Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Opinion 4
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JOSH HOLMAN HAS THE MADNESS ... SPORTS, PAGE 9
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One-hundred-fourteen years ofeditorialfreedom
www.michgandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXV, No. 98 62005 The Michigan Daily
MSA
votes
against
divestment
By Jeremy Davidson
Daily Staff Reporter
Hundreds of anxious students and local community members
filled an emotionally charged Michigan Union Ballroom last
night, when the Michigan Student Assembly soundly defeated a
proposal advocating the creation of a committee to examine Uni-
versity investments in companies that do business with Israel.
The overwhelming margin against the resolution - 11 repre-
sentatives voted in favor, while 25 voted no - came as a surprise
to many MSA officials and observers, who had said in the lead up
to the vote that they expected a close outcome.
"I felt good with the outcome of the resolution especially given
the recent developments in the peace process between the Israelis
and the Palestinians," said MSA General Counsel Jesse Levine
Although MSA expected a high turnout, scheduling the meet-
ing in the Kuenzel Room of the Union instead of MSA chambers,
the turnout was so high that the meeting had to be relocated a sec-
ond time to the larger ballroom and began an hour and half late.
The animosity and nervous energy in the room was palpable,
leading to spontaneous altercations throughout the ballroom and
cramped hallways of the Union and causing the Department
of Public Safety to remove a heckler during an address by for-
mer MSA Vice President Jennifer Nathan. Raucous cheers and
applause, as well as numerous parliamentary questions, punctu-
ated the meeting, making it difficult at times for MSA President
Jason Mironov to control the large crowd.
Proceedings involved a speaker's list, with advocates of both
sides taking turns voicing their opinion. Speakers included stu-
dents, University professors and community members.
If passed, the resolution would have instructed the MSA Exter-
nal Relations Committee to send a letter urging the University
Board of Regents to create an advisory committee to investigate
the moral and ethical implications of the University's investments
in companies that directly support the Israeli occupation of the
West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Opponents of the resolution argued that its effect and intent
went beyond merely forming a committee, instead targeting Israel
and ultimately seeking divestment from the country. They cited
See DIVESTMENT, Page 3
PHOTOS BY GLENN GETTY AND RYAN WEINER/Daily
The Michigan Student Assembly voted yesterday against a resolution to recommend the creation of a committee to examine investments with companies that do
business with Israel. The meeting was held in the Michigan Union Ballroom and included more than 400 people.
MSA wont
decide on
PIRGIM
fiunding
By Karl Stampfl
Daily Staff Reporter
The Michigan Student Assembly will not vote in
the near future on whether it will fund a University
chapter of the Public Interest Research Group In
Michigan, an activist group that tackles issues such
as environmental preservation and high prices for col-
lege textbooks. The Central Student Judiciary, MSA's
judicial body, announced the decision at last night's
MSA meeting. CSJ Chief Justice Pierce Beckham said
Student PIRGIM cannot be voted on because it might
jeopardize MSA's tax-exempt status and because the
way it would be funded would violate precedent set
in prior U.S. Supreme Court cases that require guide-
lines when giving money to organizations through
student assemblies.
Students for PIRGIM, the group that would become
Student PIRGIM, said it plans to appeal the decision.
"The CSJ verdict is not just bad for us but bad for all
students," Students for PIRGIM chair Carolyn Hwang
said. "To think about what we could have been doing
instead of putting our energies toward validating our-
selves is really sad. The campaigns we wanted to work
on would have benefited the entire campus."
Hwang said that the group will appeal because it
believes CSJ's ruling was unfair and unfounded.
"They got everything wrong," Hwang said. "I still
respect them, but a lot the things they said were just plain
wrong."
CSJ said that in order to maintain its tax-exempt sta-
tus, only 5 percent of MSA's budget can go to lobbying
groups. If Student PIRGIM were to be approved, the
$20,000 allotted to it for a one-year trial would be just
under 5 percent of MSA's budget. If the trial period goes
well and Student PIRGIM is funded again, the next year
would cost MSA an estimated $60,000, 12 percent of
MSA's budget. Although Student PIRGIM has claimed
that it will not be involved in lobbying and would there-
fore not violate the 5 percent rule, Beckham said that the
question of whether the group would engage in lobbying
remains unanswered.
See PIRGIM, Page 7
'U'
to reclassify employee titles
New classification scheme will
provide more precise job titles,
salary ranges for 18,000 employees
By Carissa Miller
Daily Staff Reporter
The University is in the process of reclassifying thou-
sands of jobs in an effort to update a system that can no
longer reflect the range of jobs that have been created in the
past 30 years.
Gearing up for the July 1 implementation of the new job
classification system, various University units and academ-
ic departments - in collaboration with Human Resources
and Affirmative Action - are recategorizing and renam-
ing approximately 18,000 staff positions at the University's
three campuses and in its health system.
The new system will make defining pay and comparing
University jobs to positions in the job market easier.
Under the current system, which has been in place since
the early 1970's and has undergone few changes since, the
affected positions are grouped into only four job families
- professional/administrative, technical, office and allied
health.
The new classification system, however, is built around
twenty career families, including Academic and Student
Services, Facilities Operations and Healthcare Administra-
tion and Support. Within each family, employees will also
be classified according to their job role - either profes-
sional (the largest group), managerial or executive.
HRAA spokesman Dave Reid said that through the clas-
sification project, the HRAA hoped to create a more con-
temporary and less restrictive system that would work well
far into the future.
See JOBS, Page 7
A mid-life career change
What changes?
Defined career families replace broad job groups
Official job titles change to market titles
Specific salary ranges replace broad parameters
JOBS website reorganized by career family
What stays the same?
Job duties
Benefits packages
Salaries of individual employees
English lecturer receives teaching award
By Laura Van Hyfte
Daily Staff Reporter
Screams, laughter, applause and cheers
filled the fourth floor of Angell Hall when
English Senior Lecturer John Rubadeau was
notified that he was this year's recipient of the
Golden Apple Award yesterday.
"What the hell is this? Did you guys know
about this?" Rubadeau asked his students
when three members of Students Honoring
Outstanding University Teachers surprised
Rubadeau, entering his class with the award
and an assortment of balloons.
For 15 years, SHOUT has presented the
Golden Apple Award to teachers who have
made an impact on their students, said David
Ravvin, an LSA senior and SHOUT commit-
tee chair.
"Winners of the Golden Apple Award are
chosen on the basis of nominations and the
content of their nominations," Ravvin said.
"It's a way for students to recognize teachers
who inspire them," he added.
Students who sent in nominations for
Rubadeau said his teaching style was inspira-
tional and that he facilitated student involve-
ment in and outside of the classroom, Ravvin
said.
"Students said that he made the material
he wanted to take courses that he would enjoy
in his senior year.
"My advisor recommended this class to
me because so many students liked it," Hyll-
ested said.
"He is very animated and makes class
fun," Hyllested said. "He doesn't suck the life
out of class."
Colleagues also expressed their admira-
tion for Rubadeau. English Lecturer Hilary
Thompson said Rubadeau excels in more
areas than just English.
His enormous enthusiasm, lack of fear
in expressing his opinions and a fair dose
of insanity make him deserving of this
award, said Thompson, a former student of
Rubadeau.
Rubadeau said the award was an unexpect-
ed surprise.
"I was really stunned and delighted and
totally surprised - although I cannot think
of anyone who is more deserving than me,"
he said.
Rubadeau added that teaching is not hard
at all - if it is your passion.
"I love what I do. I love coming in to
school every day and teaching," he said. "If I
could tell students one thing to keep in mind,
there are only three words - "quid pro quo"
See AWARD, Page 7
SHUBRA ORI/Daily
English Lecturer John Rubadeau Is notified he is this year's recipient of the Golden
Apple Award In Angell Hall yesterday as his cheering students look on.
come alive," Ravvin added.
Rubadeau has taught for more than 18
years at the University. Eight years ago he
instructed English 125 sessions and argu-
mentative writing 225 courses. He currently
teaches upper level essay writing courses in
the English department.
Engineering senior Corey Hyllested said
Students organize letter-writing campaign to save AMTRAK
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ing the Bush administration's proposed funding
the next fiscal year.
letters to their congressmen, senators and the
needed to meet the transportation needs of
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