446brr an at im Ann Arbor, Michigan Tuesday, February 12, 2008 michigandaily.com CHARITY CALISTHENICS CAPITOL HILL AND CAMPUS The first in an four-part series on how federal legislation would affect college students Bill aims to reduce price of college Lawmakers want more information on how aid, tuition costs are decided By JULIE ROWE Daily Staff Reporter The United States House of Representatives over- whelmingly passed a bill last week that will renew and update the Higher Education Act, which regulates financial aid and national higher education policies. The updated bill would increase the amount of money provided by federal Pell grants and simplify the student aid application process. The bill aims to hold colleges accountable for rising tuition costs by requiring they provide more informa- tion on how price tags are decided. Universities would also be required to provide the government and stu- dents with more information regarding financial aid options. Currently, universities are required to send infor- mation regarding university finances, tuition costs and student aid to the Department of Education. The new bill would add hundreds of new reporting requirements. The information gathered will be published online throughthe Integrated Postsecondary EducationData System, making it available to students and families. Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) said in a discussion on the House floor that increased university report- ing will provide families with the information they need when choosing colleges. "We saw the need for sunshine and transparency in college costs," McKeon said. "We recognized that colleges and universities were not being held account- able to consumers. There were no consequences for schools that engaged in massive unexplained tuition increases year after year." Wilbanks said the University of Michigan dedi- cates a great deal of effort to reporting information on "every aspect of its enterprise," but said policy mak- ers need to be mindful of the challenges of collecting large amounts of data. She said the increased report- ing could be burdensome to universities. "A lot of organizations these days are looking for ways to minimize the amount of bureaucracy," Wil- banks said. "This adds to it in some ways." See EDUCATION, Page 7 LSA senior Paul Despres and School of Education junior Ryan Bruder stretch out before the Dance Marathon Hootenanny Hustle - one of many events scheduled this week to raise money for Dance Marathon. Participants ran around Angell Hall to lift spirits and raise funds for children in need of pediatric rehabilitation. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT Obscure policy letome dodge requirement Students can petition advisers to opt out of language classes By MARA GAY Daily StaffReporter For many students, the University's two-year foreign language require- ment is a chore. But for those with language dis- abilities, completing a sequence in a foreign language can be downright impossible. What many students don't know, though, is that even students without a documented learning disability can petition the University for a foreign language waiver that will exempt them from the requirement altogether. LSA sophomore Brittany Stem- bridge said she's an 'A' student. But when she started her Spanish 100 course earlier this term, she knew right away it would be too difficult for her. "The professor talked primarily in Spanish, so it was very difficult to understand what she was saying," she said. "I took a test and I didn't do so badly, but I figured it was going to get harder." After dropping the class, Stem- bridge talked to her academic adviser to find out whether she could opt out of the foreign language requirement. In order for students to obtain a for- eign language waiver, they must peti- tion the Academic Standards Board, which requires students to write a let- ter detailing their difficulties with the language and submit at least one letter of support from a professor. They then take the Modern Language Aptitude Test - a two-hour exam measuring skills correlated with the ability to learn a foreign language. Using the exam results and letters of support, the Board decides whether to grant the student a waiver. Split into five parts, the exam mea- sures skills like listening comprehen- sion and memorization. It's given twice a semester, and students who have taken the test said it's somewhat colorful. "It was really weird," said Stem- bridge, who took the test last week. "It was like a made-up language." Part of the exam actually is admin- istered in a made-up language, said Stuart Segal, the associate director and coordinator of Services for Stu- dents with Learning Disabilities, which administers the exam. Segal said that while some of the test is in a fake language, the final section is written in Kurdish. "In one part of the test we mea- sure short-term memory," Segal said. "You're given 20 words and then we see what you remember." Though the exam is evaluative and students don't technically pass or fail it, Segal said there's no way to pre- vent students from trying to bomb the exam on purpose. "You can purposefully tank the test," Segal said. "It's something that we're well aware of and we wonder about, ourselves." Segal said the committee would notice, though, if a student's test results were wildly different from everyone else's. "We compare the results of the apti- tude test with your academic record," he said. "If you bomb the exam and you got into the University, it's usually going to be pretty obvious, and you're not going to get what you want." When asked how often waivers are granted to those who apply, Segal said "frequently," but that there were no official statistics to prove his estimate. Many students said their academic advisers told them about the exam, but that the option isn't well publicized. LSA sophomore Ebony Sunday said she heard about the exam from her friend's older sister. See LANGUAGE, Page 7 * RICH RODRIGUEZ LAWSUIT Rodriguez lawsuit headed . back to state court level Dec ca cou Int Virgini lawsuit ball c federa court nally f U.S.: Bailey Virgin alter ei ginia, cision to remove court - in this case, Monongalia County Circuit Court, where the se from federal university first filed the suit on Dec. 27. .rt voids coach's West Virginia wants the court S crdi to force Rodriguez to pay the $4 million buyout clause in his con- tract, claiming that Rodriguez ByANDY KROLL violated his Daily News Editor contract when- he signed a the latest twist in West letter of intent La University's $4 million to become iagainst Michigan foot- Michigan's ', roath Rich Rodriguez, a new head I ,y 1 judge ruled yesterday to football coach the case back to the state on Dec. l. RODRIGUEZ where the suit was origi- On Jan. e , 'iled. Rodriguez's District Court Judge John lawyers successfully filed to ruled that because West move the case to a U.S. District ia University is an "arm or Court, arguing that the case ge" of the state of West Vir- involved multiple states when the case belongs in a state Rodriguez signed the letter of intent. After signing the letter, Rodriguez received a Michigan driver's license, signed a lease on an apartment in Michigan and was registered to vote in Michi- gan. While the case was in federal court, Rodriguez filed a $1.5 mil- lion letter of credit through the Bank of Ann Arbor, founded by Athletic Director Bill Martin, which said he had the means to pay that amount if a federal court found him liable. But Rodriguez's letter of credit only applied if the case was heard in federal court, meaning it now has no value. On Jan. 29, Jeffrey Wakefield, an attorney representing West Virginia, asked the federal court for permission to investigate whether Rodriguez was a citizen See LAWSUIT, Page 7 Warren pushes water conservation bill Legislation would track usage of water in Michigan By SARA LYNNE THELEN Daily StaffReporter State Rep. Rebekah Warren (D- Ann Arbor) led a town hall meet- ing at Palmer Commons yesterday to garner support for legislation that would regulate water usage in the state of Michigan. Thirteen people, including some students and employees of Warren, attended the discussion. Warren said Great Lakes fresh- water supplies are at risk because there aren't adequate restrictions6 .; on who can dump into and take from the lakes. Warren, who also heads the House Committee on Great Lakes and Environment, said the bill's supporters are trying to find a bipartisan, bicameral solution PETER SCHOTTENFELS/Daily to the problem with Michigan Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) urged listeners in Palmer Commons yesterday See WATER, Page 7 night to support a bill to conserve the Great Lakes'freshwater supply. TODAY'S WEATHER HI: 82 GOT A NEWS TIP? LO: 58i call 734-763-245 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and letus know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS Fantasy Michigan basketball scores MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEGAME INDEX NEW S.................................. 2 ARTS ............................. .5 Vol. CXVIll,No.95 SUDO KU ............................3 CLASSIFIEDS................... 6 Q2008TheMichiganDaily OPINION...............4 SPORTS ................8 michigondoiiy.com