ews: 764DAILY
dvertising: 7640554
I
t t t
t
*ail
One hundred seven years of editorialfreedom
Tuesday
January 27, 1998
__
r v4 , f - -
tudy f
y Jennifer Yachnin
aily Staff Reporter
The Center for Equal Opportunity, a
hington D.C.-based think-tank, published
report on the use of race as a factor in admis-
ions procedures at Michigan public colleges
nd higher education institutions, stating that
e University uses racial criteria more than
ny other state school.
"This is a project we started working on
ver two years ago," said Jorge Amselle,
ommunications director for CEO. "We're
ing to find out if there are racial prefer-
nces in public education, and how great are
e racial preferences?"
The center has conducted similar studies
California and is currently doing research
i North Carolina, Virginia and Washington.
The report includes admissions data from
ight of Michigan's public universities,
MSA still
lans for
tudent-
n store
Kristin Wright
aily Staff Reporter
Students waited in long lines and
ished out big bucks for coursepacks
gain this semester after the Michigan
tudent Assembly failed to make good
n its promise to open a student-run
oursepack store by January.
The coursepack store was first
romised to students by MSA
ident Mike Nagrant during last
's campaign.
Nagrant told The Michigan Daily in
ovember that MSA's goal was to pro-
uce about 30 coursepack choices for
anuary's book rush, in addition to non-
oyalty coursepacks for winter term.
"I am disappointed, and I'm sure that
tudents are, too, that have to bear the
urden of paying for high-price coursep-
cks," Nagrant said Thursday. "But
doing everything that we can.
Our goal is to have the store open
aybe spring/summer term or at the
atest, in the fall," Nagrant said.
LSA Rep. Barry Rosenberg said he
nderstands the possible disappoint-
ent of students, but MSA is doing its
est to keep its promise.
"I'm sure people would want the
tore open as soon as possible," said
osenberg, an LSA senior. "But Mike
agrant is working hard to get it open
on as possible."
See STORE, Page 2
ingich
acks Iraq
policies
he Washington Post
WASHINGTON - House Speaker
ewt Gingrich (R-Ga.) yesterday gave
resident Clinton an unequivocal
ledge of support in the escalating
howdown with Iraq, warning
resident Saddam Hussein not to be
fused by the difference between
lines and the national will."
Gingrich's remarks appeared delib-
rately designed to dispel any notion
hat the sex scandals plaguing the
ite House would translate into a
artisan dispute over U.S. efforts to
orce Saddam Hussein to grant U.N.
nspectors unrestricted access to sus-
ected weapons sites.
"I'm worried that Saddam Hussein,
understanding America, might be
onfused by the difference between
eadlines and the national will,"
ingrich told reporters at the opening of
GOP House leadership meeting. "He
nd his advisers should not make any
ae;-nn ~4 aver the nex fewe based
inds racial preferences
including the University's Ann Arbor and
Dearborn campuses and Michigan State
University. The study reported the tests
scores, grade-point average, race, gender and
high school rank or applicants.
"We're only trying to look at things we can
measure," Amselle said in regard to the
information included in the report.
But University officials said they do not
agree with the conclusions CEO drew from
the report, stating that without race as a fac-
tor in admissions, black enrollment would
fall significantly, but higher education would
remain integrated.
"There may be somewhat fewer minorities
admitted, but it would not segregate the
schools," Amselle said.
Provost Nancy Cantor said that in order to
address the report, University officials would
be forced to assume CEO's "narrowed view
of university admissions."
"I think this is, in many respects far from
the unbiased report it claims to be," Cantor
said at a press conference yesterday. "We do
not judge the content or the character of our
students in a single test."
But Cantor said information on graduation
rates of minority students in the report put
the University in a positive light.
"The University of Michigan is graduat-
ing minority students at a vastly greater
rate than (another University) that suppos-
edly shows no racial preference," Cantor
said. "This report shows a shocking
resolve to allow 'the only highly selective
University in the state' to become a segre-
gated institution."
Associate Provost Paul Courant said the
methods used to study admissions are not
appropriate because of the number of vari-
ables.
"When you model any process with num-
bers, the math can't be any smarter than the
things that you measure and put in the com-
puter," Courant said during the press confer-
ence. "Unless the other things can be con-
trolled, the other things that matter aren't in
there."
Courant criticized the report's controver-
sial claim that a black student is 174.1 times
as likely to be admitted as an equally quali-
fied white peer.
"The most striking single statistic in this
report is the statement that if a black and
white student were competing for a spot, the
black student would have a 173.7 to one (odd Y
of being admitted)," Courant said.
Courant said the numbers are misleading
because the actual odds vary by a few hun- Provost Nancy Cantor speaks to members of th
dredths of a percent. terday about the University's admissions policie
Coalition
JOHN KRAFT/Dail)
e press yes-
es.
A sacred feast
ma
V
assist
By Katie Plona
Daily Staff Reporter
The National Assoc
Advancement of Colore
Defense Fund, the At
Liberties Union and an
organization may form
intervene in two lawsu
the University's admis:
according to a previoi
Detroit newspaper repor
The coalition would
involved in the lawsuit:
minority students.
The lawsuits - one
admissions policies ofI
Literature, Science and t
other challenging the
admissions practices -
the Center for Individ
behalf of three separate
three plaintiffs, all of w
claim that less-qualifie
dents were unfairly a<
their applications were d
Michael Steinberg,
director of the Michiga
that while he could not d
the possibility of the cc
tion to intervene in the t
would acknowledge that
are in the works.
"There are several g
together on a strateg
involved in the lawsuit
that forth at a press
Steinberg said.
Steinberg said the in
plan to announce their
this week or early nextv
defe nse
Wayne State University constitutional
law Prof. Robert Sedler said intervention
iation for the by such a coalition would allow the
d People Legal group to act as an advocate for minority
merican Civil students. This contrasts with the more-
nother national specific goals of the University, which
a coalition to include maintaining the use of race as a
its challenging factor in its admissions practices.
sions policies, "So while they are intervening on the
usly published side of the University ... their interests
t. may be a little different," Sedler said.
likely become Associate Vice President for
s on behalf of University Relations Lisa Baker said
the University has not been notified of
targeting the any coalition's intention to get involved
the College of in the lawsuits.
he Arts and the "We're not aware of any intervention
Law School's being filed," Baker said. "If something
were filed by is filed, we will study it."
ual Rights on Baker said it would be inappropriate
plaintiffs. The to speculate on the possible content or
hom are white, implications of an intervening party's
d minority stu- actions unless an action is filed.
dmitted, while CIR Senior Legal Counsel Terry Pell
Denied. also said he would not comment on the
acting legal effects of a coalition's involvement in the
an ACLU, said lawsuits until the action actually occurs.
irectly confirm Legal experts differentiated between
)alition's inten- two kinds of case interventions - those
wo lawsuits, he specifically labeled interventions and
t definite plans those called friend of the court briefs.
These are two options a coalition may
roups working seek in District Court.
y to become University Law Prof. Edward Cooper
and we'll lay said there is a distinction between a
conference," third-party intervention and a friend of
the court brief.
terested parties "The major difference is that the
intentions later intervener, if allowed to intervene,
week. See LAWSUITS, Page 7
JOHN KRAFT/Daily
LSA senior Zareena Grewal, who hosted last night's Iftar celebration, mulls over the fast-breaking feast that she and
her friends prepared. During Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calender, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.
E-mail use integral
part of campus life
By Christine M. Paik
Daily Staff Reporter
While home mailboxes may not
receive more than five letters in a day,
e-mail accounts are often flooded with
five messages per hour.
"There's a rising use of e-mail as an
instrumental resource on college cam-
puses today," said Kenneth Green, vis-
iting scholar at the Claremont Graduate
University in Claremont, Calif. and
director of the Campus Computing
Project. "It provides easy access to
people you may not be able to locate so
easily, which is especially true on cam-
puses as large as the University of
Michigan."
According to the results of a survey.
"Everyone is busy and moving around
these days, and everyone is playing
phone tag," Green said. "E-mail makes
communication much simpler."
Communication studies Prof.
Michael Traugott said he uses his e-
mail account frequently and applauds
the increase in the use of e-mail.
"It's a big advantage, in terms of tak-
ing care of administrative issues and
(taking) care of small questions,"
Traugott said. "It's a good way to estab-
lish contact between students and pro-
fessors."
LSA junior Alicia Hamilton said she
uses e-mail to get in touch with her
professors.
"Office hours half the time are so
Former regent
hopes to win
seat on board
By Jennifer Yachnin
Daily Staff Reporter
Former University Regent Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor)
announced he will attempt to reclaim the seat he held for 24
years, but lost in the 1996 election.
"It is an important institution and I feel I can contribute to
its well being," Baker said.
For the past two years, Baker, an
Ann Arbor resident, has been busy
working with his construction and
land development business, but said
he has kept up-to-date with events at
the University.
"I feel reasonably knowledgeable
about the University and recent events,"
Baker said.
Secretary and Vice President for
I _____ - --- I I