Weather
Thursday
September 11, 2003
@2003 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
an ads
One-hundred-twelve years ofeditonarlfreedom
TODAY----
Sunny during
the day and
mostly clear
at night with
winds at
about nine
miles per
hour.
Tomorrow:
8062
Vol. CXIII, No. 8
wwwmichigandallycom
I:Iilllil Pill:
Engin dean receives
bad marks on survey
By Aymar Jean
For the Daily
A confidential survey conducted by the Faculty Senate Office
indicates tensions between the College of Engineering faculty and
their dean, Stephen Director, who has held his post since 1996. The
survey's results were originally released only to the engineering fac-
ulty, provost and the dean.
The release of this document comes at an inopportune time for
Director, as he implements new initiatives to improve the school's
academic environment and as the college celebrates its 150-year
anniversary. Also this year, the undergraduate engineering program
has fallen one more spot on the U.S. News and World Report rank-
ings.
The survey of 125 faculty members indicates that Director's rela-
tionship with the faculty is strained. The survey was obtained by the
Daily on Monday.
"There have been some contentious issues in the college, but, in
fact, I think he has taken information from senior faculty members
and made decisions from knowledge he obtained. He's made some
decisions that I would have made differently, and I could understand
why some individuals are very upset," said a biomedical engineering
professor who wished to remain anonymous.
Director said he was concerned by the unsolicited release of the
survey.
"This is a confidential survey, and it is voluntary. It's a mecha-
nism that people use to express their views. I think people partici-
pated in it under the assumption that it was confidential. If they
knew the results were to go public, I don't think they would have
responded similarly," Director said. "It's input that I will take into
consideration, including the input that I received from a very com-
prehensive strategic planning activity that included input from a
Dean places appropriate emphasis
on research In consideration of tenure/
promotion/merit raises
s% 14% 14%
6 Strongly Agree
EAgree
ONeutral
dDisagree
I Strongly Disagree
0 Unable to 3udge
a Blank
Dean appropriately weighs
the opinions of all segments of
the facilty
Dean's communication style promotes
open communication with faculty
10%
5 17%
30%
4%
i
Dean consiers faculty views Dean strives to raise the vilblity
contrary to his/her own and reputation of the College
39%
8%
large number of participants, both students and staff."
Members of the faculty referred to a specific electrical engineer-
ing professor who has allegedly been vocal in his dislike for Direc-
tor. Several professors in the electrical engineering department -
See DEAN, Page 7A
RYAN WEINER/Daily
An Ann Arbor resident walks past National City Bank's sign, which recognizes the victims of the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City.
en tiCments vary from
nostalgic to -moving on
Bill may penalize colleges
for raising costs of tuition
By Karen Schwartz
Daily Staff Reporter
Two years ago today, campus was filled with
people trying frantically to get in touch with
loved ones and students glued to their televi-
sions watching a tragedy unfold.
LSA junior Sara Rapoport, of Westchester,
N.Y, remembers being shaken when she heard
planes had crashed into the
World Trade Center, where "To me, it'
her senior prom was held.
She remembers running reflect on'
back to her residence hall world's lik
and trying to reach family
members, including her what I mig
father, who often goes into to do abou
Manhattan for work.
This year, Rapoport
said she plans to contin-
ue with her usual rou-
tine, going to classes and
doing what she would be doing otherwise in
what she feels is a statement that daily life
has not been interrupted.
"It should be in everyone's mind but at the
same time if no one goes to class or does any-
thing, then it's like people are saying that terror-
ism won out," she said.
Kira Lesser, an LSA freshman from Birm-
ingham, said she feels this should be a normal
day but was still surprised to find out that a stu-
S
W
:e
;h
it
dent group she is interested in joining will be
holding a meeting today.
She added that today is about following the
usual schedule but also taking time to consider
the state of affairs and the role individuals can
play in them.
"To me, it's a day to reflect on what the
world's like now and what I might be able to do
about it," she said. "It was a tragic event, really
scary. It's really scary
a day to because it's kind of a
wakeup call that that kind
hat the of thing can happen in
now and America." Lesser added
that she hopes to attend a
it be able vigil this evening as well.
- n In addition to attending
it a vigil in an act of remem-
- Kira Lesser brance, LSA junior Matt
LSA freshman Wasserman, of Pleas-
antville, N.Y., said he also
plans to do favors for peo-
ple today, doing random acts of kindness to
brighten up other people's day.
"It was a tough day two years ago, it's the
least I can do," he said. "If everyone would just
go up to one person and help them out ... that'd
be a whole lot of good vibes."
Wasserman added that everyone from his
hometown knew "someone who lost someone"
on Sept. 11, and that he is grateful to have not
See MEMORIAL, Page 3A
By Tomislav Ladika
Daily Staff Reporter
Colleges raising their tuition at excessive rates would
face federal government sanctions, including restric-
tions on federal aid, under a proposed bill that aims to
increase the accountability of higher education institu-
tions.
The proposal comes on the heels of "The College
Cost Crisis," a report presented last week by two U.S.
House Republicans who criticize colleges for repeated-
ly increasing tuition more than the percent rise in the
rate of inflation and the Consumer Price Index.
But critics of the proposed Affordability in Higher
Education Act said it would lead to a decrease in the
quality of higher education institutions, and that public
schools would be hurt most by the proposal.
U.S. Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon of California, a
sponsor of the proposed bill and one of the cost report's
authors, said colleges that have not controlled their
budgets efficiently are primarily to blame for cost
increases that have "been going up at twice the rate of
family income."
The bill - which McKeons spokesman Vartan Dji-
hanian said is still being finalized but will be intro-
See TUITION, Page 5A
Teaching and research square off
Profs often budget their
time for more research rather
than teach extra classes
By Jeremy Berkowitz
Daily Staff Reporter
Anthropology Prof. Roberto Frisancho
easily acknowledges what many other
department heads readily deny - certain
professors broker deals to get out of stan-
dard teaching requirements of their
departments.
"Unfortunately this practice is heavily
used in many departments," Frisancho said,
adding that he could not give any specific
details. "Many of these professors because
of such agreements teach very little and
their salaries are much higher than those
who teach and do not have these special
privileges. Life is not fair."
The University, like many high-profile
research colleges, struggles to maintain a
balance for its faculty between allowing
professors time for research and maintain-
ing rigorous teaching requirements, which
are necessary for a Big Ten school.
In the Physics Department, for example,
the regular teaching load for a professor
with an active research project is one
course per semester. If a professor is not
working on such a project - only 5 per-
cent of the department in the past two
years fell into that category - their teach-
ing load increases to two courses a semes-
ter. In rare instances of large research
funding, a professor can pay the depart-
ment to have a replacement teach their
class for a semester.
"At most, a professor can be without
teaching for one year. This combines his or
her sabbatical leave (one semester) and a
buy out from teaching (one semester),"
Physics department chair Ctirad Uher said.
The history department issues even more
rigorous criteria, requiring faculty to teach
four classes - two large and two small.
Three of those classes are expected to be at
the undergraduate level.
Yet, a traditional way to get exempt from
regular loads is to belong to a campus
research institution. Frisancho, a senior
See FACULTY, Page 5A
'U' creates new position,
elevates housing director
[Bomb threat fizzles out
By Jeremy Berkowitz
Daily Staff Reporter
The University recently decided to expand the
role of the next housing director by adding "assis-
tant vice president for student affairs" to the title.
This change comes due to University housing's
importance-' 98 percent of freshmen live in res-
idence halls.
In the eight months since Housing Director Bill
Zeller's abrupt departure, Vice President for Stu-
dent Affairs E. Royster Harper consulted with
members of the campus community about rewrit-
ing the director's job description. Harper said the
changes come in anticipation of alterations to
housing in the next decade.
"The modified role will allow the University to
look more closely at campus residential neighbor-
hoods and to consider collaborations already
underway between the University, city of Ann
Arbor, community groups and private develop-
ers," Harper said.
The new director's salary will depend on expe-
rience, and the office will remain in the Student
Activities Building. Zeller made $118,085 in his
last year.
Harper recently formed a 14-member search
advisory committee, expected to meet for the first
description, establish a list of criteria and start
looking at resumes of potential candidates. After-
wards, they plan to interview candidates by tele-
phone and invite three or four finalists to campus
for public presentations. Harper said she hopes to
make a final decision by February 2004.
"The whole process is pretty transparent,"
Nafranowicz said.
Although only three members of the committee
are currently students, Nafranowicz said that
excluding her, students account for almost 25 per-
cent of the committee and represent many con-
stituencies including the Residence Hall
Association and the Michigan Student Assembly.
She added that she expects them to contribute
much to the committee's work.
"I expect everyone's voices on the committee
to be heard," she said. Harper added that there is
still room for student involvement in the process.
"There will be opportunities for candidates to
meet with students and for students to provide
feedback on the candidate."
University Housing is currently on the brink of
significant changes. A new residence hall on
North Campus has been on the drawing board for
several years, and there is a movement to mod-
ernize many of the arcane residence halls. Last
year, the University hired a consultant to talk with
- I ~
l
A canine unit was sent into the University Health Services building on North
i