The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
includes
NOTEBOOK Alice Llo
From Page 1 Other'
during
Regents approve $70 million in 10,000-s
construction and renovations Enginee
on Nort
The regents approved nearly tional sp
$70 million in construction and Solar Ca
renovation proposals to upgrade The r
University housing, parking and designed
academic facilities. sonStree
The largest of the three proj- will add
ects, a proposed renovation to 9,000 sq
Couzens Hall, will cost the Uni- for the
versity approximately $49 million ning and
to complete. The project will reno- Transpo
vate the building's 180,000 square
feet beginning in May 2010 and is Michi
expected to be completed in time in o
for the fall 2011 term.
Improvements to the building Busin
are slated to include air condition- who sen
ing and wireless Internet access Michiga
for the entire building, renovation for assi
of the building's bathrooms, utility ting thi
and safety upgrades and modifica- may fort
tions thatallowforgreater building longtime
accessibility. Due to the renova- League.
tions, the building will be closed for Boore
the 2010-2011 academic year. with a16
Though Couzens will need close what ha
for the year, University President gan Revi
Mary Sue Coleman said North to interv
Quad - scheduled to open in time Accor
for the 2010-2011 academic year - Michiga
will offset the loss of housing due register
to the renovations. with the
University Executive Vice Pres- bly. Bec
ident and Chief Financial Officer tion did
Timothy Slottow said the renova- about re
tion is part of the University's Res- the comi
idential Life Initiative, which also Boore
economi
NUCLEAR also reds
From Page 1 Prof.
and Rad
Nuclear Engineering and Radio- been re
logical Sciences, has been working ter repr
in a field called computational par- nuclear i
ticle transport. His focus, he said, eration o
is on the simulation of radiation in advan
transport for applications in nucle- cooled fa
ar reactor and shielding design, as "Nucl
well as cancer treatment planning. excelleni
"Basically the reactor analyst or carbon-f
shielding analyst or radiation oncol- of energ
ogist needs to know where the radia- of the w
tionisgoing and where itis absorbed future," L
and where does it leak out," he said. His r
Martin, along with multiple cial bes
graduate students, has been using point ag
stochastic simulation - which imprope
simulates particle tracks and col- Marti
lisions on a computer - in his timent t
research. With this, researchers one of he
can model complex systems of "In th
nuclear reactions. reservat
Martin explained that these power se
models are an advanced reactor the wast
concept that helps improve safety, to the pre
the michigan daily
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Questions about the program? Please others e
email La Cheryl Wicker at LIBRA
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Friday, April 17, 2009 - 7
a future renovation of
oyd Hall.
proposals approved
the meeting included a
quare-foot addition to the
ring Programs Building
h Campus to provide addi-
ace for student groups like
r and Concrete Canoe.
egents also approved a re-
d proposal for the Thomp-
etParkingStructure,which
273 parking spaces and a
uare foot office building
Office of Budget and Plan-
the Office of Parking and
rtation Services.
dgan Review seeks help
office space dispute
ess senior Karen Boore,
ves as publisher of the
n Review, asked regents
stance yesterday in cut-
rough bureaucracy that
ce the publication from its
e office in the Michigan
presented the regents
-page packet that outlined
A happened to the Michi-
iew and urged the regents
ene in the situation.
ding to the report, the
n Review failed to re-
as a student organization
Michigan Student Assem-
ause of this, the organiza-
not receive information
newing office spaces for
ing year.
said the group did not re-
cs, non-proliferation and
uce nuclear waste.
of Nuclear Engineering
io Sciences John Lee has
searching ways to bet-
ocess and recycle used
fuel, both in current gen-
f light water reactors and
ced reactors like sodium-
sst reactors.
ear power offers an
t potential for reliable,
ree and economic form
y for the U.S. and the rest
world for the foreseeable
Lee said.
esearch, Lee said, is cru-
cause a major arguing
ainst nuclear power is the
r disposal of waste.
n agrees that popular sen-
oward nuclear energy is
sitation.
he public eye, the primary
ion about using nuclear
ems to be how to get rid of
te," Martin said, referring
oblem as a political, more
register as a student organization
because the group does not receive
MSA funding. Furthermore, Boore
said communication from MSA did
not mention that a student organi-
zation status would be necessary to
renew the group's office space lease.
After listening to Boore and
reviewing some of the supporting
documentation, several regents
voiced support for a closer exami-
nation of the process and assis-
tance for the group.
Regent Andrew Richner
(R-Grosse Pointe Park) asked
administrators to look into the
matter further.
"It seems to me there are some
valid issues that have been raised,"
he said. "I'm particularly con-
cerned about due process and how
the student organization were
notified."
Laurence Deitch (D-Bingham
Farms) also said steps should
be taken to assist the Michigan
Review in securing an office
space.
"We ought to try to figure out
with students a way the students
can support the Michigan Review
because I think the diversity of
views is very important," he said. "I
probably don't agree with most of
the things in the Review but I think
the voice is very important on this
campus and it's a value that's con-
sistent with our institution."
Regent Andrea Fisher Newman
(R-Ann Arbor) supported Rich-
ner's and Deitch's request, but said
administrators needed to respect
the student control of the process.
than technical, issue.
"We have known for decades
how to dispose of the waste safely
and effectively but no jurisdiction
wants the waste stored in their
domain," Martin said.
The Yucca Mountains in
Nevada have been isolated as a
no-man's land for nuclear testing.
And this would be an ideal loca-
tion for disposal, Martin said, but
governments are not complying.
"They don't want the waste in
their backyard," he said.
Martin explained that while
waste disposal has been a signifi-
cant issue, nuclear power actually
pays for its waste disposal.
"All customers pay $1 mil/
kwh for the ultimate disposal of
the waste. This waste fund was
supposed to pay for the facil-
ity at Yucca Mountain," Martin
said. "Instead, it pays lawyers on
both sides of the Yucca Moun-
tain issue. So our money is being
wasted, but the waste is not being
stored."
CAMPUS GROUPS
From Page 1
moment, which is called tuition-
free detached study, which allows a
whole lot of flexible uses," McGirr
said. "Our really big concern is that
this reduces diversity atthe Univer-
sity of Michigan."
McGirr, along with three other
Rackham students, also spoke in
front of the Board of Regents at its
monthly meeting after the rally.
McGirr presented the regents with
a petition signed by over 750 gradu-
ate students who oppose the policy
and urged the regents to block it
from being implemented.
Rackham student Marie Puccio
spoke at the meeting to outline why
so many graduate students have
concerns about the policy.
"We believe 'Dean Weiss and
Rackham, though well-intentioned,
have pushed this policy forward
without adequate consultation of
those affected," she said. "With-
out providing a strong rationale,
they are completely overhauling
the current system and without
considering the unintended nega-
tive consequences of the policy for
those students who currently use
tuition-free detached study or will
require it in the future."
Rackham student Tiffany Tsang,
who serves as president of the Rack-
ham Student Government, told the
regents she thinks many Rackham
students are opposed to the policy
because they don't fully understand
what the policy will do.
"A significant number of stu-
dents are still clueless about the
policy," she said. "Of the remain-
ing students, many have been fed
misinformation, and of the group
that has the correct information,
some are supportive, especially
in the biological and physical sci-
ences."
In response to the speakers at
the meeting, University Provost
Teresa Sullivan told the regents
that the continuous enrollment
policy is still being worked out,
which is why she believes there is
so much confusion and opposition
to the proposal right now.
"The fact that there are perhaps
more questions than answers now
is because there really has not been
an implementation of those yet,
that phase is just now starting," she
said. "I think I would just ask that
we all keep an open mind as we go
through the implementation phase
and see if we can make it work."
Several of the regents expressed
concern about the impact the policy
could have on graduate students
who have families.
Regent Laurence Deitch
(D-Bingham Farms) said he was
concerned with the policy and was
especially troubled that it may be
unfair to women who have children
while in school.
Echoing Deitch's sentiment,
Regent Julia Darlow (D-Ann
Arbor) asked Sullivan for clari-
fication about the policy regard-
ing maternity leaves and leaves
of absence under the new policy.
Sullivan assured the regents that
maternity leave and personal leaves
of absence would be available.
Regent Denise Ilitch (D-Bing-
ham Farms) questioned whether
the regents would be able to review
the policy before it was implement-
ed. Sullivan told the regents she
would brief them in the fall, since
the policy is currently under devel-
opment and isn't scheduled to take
effect until Fall 2010.
In an interview after the meet-
ing, Rackham Dean Janet Weiss
said she was currently working to
address students'concrns,but that
concrete reassurances wouldn't be
available until more planning has
been completed.
"I am concerned about the same
things that they are concerned
about and I am doing my very best
to put in place the funding piece,
the policy piece and the advising
piecethatwill all speaktotheircon-
cerns," she said. "I want to address
them, I plan to address them and it
will just take some time to do that."
Weiss said she is working to
ensure that no graduate student is
forced out prematurely because of
financial changes that may affect
some students.
When asked whether consider-
ationhad beengivento implementing
the policy for incoming students and
maintaining the existing policy for
current students, Weiss said it would
not be logistically possible. Weiss
said a split implementation would
be too cumbersome on the adminis-
tration and information technology
operations and would be highly con-
fusing to faculty who handle funding
sources for graduate students.
Members of the Lecturers'
Employees Organization also par-
ticipated in yesterday's rally and
regents meeting. LEO was protest-
ing the handling of its contract with
the University, claiming that Uni-
versity administrators have been
hiding money for faculty pay raises
in funds that are not considered
when making equal pay raises for
lecturers.
LSA Lecturer Marc Ammerlaan,
who serves as co-chair of LEO, said
at the rally he was planingto speak
at the regents meeting because he
was hoping the regents would urge
administrators to go back to the
table with LEO to settle the dispute
without arbitration.
"We really have been pushing to
get this issue settled in talks, and I
think only the regents can make the
provost come back and talk to us,"
he said. "I do think that this is the
last best hope, otherwise we con-
tinue on and go through the arbi-
tration."
In the meeting, LSA Lecturer
Elizabeth Axelson told the regents
she was seeking a renewal of col-
laboration between LEO and the
University and to rebuild their now
strained relations.
"We're looking for greater coop-
eration, we're looking for good
faith in our negotiations and in the
implementation and the mainte-
nance of the contract that we share
and we're looking for a kind of res-
toration of trust at this point," she
told the regents.
LEO's contract with the Univer-
sity stipulates that "all employee
full-time salary rates shall increase
by the average annual percent
increase, excluding retention, pro-
motion and equity increases, for
tenured and non-tenure-track fac-
ulty of the respective arts and sci-
ences college at each campus."
LEO claims that, because the
University has decreased the per-
centage of money spent on normal
payraises andincreasedtheamount
of money spent on retention incen-
tives and pay equity increases, the
University is breaching its agree-
ment to maintain pay raise levels
among professors and lecturers.
In an interview after the regents
meeting, Jeff Frumkin, associate
provost and senior director for aca-
demic human resources, said LEO
had a right to follow a grievance,
but that it was up to LEO members
to take the next step.
"We have a dispute about what
the language means and we have a
contractual procedure that ends in
binding arbitration that will deter-
mine what that language means,"
he said. "We're waiting for the
union to contact us to schedule arbi-
tration. The ball is in their court at
this point to reach out and say we're
ready to move to arbitration, we're
ready to schedule that arbitration."
When asked about the Univer-
sity's rationale for the transfer of
funds from the traditional pay raise
accounts to the incentive, retention
and equity raise accounts, Frumkin
said he was not comfortable speak-
ing about the details of an ongoing
arbitration.
Students from the Stop The Hike
coalition were also present at the
meeting and rally. They reminded
the regents that they support a
freeze on tuition if the state appro-
priations do not fall from last year's
levels.
Several students from the group
also spoke at last month's regents
meeting. In response to their com-
ments in March, Regent Andrea
Fischer Newman "(R-Ann Arbor)
said she supported the group's mis-
sion because it included the stipu-
lation about state funding holding
steady.
"I personally think it's a rational
proposal," she said in Marcl.
Members of the group who
spoke yesterday urged regents and
University administrators to do
everything possible to ensure that
if tuition is raised, it be raised by as
little as possible to ensure contin-
ued accessibility to the University.
- Daily News Editor Jillian
Berman contributed to this report.
bus late again? Child Care
the
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why rnot do the
cro5sword puzzle CHILD CARE NEEDED for 2 year
whileyou ait? old & 2 mo. old. Hon. and Wed. after-
while you wait? noons and every other Sat .Transafreq
74-RRI-4705
POLICY
From Page 1
aturday, April 18, 2009
;S
;h 21 to April 19)
ct with friends, especially
friends, will be important today
act, possibly personal and emo-
You feel rather protective of
e. (possibly even jealous.)
U1S
20 to May 20)
aspect of your most intimate life
uddenly be on public display
or example, it could be a public
it with a loved one or a family
rOuch.
NI
21 to June 20)
efinitely have a strong urge to
y from it all today. You want to
thing different. You want to be
re but here. You need a change of
ChR
21 to July 22)
iur emotional experiences today
re intense than usual. You'll
his in your exchanges with oth-
they casual or intimate. You
eel territorial about something
intly shared with someone.
23 to Aug. 22)
your attention turns to personal
ships and partnerships. Contracts
y will be more emotional. Don't
others with a knee-jerk response.
y.)
iO
23 to Sept. 22)
comes first today. You're happy
f service to others. You're very
f htw nd when you have a
to fulfill year obligations and
especially with respect to what
xpect of you.
.A
23 to Oct. 22)
You might feel very in love with
someone today. Even casual flirtations
excite you a lot. (Oh, my.)
SCORPIO
(Oct. 23 to Nov. 21)
You need some private time to curl up
in a prenatal position at home. Give
yourself some relaxing moments to just
be comfortable in private.
SAGITTAR IUS
(Nov. 22 to Dec. 21)
It's easy to be persuaded or influenced
by others today. You seem to be waffling
about someting. A female retelative
night play a strong rote today.
CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22 to Jan. 19)
It's easy to identify with your posses-
sions today. Because of this, you might
be reluctant to share something or loan
somebody something.
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)
You feel a strong need to belong to
others today. You want to be reasssured
by friends that they care. Nevertheless,
you're also emotionally giving today.
PISCES
(Feb. 19 to March 20)
Work alone or behind the scenes
today. You need to withdraw from the
busyness of life around you. Take a men-
tal health day if you can.
YOU BORN TODAY The notion of
protecting things or defending others is a
strong theme in your life. You value your
honor, and you respect the honor of oth-
ers. You're fair-minded and highly ener-
getic in your attempt to champion the
righteous causes of others. Obviously,
this means you are loyal to your family.
Your year ahead is wonderfully social
end pleasant, eand is favorable for rela-
tionships.
Birthdate of Conan O'Brien, TV host;
David Tennant, actor; Clarence Darrow,
Scopes trial defense attorney.
is making money."
Zimmerman said this explains
why, in December, the Detroit
Three were knocking on the federal
government's door asking for funds,
and that otherwise they would have
completely shut down.
He said the issue now is the pres-
sure on the companies to make
faster progress and more extreme
progress on structural cost to not
waste taxpayers' money.
Zimmerman said this might be a
"bargaining strategy" on the part of
the Obama administration in order
to encourage the automakers to
work harder, instead of relying on
the government to bail them out.
But we'll have to see in the next
couple months, he said, whether the
Obama administration lets these
companies fail or not.
Joel Slemrod, director of the
University's Office of Tax Policy
Research and a Business School
professor, said that for a long time
our country has been in financial
unrest, and many believed that it
was "going to take a crisis to get our
political system to deal with it"
"Well, folks, we have our crisis,"
Slemrod said. "But it is not clear
that it will break down our political
impasse."
Slemrod said that Washington's
tax policies played three crucial
roles in the financial crisis - cause,
remedy and victim.
Slemrod said tax policies have
contributed to the crisis by causing
more corporate bankruptcy, more
American overspending and a nar-
row focus on short-term goals to
boost the economy.
The tax policies caused more
Americans to spend beyond their
HANI
JOIN
means by "making us think we are
richer than we actually are," he said.
Slemrod arguedthatAmericanswere
spending without realizing the defi-
cit meant more tax increases later.
Another factor, he said, is that
"we're facinga period with tremen-
dous underutilization of resources
not only with unemployed people,
but with unutilized capital."
Slemrod said the will to spend is
quite low right now in the country,
and that only a fifth of Americans
said that if there were tax cuts they
would spend more.
He said the country should focus
on how tax policy has contributed
to the growth of the economy, how
the taxburden is distributed among
people and how much it contributes
to spending.
But Slemrod said he doesn't
believe tax policies were the main
cause of the financial crisis. He said
"tax cuts (are) the white knight that
has kept this contraction from being
even worse than it is."
The tax cuts of 2009 will be deliv-
ered in a different way than 2008,
Slemrod said. Instead of a large
rebate check being sent through the
mail, taxes will be withheld on your
take-home paychecks, Slemrod said.
This will make peoples' checks larg-
er than the month before, encourag-
ing them to spend more, compared
to the fact that they would be more
inclined to save a check with a big
number on it.
But Slemrod said tax policies
would ultimately fall victim to the
current recession because "the bud-
get gives very little attention to the
long-term fiscal problems that the
federal government faces."
He added that this "may lead us
to have worst tax policies in the long
run."
One goal to boost the economy, he
said, is to increase the taxburden on
the more affluent citizens.
But Slemrod said to correct the
current crisis, "there is no way we
can do this by raising taxes on only
high-income people, it's going to
take high increase over a broad sloth
of people."
Another goal current tax poli-
cies aim for is encouraging people
to spend more money. But Slemrod
said it should be just the opposite.
The government should be working
to have people spend less and save
more, he said.
The result will either be that
future taxpayers will raise the taxes
on themselves, or they will cut back
on their promises. He said most
likely there would be a combination
of the two.
Prof. Amiyatosh Purnanandam,
the Bank One assistant professor of
Finance, and an expert on various
aspects of risk management, spoke
about the banking sector in the
downturn.
Purnanandam discussed the
three tiers in the banking system:
government trying to regain confi-
dence in the banking system, inject-
ing capital inthe banking sector and
injecting liquidity in the banking
sector.
The recession, Purnanandam
said, has caused many consumers to
lose faith in the banking system.
Purnanandam said one way
to increase the capital would be
encourage consumers to buy "pref-
erable stocks."
If not, we need to inject more
liquidity by providing consumers
with credit, he said.
But Purnanandam said he real-
izes that this creates a vicious cycle.
"If the problemwas too much bor-
rowing by consumers and too much
borrowing in the market than what
are we trying to achieve by supplying
more credit?" he asked.
v!2009 King Features Syndicate, Inc
DY WITH A CAMERA?
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