0 '4c id i an Bath ()NELIUNI)1E)-T\\INT I T\\W) n\e(s Ea1)1t(be\19, lI20 N Wednesday, October 19, 2011 Ann Arbor, Michigan michigandaily.com UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION AAU elects Coleman as chair for one- year term MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daily Redshirt junior wide receiver Roy Roundtree is smothered by the Michigan State defense in the Wolverines' 28-14 loss on Saturday. There's still tlme to prove this yearlisdiffferent 'U' president named leader of Association of American Universities By RAYZA GOLDSMITH Daily StaffReporter University President Mary Sue Coleman was voted into another pres- tigious role yesterday as a result of her leadership at the University. Inanuncontested election, Coleman was elected chair of the Association of American Universities - a nonprofit organization comprised of 61 Ameri- can and Canadian research universi- ties. Coleman, who was previously vice chair of the association, will serve a one-year term, which began yesterday. In her new position, Coleman will speak on behalf of the AAU, advocate or the organizntion and its ideals and ensure it is operating according to plan. "The contributions and discoveries of research universities are integral to the forward momentum of our coun- try," Coleman wrote in a University press release issued yesterday. "I look forward to giving voice to our impor- tant work in the upcoming year." University spokeswoman Kelly Cun- ningham said the University is excited about Coleman's new position, and she expected the announcement since it is customary for the vice chair tobecome the next chair of the AAU. "It's an honor that President Cole- man was chosen," Cunningham said. "AAU is a highly regarded organization made up of the top researchers in the country." Cunningham added that she believes Coleman is "incredibly well suited" for the position. The new role will place Coleman as chair of the association's executive committee, which functions like a board of directors, according to Cun- ningham. Coleman was elected after the AAU's nominating committee nominated the positions of chair and vice chair at the organization's semi- annual meeting in Washington D.C. this week, and then all of the associa- tion's membersvoted on the nominees, Cunningham said. Coleman is succeeding Jared Cohon, president of Carnegie Mellon Universi- ty, and will be working with new AAU Vice Chair Scott Cowen, who is presi- dent of Tulane University. The University was one of the AAU's founding members in 1990. Out of 14 founding universities, the University of Michigan was one of three public See AAU, Page SA EAST LANSING - After three years of torture, Michigan football fans were one win away from legitimately saying their team is for real. In both 2009 and 2010, the loss to the Spartans was the beginning of a second-half collapse following an undefeated start to the season. After a 6-0 start this year, Wolver- ine fans had been forced to hold back their excitement. It's like that eighth grade dance, when you were getting down with that babe on the dance floor but a chaperone came over and said, "Leave room for Jesus!" You want to get in there, but there's that fear of getting in trouble holding you back. Wolverine fans have had to leave room in fear of another second- KEVIN half disappoint- RAFTERY ment. A win against the 22nd-ranked Spartans, and that space for Jesus would be non-existent. You could dance all night, with no fear. No. 11 Michigan (2-1 Big Ten, 6-1 overall) would be 7-0 and in the driv- er's seat of the Big Ten racewit~h only a struggling Purdue team in the way of an 8-0 start. From there, who knows what could happen? Instead, the Wolverines left East Lansing with their fourth-straight loss to the Spartans (2-0, 5-1) and a boat- load of questions. Is this just another over-ranked Michigan team who beat a bunch of See RAFTERY, Page 5A BOARD OF REGENTS Board meeting in violation of Mich. Open Meetings Act FASHION READY Attorney: Changing 0 meeting time without 18-hour notice violates law By JOSEPH LICHTERMAN Daily News Editor The University's Board of Regents meeting last week was in violation of the Michigan Open Meetings Act, according to an attorney familiar with the act. The board's regular monthly meet- ing, held last Thursday at the Univer- sity's Flint campus, was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., but the University announced that morning that the start time would be moved to 2 p.m. Under the Michigan Open Meetings Act, a public body must post "a public notice stating the date, time and place" of a rescheduled regular or special meeting at least 18 hours before it begins. In an interview last week, Univer- sity spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said the board made the decision to change the meeting's start time on Thursday morning. The board posted a notice to the regents' website and informed members of the University of Michi- gan-Flint community of the change, Fitzgerald said. The regents also noti- fied select members of the media of the earlier start time via e-mail at about 9:20 a.m. Thursday. Southfield, Mich.-based attorney Lisa Rycus Mikalonis, who specializes in media and intellectual property law, said the rescheduling was a "techni- cal violation" of the law as the purpose of the Open Meetings Act is to ensure that people are able to participate in the meetings and voice their opinions about decisions the board makes. "The public bodies are accountable to us," Mikalonis said. "We live in a democracy, so the idea is that in order for a democracy to function, you need to have access to the decision-making processes of the public bodies." However, Fitzgerald said changing the time of the meeting was legal in the eyes of the University's Office of the General Counsel because the starting time was the only detail changed. "Our understanding is that for this particular situation, where just the starting time of the meeting was all that was changed, the Open Meetings See BOARD, Page 5A UNIVERSITY FACULTY ECO Girls started by African Studies department director POST-GRAD PLANS Program to pair Detroit start-ups with 'U'students In first year, Venture for America recruits students for two-year fellowship By CHELSEA LANDRY Daily StaffReporter Students interested in entrepreneur- ship, but notyet readyto take the plunge to start their ownbusinesses, might find a fit with a new fellowship program. The program, Venture for America, aims to match a group of recent college graduates with start-up companies in cities around the country. The fellow- ship was founded by Andrew Yang, for- mer president of Manhattan GMAT - a test preparation firm that focuses on the business school entrance exam. Yang said he was inspired to establish the program after working with graduates who struggled to find jobs at start-up companies. Venture for America plans to select 50 recent college graduates and place them in emerging companies for two years. The companies are located in cities including Detroit, New Orleans See START-UPS, Page 5A Program unites girls in urban cities to learn about enviornment, foster friendships By CECE ZHOU Daily StaffReporter Several times a month, a group of girls from Southeast Michigan cities retreat from their urban environment and appreciate nature through activi- ties such as picking apples or taking a walk through the Nichols Arboretum. The girls participate in Environ- mental and Cultural Opportunities for Girls, a program for second- through sixth-grade girls living in urban Southeast Michigan. Founded by Tiya Miles, director of the University's Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, ECO Girls launched in September and strives to use activi- ties focused on environmental health to foster friendships among diverse participants. Miles is a recipient of the MacAr- thur Fellowship, which she received See EDUCATION, Page 6A WEATHER H1: 49 TOMORROW LO:41 GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail Mott opening date pushed back news@michigandaily.com and let us know. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE WIRE INDEX NEWS ...........,.............3A ARTS......... ....7A Vol. CXXII,No.30 OPINION.....................4A SPORTSWEDNESDAY....1B ©201 TheMichiganDaily NEWS ..................SA THE STATEMENT..........1C michigondailycom _A. ,