The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
GRADE BREAKDOWN
High school GPA of the class of 2011 average KEY
GPA of students enrolled at the University.
4.0 -r
3.7 C
33
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
t 0.7
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 - 7A
n- state
Out of state
0.3
0
High School GPA
GPA
From page 1A
support and recognition that we
are a state and public institution,"
Sanders said. "We have a responsi-
bility to the citizens of the state of
Michigan to have representation."
But Sanders said that the ratio is
simply a goal.
"There are no quotas for enroll-
ment on our campus at all," she
said.
Sanders said the admissions pro-
cess is focused on the individual
and that the applicant's home state
doesn't factor into the way the
application is reviewed.
She said that while the Universi-
ty aims to enroll a diverse freshmen
class - including students from all
over the state of Michigan and from
all 50 states - academic prepared-
ness trumps location.
About 63 percent of last year's
freshman class came from Michi-
gan. In 2002, 64.7 percent of
Michigan's freshmen were in-state
students. The number decreased to
60.5 percent in 2005.
Sanders said discrepancies
between the goal of enrolling 70
percent in-state students and the
actual number, which in recent
years has fallen in the mid-to-
low 60 range, can be explained by
out-of-state students accepting or
rejecting offers from the University
at different rates.
Factors like the cost of out-of-
state tuition and students' desires
to stay close to home play into the
College GPA
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
decision, Sanders said.
"Some years they will accept the
offer at a higher rate than others,
so that often impacts the number of
students who enroll," she said.
Ninety-two percent of students
in the University of California at
Berkeley's 2007 freshman class
are from California and 68 percent
of students in the University of
Virginia's freshman class are from
Virginia.
John Blackburn, the dean of
admissions at the University of
Virginia, said it's harder for out-
of-state students to gain admission
because there are more applicants
for each available spot.
"The out-of-state class profile is
slightly stronger," he said. "It's just
tougher."
LSA freshman Neil Hughes from
Portage, Mich., said he thinks in-
state students are more prepared
because of their close proximity to
the University.
"In-state students have more of a
feel for what U of M has to offer,"
he said. "We hear a lot more about
what to expect."
At the same time, out-of-state
students might have more moti-
vation to succeed because they're
traveling from farther away and
paying more for their education, he
said.
MIP
From page 1A
to discourage someone from com-
ing here."
Desmond would not comment
on whether he believes the state's
underage drinking policies deterred
students from calling emergency
services for help.
Neukam said that if someone
really needed medical attention,
she'd make the call. Butshe also said
the situation would have to be seri-
ous.
"I think if it were really extreme
and they needed help, I'd call," she
said.
Police officers are required by
state law to issue MIP citations to
drinkers under the age of21. In2004
Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a
law that increased the penalties for
underage drinking. It is advertised
on the governor's website as one of
the strongest in the nation.
AccordingtoLt. Robert Neumann
of the Department of Public Safety's
criminal investigations unit, state
law affords police officers very little
discretion in the writing of MIPs.
"If an officer knows about a
minor in possession the officer is
obligated to act on it," Neumann
said. "But when somebody is suffer-
ing from alcohol poisoningthe focus
shouldn't be on getting an MIP but
on getting help for that person."
He also said he believes Ann
Arbor courts are more likely to
order treatment than punishment
for students.
CARS
From page 1A
of the time. That number rose to 41
percent last month. Miller said 84
new members joined Zipcar in Ann
Arbor last month, bringingthe total
number of customers to about 400.
"We're on the right track now,"
Miller said.
Brophy said Zipcar has been
successful because it's not that
expensive.
For University students, a yearly
membership is $35. Students who
Lt. Jeffrey Nesmith oftheEastern
Michigan University Police Depart-
mentsaidthatwhile officers do have
some discretion in handling alcohol
violations, the campus police push
for strict enforcement.
"While it is possible that strict
MIP laws could make a student less
likely to seek medical attention,
hopefully if someone needs help
they're going to get it regardless,"
he said. Eastern Michigan Uni-
versity operates under the same
alcohol laws as the University of
Michigan.
Under state law, the body is con-
sidered a container of alcohol, so a
minor is considered to be in posses-
sion of alcohol if he or she is drunk
or has a blood alcohol content of .02
percent or higher.
Second offenders who have vio-
lated their probation can spend up
to 30 days in jail. And no amnesty is
offered to students seeking medical
attention for themselves or others in
the face of alcohol poisoning.
But at Northwestern University
in Evanston, Ill., campus police said
they have more flexibility in dealing
with underage drinking.
Daniel McAleer, the Assistant
Chief for University Police at North-
western, said that students are not
usually issued MIP citations simply
for being drunk.
"That doesn't mean that there
aren't disciplinary actions waged
against you," McAleer said. At
Northwestern, campus police are
required to write up a report on
minors who have been drinking
alcohol, which they then send to
- and paying for car insurance.
Until last month, only drivers
over 21 could use the service, but
now students with a clean driving
record can rent Zipcars at age 18.
Those who have gotten in accidents
or received traffic violations must
be 21 to use the service.
Zipcar has more than 120,000
members and 3,500 cars through-
out North America. This includes
partnerships with 30 universities.
To pick college locations, Brophy
said Zipcar looks for towns without
adequate parking and with lots of
downtown congestion - both char-
acteristics of Ann Arbor.
Although about 40 percent of Zip-
car users have been ableto complete-
ly replace their personal car with the
service, Brophy doesn't think car
sharing will replace the city's public
transportation anytime soon.
Northwestern.
Among students there is con-
fusion about how and when it is
possible to get an MIP. LSA senior
Tyler Fisher, who is 21, did not
know the Department of Public
Safety responds to emergency calls
for ambulances and like many stu-
dents, was unsure about whether
MIPs could be issued to students at
the University hospital.
"I was misinformed," Fisher
said. "I think the law discourages
underclassmen from seeking help.
It needs changing, or it should at
least be clear."
While few students understand
every facet of the alcohol laws, all say
they wantto avoid the dreaded MIP.
LSA freshman Samantha Martin
has never received an MIP and has
no plans to.
"There'ssomuchmoneyinvolved,"
she said. "It's a high cost for getting a
little bit of medical attention. Unless
I was dying and I knew I was dying I
would never call for myself."
Nursing freshman Jennie Bander
joked that she wouldn't call for an
ambulance unless the intoxicated
person did nothave a pulse.
Of 23 students interviewed for
this story, a few did say that they
would be quick to call for help if
they thought someone needed to go
to the hospital.
"I'd rather live and get an MIP
than die," said LSA sophomore Ryan
Leclerc.
His friend, LSA sophomore Brian
Miller, agreed.
"Most people would care more
about themselvesthanrtheir record,"
BOOKS
From page 1A
stores more time to order books
from wholesalers without paying
high shipping costs so they can get
the books in time to sell them to
students.
Gunderson said the University
should encourage professors to
release their booklists early by cre-
ating an online database for text-
books on CTools. Professors would
be required to upload the titles of
book selections, their ISBN num-
bers and any other notes, like the
number of available copies at the
library and whether they prefer a
particular edition. This would give
the chance to see what books are
required for each class as soon as
they enroll, Gunderson said.
Miller said. "At least you'd hope so."
LSA junior Nora Kurtz said it's
difficult to know when to get an
ambulance and when to just wait
things out and hope for the best.
"Calling for help is a really hard
thing to do because you don't want
to jeopardize their health," she said.
"But if they get an MIP and they
think they would have been OK,
they're not going to be happy with
you."
A resident adviser in Baits I
said the state's alcohol laws about
underage drinking are dangerous.
Speaking on the condition of ano-
nymity because RAs aren't allowed
to talk to the press, she said she
thinks fear of an MIP prevents
many students from getting medi-
cal help when they need it.
"They don't know what the limit
is. They think they'll be okay," she
said, but she added that the Univer-
sity does provide alcohol education
seminars in the resident halls.
Engineering senior Zack Yost,
president of the Michigan Student
Assembly, said the state's alcohol
policy is problematic, and that Stu-
dent General Counsel Arvind Soho-
ni, a Ross School of Business junior,
is planning to meet with University
Health Service and the Office of Stu-
dent Conflict Resolution to help
revise the University's enforcement.
"University policy is supplemen-
tal to state law," Yost said.
Yost also said MSA plans to hold
forums throughout the year to help
educate students about state alco-
hol policy and inform them of their
rights.
The task force also plans to imple-
ment a program called "UBooks," a
service that would link to CTools
and let students list which books
they want to sell. Students will
be able to sell the books for more
money than campus bookstores
offer during buyback periods and
also charge lower prices than the
stores - saving money for both the
buyer and seller.
The task force is now beginning
to implement the textbook tool and
to tell professors how important it
is that they release their textbook
selections early. Gunderson said
feedback from faculty has been
positive.
The task force plans to launch
UBooks within either CTools or
Wolverine Access by the spring
with the tools completely opera-
tional by winter semester of 2009.
But one student said he thought become Zipcar members can rent
most high schools - both in Michi- cars for $8 per hour or $60 for an
gan and elsewhere - don't prepare entire day. Insurance, gas and car
students for the University. maintenance are included. That
"If you're talking about educa- can spell huge savings over buying
tion-wise, neither one is ready," a parking space - which can cost
said LSA junior Daniel Straka. more than $1,000 for a school year
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