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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, April 17, 2009
michig#daily.com
Inside and out,
groups push for
regents
LEO, GEO and Stop dents and concerns aout a possi
tuition increase next year.
the Hike rally in Members of the Graduate Emplo
ees' Organization and their suppor
Regents' Plaza, speak ers gathered to protest the propos
continuous enrollment policy, whi
at board's meeting is currently under development. T
UNIVERSITY BOARD OF REGENTS
Provost
touts new
federal
aid funds
At monthly meeting, regents also
pass construction proposals,
Michigan Review seeks help
By KYLE SWANSON
Daily StaffReporter
University Provost Teresa Sullivan told the Board of
Regents at its monthy meeting yesterday that several
key federal initiatives would help students with the
cost of attending the University next year.
The first initiative, the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, would provide a $2,500 tax
credit on 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 tuition payments
for individuals earning less than
$80,000 or joint filers earning less NOTEBOOK
than $160,000. Sullivan estimated
that more than 22,000 families with students at the
University would qualify for the tax credit.
Sullivan also told the regents that an increase
to the Federal Pell Grant Program would benefit
between 3,200 and 3,300 students at the Univer-
sity's Ann Arbor campus. The announced increase
will raise the maximum Pell Grant to $5,350 - an
increase of $619.
Sullivan said the increase would give the Univer-
sity nearly $2 million in financial aid to reallocate to
other students, as the increased Pell Grants would
mean a smaller contribution from the University to
meet demonstrated financial need of in-state stu-
dents.
However, in an interview after the meeting, Sulli-
van admitted that if tuition is raisedby more than $619
next year, the $2 million would likely not be able to be
reallocated, as it would be needed to help the students
it currently serves.
An increase in work study funding will also help
students, Sullivan said. According to Sullivan's pre-
sentation, the Federal Work Study program will
increase the University's work study funding by
$1.6 million, which will provide an estimated 440
additional student jobs during the 2009-2010 aca-
demic year.
See NOTEBOOK, Page 7
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By NICOLE ABER
and KYLE SWANSON
Daily StaffReporters
Lecturers, graduate students,
undergraduates and other members
of the University community gath-
ered in Regents' Plaza prior to yes-
terday's Board of Regents meeting to
voice their concerns about issues at
the University.
The rally was a mix of about 100
University students and lecturers who
spent the afternoon trying to persuade
regents and administrators to address
issues of concern, including allega-
tions of a breach of contract on raises
for lecturers, a proposed continuous
enrollment policy for graduate stu-
policy would require Ph.D. candidates
to remain students at Rackham - and
continue paying tuition - from their
admission through their graduation,
despite breaks they may take or inde-
pendent research they may conduct.
Rackham student Patricia Chen
said the continuous enrollment policy
doesn't make any logical sense and
sets many students at a disadvantage
when paying for their education.
"The continuous enrollment policy
they have is completely unaccept-
able," she said at the rally. "It's going
to end up hurting people already hav-
ing a difficult time - all the people
who are already at the margins hav-
ing a difficult time because they have
families or because they don't have
funding or because they're interna-
ROB MIGRIN/Daily
TOP A mish-mash of LEO, GEO and Stop the Hike supporters rally in Regents' Plaza before the
regeGs meetiog yesterday afternoon. BOTTOM Shano McGirr ofathe Cootinuous Enrollment
Workieg Group speaks ataiost the continuous eorollmenof policy at the Retents meetiot.
tional students."
At the rally, Rackham studentShaun
McGirr, who also serves on the Con-
tinuous Enrollment Working Group,
said the policy will hinder students'
options and diversity at the Universi-
ty. The CEWG is an organization that
has communicated students' concerns
about the continuous enrollment poli-
cy to Rackhato administrators.
"Basically it ends an option at the
See CAMPUS GROUPS, Page 7
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SERIES, PART 5 OF ;
Our energy future: Nuclear
SOLVING THE ECONOMIC PUZZLE
B- School' profs talk economic solutions
By EMILY ORLEY neering - work that tailors prop-
Daily StaffReporter erties to be more resistant and in
turn improves their behavior.
Nuclear power, known more for Was said many people have
its destructive capabilities than its reservations about the imple-
energy potential, has been a topic mentation of nuclear fission as an
of recent discussion around the alternate energy source because
country as a potential alternative of its radioactive nature. But if he
to foreign oil. And three research- can improve the quality of materi-
ers at the University are among als used to build nuclear reactors,
those spearheading the push for Was said he believes it will become
this alternate, albeit controversial, a more widely accepted resource.
energy source. In a nuclear reaction, the nucle-
Gary Was, director of the us of an atom splits and produces
Michigan Memorial Phoenix free neutrons. These neutrons
Energy Institute and Walter J. then make contact with other
Weber, Jr., professor of Sustain- atoms, repeating the process.
able Energy, Environmental and Each time, increasing amounts of
Earth Systems, have been work- neutrons are released, creating a
ing to improve the materials used chain reaction. This process pro-
in nuclear reactors. duces massive amounts of energy
Nuclear reactors are made of that can be controlled in a nuclear
stainless steel chrome that have reactor.
relatively longfunctional lives,but However, because the energy
Was is working to make further produced is so volatile, there is
advancements in the technology fear that if a nuclear reactor is
to avoid preventable issues like not built correctly, or the materi-
coercion and cracking, which he als are not of high enough quality,
said affect reactors' productivity. some of the hazardous, radioac-
"These are really aggressive tive materials could escape into
environments," Was said, "and the environment.
you have to understand (the reac- The largest nuclear accident of
tor's) behavior in order to tweak this nature in the U.S. occurred
the materials." in 1979 at the Three Mile Island
Was has been focusing his Nuclear Generatingtation in Dau-
research on grain boundary engi- phin County, Pa., where reactor
coolant escaped, releasing radio-
active noble gas into the air.
While the incident at Three
Mile Island has burned a nega-
tive connotation of nuclear energy
into the national zeitgeist, Was
argues that this incident actually
serves to support the argument
for increased research on nuclear
energy.
"To most of the people in the
nuclear field, (Three Mile Island)
was the best example of the safety
of nuclear energy," Was said. "But
the public at large took a long time
to realize that."
Was said that while Three Mile
island was a terrible situation,
there were no major consequenc-
es. The event demonstrated that
even if the system fails, reactors
are efficient enough to contain the
toxins and prevent widespread
harm, he said.
"The safety record that has
been built up is really phenom-
enal," Was said. "It really can't be
approached by any other indus-
try."
While Was praised the safe-
guards that are already in place,
he said his work is to ensure that
there are no accidents like Three
Mile Island in the future.
Prof. William Martin, chair of
See NUCLEAR, Page 7
At event, labor, tax
and financial policy
options discussed
By VANESSA NUNEZ
Daily StaffReporter
Three professors from the Ross
School of Business spoke to an
audience of about 60 people in
the Colloquium room of the Busi-
ness School yesterday afternoon,
addressing the current economic
crisis in three areas: tax policies,
the banking sector and the auto
industry.
Martin Zimmerman, the Ford
Motor Co. clinical professor of
business administration, spoke
about President Barack Obama's
industrial policy and the actions in
the auto industry.
He said there is a major need
for reconstruction of this impor-
tant industry, which contributes
4.5 percent of the nation's gross
domestic product.
"This recession in the auto
industry is truly severe," Zimmer-
man said. "No one in this industry
See POLICY, Page 7
FEASTING ON PHILANTHROPY
Patrons flock to Zingerman's yesterday for an Iron Chef-style sandwich competition, raising money for Peace Neighborhood Center.
WEATHER H 173
TOMOR ROW L LO4
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INDEX NEWS............
Vol CXIX, No.132 SUDOKU........
02009 The Michigan Daily OPINION........
michiganoily.com
...................2 ARTS........................5
............ 3 CLA SSIFIED S.....................6
...................4 SPORTS .................... . 8
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