The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 - 7

* The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, February 9, 2010 - 7

Members of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs - the leading faculty governing body on campus - meet to discuss new procedures for faculty elections
to the DPS Oversight Committee in the Fleming Administration Building yesterday.

SACUA
From Page 1

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action was taken to address other
procedural concerns raised by
independent attorneys in a Nov.
16 article in The Michigan Daily,
who stated that elections appear
to violate state law because not
every person is allowed to vote for
a representative to the committee.
A Instead the newly passed elec-
tion procedures will limit tenured
faculty to voting only for them-
selves and the same will be true of
non-tenured faculty.
SACUA Secretary John Lehm-
an, who has been charged with
overseeing the tenured faculty
election and drafted the new pro-
cedure approved by SACUA yes-
terday, explained that members of
the tenured faculty will be able to
nominate one of their peers. The
nominees will be posted on a web-
site with their biography and elec-
tion statements so that voters can
learn about the candidates.
Voting will be open online for
one week. To keep the election
confidential, tellers will be able to
see which faculty members voted,
but not who they voted for. This
will enable tellers..6 makk suie
nobody votes twice, Lehman said.
The candidate who receives the
highest number of votes will win
the election.
Lehman, a professor of ecology
and evolutionary biology, said he
hopes to finish the election pro-
cess by the end of the month.
"I want to do it as fast as I can-
as soon as we've got all our proce-
dures set up," he said.
However, SACUA members at
yesterday's meeting did not say
when the winner's term would
begin.
Lehman said one option is for
the term to begin April 1 - the
same time as the non-tenure track
faculty position - while the other
is for it to start as soon as the elec-
tion results are announced.
However, the process approved
at yesterday's meeting had some
MITCH'S
From Page 1
called it "the best bar on campus."
"When I was an undergrad, like
a freshman or a sophomore, seniors
would talk about the old Mitch's
and how great it was," she said.
"When theyopened it above ground
it never really caught on which was
kind of a bummer."
She added that the bar was a
great place to take large groups, cit-
ing a celebration she had at Mitch's
with her friends on St. Patrick's Day
the morning after they pulled an
all-nighter to complete their senior
thesis papers.
"It was really easy to get in, there
was never a line and if there was a
line that was because it was shorter
than all the other lines," she said.
"They have really, really cheap
COMPLIANCE
FromPage_1
amateurism unit.
Heinrich earned her undergrad-
uate degree from Notre Dame and
her lawdegree from BostonUniver-
sity, where she graduated summa
cum laude, Van Horn wrote.

"The Athletic Department's
* Compliance Services Office is
dedicated to providing the highest

concerned over how representa-
tive and independent the over-
sight committee would actually
be.
Former Pathology Prof. Doug-
las Smith explained to SACUA
members his belief that the new
election procedures will make it
difficult for a non-tenured faculty
member to rule in a case "where
there is likely to be opposition
from the administration." Smith
is not a member of SACUA.
"You need four out of six votes
for this committee to sustain a
grievance. You're going to have
two votes that will be very diffi-
cult to vote against the wishes of
the administration," Smith said,
explaining that the non-union.
staff member who sits on the com-
mittee may be pressured to vote
one way or another by administra-
tors.
SACUA Chair Michael Thou-
less, a professor of material sci-
ence and engineering, told Smith
and SACUA members that he had
originally proposed to the Univer-
sity's Human Resources to have
SACUA pick the two faculty mem-
bers who would sit on the commit-
tee.
However, Thouless said Smith
had approached himduring the
summer and explained that it
would not be fair for SACUA to
pick faculty committee members
exclusively from the faculty sen-
ate, because non-tenured faculty
members would be excluded from
the eligible pool of candidates.
As a result of the discussion,
Thouless said he decided to revise
his recommendation to the Uni-
versity's Human Resources office.
"This is not part of an HR con-
spiracy," Thouless said, referring
to why the elections were sepa-
rated. "This came about because a
valid point had been raised."
However, at yesterday's meet-
ing, Smith said his concern about
the election was misinterpreted.
In an interview last week,
Lehman said he didn't believe the
two seats needed to be split up,
but that SACUA could handle the

election for both positions.
"I think SACUA feels it could
run the entire election and have
all these people in one pool, but
they weren't given that choice,"
Lehman said.
In an interview yesterday,
Kathleen Donohoe, associate
director of policy for Human
Resources, said Human Resources
worked with both the office of
the Provost and SACUA to come
up with a procedure that would
give "everyone the opportunity to
be considered for nomination and
elect their representative."
Human Resources will open
nominations for the non-tenured
position on Monday. Donohoe said
clinical faculty members and lec-
turers will receive an e-mail ask-
ing them to nominate themselves
or another non-tenured faculty
member.
Nominations will be open for
two weeks. Immediately after-
ward, non-tenured members will
receive another e-mail asking
them to vote using an online ballot
that will be posted for one week.
The term for the non-tenured
faculty position will begin April 1.
Though faculty will not be able
to vote for both positions, Dono-
hoe said she believes the new
procedures comply with the state
statute that mandates commit-
tee members to be nominated and
elected by students, staff and fac-
ulty.
"We're comfortable that by
being able to nominate and elect
a faculty member to the seat
that we're meeting whatever the
requirements are of Act 120,"
Donohoe said.
She added that Human Resourc-
es has been using a similar voting
procedure for staff members to
the committee for several years.
Staff members in unions are
allowed to nominate and elect a
union member, while non-union
staff members nominate and elect
a non-union candidate. Indepen-
dent lawyers who talked to the
Daily in November said the prac-
tice seemed to violate the law,

since not all staff members were
allowed to vote for both staff rep-
resentatives.
When asked about the recent
concerns about the legality of
election procedures to the com-
mittee, Timothy Slottow, execu-
tive vice president and CFO for
the University, said in an inter-
view last month that he was aware
of the issues but that he wasn't
qualified to comment about it.
"I'm not a lawyer," he said. "If I
was a lawyer, and I had expertise
then I would be able to tell you
my opinion and it would actually
mean something."
Because HR reports to him,
Slottow is responsible for ensur-
ing staff elections for the over-
sight committee are run properly.
And despite legal concerns of
excluding voters each year, Slot-
tow said the staff elections are run
in accordance with the law.
"I believe that that is occurring
appropriately and adequately and
in a way that meets our needs," he
said.
While he is not responsible for
student or faculty elections for
the committee, Slottow said last
month he wanted to help SACUA
"tighten up" its election proce-
dures.
"It's my belief that currently
the committee is serving its pur-
pose, and if there's anything we
need to do to clarify the policies
and procedures, then we need to
do it," Slottow said.
But at the end of yesterday's
meeting, Thouless admitted that
in addition to election procedures,
there are still other issues with
the committee that need to be
addressed.
"One of the things we should do
is get these elections going to get
this committee back functioning
again and then think about, more
broadly, the issues of the commit-
tee," Thouless said. "That should
be done once we have a properly
elected committee."
-Daily News Editor Kyle Swanson
contributed to this report.

Kim Jong Il says
North Korea is
committed to
being nuclear free
Leader tells Chinese from Pyongyang. Kim reiterated
his country's "persistent stance
envoy he will to realize the denuclearization" of
the peninsula, it said.
keep peninsula Wang delivered to Kim a let-
ter from Chinese President Hu
weapons free Jintao, in which he said Beijing
is also ready to enhance coopera-
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - tion and work with North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong I to maintain peace and stability
assured a high-level envoy visit- on the peninsula, it said. Hu also
ingfrom Beijingthat Pyongyang is invited Kim to visit China, Xin-
committed to a nuclear-free Kore- hua added.
an peninsula, China's state news Earlier today, Pyongyang's offi-
agency reported earlier today. cial Korean Central News Agency
Kim reportedly made the reported that Wang conveyed to
pledge yesterday at the start of a Kim a verbal message from Hu
week of diplomacy designed to get and that the North Korean leader
the stalled six-nation nuclear dis- asked him to convey his regards to
armament talks back on track. A Hu. KCNA said the two had a "cor-
high-level U.N. envoy also was due dial and friendly conversation"
in Pyongyangtoday. but didn't elaborate on what was
North Korea walked away from discussed.
the disarmament talks last year The location of the meetingwas
during a standoff over its nuclear unclear, with the caption of two
and missile programs. The disar- KCNA-dispatched photos saying
mament process includes the two it took place in Pyongyang while
Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and a Xinhua photo caption citing the
the U.S. eastern city of Hamhung.
Pyongyang, however, has been North Korea has offered simi-
reaching out to Washington, Seoul lar disarmament promises in the
and Beijing in recent months, and past, but a Seoul-based analyst
has taken tentative steps toward still called Kim's remarks a posi-
discussing how to get the process tive development.
going again. "I think Kim Jong Ii will soon
"The sincerity of relevant par- send his envoy to China to more
ties to resume the six-party talks is clearly disclose his disarmament
very important," Kim said during plan and set a date for his coun-
a meeting with top Chinese Com- try's return to the six-party talks,"
munist Party official Wang Jiarui, said Yang Moo-jin of Seoul's Uni-
Xinhua News Agency reported versity of North Korean Studies.
Runkle said many of the Uni-
ADULT STUDENTS versity's adult students are
From Page 1 seeking higher education after
fulfilling commitments to the
tage that has made his life "much military, family or other organi-
more enjoyable," but it also brings zations. He added that with the
a stigma that surrounds adult and down economy he anticipates the
transfer students. University will see an increase
"Last year I worked with a guy in the number of adult students,
who asked, 'Where are you from?' lookingto pursue a more intensive
and I told him my story and he degree program than is typically
said, 'Oh, you're a community col- offered by two-year institutions.
lege student? What,you weren't The number of students
smart enough?' Runkle said. enrolled at community colleges
Runkle added that in spite of between 2007 and 2009 increased
these issues adult students remain by nearly 17 percent, according to
unified by their similar situations, data released in December of last
which often demand thatnthey bal- year by the American Association
ance academic work with another of Community Colleges.
professional commitment. "You've seen a drastic increase
"There is a big sense of pride, in community college students,"
because we're competing with Runkle said. "If the economy
individuals who just got out of doesn't improve, they will want to
high school, whose parents are transfer here."
usually capable of supporting Erica Sanders, director of
them," Runkle said. "A lot of us recruitment and operations in
have jobs as well as being stu- the University's Office of Admis-
dents, so the pride in the commu- sions, said adult students are often
nity is drastic." attracted to the University because
Edgar Watson, a 30-year-old they want to pursue programs that
student in the College of Engineer- are only offered at an institution
ing who hopes to become a soft- like the University of Michigan.
ware engineer, said he decided to "Applicants talk to us about
come to the University to earn a their interest in the University of
degree that would make him com- Michigan, specifically because of
petitive in the down economy's our academic programs," Sand-

increasingly tough job market. ers said. "We hear comments
"If you don't have a degree, it's like, 'I want to study languages
a lot tougher to find a job out there and you offer 60 of them' or,
that isstable," he said. "It became 'Your Department of Psychology
harder and harder, but I think is the best in the country for my
that's the time we're in." area of interest."'
"We decided that there were
SGA some changes that we could
From Page 1 make," she said. "Not only to
help (the constitution) fit how we
became the president of the Ross function, but also to try to set upa
SGA when the new constitution better structure for future years."
passed, was the main advocate Though the basic frame of the
behind the revision. Her previ- document is staying the same,
ous position vice president of Baron said it will offer more
graduate-day students - was opportunities for collaboration.
expunged with the new constitu- "I think there is going to be
tion. some good information sharing
Baron said the old document going on among the councils," she
was behind the times, prompting said. "The next step is that we are
the executive board to move fast going to adjust and change our
toward restructuring. bylaws."
"I noticed that our constitution Lily Chen, vice president of
and our code were slightly out- clubs on SGA, said the new docu-
dated," she said. "We felt the need ment will make the body more
to tighten it up and made it match transparent to the students it rep-
more on how we were actually resents.
operating." "The constitution is sort of
She added that the demograph- . like a guiding light for the entire
ics of the school are changing and school," she said. "I'm really
not all students were fairly repre- excited, hopefully this will help
sented in the old constitution. In clean this up and operate more
2005 The BBA program added a efficiently."
sophomore year and the master's Chen, who is a Business School
students were recently incorpo- junior added that the executive
rated into the Ross SGA. board's goal was that their hard
"We wanted to make sure they work would be accepted by the
had representation as well," she student representatives.
said. "Honestly, this year's board
According to Baron, the pre- has tried to remain unanimous
vious constitution also failed to - have one voice" she said. "In
have the "consistency" necessary the end, we realized what were
to support the needs of Business the best options for the students
School studente here."


beer. It's pretty much the only bar
you can take a group of 15 people
and walk right in."
Though it's difficult to get her Law
School friends to go there, Manwell
said she will missuthe barand hopes it
will be replaced with a venue where
she can "get a decent cocktail."
"It's hard to get grad students to
go there because the beer is so bad
and it's kind of like a trashy atmo-
sphere, butwhenyou're in the mood
for it, it's exactly the right fix," she
said. "There's .no where else on
campus that was a trashy bar where
you could get cheap beer."
LSA senior Michael Joyce said he
will definitely miss the bar, adding
that he went there every Wednes-
day night for $2 pitchers of beer.
"It was my favorite bar to go to.
Period," he said. "Can't really argue
with $2 pitchers."
He added that though he doesn't
levels of service to the University
community," Van Horn wrote.
The Athletic Department's Com-
pliance Services Office has come
under scrutiny over the past sever-
al months after a Detroit Free Press
article alleged that the Michigan
football program violated NCAA
rules regarding practice time and
off-season workouts for its players.
A formal NCAA investigation
into those allegations was launched
on Oct. 23 when NCAA Vice Presi-

think the closing will change the
South U. bar scene much, Mitch's
had a "relaxing atmosphere" that
will be hard to replace.
"You didn't really feel like you
had to dress up to go there," he said.
Kinesiology senior Meghann
Swiderek said she usually only
went to Mitch's on Wednesday
nights, but with the closing of the
bar she'll probably have to end her
nights earlier.
"It was usually a good spot to
pre-game or end up," she said. "Like
at 1:30 (am.) if you wanted more
beer before going home."
LSA senior Danny Fries said he's
"kind of indifferent" about the clos-
ing of the bar, though he added that
he will also miss its comfortable
feel.
"It was a little more down-to-
earth bar, it felt a little bit more
local, a little bit more homey," he
dent for Enforcement David Price
sent a letter of inquiry to Universi-
ty President Mary Sue Coleman. At
the time, Price wrote that he hoped
to complete the investigation by
Dec. 31 - though the date was a
goal, not a deadline.
No word on the investigation's
findings has been released, though
the University's Board of Regents
met in a closed-door session last
week to receive an update the
investigation, a source familiar

said. "I guess it was one of those
places where if you didn't really
want a super crazy bar night you
could go there so it'll be sad to lose
that element of the bar scene."
Fries added that the closing of
the bar won't really change his late
night routine.
"It was never a 'we're all going
to Mitch's' kind of a thing, it never
happened like that," he said.
School of Music, Theater &
Dance senior Ben Stange, who's
only been to the bar once, said he
doesn't think the closing will be as
big of a deal as it would be if other
bars in the neighborhood closed.
"I don't think it's as big of an
impact as if say (Good Time) Char-
ley's closed," he said. "I think that's
more of a big name on campus."
- Daily Staff Reporter Elyana
Twiggs contributed to this report.
with the situation told the Daily at
the time.
In an e-mail yesterday, Univer-
sity spokeswoman Kelly Cunning-
ham said there was still no word on
the investigation's findings.
At the same time, an internal
investigation into the allegations
has been underway since Septem-
ber. No updates or comment on
the internal investigation have
been issued since the probe was
launched.

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