8A - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 10, 1996 Staff and alumni presidential forums gather more input By Jodi Cohen And Amy Klein Daily Staff Reporters While alumni comments about the next Uni- versity president were as varied as their ages, many expressed a common concern about how the Board of Regents should conduct the search process.. The regents heard comments from 17 alumni ranging in graduation dates from 1947 to 1994-during the third public forum, held Dec. 13 at the Alumni Center to solicit ideas on the successor to James J. Duderstadt. The president announced in September that he will step down June 30. Many alumni, including former Regent Tho- mas Roach, urged the board not to follow the Open Meetings Act, a state law that the state Supreme Court has said makes the entire search process, including candidate names, available as public information. Former Alumni Association President Rich- ard Rattner said it would be hard "to obtain the best person for this job" in an open search, but others such as former state Sen. Lana Pollack urged the board to comply with the law. "I am an advocate of the Open Meetings Act," said Pollack, a Birmingham lawyer. "In the context here, it prevents you with a hurdle." Roach mirrored Rattner's comments when he said the board should do its best to avoid the Open Meetings Act. "I am deeply concerned you will lose more than half of the best pool if you do it in the open," Roach said. "You should use every effort to change the law." Roach, president of the Alumni Association, said at least 10 candidates he had interviewed during searches for the past two presidents said they would not want to be considered in an open search. Roach was one of the chief supporters of a closed search during the process that led to Duderstadt's selection. "We will sacrifice efficiency to maintain se- crecy," Roach told members of the advisory faculty committee during the 1987 search. "We may be wrong, but we fell that secrecy is the number one issue." .But Pollack said that if a candidate does not want his or her name released, then that person is not fit to lead a public university. "The person better have a personality transplant after becoming president to all ofa sudden become comfortable with public scrutiny," she said. While they expressed varying views on an open search, alumni agreed that the next leader must also have strong ties outside the university . community - especially in Lansing. "That person needs to be almost as comfort- able within the public and political realms as within the University community," Pollack said. Regent Nellie Varner (D-Detroit), co-chair of the search committee, said that feeling was evident during the forum. "The need of having a president who has strong public skills, who can reach out to the broader community, not only in terms of the alum but in terms of the Legislature, came through," she said. Meanwhile, other alumni stressed academic issues. "We need someone who will bring us tighter as a university community," said Bob Forman, a 1959 graduate. "A person who not only leads, but serves." The forum held for the University staff on Dec. 14 drew the largest crowd of all four meetings. More than 60 staff members attended the forum to stress the importance of minority and women's issues. Monica Johnson, a clinical nurse represent- ing the Women of Color Task Force, said that black women are underrepresented on the Uni- versity committees that meet with the presi- dent. "We are looking for a president that ensu s all women of color are beneficiaries of all cd ponents of the Michigan Agenda for Women and the Michigan Mandate," Johnson said. Jeffrey M. Tibbs, a senior manager at the Information and Technology Division represent- ing the Association of Black Professionals, urged the regents to look for the first black president. "They must know the feeling of exclusivity to truely champion a university who believes its greatness lies in its inclusivity," Tibbs said. "An African American who has experienced closed doors would certainly have the strength to 1 . these doors open." Duderstadt to stay, but get pay fr sabbatical From Staff Reports University President James J. Duderstadt announced at December's meeting of the Univerity Board of Re- gents that he has decided to return to the faculty immediately upon leaving the presidency in June, rather than take the one-year sabbatical in his contract. A presidential retirement security program, approved by the Board of Regents in 1993, granted Duderstadt "a one-year sabbatical leave at the presi- dential compensation rate at the end of his career as president, and prior to resuming his role as a faculty member." Though Duderstadt will return to teaching this year, he will still collect his sabbatical pay. The board autho- rized the compensation to be provided in four equal payments during the next four years, beginning July 1. Hartford's contract renewed The regents voted to renew Vice President for Student Affairs Maureen A. Hartford's contract for five years. "Dr. Hartford has had an extraordi- nary impact on this institution," Duderstadt said. "She brought with her an extraordinary love for, respect for and compassion for our students." Athletic Department upgrades football stadium, South Campus The entrance to the football stadium and South Campus will continue to re- ceive a new look, as a new brick walkway is planned for before next season. Michigan Stadium will undergo afive- year, $5 million renovation that includes the installation of a wrought-iron fence around the exterior of the stadium. Campus buildings renamed The regents voted to rename the East and West Engineering buildings East Hall and West Hall, respectively. The board also renamed the North Campus Commons after former Vice President and Chief Financial Officer r Wilbur Pierpont, who served in this position for 26 years. He was named as a vice president in 1951. Pres. search ma use consulting By Jodi Cohen Daily Staff Reporter The University Board of Regents may hire a consulting firm to help in the search for a successor to President James J. Duderstadt. Marilyn Knepp, director of the Univeristy's office of academic plan- ning and analysis, told the board at its December meeting that about 90 per- cent of the universities she researched had used a consulting firm to help with the search. The board also directed Provost J. Bernard Machen to develop a structure and timetable forthe presidential search by mid-January. The regents suggested Machen con- sult with Vice President for University Relations Walter Harrison and Secre- tary Roberta Palmer and plan to review the proposal at their monthly meeting, which is scheduled for Jan. 18-19. Representatives from three consulting firms - Korn/Ferry, A.T. Kearney, and Heidrick and Struggles - made presen- tations to the regents at the meeting. They indicated that the search shouldtake about six months. The firms stressed that they must know the reasons Duderstadt resigned. Duderstadt announced in late Septe- ber that he would step down from the position June 30. "One of the challenges we will have is accessing exactly what happened," said Bill Funk, a representative from Korn/Ferry. In September, Duderstadt said that he had finished the projects he began at the University and planned to return to the faculty. But in November, The Michigan Dal reported that a September letter from Duderstadt to the regents cited tensions between the president and the board. The firms also said there are very few people who are suited for the job, even though about 150-200 names will prob- ably be mentioned as possible candi- dates "There are not more than 10 people out there who can really do this jo " said Shelly Storbeck of A.T. Kearno The firms discussed the advantage o~f employing small advisory committees, comprised of students, faculty and alumni. Regent Shirley McFee (R-Battle Creek), a co-chair of the search, said that the board should be ready to choose one of the three firms by its January meeting. We're bank TONYA BROAD/Daily Scott Turbow, a first-year LSA student, moves back Into his room in South Quad with help from his father, Melvin, last night. ATHLETICS Continued from Page 1A question of trademark and image at the University and how the University is represented," Deitch said. Regent Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor) said the regents' concerns about the University's contract with Nike should be dealt with in a less radical way. "You can really handle that sort of thing with one line," he said. "You can say all expenditures more than a certain amount are subject to general review. You can handle that without rewriting the bylaws." Aside from the contract with Nike, Deitch said he was displeased with other, less-visible decisions made by the Athletic Department,eincluding once scheduling a home football game that affected the University's move-in date. Deitch said the decision reflected poorly on the University's values. Regent Andrea Fischer-Newman (R- Ann Arbor) also said she supports the bylaw revisions, asserting that the Board in Control currently holds too much influ- ence over Athletic Department policies. "The athletic director should have more control and more power," Newman said. "It is unnecessary to have the Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics in the role it currently occupies." Newman said she is disturbed by financial decisions the Board in Con- trol made without the approval of the athletic director. She also said the cur- rent system prevents the athletic direc- tor from acting with enough autonomy. "It would be like the president not being able to make a financial decision about the University on a day-to-day basis," Newman said. She also said the University's con- tract with Nike did not play a major role in her support of a rewrite of the bylaws. Aside from his view that the changes are excessive, Baker said the modifica- tions might damage the prestige of the Athletic Department. "We have to give something that's fair to the department and fair to the athletes that hold that organization together," Baker said. "If it doesn't function well, you don't have good recruiting, you don't have successful athletic teams, and you don't have good public support. "In the end, it could be injurious to the concept of Michigan athletics, and that's a very special concept." Vice President for University Rela- tions Walter Harrison said the sports pro- grams at most other universities have a powerful athletic director and strong fac- ulty input. The proposed revisions would bring the University closer to this format. Harrison said he is currently in the process of assembling input from the members of the Board in Control. He said some members are concerned about keeping the finances of the Athletic De- partment independent from other areas. "There is some concern that the firewall between the athletic depart- ment and the rest of the University be maintained," Harrison said. Harrison is chairing the committee re- writing the bylaws. Other members in- clude Chief Financial Officer Farris W. Womack, Athletic DirectorJoe Roberson, General Counsel Elsa Kircher Cole, and University Secretary Roberta Palmer. In June, the Athletic Department bought out the remaining $386,026 of former football coach Gary Moeller's contract. Regents and University offi- cials said they were never informed of the decision to buy out the contract. GEO: Feb. strike possible By Michelle Lee Thompson Daily Staff Reporter The Graduate Employees Organiza- tion is considering the possibility of a strike, despite signing agreements with the University on four contract issues this month. The union, which represents 76 per- cent of graduate student teaching assis- tants and graduate research assistants, will consider a strike if a new contract isn't signed before Feb. 1, when the current contract expires. GEO President Scott Dexter said he is unsatisfied with the progress of the talks. "We really don't have a very strong sense that we're moving toward something that both sides could be happy with," he said yesterday. Both sides are scheduled to meet again this afternoon to discuss the union's contract. GEO administrator Tamara Joseph said the union submitted 37 proposals to be included in the next contract last November. Dan Gamble, the University's chief negotiator, said, "We are looking at each proposal." Dexter said yesterday that only four of those proposals had been agreed upon the University - those related to ph copying rights, benefits to domestic part- ners, and the addition of language to include the Family Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. "It's a pretty insignificant sort of progress," Dexter said. "We're sort of agreeing on the status quo." Gamble said the University hopes to reach a contract agreement by the dead- line. "We'll do everything we need to reach a contract," he said. GEO has not gone on strike since 1975, when it was seeking formal rec- ognition as a union fromthe University. 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