The Michigan Daily -- michigandaily.com
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 - 3A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, October], 2009 - 3A
NEWS BRIEFS
DETROIT
Commerce secretary
says clean energy key
to Midwest's future
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary
Locke told representatives of
Midwest states yesterday that the
growth of clean energy industries
is key to the region's economic re-
covery and future.
Locke said new federal efforts
such as a one-stop office in the De-
troit area to make his department's
services more accessible to busi-
nesses are part of a broader push to
jumpstart job creation.
"Our fight to build a new, clean
energy economy is just getting
started and it is a fight that we
simply must win," Locke said. His
remarks kicked off a two-day Mid-
western Governors Association's
Jobs and Energy Forum in Detroit.
Locke said the CommerceCon-
nect pilot program, if it's success-
ful, could be expanded to other
areas around the country. A ribbon
cutting was held yesterday at the
office in Plymouth, about 20 miles
west of Detroit. Staff will act as
case workers for individual busi-
nesses that seek assistance.
WASHINGTON
Schwarzenegger
supports health
overhaul goals
California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger praised President
Barack Obama's drive to overhaul
the nation's health care system yes-
terday and urged fellow Republicans
to join in efforts to finish the job this
year.
Although Schwarzenegger
stopped short of embracing a Demo-
cratic bill, his words of encourage-
ment came on the heels of similar
statements from other Republicans
outside Congress, including former
Senate Republican leader Bill Frist
The White House and Democrats
highlighted them as evidence of
momentum and division within GOP
ranks. Congressional Republicans
havebeennearlyunanimousinoppo-
sition to Democratic legislation.
Schwarzenegger, who two years
ago tried but failed to pass a univer-
salhealth care plan in California,said
in a statement that he appreciated
Obama's partnership with the states
and his effort to hold down costs
and improve quality. He urged law-
makers from both parties to "move
forward and accomplish these vital
goals for the American people."
STOCKHOLM
Three Americans
share 2009 Nobel
Prize in physics
Three Americans whose 1960s
research laid the foundation for
today's world of computerized imag-
es andlightning-fastcommunication
shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in phys-
ics yesterday for their work develop-
ing fiber-optic cable and the sensor
at the heart of digital cameras.
Charles K. Kao, 75, was cited for
discovering how to transmit light
signals over long distances through
glass fibers as thin as a human hair.
His 1966 breakthrough led to the
creation of modern fiber-optic com-
munication networks that carry
voice, video and high-speed Internet
data around the world.
"Whatthewheeldidfortransport,
the optical fiber did for telecommu-
nications," said Richard Epworth,
who worked with Kao at Standard
Telecommunications Laboratories
in Harlow, England in the 1960s.
"Optical fiber enables you to trans-
mit information with little energy
over long distances and to transmit
information at very high rates."
WASHINGTON
Obama nominates
2 for appeals court
President Barack Obama is nom-
inating two people to appeals court
posts.
The White House announced
yesterday that Obama will nomi-
nate New York District Judge
Denny Chin for a seat on the 2nd.
Circuit Court of Appeals, based in
New York.
He also will nominate Rhode
Island Superior Court Justice O.
Rogeriee Thompson for the 1st Cir-
cuit based in Boston.
Obama says the two have dedi-
cated themselves to public service
and calls them qualified additions
to the appeals court.
Both nominations require Sen-
ate confirmation.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
SERIES A
Gendr-netralFrom Page lA
housing to get
'serious look'
from University
From Page 1A
ford University.
University Housing Spokes-
manPeterLogansaidhe is aware
that other. universities offer a
gender-neutral option, and that
he has been in contact with offi-
cials at those schools to explore
the option.
"We're watching those
schools and are in touch with
them so we can see what their
experiences and successes have
been," he said.
Logan said gender-neutral
housing is currently available
to students on an individual
basis. But those students must
approach the University on their
own to be considered for the
option.
Students must work with a
staff liaison to get an accommo-
dation that best fits their needs,
but according to the University
Housing website, there is no
guarantee students interested in
the option will receive it.
The website also states that
students are assigned rooms
according to their birth gender,
regardless of how they iden-
tify themselves. The University
will not consider accommoda-
tions for people unless they have
undergone sex reassignment
surgery.
Steele said the ACLU has con-
cerns about the current housing
policy, especially because, she
said, it is very uncommon for
college students who identify
as transgender to have already
undergone sex reassignment
surgery. Steele said that only
havingthe gender-neutral option
for post-op students is extremely
restrictive.
"This part of the policy sup-
ports the idea that a person's
body must look a certain way in
order for them to be treated as
the gender with which they iden-
tify," she wrote in the e-mail.
Steele said the current hous-
ing policy is biased in its gender
assumptions.
"It assumes two roommates
cannot be in a relationship if
they are the same gender," she
said. "It assumes women and
men cannot be just friends or
roommates.
"It demands that women are
fundamentally different from
men, and they should be segre-
gated," she continued. "I, and
many other students, believe
that the dorms should not be
divided along the traditional
gender binary."
Jackie Simpson, director ofthe
Spectrum Center, said the ideaof
gender-neutral housing is still in
its preliminary stages and that
students at the University have
been pushing for gender-neutral
housing for several years.
While she is hopeful, Simp-
son said she doesn't know when,
or even if, the proposal will be
implemented at the University.
Steele said ACLU group mem-
bers understand their proposal
will probably not be enacted
immediately, but that she hopes
the University will soon take
steps to implement the change
in policy.
"I live in the dorms, and I
believe our community could
benefit from gender-neutral
housing and would be strongly
supportive of a change to hous-
ing policy," she said.
Simpson said that with stu-
dent interest for the option, the
Spectrum Center is planning to
focus more intently on bringing
the option to campus.
"It would be important for
us to have a conversation and a
dialogue about (gender-neutral
housing) campus-wide, given
that students are interested in
the University looking into this,"
she said.
Logan said University Hous-
ing officials first need to see if
the larger student population
is interested in the option, but
added that officials are giving it
a "serious look."
The process of determining who
names buildings and facilities in
honor of individuals is not simple.
Depending on the size, location and
use of the facility in question, nam-
ing rights could simply be deter-
mined by the head of a department
or could require a vote by the Uni-
versity's Board of Regents.
In the case of new buildings,
naming rights are often given to
the donor who provides substantial
financial support, at least 50 percent
of a building's fundraising goal or
at least 33 percent of its estimated
construction cost. The donor can
then request to have the building
named after him or her, or suggest a
name for the building. For example,
donors who gave gifts for the con-
struction of the Michigan League
asked that the structure be called
the Michigan League. This same
situation occurred for the Michigan
Union and Alumni Memorial Hall.
The Facilities Naming Steering
Committee - chaired by the vice
president of development and com-
prised of the University's provost,
executive vice president for academ-
ic affairs, executive vice president,
chief financial officer and executive
vice president for medical affairs -
sends naming recommendations to
the University Board of Regents for
buildings that exceed $75 million in
cosa The regents then must approve
the recommendation before the
building can be named. In contrast,
the regents are not required to
approve names for small additions
or expansions to buildings, but the
Facilities Naming Steering Commit-
tee still must approve the name.
Similarly, regents do not need to
approve the naming of small inte-
rior or exterior spaces - includ-
ing benches, bricks and plaques.
Instead, the head of the department
where these items are located can
name them.
According to the Guidelines
for Naming Facilities, Spaces and
Streets, regents do not need to
endorse the names of individual
rooms or large interior spaces unless
the name is "unusually prominent,
sensitive or subject to heightened
public interest"
For large exterior spaces acces-
sible to the public - like plazas,
fields and malls - the.regents must
approve honorific names. But they
do not need to review names for
small exterior spaces like court-
yards.
The regents may name a building
inhonor oflivingor deceased donors
who have provided long-term finan-
cial support and have no existing
buildings named after them.
For a building to be named in
honor of a University leader, one
year must have passed since the
individual held the position for
which he is being honored. Simi-
larly, for buildings named in com-
memoration of a deceased leader,
one year must elapse between the
individual's death and when the
building is named.
ing donations, Halloran said that cialized expertise that helps donors
each donor is assigned a Major make larger gifts than they might
Gifts officer. The officers work with otherwise to the University, which
donors to plan how their visions can allows for additional funds to sup-
become realities on campus. port education of students, top
Major gift officers are assigned quality research, hiring and sup-
a geographic region to work with porting excellent faculty, providing
and they manage all the major outstanding health care - all the
donors living in that area. In addi- myriad things the University does
tion to working with existing major to make a difference," Fox said.
donors, Halloran said major gift Fox said the eight-year Michi-
officers'work with alumni and other gan Difference Campaign greatly
individuals living in the region who increased the number of planned
may be interested in making sizable gifts to the University - totaling
contributions to the University. nearly $600 million overthe course
"We have development officers of the campaign.
who are assigned a particular geo- Within the Office of Gift Plan-
graphic area of the country, and ning, donors can give ina variety of
it's their responsibility to know ways, includinglife income gifts and
that region really well, to know the bequests.
alumni who live in that region and Life income gifts are donations
to make linkages for those individu- in which a living donor gives a gift
als back to the University around and receives compensation in the
areas of interest that they have - form of a tax deduction. However,
both for information for volunteer with life income gifts, the Univer-
roles they may wish to play and ulti- sity does not have immediate access
mately for philanthropic support," to the funds.
Halloran said. Additionally, either the donor or
However, Halloran stressed that the donor's representative receives
even though most people think a fixed income strain from the Uni-
about major giving as large dona- versity for a period of time or the
tions of money, it can also come in duration of his or her life. When the
the form of donors volunteering income strains are no longer paid,
substantial amounts of time to serve usually when the donor dies, the
on University committees and advi- University receives the remainder
sory boards. of the money.
One such duo of volunteers and According to Fox, the majority of
major givers is David and Jan Bran- life income gift donors are middle-
don, both of whom have served as aged University alumni who are
volunteer leaders at the University nearing retirement and have earned
and significant donors to projects on wealth from accumulating assets
campus. over the years.
The Brandons have given back to But donors who participate in gift
several units on campus that have planning are not exclusively Univer-
in some way impacted their lives, sity alumni.
including the Athletic Department, Fox said people donate to the Uni-
the C.S. Mott Women's and Chil- versity for a wide range of reasons,
dren's Hospital, the School of Edu- like supporting medical research,
cation, the Ross School of Business the arts and academics.
and the University of Michigan She cited donors who have con-
Museum of Art. tributed after a family member ben-
Brandon, who served as a Uni- efited from treatment received from
versity regent from 1999 -2006, said the University's Health System, as
he and his wife decided to become well as people who have an interest
involved in the renovation and in the arts and want to support the
expansion to'UMMA because they University Musical Society or the
both have an interest in art. University's Museum of Art.
"We just thought that was very While many donors give major
consistent with an interest that we donations through life income
had and something that we thought gifts, the University also receives a
would be good for the community great deal of major support through
and so that became a focal point," he bequests from donors' estates upon
said. "We supported that financially their deaths.
as well asbeingvolunteers. In a bequest - the most com-
For major donors who opt to give mon type of planned gift - a donor
money, the process often starts with includes a provision for the Univer-
smallgifts soonafter graduation and sity in his or her will in which the
.. . University recciyeppartof his other
,,..,. ___ estate.
LICENSE PLATES
From Page 1A
the School of Nursing's Com-
munity Family Health Center,
which Wilbanks said "provides
outreach for access to health
care to at-risk and underserved
populations."
In the past, support has also
gone to the Michigan Marching
Band, the Ginsberg Center for
Community Service and Learn-
ing, which received $15,000,
and funding for the pilot pro-
gram for Semester in Detroit,
which received about $116,000.
Though the state offers
more than 20 personalized
plate options, the University of
Michigan's plate remains one
of the state's top sellers, com-
ing in third after the "Proud
to be an American" plate and
one that features the Michigan
State University logo.
"I think it is a good way to
show your pride," Wilbanks
said. "The revenues that come
from those plates help to sup-
port a variety of activities that
I think all institutions are
using to further expand their
MSA
From Page 1A
who can come in and address us.
If someone wants to come in and
address us they can. They have the
right."
The proposed change also
includes giving priority to people
reach into the communities
around the state, which is a
good thing."
Started in 2000, the univer-
sity plate program offers logos
from Michigan's 15 state uni-
versities emblazoned license
plates through the Secretary of
State's office.
Chesney said the program is
a way for residents, friends and
alumni to "show their pride in
the university of their choice."
University of Michigan
Alumni Association members
and other universities' sup-
porters took steps to include all
of Michigan's state universi-
ties in the program as early as
10 years ago, when the plates
became popular elsewhere in
the country.
After interest was expressed
in university plates, action was
taken and legislation enacted to
include all of Michigan's state
universities in the program,
according to Wilbanks.
"The legislation permitted
the state to issue these license
plates, and the universities
were instrumental in lobbying
the legislature to permit that to
happen," she said.
speaking about specific agenda
items and shortens the time allot-
ted for guest speakers from 30
minutes to 20 minutes.
Though it was debated tonight,
theresolutionwillbe voted ondur-
ing next week's meeting.
- Caitlin Huston
contributed to this report.
MAJOR GIFTS
With the high stakes of keeping a
major donor happy, the University's
Office of Development has a Major
Gifts department that works to
maintain positive relationships with
donors and demonstrate howdonors'
resources can be used .to maintain
the educational experience students
receive at the University.
Though it may seem easy to clas-
sify the largest donors to the Uni-
versity, there is no central policy
that determines who falls into this
category.
Beth Halloran, assistant vice
president for development, said
some of the larger schools and col-
leges consider donations of$100,000
or more as major gifts, while small-
er schools, colleges and units deem
$25,000 a major gift.
For the most part, Halloran said
the majority of major gift donors are
between 50 to 70 years old, since
older individuals have had more
time to accumulate wealth - though
she said this is not always the case.
Additionally, Halloran said that
for many major donors, their gifts
aren't about the dollar amount writ-
ten on the check but rather about
signing their name on the check and
lending their credibility to the suc-
cess of the project.
"(They think) this is significant,
this defines who I am, this helps me
realize a dream that I've had in my
life about who I wan'tto be, this helps
me partner with my alma mater
about who I want them to be," Hal-
loran said. "Those visions and values
are really much more central to our
work than the commas and zeros."
Halloran said that becoming
a major gift donor is more than a
financial investment.
"It's also an identity invest-
ment, and it's also a legacy invest-
ment," Halloran said, explaining
that donors make public statements
when deciding to support a par-
ticular area like a museum, medical
research or an academic unit.
To help donors work through
these decisions to make life-chang-
Fox said that bequests are flex-
"Those visions and ible giftsbecause donors can change
the amount duringlanypointintheir
values are ... more life.
"It's a great way a donor can
central to our work plan to make a difference and leave
themselves total flexibility to use
than the commas those funds as they need to during
their lifetime," Fox said.
and zeros. Donors also have a great deal of
control over what their donations
will be used for. Once a donor puts
restrictions on a gift, the University
over time grows to levels where the has a legal obligation to use the gift
Major Gifts Office will get involved. as specified, Fox said.
"We work with existing donors Fox said many donors give money
who are major givers, those who to establish scholarship funds in a
may become major givers, people school or college. Othersgive to sup-
who we're led to believe may have port research in a particular area of
an interest in giving to the Universi- 'study.
ty," Halloran said. "Every officer has If there are no restrictions on a
some existing relationships, some donation, the University can use the
who have raised their hands asking money at its own discretion. But if an
about a new relationship and some alum makes an unspecified contri-
that we are proactively seeking to bution, the University will typically
engage in a relationship." allocate the money to the school or
Before donors give major gifts, college the alum attended.
development staff contact donors Fox said that it is very rare that a
through a letter, e-mail or a phone donor will donate his entire estate to
call and ask to meet with them in the University because people tend
person. to leave their assets to their families
Halloran said that development or charities.
officials do this to hear about the In the eyent that a donor leaves his
donor's "Michigan story" and learn or her estate to the University, the
what the donor wishes for his or person named by the donor to man-
her future relationship with the age the estate will sell the property
University. and give the net proceeds to the Uni-
The officer then describes the versity. If the donor leaves real estate
cost of turning the donor's visions to the University, the Office of Gift
into realities and leads a discussion Planning will work to sell the prop-
to determine what kind of gift the erty and use the money for whatever
donor feels comfortable giving. purpose the donor intended.
Halloran said that officials occasionally, the University will
ensure the donor understands his keep the property if it can be used
or her financial obligations so that for education or research purposes.
there are no misunderstandings in Fox said that planned giving is
the future. just one element of a "donor's life
"By the time you're actually sit- cycle.of giving."
ting down with them and saying, 'I "It allows donors to give, as part
think this agreement captures what of their overall financial plan and
we've talked about,' there are no estate plan, in a way that maximizes
surprises," she said. the support they provide to the Uni-
versity by combining their personal
GIFT PLANNING financial goals with their charitable
goals," Fox said. "These are tools that
There are many ways for major help them make them meet both."
givers to donate to the University, Despite their greatest efforts, gift
though one of the more common planning office staff are still often
methods is through gift planning. surprised to discover that certain
The Office of Gift Planning helps individuals have named the Univer-
donors to make charitable donations sity in their wills.
while keeping in mind other finan- "It's not something they're doing
cial obligations. Today, nine Uni- with the University," Fox said.
versity employees work in the office "That's something they're doing
to organize planned gifts between with their attorney and their family
donors and individual schools and and their financial planner."
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colleges.
ShariFox, assistantvice president
for development, said that the office
of Gift Planning is responsible for
helpingto garner large donations to
the University.
"The Office of Gift Planning is
important because we provide spe-
THE DEVELOPMENT
SERIES, PART FOUR
The role that giant entities,
like corporations and
' foundations, play.