LOCAL/S TATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 6, 1998 - 3
YRIME0
Female student
stuck In South
uad room
female resident of South Quad resi-
ce hall called the Department of
ublic Safety on Tuesday morning to
eport that the door to her room was
tuck shut. An anonymous caller fore-
shadowed the event by telephoning her
he night before, DPS reports state.
The resident said that she received a
nessage on her voicemail saying that she
would not be able to get out of her room
he next morning.
When the girl woke in the morning,
couldn't open her door, and she
lieved someone had glued it shut.
DPS officers responded, finding that
pennies had been stuck in the door, pre-
venting it from opening. The door was
pot damaged.
Student rescued
From suicide
A student living in South Quad resi-
*de hall contacted DPS on Tuesday to
report that his friend was close to suicide
due to extreme depression and drug con-
sumption, DPS reports state.
The student received an e-mail from
the suicidal friend, which stated that he
was depressed and was going to kill him-
self using chemicals.
The caller told DPS the threat was
valid, as the student admitted to taking an
uidentified drug.
PS responded to the call and found
tthe subject had taken more than 60
pills of melatonin. The Ann Arbor Fire
Department and Huron Valley
Ambulance were contacted, and the sub-
ject was transported to University
Hospitals.
Two suicide notes were found in the
room.
6APD closes
7-year kidnapping
investigation
The Ann Arbor Police Department
assisted the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and the Mason County
Sheriff's Department on Wednesday
morning as they arrested a suspect who
had been wanted for seven years on one
nt of parental kidnapping and one
count of interstate flight, according to
AAPD reports.
The suspect, Julie Kamin, absconded
with her children seven years ago in
Mason County, Wash., before a pending
divorce trial. The FBI and MCSD tipped
off the AAPD two weeks ago, stating
that Kamin had relocated to the Ann
Arbor area.
AAPD used surveillance equipment
bserve Kamin dropping her children
o at school. AAPD pulled over the sus-
pect and arrested her.
Kamin presently is being held in the
.Washtenaw County Jail and will be
extradited to Washington.
Robbery strikes
gas station
A custody hearing for the children
sheld yesterday.
WAPD received a call Tuesday from a
clerk who had been robbed at the Amoco
.Gas Station on Main Street, according to
AAPD reports.
-.The caller said a man walked into the
forc and flashed a knife. The suspect
then demanded money from the clerk.
" Atter the clerk refused to give the man
money, the suspect grabbed a radio from
the counter and ran out of the store.
tore reports
stolen rings
AAPD reports indicate that five men
robbed Artesian Jewelers on Monday.
Reports stated that the five men
enfered the store on Monday after-
noon appearing to be potential cus-
tomers. Two of the men distracted a
saleperson for a lengthy amount of
time, while the other three scoped the
ie for loose jewelry. After gather-
ing six diamond rings, the men left
the store. The two men who distract-
ed the clerk left soon afterwards.
- Compiled by Dailv StaffReporter
Reilly Brennan.
Remote 'diploma mills'
offer speedy degrees
By Christine M. Paik
Daily Staff Reporter
For $2,500, a 25-page dissertation and a 32-cent
stamp, any diploma - from nuclear engineering
to education - can be yours.
Diploma mill' is the term used for a school
where you send in money and they send you a
degree," said Sally Welch, assistant director of the
Distance Education and Training Council, an
accrediting agency for distance education. "They
are not at all legitimate."
Although many legitimate distance education
institutions have been established in the United
States since the late 1800s, many schools recently
claiming they are accredited are fraudulently giv-
ing out diplomas to clueless students.
In return, the institutions usually ask for some
sort of paper or written exercise - not nearly
enough to gauge intellectual ability - and charge
exorbitant prices ranging in the thousands of dol-
lars for these diplomas.
Eugene Sullivan, one of three authors of
"External Degrees in the Information Age:
Legitimate Choices,." warned about the danger of
the diploma mills, saying the integrity of a degree
is at stake.
"These diploma mills could very well cheapen
the value of degrees," Sullivan said.
"They threaten the reputation of legiti-
mate and accredited distance education
institutions."
Because many of the people who seek
the diplomas reside in foreign countries
and simply access the Internet to find
one that sounds reputable, the mills try to
entice students with a prestigious name.
"One ploy is that the school will adopt
a name that is very similar to an accred-
ited institution," said John Bear, co-
author of "Bears' Guide to Earning College
Degrees Non-traditionally."
"Names with 'America' or 'Columbia' always
sound important," Bear said. This is true in the
case of the University of Berkley, which sounds
amazingly similar to the University of California
school, but is conveniently spelled differently,
lacking an extra "e.
The University of Berkley is supposedly located
in Southfield, Mich., but it has phone and mail list-
ings for Erie, Penn.
Bear said the institution is in fact
being run in a garage. The University of
Berkley refused to comment on the
issue.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
has only recently teamed up with high-
er education officials and gotten
involved with tracking down fraud-
ulent diploma mills. In the early
It-aa".u no'80s, the FBI closed down 39
institutions that claimed they
were accredited.
But Bear said that many of the
institutions that scam money from
people are still in existence despite FBI crack-
downs due to lenient state laws.
"The majority of these schools are located in
Hawaii. Louisiana or Iowa," Bear said. He
explained that the laws regulating higher education
Slims
celebrate
Eidwith
feast
By Rachel Edelman
Daily Staff Reporter
Traditional Muslim food, garb and
singing were part of a celebration last
night as Muslim students observed
Eid, the end of Ramadan - a reli-
gious month of fasting.
About 250 students took part in last
night's celebrations. Although the
majority were University students, stu-
dents from other colleges and universi-
ties, faculty members and parents of
students were also present.
Itgives us a great opportunity as a
Muslim community to get together as a
brotherhood and sisterhood," said LSA
sophomore Amer Naiem, the evening's
emcee.
During the month of Ramadan,
Muslims fast from dawn to dusk every
day. Ramadan is a time of purification
and redemption.
"The purpose of Ramadan is to
achieve piety and closeness to God,"
said Muslim Students Association
President Mohammad Sa'id
Shukairy, an LSA senior. "It is a time
in which we gain an appreciation for
the many blessings that God has given
us.
Eid, one of the most important
Muslim holidays, is an opportunity for
in these states are either non-existent or very lax.
Welch added that these institutions find ways to
get around the laws
"Many schools claim religious affiliation."
Welch said. "By claiming relation to a church, they
are exempt from state laws."
Bear said these so-called religiously affiliated
schools have "stupid reasons" to justify their
degree-selling programs.
They say "because God created everything,
whatever you study, you are studying the work of
God and therefore it is not illegal," Bear said.
Bear said that students can distinguish between
accredited schools and fraudulent ones by doing
research.
"Another problem is that some of the diplo-
ma mills will set up their own accrediting insti-
tution," Bear said. "The person just really
needs to do a background check, and get more
information than what they hear from the
schools."
DETC has a listing of accredited distance edu-
cation schools at ttp:iwww.dec.vrg.
Senator
decries
accusations.
LANSNG (AP) - State Sen. Henry
Stallings, threatened with becoming the,
first Michigan senator ever to b"
expelled, decried what lie called a "rush
to judgment" and said yesterday that his
due process rights are being violated.
Stallings is facing hearings before a
special Senate committee after admitting
he took more than $100 under false tre-
tenses when Ire used a Senate employee
to work in his Detroit art gallery.
He said he will fight to remain a sen-
ator and does not foresee resigning, as
some Senate leaders are hoping.
"I've had no trial. I've not had any
conviction' Stallings (D-Detroit) said
in a brief interview outside the Senate
chamber. "This rush to judgment is
unconscionable"
N/Daily He said Senate leaders are ignoring
m of his due process rights in their moves t
penalize him while investigating his
legal problems. "Are they above the
luded law?" he demanded.
i con- Stallings has been reluctant to dis
Du'a. cuss his problem. But he said yesterday
f the he would talk about it at length later on.
ether "I will make a comment," he said;
asion "It'll be a hell of acomment."
first- The Senate has named a speci1
committee to investigate the matter and
uslim make recommendations, and has intro-
spon- duced resolutions to either expel or
dents censure the freshman Democrat. He
dents has been removed from his committee
nrican assignments and forced to give up con-
Anti- trol of his Senate office and staff.
Under a plea agreement Stallings
reached with prosecutors, Wayne County
Circuit Judge Sean Cox is to hold his
tguilty plea under advisement for one
year.
If Stallings has no further legal prob-
lems, Cox is to reduce the crime from a
faculty felony to a misdemeanor of taking money
less than $100 under false pretenses.
the pre- Senate Democratic Leader John
e recruit- Cherry (D-Clio) said the special com-
"You can iiittee would hold hearings that will
tives, but give Stallings his chance at due
prowess, process. Cherry has worked with
prowess, Senate Majority Leader Dick
nterest in Posthuimius (R-Alto) to avoid partisan
struggles in the matter.
PAUL TALANIA
Education sophomore Ayesha Hai (right) serves Mott Children's Hospital physician Samya Nassar in the Wedge Roa
West Quad last night, where a traditional Eid feast was held.
the Muslim community to join together
in a show of togetherness and support.
"We're in a different community
here. When we get together. it gives us
a sense of unity" said LSA sopho-
more Nora Mahmoud.
Eid is a time "for all Muslims to get
together to congratulate each other on
a successful month of fasting," said
Rackham student Rasha Stino, the
community affairs officer of the
Muslim Students Association.
L SA first-year student Mohiba
Khan said that although the Musli n
community is scattered throughout
the world, Eid "gives you a sense of
unity and shows you how tremendous
the Muslim community is. When they
come together, it's amazing."
The celebration began with an
introduction and welcome by Naiem,
followed by a recitation and transla-
tion of the Qur'an and a speech on the
importance of Eid.
The evening continued with a dinner.
[he celebration then moved to the
Michigan Union Ballroom for the Salat
ul Isha, the fifth prayer of the day.
Other events of the night inc
singing and a baking contest. Eid
eluded with a closing prayer, the I
"I think it's good that all o
Muslim community can get tog
on campus on such a happy occ
and show their unity," said LSA
year student Asad Tarsin.
Eid was sponsored by the M
Students Association, and co-
sored by the Malaysian Stu
Association, the Indonesian Stu
association. the Indian Arne
Student Association and the Arab
VP announces new administrative pos
By Jennifer Yachnin
Daily Staff Reporter
In his second annual address to
Sigma Xi, a national society for the
advancement of scientific research.
Executive Vice President for Research
Frederick Neidhardt announced the cre-
ation of a new associate vice president;
pending approval by the University
Board of Regents later this month.
"The faculty that (Nancy Cantor) has
appointed as provost and my staff are
working together as never before,"
Neidhardt said.
The new associate vice president and
director of research administration will
handle daily administrative issues, such
as managing the numerous research
units that report to the OVPR, allowing
the vice president and other executive
officers "to concentrate on all other
matters, including this infusion of
research into the undergraduate experi-
ence," Neidhardt said.
"The difference would be that this
would be an individual that would take
a lot of the day-to-day burden off of the
vice president," Neidhardt said.
Additionally, the office currently
held by Neidhardt may become a
reporting post to the provost, pending
the regents' approval.
"Vice president for research will not
join the provost's office but vice presi-
dent for research. while renaining an
executive officer, will become a report-
ing post for the provost," Neidhardt
said.
The new administrator will probably
be chosen by the next vice president for
research, said Neidhardt. whose term
ends in December.
"I think that the long-term vice pres-
ident ... certainly has to have a hand in
the recruitment of the individual,"
Neidhardt said.
Associate Dean for Research
Anthony Francis said duties now
assumed by the OVPR are too much for
a single person to handle.
"Because the duties of the OVPR
office have to do with operations and
policy, it is very hard to do both in one
office," Francis said. "It's rarely the
same person who's good at both of
those things or who wants to do both."
Physiology Prof. Louis D'Alecy, who
chairs the faculty's governing body, said
the new position underscores the
importance of education over pure
research.
"I think it should all be intimately
woven into the academic mission,"
D'Alecy said. The University's "pri-
mary function is education. Research
should be part of that action, rather
than an independent, self-sustaining
activity"
D'Alecy said it is important to com-
bine education with research to give
students a worthwhile education.
"I have students in my lab all the
time, but all the research activity I'm
involved in has a major educational
component in it," D'Alecy said. "I'm
intolerant of people who want to do
only research at the University."
D'Alecy added that he hopes the new
administrator can improve
recruitment.
"Disturbingly missing from
sentation was a discussion of th
ing of faculty," D'Alecy said.
have all the after-the-fact incen
if they recruit based on research
and promote based on research
it is no surprise that their in
teaching is stii to none"
MICHIGA
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COLLEGE HOCKEY
AT "THE JOE"
Joe ]Louis Arena
What's happening in Ann Arbor this weekend
FRIDAY
U "After the Final Battle," Sponsored by
Center for Chinese Studies, Angell
Wool Ai~itniiim R n
U "Six String Coffee House: In-the-
Round," Sponsored by The
Michigan League Programming,
Michigan League, The
Underground, 8 p.m.
the Study of Complex Systems,
170 Dennison, Room 170, 10:30
a.m.-12:30 p.m.
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