It,, Ut' Weather Tonight: Mostly cloudy, low in the mid-40s Tomorrow: Partly sunny, high in the 60s. One hundred four years of editorial freedom Tuesday March 14, 1995 Sf . Native American students may lose tuition waiver By Zachary M. Raimi Daily Staff Reporter Pamela Bowser's college educa- tion may end a year early if Gov. John Engler's proposal to eliminate funding for Michigan's 19-year-old Indian Tu- ition Waiver program passes the state Legislature. Bowser, a Native American and lrsing junior, said she could not afford college if she were forced to pay tuition. "I think (Engler's proposal) is a terrible idea because it's my only source of financial aid for attending college," Bowser said. "I would not be able to continue in the fall without this pro- gram." Any student with at least one-quar- ter Native American blood who is reg- ;red with a tribal association can end any of the state's 15 public insti- tutions without paying tuition under the program, which grew out of an 1836 treaty negotiated when the tern- tory of Michigan took Indian lands in exchange for promises to give Native Americans adequate education and health care. Engler's plan faces stiff opposition in the 'state Legisature. State Rep. Onald Gilmer (R-Augusta), who chairs the House Appropriations Com- mittee and its subcommittee on higher education, said the subcommittee fa-' vors continuing the program,not aban- doning it. "I think the (subcommittee) will pass a recommendation that will con- tinue the program," Gilmer said. The Appropriations Committee is aeduled to vote on Engler's proposal arch 23 or 24. Should it pass, the proposal would go before the House in early April. Last year, the program gave tuition waivers to 72 University students, out of 249 who identified themselves as Native Americans. Statewide, it granted waivers to about 2,750 students, cost- ing the state about $3 million. Engler proposed ending the waiver Slicy for two reasons, said Patricia Masserant, his press secretary. "At the start of 1970, there was a perceived need for it," she said. "It's the '90s now and based on census data we don't see a need for it." Without the waiver, Masserant said Native Americans would be put on a "level playing field" with other stu- dents, by allowing them to apply for iular financial aid. WShe added that there is no account- ability in the system. "There's no way of measuring what Native American students are going to school (for), or if they had degrees," she said, adding that the money "was automatic." Native American Student Associa- tion (NASA) President Mary Cotnam said the program is important for the entive that it offers Native Ameri- high school students. "It serves not only as a vehicle for Native Americans to come to school but serves as encour- agement," she said. Bobb Beauchamp, co-chair of the Native American Law StudentAssocia- tion, said the program may need to be Program's de cite histoiy By Zachary .M . Rami Daily Staff ReporterQ Gov. John Engle-'s proposal to eliminate funding for the Indian Tuition Waiver program, designed to address concerns over equality and accountability, has opponents pointing to history. The waiver program - Public Act 174 - was signed into law in 1976 by Gov. William Milliken, a Republican, but dates back over 150 years. In 1836. the government signed a treaty with the Native Americans - who gave up land - promising to provide them with adequate edu- cation and health services. Then in 1934, the federal gov- ernment began closing American Indian schools, including the Mt. Pleasant Indian School in Michi- gan. Under the Comstock Agree- ment, the government gave these lands to the state of Michigan and told the state, in turn, to educate the Native Americans. Some opponents of Engler' s proposal point to this agreement to justify the tuition waivers. But Patricia Masserant, Gov. Engler's press secretary, discounts the agree- ment. "A letter from the governor is. not a treaty," she said. In 1965, the state set up the commission on :Indian Affairs, which focused on education, lead- ing to the 1976 act.: Today, legislators are debating the legality, of the treaty. State Rep. Donald Gilmer (R-Augusta), whose House subcommittee on higher edu- cation is handling Engler's pro- posal, said, "In this case, I believe there are complex legal issues that are unresolved." State Rep. Liz grater (D-Ann Arbor) said the Legislature should respect the 1836 treaty. "I think it's important to honor these treaties and contracts," she said. "It's still our responsibility to honor the trea-. ties made in the past." Gilmer said that because a treaty was signed, the government is ob- ligated to uphold it. "It's a treaty and a mixture of state responsibil- ity and federal responsibility," he said. reviewed, but not canceled. "Maybe the program needs to be reevaluated, but the law is based on treaties," he said. Beauchamp, who does not receive a tuition waiver, said his association plans to lobby against the proposal in See WAIVER, Page 2 MAK1 Y U A/a1nr lCJlff YLO The fence posts marking off the newest area of construction on Central Campus fall right in the middle of one of the most well-used paths on campus. Fences mark off neMw construction-projec SA CUA to evaluate Dean of Students By Jodi Cohen Daily Staff Reporter As part of a general physiology test given within the Medical School a few years ago, students were shown a pic- ture of the dean at the time and asked to identify him. Not a single student an- swered the question correctly. Because of situations like thi,many faculty members have expressed con- cern that students are unaware of the roles of various administrative depart- ments, especially the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs. For this reason, President James J. Duderstadt, along with the Senate Ad- visory Committee on University Af- fairs, formed a committee to review the Office of the Vice President for Stu- dent Affairs and examine its various functions. Because the office covers an exten- sive range of programs, the committee decided to focus on the Office of the Dean of Students, a part of Student Affairs. "The vice president has a rather sig- nificantly large portfolio of operations. In order to get a handle on it, we are narrowing it. One committee couldn't look at everything without doing a su- perficial job," committee chair Bruce Karnopp told SACUA yesterday. SACUA chair Jean Loup said this was a good way to look at the office. "I think that they will be able to get more in-depth. I am not surprised that they are narrowing it down." Karnopp said the majority of stu- dents do not know about the office. "I am willing to bet that if you ask any student on North Campus who the dean of students is, they would probably never say it was Royster Harper," he said. The committee will look at the role of the office and how well it is accom- plishing its mission. "The question is not only if they are doing their job, but if they can do a betterjob," Karnopp said. "It is a ques- tion of finding out about a unit that was formed quite recently." The Office of the Dean of Students was re-formed about two years ago. Karnopp said looking at a relatively new office will prove beneficial in the evaluation. "It is new, but it has also been in place long enough for us to have a sense ofwhere the Office ofVice President for Student Affairs is moving," he said. Karnopp said one concern is whether the faculty could serve more of a role in this division. "The real question is whetherornot the office might be more effective if it were closer to faculty," he said. "A problem is that there is not a single person there who is faculty." Vice President of Student Affairs Maureen A. Hartford said there may not be an appropriate role for a faculty member in the office. "We 'value faculty input in most administrative offices, but I do not know what faculty would do.... Most faculty have too many time constraints to spend time in administration," she said. By Stephanie Jo Klein Daily Staff Reporter Eight-foot poles and orange fences line the walkways between Angell Hall and the Michigan Museum of Art, staking out the University's lat- est improvement project. Scheduled for completion in the spring of 1996, the Angell/Haven Hall Connector Project will be a closed-in site, said project engineer Dennis McCarthy. The project is expected to cost $7.8 million, said Construction Man- agement Director Tom Schlaff. The Walbridge Aldinger Co. will construct the four-story, 43,000-square-foot building between the two halls. The new addition will stand on its own, separated from Angell and Ha- ven Halls by 10-foot-wide walkways. The north face of the building will connect to the back of the Angell Hall auditorium area and will provide ac- cess for the handicapped. There will be glass windows on all sides of the building except at the connecting area. With fences surrounding the site, only one eight-foot-wide path on the north side of the art museum will be maintained for Diag access from State Street, Schlaff said. "I don't believe it will cause any problems. The layout of the fence was carefully planned with pedestrian traf- fic in mind. We've been in contact with Art Fair (officials) and tried to antici- pate summer activity," Schlaff said. Even so, students on the Diag com- plained of the disturbance. "It makes the school ugly. You have to look at orange fences and it Connectdion Construction A $7.8 million addition to the Angell Hall complex will add 43,000 square feet for offices and classrooms. The four-story building will have windows on all sides. The fence posts'surrounding the construction area will allow an eight-foot wide path to the Diag from State Street. spoils the beauty of an otherwise gor- geous day," said School of Music senior Whitney Allen. First-year LSA student Nicole Dawson watched as a backhoe piled up dirt and uprooted a tree outside Angell Hall. "They are trying to improve fa- cilities, but creating a lot of inconve- nience and unsightliness," she said. "They should keep students better informed of their construction plans." Schlaff said the project "has been in planning for years. It has to do with the LSA expansion in West Engin, East Engin, and other buildings." He was not aware of any further plans for renovation on Angell Hall. JONATHAN BERNDT/Daily LSA sophomore Russell Hebetz was concerned about all the construc- tion on campus. "The University is taking away our open areas piece by piece," he said. Schlaff said the building, which will be constructed of brick and lime- stone, would be used for LSA class- room and office space. Although LSA sophomore Rob Melman said the construction makes the school "look like a dump," Schlaff said the entire area will be landscaped to make it attractive once construc- tion is completed. Plans call for brick paving, new sidewalks and new exterior security lighting. See SACUA, Page 2 Searches progress for 5 new deans By Ronnie Glassberg Daily Staff Reporter Nearly one-third of the leadership for the University's schools and col- leges will change over the next year, with three deans leaving office this summer and interim deans currently serving in two other schools. School of Natural Resources and #vironment Dean Garry D. Brewer's announcement on March 1 that he would step down as head of the school made his seat the fifth opening for the University's 17 schools and colleges. thing isn't in the control of any one person or group of people," she said. Advisory committees, composed of faculty and students, conduct the searches for deans. The committees normally recommend several candi- dates to the provost, who names a can- didate for the University Board of Re- gents' approval. Biostatistics Prof. Michael A. Schork, chair of the advisory commit- tee for Public Health, said his commit- tee has completed its search. "We're done. We made our final report to the nra, nc-f "' ha c'a Since Banks' departure, nuclear engineering Prof. Glenn Knoll has been serving as interim dean. Aerospace engineering Prof. Gerard Faeth, chair of the advisory committee for Engineering, said his committee has been charged to complete the search by the end of summer term. "The earliest possible time is going to be after the current academic year," Faeth said. "At this stage of the game, we've done all the normal advertising kinds of things." In Rackham and Pharmacy, the ainnn, n twan tco f Dl, rt,, rv ,T't-an A ra Opena Dean Seats School of Natural Resources and Environment: Garry Brewer, stepped down March 1 Horace H. Rackam School of. Graduate Studies: John D'Arms, not seeking reappointment Pharmacy: Ara Paul, not seeking reap'pointment . School of Public Health: June Osborn, resigned May 1993 College of Engineering: Peter Banks, resigned in January' Unlike the other dean searches, the Rackham search will look for a candi- A atp whn~r hac wxrkri i nt th~ T Tnivpitiy Judge issues gag order in rape case By Frank C. Lee Daily Staff Reporter Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Donald Shelton, who will pre- side over the robbery trial of accused serial rapist Ervin D. Mitchell Jr., is- sued a gag order Thursday prohibiting attorneys, police and witnesses involved in his case from publicly discussing the charges against the defendant. In hk ~c-nrdt-r i-Ch~trn-, ii Pthat n,'u He was also charged March 2 with one count of first-degree murder and four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for a series of Ann Arbor rapes dating back 2 1/2 years. The preliminary examination for the murder and rape charges is sched- uled for March 15. First-degree mur- der carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. First- di-arp e- a-,mnnl cPvtial rrrnir't rn idd i