The Statement lie ffiid gan Balg Ann Arbor, Michigan Wednesday, September 26, 2007 michigandaily.com AFTER PROPOSAL 2 Officials outline diversity plans Administrators say future minority enrollment uncertain By CATHE SHUBERT Daily StaffReporter LANSING - Administrators sought to reaffirm the University's commitment to racial and ethnic diversity by outlining the steps it is taking to keep minority enroll- ment from plummeting in a pre- sentation here yesterday. Part of the challenge of main- taining diversity in higher edu- cation without using race as a preferential factor in admissions and financial aid, which is now illegal, is that there are quality dif- ferences between inner-city and suburban public schools. Students at many failing inner-city schools are largely black and Latino, while students at the higher-perform- ing suburban schools are largely white. "People have no idea that there - are such disparities," said Patricia Gurin, a professor emerita at the University. Lester Monts, the University's senior vice provost, said that's why Michigan needs to invest more in public education in light of the move of many students from pub- lit schools to charter and private schools. Better financial packages, he said, are also needed, so that students from lower economic statuses are able to attend the Uni- versity. Without that investment in K-12 public education, students will have a harder time succeeding in college. "We're bartering our future away," Monts said. The presentation was given to the Wolverine Caucus, a group of legislators, lobbyists and state gov- ernment officials with ties to the University. one of the main points of the presentation was to update the caucus on what the University is doing to respond to the limita- tions of Proposal 2, which banned affirmative action in the state last year. These actions include the Diversity Blueprints task force, which the University formed in See FORUM, Page 7A ANN AND ROBERT LURIE Amount: $25 million Date: July 2002 University unit: College of Engineering Seventh biggest single donation in University history ANONYMOUS Amount: $25 million Date: July 2007 University unit: Cardiovascular Center Eighth biggest single donation in University history STEPHEN ROSS Amount: $100 million Date: Sept. 2004 University unit: School of Busi- ness Biggest single donation in Uni- versity history' A. ALFRED TAUBMAN Amount: $30 million Date: Sept.1999 University unit: College of Architecture and Urban Planning Fifth biggest single donation in University history SAM AND JEAN FRANKEL Amount: $20 million Date: March 2005 University unit: College of Lit- erature, Science and the Arts Tenth biggest single donation in University history C.S. MOTT FOUNDATION Amount: $25 million Date: April 2005 University unit: University Health System Sixth biggest single donation in University history The rise of the mgagif Number of big donations to universities increasing Faculty, Coleman cash over input Professors want official policy that gives them a say in expensive projects By KIRSTY MCNAMARA Daily StaffReporter With a number of major University construction projects in the work, faculty members are clashing with administrators over what input they should have in spending decisions. The major point of disagreement is a handbook that, in part, defines how much the administration has to consult with the faculty before making expensive decisions. A draft of the handbook - which was compiled by the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, the executive board of the University's faculty Senate Assembly -included a sentence that said: "The faculty shall be informed about and have the opportunity to consult with the president on major expenditures con- templated by the university prior to presentation for approval by the regents." After SACUA submitted the draft to University President Mary Sue Coleman for her approval last week, she responded with a letter rejecting that sen- tence. "I do not agree with and will not approve the sen- tence that commits the University of Michigan presi- dent to an unprecedented process of approval prior to regental consideration," Coleman wrote in the letter. University Provost Teresa Sullivan attended a SACUA meeting last week where, in a back-and-forth debate, faculty members expressed surprise at Cole- man's rebuff of the statement. Theysaidthatinmostcasesthe administrationdoes consult with the faculty, and they challenged Sullivan to explain the hesitancy to put that into writing. See INPUT, Page 7A FUNDING THE ARTS Budget woes could end A2 Film Fest 43-year-old festival is $160,000 short of goal By ANDREW SARGUS KLEIN ManagingArts Editor The Ann Arbor Film Festival is facing a budget defi- cit that is threatening to end its 43-year existence. The festival - one of North America's longest-run- ning - is about $160,000 short of its budget goal for the upcoming year, according to Christen McArdle, the festival's executive director. For the last 10years, the festival has received grants from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, a division of the state's Department of His- tory, Arts and Libraries, but those funds were cut off in 2006 because of some controversial films that have been shown at the festival in past years. The festival's plight is getting noticed by powerful groups in the film world. The Ann Arbor Film Festival is one of the few American film festivals whose winners are added to the pool of candidates for Academy Award nomina- tions. The International Film Festival Summit will discuss its financial situation at the group's annual meeting in December. State Rep. Shelly Goodman Taub (R-Bloomfield Hills) introduced a bill in March of 2006 that with- held money earmarked for the festival for the 2005- 2006 fiscal year. Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed the bill two months later. McArdle said the festival lost between $20,000 and $25,000 as a result. Several selections from last year's festival were See FILM, Page 7A By ANDY KROLL Daily StaffReporter The number of extremely large donations to universities nationwide is increasing, according to data collected by a consulting firm. The data, collected by the Atlanta- based fundraisingfirmAlexander Haas Martin and Partners, found that these large donations, or "megagifts," are becoming more and more important to university fundraising campaigns, both because they contribute to the campaign's goal and spur smaller dona- tions. David King, a co-author of the study and managing partner at the firm, said in an online chat hosted by the Chron- icle of Higher Education that megagifts typically come from relationships with donors built over time. "What we have really seen is that donors make these gifts in response to a 'vision' for the institution that has not previously been presented and they have a desire to 'make it happen' sooner than later," Kingsaid. Despite the increase in megagifts nationwide (there have been 16 of more than $100 million so far this year), the University of Michigan's fundraising strategies haven't drastically changed, said Jerry May, the University's vice president for development. May said the strategy used to court a donor who can give up to $100,000 is "very similar" to that used with a donor with the capacity to give $50 million. "It's all the same process, but we do spend a little bit more time focusing intensively on the people with the great- est wealth who can give a million dollars or more," May said. May said that he, two colleagues in the Office of Development and several individual school directors primar- ily work on the University's major gift fundraising. These megagifts are crucial to the success of the University's $2.5 billion Michigan Difference campaign, May said. Since the campaign was publicly launched in May 2004, it has received over a dozen gifts of $25 million and See DONATIONS, Page 7A FIXING BICYCLES With Energy Dept. grant, studying electric cars Proximity to Big Three helped 'U' secure funds By ARIKIA MILLIKAN Daily StaffReporter After attempts by California government in the 1980s and 1990stosetminimumstandards for the production of low-emis- sion electric vehicles - which automakers rejected, citing a lack of demand - electric cars disappeared faster than stone- washed jeans. But with the nation's depen- dence on fossil fuels growing as limited supplies dwindle, the push to get plug-in hybrid electric vehicles back on the market has come to a shove. The Department of Energy announced yesterday it would grant the University $1 million to fund the research. The University's grant was part of a $20 million allotment from the Department of Ener- gy, designated for investigating PHEV technology across the country. Kevin Kolevar, the assistant secretary at the Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, said that while one of the rea- sons the University was picked for the project is its reputation See CARS, Page 7A ROB MIGRIN/Daily Students fix bikes at the East Quad Bike Co-op yesterday. The group repairs bikes that are donated r sa- dents want help fixing. The co-op meets Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons in 23 Tyler in East Quad. TODAY'S lHI:73 WEATHER LO 53 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS Compared to academics, athletic donations soar MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEWIRE INDEX NEWS................2A CLASSIFIEDS.....................6A Vol. CXvrNo.17 OPINION..............4A SPORTS. ............8A '2007The Michigan Daily ARTS ................................ SA THESTATEMENT.................1B michigandailycom