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Ann Arbor, Michigan

Friday, January 27, 2412

michigandaily.com

SINGI~N FOR.LIFE

STATE BUDGET
'U' hopeful
for increase
in fundig

I EKESA MAI-iEs/vvily

Members of Dicks and Janes perform at the Relay for Life Benefit Concert in the Michigan League Ballroom yesterday.

SPEAKERS ON CAMPUS
Tickets in, high demand for Oba ma

Gov. Rick Snyder
to release budget
proposal on Feb. 9
By ANDREW SCHULMAN
Daily Staff Reporter
With Republican Gov. Rick Sny-
der's presentation of the 2013 fis-
cal year budget two weeks away,
University officials say they are
optimistic about a possible uptick
in higher education and revenue-
sharing allocations for next year.
The budget, which Snyder will
present on Feb. 9, will be released
as the state faces its first surplus in
years after a spate of cuts to high-
er education funding, including a
15-percent cut to the state's 15 pub-
lic universities last year.
* Coupled with an improved
economy statewide, the surplus has
give, University officials and state
representatives hope that the Uni-
versity budget could grow for the
2013 fiscal year.
Cynthia Wilbanks, the Univer-
sity's yice president for government
relations, said she is "cautiously
optimistic" about an increase in
higher education funding for next
year. She added that her optimism

stems from the state's economic
rebound and Gov. Snyder's pledge
last year to expand higher educa-
tion funding when the state became
financially capable.
"What we are looking for is
renewed investment, and there"
may be opportunities this year that
we have not seen in many, many
years," Wilbanks said.,"... The Uni-
versity is eager to see new invest-
ments in its public universities."
Wilbanks said she was unsure
of the amount by which the allo-
cations might increase, or if they
will at all. Last year, the Univer-
sity received about $268 million
following the 15-percent funding
cut across all state universities. In
response, the regents voted in June
to raise tuition 4.9 percent for out-
of-state students and 6.7 percent for
in-state students.
This year's budget may intro-
duce formula funding, which relies
on performance metrics to deter-
mine how funds are distributed to
each state university. The metrics
are based on factors like gradua-
tion and freshman-retention rates,
which previously had no impact on
the allocation of funds to the state's
15 public universities.
University officials have long
See HOPEFUL, Page 3

Speech to be
broadcast at
several campus
buildings
By AARON GUGGENHEIM
Daily Staff Reporter
For the students who
decided to opt out of joining

the crowd of 3,000 who with-
stood bitter cold early yester-
day morning to obtain tickets
to President Barack Obama's
speech at Al Glick Field House
today, alternative viewing
options will be provided.
Due to the high demand
for tickets, the University is
making arrangements for the
speech to be broadcast via web
cast. Viewings of the speech
will also be held at the Michi-

gan Union Ballroom, the Ross
School of Business and the
Duderstadt Center.
Last night, students began
filling the Union at about 7:30
p.m. in hopes of being among
the first in line to receive a
ticket. At 1 a.m., students were
asked to leave the building
before it officially closed to the
public at 2 a.m. The crowd of
people - which was estimated
to be at 1,000 at the time -

relocated to Regents Plaza and
extended around the Cube and
toward the Fleming Adminis-
tration Building.
University Spokesman Rick
Fitzgerald said the University
decided to make the speech
available to everyone through
the webcast in an effort to
accommodate for the mem-
bers of the campus community
unable to receive a ticket.
See TICKETS, Page 3


ACADEMIC TOOLS
New social network
competes with CTools

BLOOD BROTHERS

P
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be a
navi
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alters
that
scho
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thre
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free
after
sites
sists
Face
fresh
Busi
who
Cour
sizes
does
thes
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Mic
class
K:
Cour
CTo
instr
CTo
vari

rogram started displays all information in one
continuous stream.
UPenn expands "It's very intuitive," Kuch-
er said. "It's very simple and
across nation instructors can have it as
toned down as they want or
By EMILY KASTL have as many features as they
For the Daily want."
Joe Cohen, CEO and co-
udents and instruc- founder of Coursekit, said he
who may find CTools to used Blackboard, a learning
ntiquated or difficult to programsimilar to CTools, as a
gate may be pleased by student at the Wharton School
recent development of an of Business at the University
native learning platform of Pennsylvania. Dissatisfied
is currently expanding to with the outdated program,
ols across the country. Cohen was inspired to develop
oursekit, developed by a platform that was easier for
e students at the Uni- students to use by modeling
ity of Pennsylvania, is a its functionality after social
online program modeled media sites.
r popular social media Cohen said the aim of
. The homepage con- Coursekit is not to make Black-
of a newsfeed similar to board or CTools obsolete, but
book's, according to LSA rather to enhance learning
hman Jake Cahan and experiences and interactions
ness junior Alex Kucher, between instructors and stu-
are working to implement dents.
rsekit on campus. Cahan added that Coursekit
Coursekit) really empha- is more intuitive and in tune
s the social aspect that with other online networks
nt exist in a lot of that students utilize.
e large lecture classes," "Facebook is a social net-
an said. "We really think work for friends, LinkedIn
rsekit can change the way is a social network for your
higan kids think about the business acquaintance and
dynamic." Coursekit is now a social net-
acher added that work for educational purpos-
rsekit is easier to'use than es," he said.
ols for both students and Since the site's pilot
'uctors because while launched last semester,
ols has different tabs for Coursekit is now being used
ous resources, Coursekit See CTOOLS, Page 3

LSA senior Melissa Robinson gives blood at the Right to Give Life Blood Drive at The Michigan Union yesterday.
UNIVERSITY RESEA RCH
Researchers continue
to fill NRCfacillities

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Theme
semester
showcases"
languages"
Fourteen LSA
departments to
participate
By EMILY KASTL
For the Daily
Though some students spend
their undergraduate years strug-
gling to learn how to conjugate
Spanish verbs in order to fulfill their
foreign language requirements,
many may not understand the way
language has shaped the world.
This year's LSA theme semester
- Language: The Human Quintes-
sence - attempts to answer the
many questions students have about
language and emphasize its impor-
tance to humanity. The Department
of Linguistics is co-sponsoring the
theme semester, along with 13 other
departments, including American
Culture, Classical Studies and Psy-
chology. The program provides stu.
dents with the opportunity to learn
about language across a variety of
disciplines.
At the start of each academic
year, departments within LSA are
invited to submit topics to serve as
the "intellectual centerpiece" for a
See LANGUAGES, Page 3

C(
mo
By A
Deve
Campu
coming
planne
sity off

The University purchased.
the land for the 28-bulidng
ye is ahead of complex that spans 2.1 million
square feet from the pharma-
schedule ceutical company Pfizer in
2009. According to a statement
LICIA ADAMCZYK from University President
For theDaily Mary Sue Coleman, research-
ers are continuing to fill the
elopment of the North facility as research initiatives
s Research Complex is in the health sciences continue
to fruition faster than to develop and grow.
d, according to Univer- "The acquisition of the for-
icials. mer Pfizer complex is allowing

the University of Michigan to
more effectively form collab-
orative teams to tackle some of
the big, important issues facing
society today, such as health
care reform," Coleman said in
the statement.
She added that the Univer-
sity is looking forward to the
continuing developments of
the facility moving forward.
"We are very excited about
the progress so far with the
See NCRC; Page 3

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