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michigandailycom
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, December 7,2010
oA LIGOVER ANC
SACUA panel
report shows
low minority
faculty rates
University President Mary Sue Coleman and Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper at a fireside chat in the Kuenzel Room of the Michigan Union yesterday.
At the chat a student pressed Coleman on Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez's job security.
Coleman: Rodri uez ob
decision is AD'S to make
Before faculty body,
Coleman talks new
state funding for
'U' renovations
By CAITLIN HUSTON
Daily StaffReporter
Rex Holland, a professor in the
Medical School and the School of
Dentistry, spoke about the low rate
of minority faculty members on
campus, in a meeting before the
Senate Advisory Committee on Uni-
versity Affairs yesterday.
Holland discussed a study by
SACUA's Multicultural Committee,
which examined the percentages
of minority faculty members using
data compiled from 1994 to 2008.
Holland said the study found that
though the percentage of Asian fac-
ulty members has increased since
the data was collected, the percent-
ages of black and Hispanic faculty
remained unchanged.
There was not enough data on
American Indians and Native Alas-
kans for inclusion in the study, he
said.
The study's charts show that
black faculty members made up
only 4 percent of the professorial
population in 1994, followed by a
small peak in 2002 but a subsequent
decline. The number of Hispanic
faculty was similarly low, with only
2 percent of the faculty identifying
as Hispanic in 1994.
According to Holland, percent-
ages for minority representation
in individual departments varied
widely. Some departments had high
percentages while other depart-
ments had almosteno minority far-
ultymembers.
The study also found that while
recruitment of minority faculty may
have increased, the rate of minor-
ity faculty retention has also gone
down, Holland said.
Though the study was released
in 2008, Holland said he was dis-
appointed that it had not attracted
greater notice from the administra-
tion and other faculty groups.
Biology Prof. John Lehman,
another SACUA member, said he
was confused about the numbers in
the study because there was no indi-
cated value against which they were
measured. He said without a value
to compare the numbers against, it
was hard to discern the true dispari-
ties.
SACUA Chair Ed Rothman said
he was concerned that the num-
bers reflect differences over time
See SACUA, Page 2
At fireside chat,
Coleman also talks
state of'U' athletics
By KYLE SWANSON
Daily News Editor
University President Mary
Sue Coleman publicly addressed
the job security of head football
coach Rich Rodriguez today, say-
ing that any decision regarding
the coach's future is up to Athletic
Director David Brandon.
"I hired a
terrific ath-
letic director,'
Coleman said
at her month-
ly fireside
chat. "And I
said, 'Dave, KYLE SWANSON
this is your
decision.' And
he said, 'Yes,
and I'm going to make a decision.
And I said, 'Great."'
The question came amid recent
media and fan speculation about
Rodriguez's job status after his
first winning season as Michi-
gan's football coach and his third
straight loss to Ohio State.
Some have speculated that
Stanford's football coach and for-
mer Michigan quarterback Jim
Harbaugh would be hired for
the job should it become avail-
able. However, Stanford's Ath-
letic Director Bob Bowlsby said
Sunday that the school offered
Harbaugh a sweetened contract,
which he says the coach has indi-
cated he plans to accept.
Coleman's response to the first
question fueled several students
to ask follow up questions.
Asked whether she was happy
with the overall performance of
the Michigan football team, Cole-
man said all programs have high
points and low points.
"All programs go through tran-
sitions," Coleman said. "You can't
tell me that there's any program
in the country that hasn't had its
ups and downs."
However, Coleman added that
often the bad times seem to last
longer than they actually are.
"When you're struggling to
See COLEMAN, Page 6
AN EDUCA'HON OR A VOCAf ON?
Fewer students choosing to
enroll in humanities majors
GUNDAY MONDAY
English Department
offers peer mentors
in attempt to boost
participation
By ALYSSA ADLER
For the Daily
With the effects of an eco-
nomic recession and pushy
parents nudging students to con-
sider majors perceived as offer-
ing skills directly applicable to
the job market officials say fewer
students are enrolling in majors
like history or English. But in
an effort to maintain enrollment
and reverse the trend, professors
and administrators are trying to
remind students of the value of a
liberal arts degree.
The history department has
seen a recent drop in student
concentrators, according to
Kathy Evaldson, undergradu-
ate program and student ser-
vices coordinator, for the history
department. Though the depart-
ment doesn't directly assist in
career counseling - it sends stu-
dents to the Career Center - she
said officials still actively encour-
age students to think more open-
ly about future goals.
"I've been in touch with a lot
of alumni," Evaldson said. "I ask
them what they're doing, and
pass that information on to cur-
rent students, just to let (the stu-
dents) know that the sky's the
limit."
Evaldson said the history pro-
gram teaches concentrators how
to think critically, analyze texts,
research and write - skills that
are important in many fields. She
added that history concentra-
tors go on to a variety of careers,
including law, medicine, museum
preservation and everything in
between.
"We had a student a few years
ago start his own home health
See MAJORS, Page 2
TERRA MOLENGRAFF/Daily
Residents of Mary Markley Residence Hall meet and discuss what they call "Gunday Monday" yesterday. The men typically do ten
push-ups to build community in their hallway, but theevent was shut down yesterday by Departmentof Public Safety officers.
THL Al RBUsiNESS w sf fa fe
Local business owners say influx of chains a cause for concern
Some say city still
friendly to locally
owned businesses
By ANNA ROZENBERG
Daily StaffReporter
Though the face of Ann Arbor
is changing with independently
owned stores like Shaman Drum
closing up shop and chains like
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
moving in to replace them, local
business owners and leaders in
the State Street and Main Street
areas say they believe the city
will continue to be a thriving hub
full of locally-owned restaurants
and shops.
Maura Thomson, executive
director of the Main Street Area
Association, said Main Street
caters to those looking for high-
end fashion, home decor and
food. She added that the area's
success can be attributed to its
solid businesses and low turn-
over rate.
"We have quite a bit of longev-
ity," she said.
Thomson said that despite the
turbulent economy in the recent
past, the Ann Arbor community
has been consistently supportive
of local businesses.
"The past couple years have
been really tough, but we are
really lucky," Thomson said,
mentioning that this past year
saw an increase in sales for busi-
nesses in the the Main Street
Area Association.
While Main Street establish-
ments continue to attract con-
sumers inrorested in supporting
local businesses, turnover on
State Street may lead to a greater
presence of national and global
chains on campus.
Ed Davidson, owner of Biv-
ouac - an outdoors supplies
store that has been located on
State Street for 37 years - said he.
remembers the campus McDon-
ald's that opened on Maynard
Street in 1976 and hopes that the
fast food restaurant wouldn't
survive today if it re-opened on
campus. Davidson also said he's
concerned about the 7-Eleven
location that will open its doors
at the end of the year on South
State Street in the space formerly
occupied by Ritz Camera.
"In the last few years, it's been
more national chains or regional
chains versus locally owned,"
said Davidson. "I wish it weren't
so."
Davidson said this trend may
be due in part to the inability of
local businesses to compete with
national chains, which generally
have more money at their dispos-
al. Throughout his time on State
Street, Davidson said he has had
to change his products to meet
the evolving demands of his cus-
tomers to remain competitive.
Despite the fact that national
chains like 7-Eleven and CVS/
Pharmacy will be moving to
State Street soon, Davidson said
he's confident Ann Arbor will
remain a vibrant city that is wel-
coming to independently owned
businesses.
"It has a great future because
there's so many people ...
between students and professors
and tourists," said Davidson.
Tom Heywood, executive
director of the State Street Asso-
ciation, agreed saying he still has
faith that Ann Arbor will stay
healthy, regardless of the appar-
ent influx of national chains to
State Street.
"While it seems there is a lot of
See BUSINESSES, Page 2
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