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One-hundredthirteen years ofeditorialfreedom
www.michigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXIII, No. 116 ©2004 The Michigan Daily
' '
agrees
to
tuition
ceiling
Coleman plans to raise tuition at
i'zlation rate, savng 'U'about $20
milion i governmentfunds
By Aymar Jean
Daily Staff Reporter
The University will most likely hold in-state
tuition at or below the rate of inflation for the
next academic year, University President Mary
Sue Coleman said at yesterday's Board of
Regents meeting. She did not offer concrete
plans for out-of-state tuition, but stressed that
the administration will strive for moderation.
The decision came as a result of Gov. Jen-
nifer Granholm's budget proposal during her
State of the State Address in January. Under the
proposal, the governor urged universities to
keep tuition at or below the rate of inflation,
about 2.4 percent. In return, Granholm said the
universities will receive back 3 percent of the
5-percent budget cut made in December 2003.
Since the University of Michigan's funding was
cut 10 percent earlier last year, its cumulative
cut would be 12 percent.
By opting for Granholm's proposal, Coleman
said the University will save about $20 million in
state funds.
If universities decided to raise tuition above
the rate of inflation, then the state would levy an
additional 3-percent penalty, resulting in an 8
percent budget cut for fiscal year 2004-2005.
The cumulative cut over two years would be a
more severe 18 percent.
"We support the efforts of the governor and
the Legislature to keep public higher education
affordable for Michigan families," Coleman said.
The University's decision is contingent upon
what specific tuition increases the Michigan
State Legislature presents. If the Legislature
changes its plans or determines that the state
budget cannot support the costs of this propos-
al, Coleman said the University will have to re-
evaluate its choice to adhere to the plan.
Both Michigan State University and Wayne
State University accepted the governor's
request in January and plan to hold tuition at or
below the inflation rate for January.
Since Granholm issued the proposal, the
University has approached the request with
caution, evaluating its options. But the Univer-
sity would save about $20 million this year and
every year indefinitely. To make up that $20
million restoration through tuition increases,
the University would have to increase in-state
tuition by 20 percent, an option that Coleman
said was clearly unfavorable.
But holding tuition at or below the rate of
inflation is not a sustainable model for the long
term, Coleman said.
For the future, Coleman said she believes the
University should plan for "more robust and
more predictable state support, moderate
tuition increases and a continued emphasis on
financial aid, especially in the form of grants."
In spite of the state's restoration of funds, the
University will still need to cut another $20
million from the Ann Arbor campus budget, in
addition to $37 million cut last year. These cuts
could be in campus-wide utilities, health insur-
ance benefits and other services, Coleman said.
The cuts result from a $40 million increase in
costs over the past year. The rebate would cover
See TUITION, Page 5
BUDGET CUTS
Students protest
service cuts at
regents meeting
By Aymar Jean
Daily Staff Reporter
Clad in yellow shirts of solidarity and grasping
multicolored balloons, a diverse regiment of stu-
dents rallied around the Cube in Regents Plaza yes-
terday protesting changes to student services by the
University's Division of Student Affairs.
Disgruntled students marched to the Fleming
Administration Building and packed the University
Board of Regents' monthly meeting to demonstrate
against projected cuts in student services over the
next year, among other concerns.
Students from a broad coalition of campus
groups entreated senior administration officials to
rethink changes to numerous offices and organia-
tions. Groups rallied around such issues as the cuts
to this year's Pow Wow, anticipated changes to the
Greek system, slashes to the Office of Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs budget and
the lack of resources in the Office of Multi-Ethnic
Student Affairs.
Their concerns extended beyond student affairs
issues. Protesters also criticized the administration
of what they called apathy in the face of declining
minority enrollment and inaction concerning hate
crimes. Alleged negligence of multicultural affairs,
LGBT issues, sexual assault services and hate
crime protocols all represent an "elimination of safe
spaces" on campus and highlight what dissenters
say is the University's hypocrisy on diversity.
En route to the administration building, more
than 100 students chanted, "Give us a voice, let us
make a choice." They wore yellow shirts stating
"Royster cut student services, and all I got was this
lousy T-shirt" and carried posters imploring the
administration to "Take diversity seriously."
After public comments had concluded, students
shouted and stood in support of the speakers at the
Regents meeting. Four regents responded to stu-
dents about their concerns, despite the tradition of
remaining silent during or after public comments.
"I believe we've heard your pain,' Regent Olivia
Maynard (D-Goodrich) said to students and mem-
bers of the board. "We want you to know that we
are listening."
But not every regent offered conciliations. Many
students were offended by the remarks of Regent
Andrew Richner (R-Grosse Pointe Park), who sug-
gested the protesters transfer their energy to Mon-
day's basketball game against Oklahoma.
While most board members stressed building a
stronger relationship between students and the
administration, many noted the difficult budget sit-
uation. Although Regent Larry Deitch (D-Bingham
See STUDENTS, Page 7
Student protesters walk into the Fleming Administration Building carrying signs asking to stop changes to student services. Activists addressed the
Regents during the monthly meeting, discussing issues such as cuts to the annual Pow Wow and the need for William Monroe Trotter House repairs.
Michigan House
votes agiSt
agldeath penalty
-Y
Speaker highlights
Holocaust memories
By Anne Joling
Daily Staff Reporter
By Jameel Naqvl
Daily Staff Reporter
A proposal that would give Michi-
gan voters the choice to amend the
state constitution to allow the death
penalty in cases of first-degree murder
failed in the Legislature yesterday. The
measure fell short of the two-thirds
supermajority required for the legisla-
tion to pass to the state Senate.
State Reps. Larry Julian (R-Lennon)
and Alexander Lipsey (R-Kalamazoo),
who stood on opposite sides of the
A constitutional amendment
requires two-thirds supermajorities in
the House and the Senate and a simple
majority among Michigan voters. Yes-
terday's vote split 55 to 52 in favor of
the proposal, lacking 18 votes to con-
stitute a 73-member supermajority.
"I knew it was going to be a hard
battle," Julian said. "We're substan-
tially closer than we were five years
ago. It's tough to get two-thirds
(support).
"I thought the House had
changed. Term limits had brought in
Remembrance. That one word held a
powerful meaning last night at the con-
clusion of this year's Conference on
the Holocaust.
Author Michael Berenbaum gave
a lecture titled "The Art of Remem-
bering." He related the topic of
remembrance to the Holocaust in an
effort to explain the importance of
memory.
"We remember in order to enhance
humanity and to say never, never
again. We remember to enhance con-
science and increase human dignity,"
Berenbaum said.
Berenbaum is the author of 14
books and hundreds of scholarly arti-
cles. In addition, he was one of the
founders of the United States Holo-
caust Memorial Museum in Washing-
ton and the president and chief
executive officer of Steven Spielberg's
Survivors of the Shoah Visual History
Foundation.
He also is an adjunct professor of
theology at the University of Judaism
in Los Angeles.
Berenbaum's speech was structured
around the theme of this year's confer-
ence, "Through the Generations."
RC junior Casey Cohen, co-chair
for the Conference on the Holocaust,
said she felt this lecture, the Michael
Bernstein Memorial Lecture, would
be an appropriate way to end the
conference.
"For the final lecture we wanted to
give the students something they
could relate to and so we thought the
topic of remembering was relevant,"
Cohen said.
Art and Design senior Rachel Dresch-
er shared thoughts similar to Cohen's.
"It's important to remember what
happened because it's a part of history,
not just of the Jewish people, but of
history in general," said Drescher, also
an LSA senior.
See HOLOCAUST, Page 5
issue, characterized
the two-and-a-half
hour debate as
impassioned yet
civil. "The govern-
ment was working
very well today,"
Julian said.
Julian, who last
month reintroduced
the proposal after it
died in the House
five years ago, far
short of a simple
majority, said he was
disappointed that the
proposed amend-
-ment would not be
-on the ballot this
"I knew it was
going to be a hard
battle.... We're
substantially closer
that we were five
years ago:'
- Rep. Larry Julian (R-Lennon)
Sponsor, resolution to amend
the state constitution to ban the
some different rep-
resentatives ,"
Julian added.
Disappointment
aside, he expressed
his faith in the same
constitutional prin-
ciple that con-
tributed to the
failure of his pro-
posal.
"It should take a
supermajority to
change the Consti-
tution," he said.
"We shouldn't be
able to amend it
every day."
Lipsey agreed
JE F" LHNER"/"Dly
Michael Berenbaum lectures on remembrance for the last speech of the Holocaust
Lecture Series at the EH Kraus Building Auditorium last night.
STUDENT GOvERNMENT
Election ends with last-minut
0
0
By Cianna Freeman
Daily Staff Reporter
Before the student government election polls
closed last night, candidates rushed to get in some
last-minute campaigning encouraging students to
get out and vote.
By the middle of the second day of elections,
didates used to always be on the Diag, but that
has gone down due to student complaints in pre-
vious semesters.
"We need to encourage students to vote with-
out attacking or harassing them," Leung added.
The candidates used a variety of ways to con-
vince students that each vote was imperative to
student government.
campaigning
The independent candidates, such as presiden-
tial candidate Tim Moore, opted to run a more
grass roots campaign policy.
Moore said they tried to talk to student groups and
send personalized e-mails to their acquaintances.
"Talking to student groups is effective,
because it gives students the opportunity to ask
questions and receive feedback," Leung added.
death penalty
N