ONELJ - )1(t" il N UII OF E 'V FIFNYS
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
michigandailycom
IMPROVING FINANCIAL AID
AFTER PROPOSAL 2
hasn't
released
data on
admits
Unlike last year, admissions data
may not be made
public until May
By CHRIS HERRING
Managing News Editor
In response to Proposal 2, the statewide affirma-
tive action ban that took effect in 2006, University
officials regularly distributed admissions data to the
media to show the ban's immediate impact on under-
represented minorities.
But this year, the University plans to withhold that
information until after the end of the entire admis-
sions cycle - possibly as late as mid-May.
University spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham said
the University won't be able to compile statistics
because admissions officers are overworked.
"The admissions office is flat out busy right now,
doing the jobs that they do," said Cunningham, who
said more admissions officers were hired this year.
"They are doing amazing, time-consuming work.
They're working practically 24 hours around the
clock."
In the fall, the University introduced an Early
Response program, which guaranteed an early
admissions decision for all applicants who submitted
an application by Oct. 31. Cunningham said the new
system has meant more work for admissions officers,
preventing them from being able to provide statis-
tics.
"They're trying to get back on a normal sched-
ule right now," Cunningham said. "It has changed
the pattern with applications, admissions and deci-
sions."
The Early Response program guaranteed respons-
es to all applicants by Dec. 21.
See ADMISSIONS, Page 7A
Students met yesterday in the Michigan Union to discuss problems with the University's Office of Financial Aid. Most said the aid process should be more transparent.
For a full story on the financial aid discussion, go to michigandaily.com.
STUDENT L END ES
Stae suspends loan program
Citing 'capital markets
disruption,' MI-LOAN
program put on hold
By ANDREW GROSSMAN
Editor in Chief
The state's student loan author-
ity suspended its Michigan Alternative
Student Loan program yesterday, citing
a lack of available capital to fund the
program.
In an announcement on its website,
the Michigan Higher Education Stu-
dent Loan Authority said the move was
due to "the current and unprecedented
capital markets disruption."
The program, known as MI-LOAN,
lends to students at public and private
colleges and universities in Michi-
gan.
Investors have balked at buying
bonds backed by student loans in recent
weeks as they've become worried about
the potential failure of borrowers to
repay the loans.
The fears come after banks and
investors have lost billions of dollars
as borrowers have defaulted on home
loans. Many of those loans - especially
ones in the now-infamous sub-prime
category - were taken out by people
who couldn't afford them, leading to
widespread defaults.
Since banks funded many of the
loans by packaging them together and
selling them to investors, the effects of
those defaults were spread across the
economy.
Now, as the U.S. economy slows,
investors are worried that other secu-
rities backed by loans might not be as
solid as they once thought.
The Michigan student loan authority
said the suspension of the loan program
won't affect loans that had been applied
for before today.
Tuition bills for winter semester
were due at the beginning of Janu-
ary, so most students currently using
the MI-LOAN program to pay their
bills at the University probably won't
be affected. If the suspension contin-
ues, though, it could mean that stu-
dents who were planning to apply for
the loans to pay spring and summer
tuition might need to find money else-
where.
The Michigan Higher Education
Student Loan Authority said in the
statement that the program will be
reinstated when "conditions warrant
and funds become available."
The MI-LOAN program is one of
See LENDER, Page 3A
CAPITOL HILL AND CAMPUS
Second in a four-part series on
how federal legislation would
affect college students
Bill will test textbook rentals
Federal program aims to
cut cost of textbooks
By JULIE ROWE
Daily StaffReporter
An amendment passed last week by
the U.S. House of Representatives would
budget $50 million for textbook rental
pilot programs at 10 public colleges. The
budget is part of the overhauled Higher
Education Act, which regulates finances
and policies in national colleges and uni-
versities.
The amendment authorizes Congress
to fund the program through the Depart-
ment of Education. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-
Ohio) sponsored the legislation, which
passed unanimously in a voice vote.
"It gets us into an innovative mindset
as we try to address the cost of college
education," Ryan said in a discussion on
the House floor. "One of the key factors in
the increase in the cost of a college edu-
cation is textbooks."
The provision received bipartisan
support and is still awaiting approval
by a joint committee of the Senate and
House.
Colleges and universities would have
to apply to participate in the pilot pro-
grams. Participating schools would have
to evaluate how the program could be
implemented and then report their find-
ings.The Department of Education would
compile and report the information to
See TEXTBOOKS, Page 7A
UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION
Faculty wailts more ilipilt in 'U' decisions
Neve Gordon, a professor of politics and government at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, discussed the
structure of Israel's occupation of Palestine last night in Hutchins Hall.
In lecture on Mideast conflict,
visiting prof limits controversy
Survey shows employees
wants a say over projects
like stadium renovation
ByANDY KROLL
Daily News Editor
According to the results of a survey in
which faculty members evaluated the per-
formance of the University administration,
the University facultymembers overwhelm-
ingly believe they don't get enough input in
decisions made bythe administration.
The annual survey found that approxi-
mately 70 percent of surveyed faculty sup-
ported the implementation of a policy that
required the administration to consult
elected faculty representatives "early in the
planning of any major construction proj-
ects, including those for sports facilities."
The survey was distributed to faculty
members at the University's Ann Arbor
and Dearborn campuses. 30 percent of
eligible faculty responded.
The survey also reported that faculty
members felt they weren't adequately con-
sulted before admissions policy revisions
stemming from Proposal 2, which banned
the use of race- and gender-based affirma-
tive action in the state of Michigan.
Physics Prof. Keith Riles, a member of
the Administration Evaluation Commit-
tee, which created the survey, said the
results show that faculty members, on the
whole, feel dissatisfied with their current
role within the University's administrative
decisions.
Riles said the administration didn't
See SURVEY, Page 3A
Israeli academic Gordon
speaks for Palestine
Awareness Week
By DANIEL STRAUSS
Daily StaffReporter
Political Science Prof. Neve Gordon, a
visiting professor from Ben-Gurion Uni-
versity in Israel, spoke about the history
of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian
territories last night at Hutchins Hall in
the Law Quad.
His speech was part of Palestine
Awareness Week, a series of events spon-
sored by pro-Palestinian activist group
Students Allied for Freedom and Equal-
ity and centered on the Middle East,
particularly the relationship between
Palestinians and Israelis.
Gordon began his speech, which
focused on the West Bank and Gaza
Strip, with statistics showing the
increased number of Israeli deaths over
the years.
"The number of Israelis killed has
See LECTURE, Page 3A
TODAY'S
WEATHER
HI: 24 GOT A NEWS TIP?
LO: 15 Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
ON THE DAILY BLOGS
Five most embarrassing Grammy speeches
MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEFILTER
INDEX NEWS................
Vol CXVIl , No. 96 OPINION............
20 The Michigan aily A TS...............
michigondaily.com
. 2A CROSSWORD. ..........6A
. .....4A CLASSIFIEDS.. . . A.......6A
...............5A SPO RTS.......................... 9A
4
i i A