100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Download this Issue

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

This collection, digitized in collaboration with the Michigan Daily and the Board for Student Publications, contains materials that are protected by copyright law. Access to these materials is provided for non-profit educational and research purposes. If you use an item from this collection, it is your responsibility to consider the work's copyright status and obtain any required permission.

March 27, 1996 - Image 1

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1996-03-27

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

Bather
night: Partly sunny, low
ound 25°.
morrow: Snow changing
rain, high of 41°.

Ctnn
'ElWan

ti

One /undredfve years of editorialfreedom

Wednesday
March 27, 1996

v: ,tii .8_kE- ib , S k.. . . t . , x" i S . ..

IZ,
; ,

aw School
cts to ease
"10"?0
ensions
ther Miller
ai y Staff Reporter
In the wake of racial tensions within
e University's Law School, the school's
culty and administration are adopting
ree resolutions in an attempt to help
medy the community's concerns.
The resolutions include creating a
arch committee to find a successor
r Student Services Associate Dores
ree, creating a committee to assess
ucational environment of the Law
chool, and agreeing to faculty partici-
tion in discussion groups.
The problems culminated in a written
cial attack against assistant Law Prof.
ance Jones during spring break. This
t prompted an "open faculty meeting"
-which students voiced concerns di-
ctly to the faculty and administration.
During this meeting the Ad Hoc Com-
ittee on Issues of Race, Gender and
ality presented fourproposals, which
'de hiring a director of diversity, cre-
ing a Standing Committee on Educa-
onal Environment, conducting an inde-
ndent, outside review of the Law
chool, and hiring more minority faculty.
The commnittee then asked faculty to
articipate in an open roll call to gauge
culty support for the proposals. A
culty meeting was held after the com-
ittee submitted the roll call ballots.
*he faculty meeting was long and
ank about general issues confronting
udents of color," said Law Associate
ean Kent Syverud. "Many of the fac-
Ity viewed these resolutions as a re-
onse to the open roll call."
The roll call ballots were tallied
onday and revealed only mixed fac-
lty support for the proposals.
In a statement released from the meet-
g, faculty and administration agreed
i "The University of Michigan Law
Wol is a great institution that has
rproved and must continue to im-
rove, and we as a faculty have a re-
onsibility to make it improve. We
ecept that responsibility."
At the meeting, the faculty adopted
solutions that included creating two
lmmittees. The first is a search com-
ittee to find a successor for McCree,
hose duties include helping students
career placement and acting as a
'tent adviser.
Faculty and students agree that
cCree, who plans to retire this sum-
er, has been particularly helpful to
inority students in these areas.
Law School Dean Jeffrey Lehman
id McCree is "an invaluable partici-
ant in the Law School's efforts on
ehalf of students of color."
See LAW SCHOOL, Page 7

'Our goal is to shut this university down for two days.'
- Pete Church, GEO spokesperson
GEO votes for 2-day walk-out

By Anupama Reddy
Daily Staff Reporter
About 88 percent of the voting mem-
bers of the Graduate Employees Organi-
zation raised their hands in support of a
walk-out on classes April 8and 9. GEO's
current extended contract with the Uni-
versity is scheduled to expire April 1.
"Our goal is to shut this university
down for two days," said GEO spokes-
person Pete Church. "We will be send-
ing up picket lines. We're encouraging
students not to go to classes; we're
encouraging professors not to teach."
Church said the walk-out could affect
about 40 percent of University classes.
"We teach up to 40 percent of Uni-
versity classes, and a number ofprofes-
sors will join the picket lines and not

teach classes," he said.
Assistant sociology Prof. Steven
Herbert will be one of the faculty mem-
bers not crossing the picket lines set up
by GEO members,
Instead, his graduate student instruc-
tors will assume the responsibilites of
lecture and discussion for Sociology
102 and 46, during the union's two-day
walkout - they will teach, he will not.
"I am going to honor their request not
to teach on (April) 9," Herbert said.
"The fact that I'm not lecturing that
week means that GSIs will bear more
burden of the instruction that week."
Herbert said he would stand by his
GSIs because their satisfaction is a high
priority for him.
"I'mina situation where Irely heavily

on my GSIs, so it's important to me that
they are being treated fairly," he said."I
basically support my GSIs. That's
what's motivating me."
GEO members voted to stop work two
days before GEO and the University
enter a state-supervised mediation pro-
cess - a process both sides agreed to.
"(April) 8 and 9, regardless of media-
tion, is the optimal time for us to do this,"
said GEO President Scott Dexter. "We
are not interested in disrupting under-
graduate education and any later in the
year would disrupt preparation for finals.
"Therefore, it seems to us this is what
we have to do."
Dexter said a walk-out means GEO
members "won't do anything that re-
quires us to deal with the University.

"It's just like a strike," he said. "We
won't be teaching classes holding of-
fice hours, going to our classes or doing
research on campus."

,
= ,,
.;',
_
. >

Not every GSI
will join the
picket lines. Law
second-year stu-
dent William
Cosnowski said
he will teach his
Engineering 103
class during the

Biology lecturer Kathleen Quigley,
who teaches Biology 326, saidthe walk-
out would cancel the majority of her lab
sections.
"I wish they would come to an agree-
ment. It's going to affect a significant
number of my students," Quigley said.
"That's going to be eight of my labs;
that's more than half of my labs."
University chief negotiator Dan
Gamble said the timing of the walkout
will be hard on students.
"Well, this time of the year, you're
moving forward to the end," Gamble
said. "I think it would be extremely
unfair to the undergraduates.
"We can achieve a contract before
mediation, but the walk-out is not a
See GEO, Page 7

work stoppage.
"I really believe the striking will not
solve problems; the people who will be
hurt is the students," Cosnowski said.
"GEO's complete agenda istooextenu-
ated and has little value to myself."

Lagaecurrculum
chalienges studentts

By Jodi Cohen
Daily Staff Reporter
Was ist die Ahleitung von X quadrat?
Solving calculus problems such as "What
is the derivative of X-squared?" may seem
as difficult as learning a new language. But

students who took cal-
culus as a "Language
Across the Curricu-
lum" course really
learned how to answer
these math questions
in a different language
- German.
Hartmut Rastalsky,
who taught the one-
credit German LAC
mini-course last year,
said it was a valuable
way for students to
improve both their
calculus and German
skills. The students
enrolled in the class
aftertaking Math 115.
"They got a chance
to practice their Ger-
man in a challenging
context," said

;.t"
... T .

In Underg
Educa

Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Educa-
tion David Schoem said LAC courses provide
a practical language experience for students.
"For some students, it's not clear what
practicality their language courses bring
them," Schoem said. "We are trying to show
there is application to this
language study."
Germanic Languages
and Literatures depart-
ment chair Fred Amrine,
who also chairs the LAC
o &committee, said the Uni-
versity is a leader in lan-
guage study.
"It is still a new initia-
tive," Amrine said. "Al-
most nobody else is do-
rauduate ing it. Among large uni-
itio nversities, we are really a
pioneer."
The University pro-
gtruotra g gram that began two
nstructor training years ago is still small,
Y initiatives with about six or seven
service learningY LAC courses each se-
if technology mester. The LAC courses
are usually taught as a
discussion section for a
larger lecture class.
LSA junior Debbie Zamd, who is cur-
rently taking a Latin American history LAC

ELIZABETH LIPPMAN/Daily
Sean McMillan, an LSA first-year student who works as a media assistant in the Foreign
Language Laboratory, explains an interactive program used in Spanish language classes.

*Monday: Living-learnin
*Yesterday: Graduate it
*Today: Language study
'Tomorrow: Community
*Friday: The influence o

course in Spanish, said the section adds
another dimension to the class.
"It gives you a different perspective when
you read something in its original language.
You always lose something in the transla-
tion," Zamd said. "It is good to have a
different historical perspective."
Javier Morillo-Alicia, a graduate student
instructor who teaches the History 477
course on Latin America, said the class is
also valuable for native Spanish speakers. It
helps them learn to speak academically in
another language, a skill students usually
only learn in English, he said.

"People just don't learn language well
enough to engage in conversations or aca-
demic debate," Morillo-Alicia said about
most language courses. "This gives them
the opportunity to speak academically in
the language that is their native tongue."
Amrine said he expects the program to
increase each semester. "It's the way of the
future. We really live in a global village,"
Amrine said. "We just assume everyone
will learn English. It is important for all of
us to function in a global way."
He said increased interaction between
See LANGUAGE, Page 2

Rastalsky, who also has taught courses in
German on the economy and on Freudian
psychology.

andidates addr
udget concerns
y Laurie Mayk budget and cutting asses
aily Staff Reporter are also important, Curi
ith proposals to restructure student The Michigan Party'
es on the table and the "Non-BPC form is based on a res
risis" still haunting the Michigan Stu- BPC.
ent Assembly, candidates for the ex- "Not a slush fund or
cutive offices are discussing plans to just a fund for cultural
reate a more fiscally responsible as- might come up," said
mbly. Michigan Party vice pres
The Students' Party's proposal is date.
urrently the most elaborate of the plat- Financial reserves we
rm proposals, outlining a five-point lished to avoid the need t
form package for MSA's Budget Pri- strings and deny groups
r's Committee. last few hearings.
derthe proposal's guidelines, BPC "Fiscal responsibility
ould be limited to spending no more ing an eye on the budge
an half its alloted money for the aca- The Liberty Party also
emic year during the fall term's hear- set aside 10-20 percent
gs, rate student group funding appli- last-minute requests, but
ants on a point system to determine a reform of the way MI
rding and create a funding request money.
eadline procedure. The guidelines The student fee on tuit
ould also limit hotel allowances on be voluntary, said Mar
onference trips and prevent the assem- Liberty Party presidenti
rom paying for airfares for trips "Some people really d
athan 1,000 miles away. money to go to MSA
"Overall, this plan would allow BPC opinion that they should
e necessary organization to more effi- have their money go the
iently assist student groups," the pro- said.
osal stated. Howrylak commende
Current BPC chair Matt Curin, Wol- dent Government for off
erine Party vice presidential candi- the student fee to student

ess
mbly overhead
n said.
s plan for re-
serve fund for
anything, but
activities that
Probir Mehta,
sidential candi-
ould be estab-
o tighten purse
funding in the
is always keep-
t," Mehta said.
suggested BPC
of its funds for
it also proposed
SA collects its
ion bills should
tin Howrylak,
al candidate.
o not want their
and it is our
n't be forced to
ere," Howrylak
d the LSA-Stu-
fering to refund
its who say they

M2196

Profs. debate affinmative action plans

MSA Voting Sites
These are the voting sites for today
only.
EECS: 10:45 a.m.-3:10 p.m.
Dow: 10:05 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
Union: 9:10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Fishbowl: 8:35 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
SNRE: noon-3 p.m.
C.C. Little: 10 a.m.-1:40 p.m.
Nursing: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Martha Cook: 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Law: 12:10-2:45 p.m.
Lorch: 10:20 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Pierpont Commons: 11:10 a.m.-
12:10 p.m.
School of Ed.: 10:05 a.m.-12:40 p.m.
Art/Arch.: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Shapiro: 5:10-10 p.m.
Couzens: 4:05-6:25 p.m.
Alice Lloyd: 4:20-6:15 p.m.
Mosher-Jordan: 4:35-6:35 p.m.
Mary Markley: 4:30-6:45 p.m.
West Quad: 11:40 a.m.-2:10 p.m.,
4:40-6:15 p.m.

By Katie Wang
Daily Staff Reporter
Tempers flared and emotions ran high
yesterday as three professors presented
and debated their opinions on affirma-
tive action programs.
Declaring preference by race or sex
as morally wrong, philosophy Prof. Carl
Cohen attacked the University, saying
that it contradicts itself in its admis-
sions practices.
"We profess absolutely equal treat-
ment for all races, sexes and ethnic
grpups," Cohen said.
Cohen said this public disclaimer,
which appears in official University
documents, contradicts the University's
actions.
"We cheat. We give racial prefer-
ence knowingly while saying that we
do not, but we hide that fact with murky
references to 'diversity,"' Cohen said.
Affirmative action programs have
come under public and legislative scru-
tiny within the past year. Last week
another component of affirmative ac-
tion crumbled when the 5th Circuit
Court of Appeals declared in Hopwood
v. Texas that universities in three states
could not consider race in the admis-
sions process.
"I feel confident despite the Hopwood
case," said Law Prof. Theodore St.
Antoine.
If the Supreme Court reviews the
Hopwood case, St. Antoine said he

KRISTEN SCHAEFER/Dai,
Law Prof. Theodore St. Antoine (left) and philosophy Prof. Carl Cohen discuss
affirmative action at a panel yesterday.

lawyer," he said. "They are needed out
there and they can understand problems
from inside the black community."
St. Antoine recalled that in 1965, the
University's Law School did not have a
single black student and he said that
without affirmative action programs,
there would only be "a mere handful of
blacks."
Although Cohen acknowledged that
there would be fewer blacks in the Law

cultural diversity report about th.
University's Medical School, Tangua
said "the gains that have been made:
with affirmative action are only tempo-
rary."
The report revealed that 54 percent o
the Medical School's black faculty fel
the environment of the Medical Schoo
is "cold and unwelcoming."
Cohen attributed this environment to
the resentment that is produced by pref
ar ma..in n no

r

i

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan