The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, February 18, 2011 - 5
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycomFriday, February 18,2011 -5
SNYDER
From Page 1
ofyears, and we understand the
difficult situation (lawmakers
are) in, and we've been prepar-
ing and we'll do everything we
can to support student afford-
ability and academic excel-
lence," he said.
Cynthia Wilbanks, the Uni-
versity's vice president for
government relations, said
yesterday that the University
is in the preliminary stages
of interpreting how the pro-
posed budget will affect Uni-
versity operations. She added
that it is too early to determine
the impact a decrease in state
funding would have on next
year's tuition.
"It's a lot to go through, and
we're just beginning the pro-
cess of really analyzing the
various aspects of the budget,"
Wilbanks said.
She explained that in past
years, state appropriations
were supplemented by federal
stimulus funding. Now that the
state will receive less stimulus
money, there will be no funds
to offset the large cut to higher
education. -
"The state budgets had been
supported in part over the last
several fiscal years by the injec-
tion of federal stimulus funds,
but we knew that there would
be a time coming when those
funds would no longer be avail-
able to plug the budget gaps,"
she said.
The University Research
Corridor - a collaboration
between the University of
Michigan, Wayne State Uni-
versity and Michigan State
University that focuses on max-
imizing the state's resources to
boost the economy - issued a
statement yesterday that said
despite the decrease in funding
that will potentially impact the
universities' research initia-
tives, they will keep collaborat-
ing to foster growth within the
universities, and in turn, the
state.
"We will continue to work as
a partner with the state to bal-
ance fiscal necessity with the
need tokeep all of Michigan's,
public Vniversities strong and
competitive," URC Executive
Director Jeff Mason wrote in
the statement. "We will remain
committed to being a positive
force in reinventing our state
and meeting this century's eco-
nomic challenges - and we've
shown time and again that
investing in higher education
reaps a solid return."
State Sen. Rebekah Warren
(D-Ann Arbor) said in an inter-
view yesterday that while she
applauds Snyder's past endeav-
ors to increase the number
of graduates in the state, she
doesn't understand how the
state can continue to exceed
these goals if it takes funding
away from universities.
"How can (Snyder) say that
(his) goal is to increase the
amount of Michiganders with
a bachelor's degree and above
and then really pull the rug
out from under them by both
giving less financial support to
our public universities and col-
leges?" Warren said.
A major concern Warren
said she has is thatthe decrease
in funding to higher educa-
tion will result in increases to
tuition and decreases in finan-
cial aid and scholarships for
students in the state, which has
happened in the past.
"You're going to see more
of that burden falling on our
families and our students, and
I think you're going to end up
seeing a whole group of our tal-
ented, motivated, young people
being priced out of higher edu-
cation," Warren said.
While Warren said she
wasn't particularly surprised
by Snyder's budget proposal,
she was alarmed by how much
Snyder intended to cut from
different programs.
"I think what was surprising
to me was really the severity of
some of the cuts that we saw,"
she said. "I don't think some of
us were really expecting cutsto
go quite that deep."
Other components of Sny-
der's proposed $45 billion
budget include a $1.8 billion
tax break for businesses in
the state, cuts to the Michi-
gan film tax incentive, the
elimination of tax exemptions
for many Michigan citizens,
including senior citizens, and a
$300-million decrease in statu-
tory revenue sharing for cities.
Snyder recommended the tax
break for businesses by replac-
ing the Michigan Business Tax
with a flat rate 6-percent cor-
porate income tax for certain
companies.
Warren said programs such
as education and welfare will
also suffer from a decrease in
state tax revenue from busi-
nesses if Snyder's proposed
business tax plan is carried
through.
She added that a governor's
budget is symbolic of his or
her personal values about the
state as a whole. By examin-
ing where the governor wants
to allocate or cut state fund-
ing, Warren said it is evident
where the governor's interests
lie, which, for Snyder, is in busi-
ness rather than the people.
"To me, I think the bottom
line (of) a budget is a values
document," Warren said. "If
you even look at your home
budget right now, you figure
out where you spend your
money. That's where your pri-
orities are."
Snyder also proposed yester-
day that his salary for the 2012
fiscal year be $1 since he said
Michiganders will all experi-
ence a "shared sacrifice," the
Associated Press reported.
State Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-
Ann Arbor) said by cutting
from higher education, the
state fails to utilize a pivotal
instrument in facilitating eco-
nomic growth.
"The University of Michigan
is probably our state's single-
best economic development
tool, so cutting back on our best
economic development tool
seems like a bad recipe for eco-
nomic success," Irwin said.
By focusing mainly on
assisting businesses in Michi-
gan, Irwin said, Snyder fails
to see the important role state,
universities play in encourag-
ing businesses development.
"The types of businesses
that we're trying to attract to
Michigan aren't just interested
in taxes. In fact, they're mostly
interested in qualityeducation-
al systems so they can recruit
top talent out of our schools
and so that their employees
can send their kids to good
schools," Irwin said.
Other legislators contacted
by The Michigan Daily, includ-.
ing state Reps. Mark Ouiment
(R-Scio Township) and Chuck
Moss (R-Birmingham), could
not be reached for comment.
- Daily Staff Reporters
Mike Merar and Michele
Naro, Daily News Editor
Joseph Lichterman and
Managing Editor Kyle Swanson
contributed to this report.
GSI
From Page 1
work that keeps the University
running," Del Rio said. "The (Uni-
versity) works because we do."
In his comments to the regents,
GEO Treasurer Daniel Marcin
said though he appreciates his
experience workingas aGSI, many
GSIs undergo financial distress as
a result of their low pay.
"It isn't all about the money,"
Marcin said. "But we deserve a
little more, and that's what we're
asking for."
Other issues GEO speakers
addressed included the need for a
policy for graduate students who
have children and the possibility of
including GSRAs in the GEO con-
tract.
Following the public comments,
Regent S. Martin Taylor (D-Grosse
Pointe Farms) said the adminis-
tration has had issues in the past
with GSIs and GSRAs, but said
he thought GEO and University
administrators could work togeth-
er in the future to resolve problems.
"I hope we can come together
and reach asolutiononthis," Taylor
said. "Itseems to methatifthere's a
will, then there is probably a way."
Marcin said in an interview after
the meeting that he was happy with
the regents' reaction.
"I'm very pleased with what
Regent Taylor said," Marcin said.
"We think that is exactly the view-
point that we have."
However, Marcin said he was
disappointed with the lack of reac-
tion regarding GSRA inclusion in
GEO negotiations.
"We're disappointed that we
were that close to (University)
President (Mary Sue) Coleman, but
we still have not heard back about
the meeting with her to discuss
GSRA representation," he said.
Last Thursday, members of
GEO went to Coleman's office with
an oversized letter detailing their
desire to allow GSRAs to join the
organization so they could gain
collective bargaining rights.
Marcin said it is important that
these issues are finally being rec-
ognized.
"Graduate students are at risk of
being considered minor in relation
to other issues on this campus," he
said. "And it's important thatthe
regents) remember whowe Br *C
REGENTS DISCUSS1'U1
STUDY ABROAD
PROGRAM IN ISRAEL
During a presentation on inter-
nationalizationat the University by
Mark Tessler, the University's vice
provost of international affairs,
the regents posed questions about
the absence of a University-spon-
sored study abroad program in
Israel for undergraduates.
After Tessler said he had stud-
ied abroad in Israel, Regent
Andrea Fischer Newman (R-Ann
Arbor) mentioned the recent peti-
tion by University students for an
overseas program in Israel.
Tessler explained that Univer-
sity restrictions don't currently
permit for travel to Israel.
"It is the University's policy that
in countries that are under (U.S.)
State Department ... travel advi-
sory, programs that we might have
there are suspended," he said.
Tessler also said students can
study in countries under a U.S.
State Department travel warning
through other college and univer-
sity study abroad programs.
"We have a fair number of nstu-
dents who, for a variety of reasons,
actually go on an overseas program
at another University because it's
more convenient for them," he said.
"That happens all the time, and
we certainly do send students to
Israel."
He added that students and pro-
fessors can also travel to countries
that don't have programs by sign-
ing a waiver and conducting an
experimental program.
When Newman asked if the Uni-
versity's study abroad policy would
be reviewed because other schools
don't have the same policy, Tessler
said it is something to consider.
"We have kind of looked into
this," he said. "It's certainly fair to
ask how we think about that."
Regent Denise Ilitch (D-Bing-
ham Farms) pointed out that until
recently, Egypt wasn't on the U.S.
State Department travel advisory,
but Israel was.
In an interview after the meet-
ing, University Provost Philip
Hanlon said it might be time to
reconsider the ban on programs
abroad in Israel.
"It's a new issue to me," he said.
"But I am motivated from today's
discussion to look at it."
CAAS GRANTED
DEPARTMENT STATUS
The regents voted yesterday to
officially give LSA department sta-
tus to the Center for Afroamerican
and African Studies.
In his comments to the regents,
University Provost Philip Han-
Ion said CAAS has developed the
strong curriculum, and interest
necessary to operate as a depart-
ment.
"It has reached that level of
maturity where it can be consid-
ered at departmental status," he
said.
According to Hanlon, the new
title will provide CAAS more
resources to strengthen the area
of study.
"Elevatingitto adepartmentwill
fortify its undergraduate program
and graduate studies," he said.
In an interview after the meet-
ing, Hanlon said the center won't
change substantially once it
becomes a department.
"They reallyare at the point that
they're functioning like a depart-
ment," Hanlon said.
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
ADVANCEMENTS APPROVED
The Board of Regents approved
advancements in the reconstruc-
tion of several campus facilities at
its meeting yesterday.
At the regents meeting in
December, the new design for
Alice Lloyd Residence Hall was
approved. Yesterday, the regents
voted to continue with the recon-
struction.
During the meeting, Timothy
Slottow, the University's executive
vice president and chief financial
officer, said the University is on
time and on budget with the proj-
ect and is prepared to continue the
Alice Lloyd renovations.
"We're ready to roll," Slottow
said.
The $56 million project is
expected to be finished by the
beginning of the fall 2012 semes-
ter.
The regents also approved
renovations to the Geological Sci-
ence laboratories in the Clarence
Cook Little Science Building. The
renovations - which will involve
mechanical, electrical and archi-
tectural updates to areas totaling
about 10,600 square feet - are
projected to cost about $2 million
dollars.
The regents also approved
changing 18,400 square feet of the
School of Social Work's first floor
atrium into clinical space. Previ-
ously, the space held books for the
School of Social Work.<The books
are now disperseid between sev-
eral campus libraries. The project
is estimated to cost $1.85 million.
- Managing Editor Kyle Swanson
contributed to this report.
CAEN
From Page 1
Mirlyn Classic, along with the
CAEN server.
"The purpose of the outage is to
diagnose and if possible to fix seri-
ous problems that have led to past
unplanned power outages of the
entire facility," Giuffrida wrote.
Paul Killey, the University's
executive director of Information
Technology and CAEN, wrote
in an e-mail on Wednesday to all
Engineering students that the
timing of the outage was previ-
ously scheduled and the repair is
unavoidable. He added that the
repair needs to be completed to
avoid future problems with the
system.
"The likelihood and nega-
tive repercussions of another
unplanned outage made the risk
of deferring the outage too high to
accept," Killey wrote.
Despite the need for repair,
Giuffrida wrote in an e-mail
interview yesterday that he is
worried about the scheduling of
the maintenance.
"We are very concerned about
the timing of the outage," Giuf-
frida wrote. "CAEN would never
under normal conditions sched-
ule an outage that affected these
kinds of resources at a point in
time like this."
While the system will be down,
the e-mail states that students
should have access to the wired
and wireless networks within the
College of Engineering.
Engineering junior Jakob
Hoellerbauer said he thinks the
outage is inconvenient because
many Engineering midterms are
next week.
"I have an EECS 280 midterm,
which is a programming class,
and it doesn't directly affect the
midterm because I have to study
for it on my own, but it would help
if I could have practice with pro-
gramming," Hoellerbauer said.
"And for that class it's best to use
Linux on the CAEN system. It
isn't imperative to defining my
grade, but it would be an extra
benefit."
Hoellerbauer added that his
research, which is a mandatory
requirement for the Michigan
Research Community, will be
affected by the outage.
"I have to use MATLAB and
some other software that is only
available on the CAEN server,"
he said, "I was hoping to do some
research over the weekend since
during the week I have home-
work, and I barely have time to do
research, so that kind of puta dent
in my plans."
Though the inability to access
CAEN will be inconvenient, Giuf-
frida wrote in the e-mail inter-
view that students and faculty
were given advanced warning.
"Engineering faculty were con-
tacted about the issue early on as
well," he wrote. "We have encour-
aged them to contact us individu-
ally ifthey have specific questions
and issues. Many have done so
already. My suggestion to the
students when we first contacted
them aboutthe issue onFeb. lwas
to plan ahead."
Engineering freshman Lena
Schneewind said she felt students
were fairly warned about the out-
age.
"We got two e-mails about it,
and there were signs in every
building that CAEN was going to
be down," Schneewind said. "If
(students) were organized and
prioritized their time, then the
outage shouldn't have had that
huge of an effect on them."
d 0
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F N KI for Fall/W imnter.
2011-20121)
Don't forget to submit your 2011-2012
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)!
Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov
Apply Early: Allow 3-4 weeks for processing before the deadline
DEADLINE: APRILR30 M
FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE www.finaid.umich.edu
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