WE ~trn News: 76-DAILY Advertising: 764-0554 One hundred seven years of edioril freedom Tuesday October 21, 1997 WON ~ SACUA discusses ICC i ipending U Officials look into possible sale of least- profitable 'U' housing lawsuit By Janet Adamy By Chris Metinko Daily Staff Reporter With the lawsuit filed to change admission policies at the University, the faculty's governing body decided yester- day to endorse President Lee Bollinger's stance on affirmative action. " at we are saying is that we stand be d those policies and administra- tion," Lewis Kleinsmith, a member of the Senate Advisory Committe on University Affairs, said at yesterday's meeting. Bollinger said in a statement last week that a diverse student body is necessary to provide a quality educa- tional environment. If the larger Senate Assembly approves yesterday's propos- ]i'tjf faculty will formally support the ,dWistration on the issue of affirma- ive action. "I think it's a very strong statement of support," Kleinsmith said of the poten- ial Senate Assembly endorsement. SACUA member Barbara MacAdam, who is also head of Educational and Information Services, greed with the decision to support Bollinger's stance. "I think a statement that endorses that t takes on a lot of force," she said. Not all members of the committee ere totally satisfied with the state- ent. "I guess I would like the President (of the University) formally to put forth something stronger," said SACUA member and SNR, Prof. Bunyan Bryant. "I'm not happy with he statement itself, but I support it to get it to the floor of Senate Assembly." Bryant said he may try to amend the t lent on the assembly floor. CUA member William Ensminger said he wasn't sure that mending it would be possible. Ensminger, an internal medicine pro- fessor, said it would "be interesting" to bserve efforts to amend the statement before the entire assembly. Sociology Prof. Donald Deskins did ot support SACUA's endorsement. Deskins said he did not disagree with h6resident's statements, but said the acu ty should take their own stance. "I have no problem endorsing the resident's statement, but what are we aying about this?" Deskins asked. 'We've never taken a position on this:" The proposal will go to the Senate ssembly next week for full approval. Also at the meeting, the nine-mem- er committee held a telephone confer- nee with Sandra Weiss, chair of the U versity of California's faculty's gov- rg body. Weiss explained some of he advantages and disadvantages of aving faculty members on the Board f Regents in California. Bryant has been spearheading an ffort to look into getting faculty and tudent representatives on the University Board of Regents. Weiss, one of the faculty regents for he University of California, said hav- inaculty on the board has given fac- voice in the administration. But many differences between the wo boards became apparent during the onference, such that University of alifornia regents are appointed and ot elected like Michigan's. "Their board is a very different ani- nal," said astronomy Prof. Gordon MacAlpine. Bryant would not speculate about his uture plans of pursuing a faculty t at the University. Daily Staff Reporter In an effort to revitalize one University's least profitable h complexes, the Inter-Coope Council is trying to buy Oxford ing from the University. ICC President Jim Jones me representatives of University H earlier this month to discuss th sibility of acquiring Oxford to into a student co-op. "We feel that it is possible fo buy this at a fair-market vali still provide housing at a much rate than is currently possible," said. Director of Housing William said that as a cost center, O trying to "income has not exceeded its expen- bly sc ditures for the past few years." resoN Zeller said the University is cur- Zel unit rently in the preliminary stages of dis- some cussion and is not ready to make any nance decisions about selling Oxford. ing re "No concrete decisions have been infras of the made and no policies have been made "(U ousing for pursuing the sale of the complex," wheth erative Zeller said. "We need to consider funds J hous- these issues very carefully and have other as many constituencies within the Jon t with University participate in these discus- of we ousing sions." to suj e pos- Vice President for Student Affairs "W turn it Maureen Hartford said the University and t is "not in the selling mode" right now, agree r us to but is looking at how Oxford will fit intere ie and into University President Lee LS lower Bollinger's master plan - an admin- stude Jones istrative effort to bring cohesion to into a the campus's many buildings. body Zeller "The whole creation takes some dent xford's time," Hartford said. "This is proba- purchase Oxford omething we're not going to see ved this year." ler said his office is addressing of Oxford's long-term mainte- issues, including roof and sid- epair, as well as health code and structure renewal issues. University Housing) is deciding her to begin to infuse significant into the complex or look at options," Zeller said, nes said ICC hopes to find ways orking with University officials pplement their goals. Ve think that over time Bollinger he administration will come to that it is in the University's best est," Jones said. A junior Isaac Kriegman, ICC's nt president, said turning Oxford a co-op would benefit the student by providing more low-cost stu- housing and giving more stu- See OXFORD, Page 7 JUST IN TIME FOR EXAMS VISHEN MOHANDAS LAKIANI/Daily The Inter-Cooperative Council is considering the possible acquisition of Oxford housing complex, the least profitable of all the University's residence halls. Opinions v on F i2er s ijyy firing By James Goldstein Daily Sports Writer University students and alumni offered strong opinions about the firing of Steve Fisher - some hailed the decision, but others suggested the University should be "de-Gossed." Responses came to an e-mail group established by The Michigan Daily last week asking reader opinion about the dismissal of the former Michigan men's basketball coach. Many were sympathetic toward Fisher, expressing disapproval about Athletic Director Tom Goss. Some stu- dents and alumni applauded Goss for the decision, complimenting him for a take-charge atti- tude. Many said t "they hope Goss's choice will rein- force the impor- tance of student- athletes at the University. But others, like Nursing senior Lakeeta Smith, said Fisher was Goss given a raw deal. "I think that the University handled the situation inap- propriately," Smith said. "Whether or BRYAN MCLELLAN/Daily not Fisher did something wrong is none project the Diag recently under- of my business, but they should have their first bluebook exam will fail. given him the opportunity to resign." Engineering junior Brian Gurwin said Michigan fans "should breathe a la h o m e sigh of relief" that Fisher is gone. Gurwin agreed with Goss's intention of finding the new coach from outside the a granite slab. But the University Michigan program. anged its plans to instead use a "Tom Goss should be applauded. It ecific type of granite, so the M is time to clean house." Gurwin said. urned to Ann Arbor completely "By bringing in an outside coach, the changed. basketball team will regain some of its "It's going to be just like it always much-lost respect. Hopefully, the stu- s," Julianne Chard, coordinator of dent-athletes will return to being just e Diag reconstruction project, said that - a student and an athlete" rlier this year. Gurwin said Fisher took the "presti- Though it is the same M that has gious University and turned it into a ways resided in the Diag, the layout junior college for basketball players. ound the M is now different. The Goss fired Fisher on Oct. 10, the day See DIAG, Page 7 after the University released the results of an investigation into the basketball team conducted by Kansas City law firm Bond, Schoenck and King. Questions remained about Fisher, espe- cially ones regarding his relationship allegedly initialed the name of former assistant coach Perry Watson on ticket Wednesday, indicated yesterday from request forms for Martin in the name of near Oakland that an announcement the former assistant coach. obably not come until later in the LSA first-year student Naveen Lemuri said that despite the accusa labama, on the other hand, has two com- tions, Fisher was not treated properly. well as the university's president making "Whether he committed any NCAA ecision on a new coach. rules violations or not ... Coach Fisher st committee is comprised of a trainer, deserved more than the poor display t manager, academic adviser, assistant that Goss gave at the Saturday press rector and a compliance officer. The 13- conference," Lemuri said. "At the very ommittee teams up with a more academ- least, Fisher deserved to be given the Workers prepare to replace the M in the Diag after it was placed in Brazilian granite. The new M is part of a larger renovation p went. The M was relaid just in time for midterm exams - traditional campus lore says new students who step on the M before Restore d 'Mreturns toCen tralDi By Mike Spahn Daily Staff Reporter The M is back. Finally. After being restored and reset in a Brazilian granite, the brass M donated by the University's Class of 1953 will assume its place in the center of the Diag today. Most students were thrilled to see the symbolic M back on the Diag yesterday, even though the area still was undergoing final construction. "I'm glad it's coming back," said Peter Rose-Molina, an LSA sopho- more. "We were even talking about it as a Spanish discussion topic today." Sam Schoenfield, an LSA sopho- more whose father graduated in 1953, said he is ecstatic to see the M back. "I've been missing it all year," Schoenfield said. "The Diag was not complete without the M. Michigan is now complete." As part of a larger renovation pro- ject, the Diag area underwent other changes during the past few months, including more trees, pathways, light- ing and bricks. However, when it seemed complete, the brick area that usually held the M displayed only a brick M. "The brick M that was there was a cheap imitation," said LSA first-year student Dave Tigay. In May, the bronze M was removed and taken to Minnesota, where it was supposed to be attached to ch sp( ret un wa th ea' alv ar Fisher interviews for S. Alabama Goss on West Coast interview- in potential replacements; ision expected later in week By Mark Snyder Daily Sports Writer Good fortune is one again smiling on Steve Fisher. The former Michigan men's basketball coach, who led the Wolverines to the 1989 national cham- ongoing selection process to include Fisher as a possi- ble candidate. The Jaguar coaching job became available when coach Bill Musselman -k notorious for his short- coaching stays - left to become an NBA assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers. South Alabama sports information director Mike Nicholson, who is a member of one of the inter- view committees. "It's not a hard-core, you're a bad guy, tell us why you're not a bad guy type of thing." The interview process at the Mobile, Ala., school is dissimilar to Michigan's one-man cam- paign led by Goss. In his search to replace Fisher, Goss is trav- eling across the nation conducting interviews, and he singlehandly is expected to make a coach by' his home would pr week. South A mittees as the final d The fir equipment athletic dii member c