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