepen-
dent student initiative which received much pub-
licity. This helped the Committee get the Univer-
sity to commit $75,000 to a Sexual Assault Center
for Education and Prevention on campus. Opera-
tion will begin sometime in early winter.
Minority Recruitment, Retention, and Grad-
uation Project- During the 1983-84 year, a re-
search position for the study of recruitment, re-
tention, and graduation of minority students was
created. The literature on the factors affecting mi-
nority student enrollment at predominantly white
college campuses indicates that university social
and intellectual climates are key factors in the
maintenance of significant numbers of minority
students. The weight of the evidence strongly sup-
ports non-academic factors as being responsible
for black student attrition. Some of these factors
are alienation, isolation, campus life, the number
and participation of minority faculty, staff, sup-
port services, and financial aid.
MSA Advisor on Military Research-This re-
search position was created to inform MSA repre-
sentatives and the University community about is-
sues relating to military research on campus. MSA
is currently examining the Regents' August reso-
lution to review the existing guidelines on classi-
fied research. The existing guidelines call for open
publication of research results and bar research
leading to the destruction of human life. How-
ever, last year the Department of Defense awarded
over six million dollars in research contracts to
the University, including research on tracking sub-
marines for anti-submarine warfare, Stealth tech-
nology, and the guidance system for the Phoenix
missile.
The Assembly is concerned about whether or
not the guidelines should be changed, and will
continue to gather information on the issue. In
a related issue, MSA in conjunction with CAWS
(Campuses Against Weapons in Space), a student-
faculty group on campus, will be coordinating a
National Conference on SDI entitled, "The Strate-
gic Defense Initiative and Universities" to be held
October 4 and 5 at Rackham Auditorium. Na-
JOIN A U COMMITTEE
One of the responsibilities of the Michigan Stu-
dent Assembly is appointing students to serve on
'various University committees. Some of these
;j>mmittees report to University Executive Of-
cers, some report to the Faculty Senate (the
Senate Advisory Committee on University Af-
fairs), and some report to MSA. Student commit-
tee members serve as voting representatives on
-these committees.
MSA appoints students to these committees on
the basis of interviews with the Permanent Inter-
viewing Committee (PIC). Responsibilities of ap-
pointees include: regular reports to MSA about
their committees; meetings with other MSA ap-
pointees; and providing copies of committee
minutes to MSA.
At this time, there are openings on the following
committees:
" Academic Affairs
" AdvisoryCommittee on Recreational Sports
* Advisory Committee on Affirmative Action
" Civil Liberties Board
* Development and Communications
" Financial Affairs
{ Governmental Relations
o Honorary Degrees
" Library Council
-* MSA Budget Priorities
" Military Officer Education Program
t Research Policies
0 Residency Appeals
" Review Panel for Classified Research
" Student Legal Services
* Student Relations
GET
INVOLVED
OPEN'
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