E 1.11. )(1 1XN1 T 1 nr~F T{,r l I, i i \1 'A1 t. 1 .1) 1011 .Xi 11f) >1 Ann Arbor, Michigan Wednesday, March 20, 2013 michigandaily.com STATE LEGISLATURE GOP aims to penalize 'U,' Wayne MCKENZIE BEREZIN/Daily Jill Abramson, executive editor of the New York Times, speaks to a crowd at Kahn Auditorium in the Biomedical Science Research Building Tuesday. NYT Bill fines schools that negotiate before right to work takes effect By DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN Daily Staff Reporter A subcommittee in the Michi- gan House of Representatives proposed a new bill that could cut funding to the University's three campuses by about by $41 million for the 2013-2014 academic year. Although the bill would increase funding for higher edu- cation, it would penalize the University and Wayne State Uni- versity for negotiating contracts prior to right-to-work legislation passed in December 2012 and taking effect at the end of March. Because the University has already reached tentative con- tracts with nurses and lecturers, it would fall into this penalized category. The Graduate Employ- ees Organization spent most of last week negotiating with Uni- versity officials to sign a contract extension prior to the right-to- work law's effective date. Mem- bers are currently voting on an agreement proposed by the University on Monday after the union left the bargaining table late last week. The University of Michigan Professional Nurses Council also reached a tentative agreement last week. Both groups have yet to ratify these contracts. However, the University would still face penalty if the bill is passed through the legislature because of the negotiation of the contracts, according to Universi- ty spokesman Rick Fitzgerald. In order to avoid the loss, the Uni- versity would have to prove that these new contract negotiations would save more than 10 percent than the old contracts. Fitzgerald said it's too early in the budgeting process to deter- mine how these cuts would affect the University itself In the mean time, Fitzgerald said the Univer- sity will continue to negotiate with unions with expiring con- tracts. He said discussion with See PENALIZE, Page 3A Abramson reflects on value of high- quality journalism By ADAM RUBENFIRE ManagingNews Editor Though it seems like aggre- gate sites, gossip blogs and social media dominate the Internet, Jill Abramson still thinks there's a high demand for quality journalism. Abramson, the executive edi- tor at the New York Times, told a crowd of about 200 people at the Biomedical Science Research Building Tuesday that, despite popular belief, there are more signs than not that of excellence in journalism. "I believe there is more quality journalism being pro- duced today than ever before," Abramson said. The University's Center for Education of Women invited Abramson to speak as the 18th Mullin Welch Lecturer. She is the Times' first female execu- tive editor. The esteemed journalist came to The New York Times in 1997 after working at several publica- tions, including Time magazine and The Wall Street Journal. She served as the Times' Wash- ington bureau chief and man- aging editor before being appointed to executive editor of the New York Times. Speaking on her 59th birth- day, Abramson said she believes it is her "highest calling" to make sure that production of quality journalism continues to be a sustainable business prac- tice in today's crowded, often informal media market. "Quality, serious journalism that is thoroughly reported, ele- gantly told and that truly honors the intelligence of its readers is the business model of the New York Times," Abramson said. "I believe that's why the Times has been successful during this challenging transition from print to digital." She pointed to Times reports on Wal-Mart Mexico's practices See NYT, Page 3A TUITION EQUALITY CTE submits tuition report to Regents F UN KY FRES Findings address in-state rates for undocumented residents By JENNIFER CALFAS Daily StaffReporter After more than a year of holding protests in support of in-state tuition equality for undocumented students, the Coalition for Tuition Equality has submitted a report to the University Board of Regents detailingthe issue. The report includes a series of pros and cons on granting undocumented students in- state tuition benefits, according to Public Policy senior Kevin Mersol-Barg, the founder of CTE. University Provost Phil Han- lon recommended assembling a task forceto createthe report in April 2012 in response to CTE's previous efforts. The task force includes Donica Varner, Uni- versity associate general coun- sel; Lester Monts, senior vice provost for academic affairs; International Center Director John Greisberger; and three students including Mersol- Barg, who is currently a Daily columnist. Although Mersol-Barg said he could not reveal the details of the report until the regents have reviewed it, he said the task force met on a regular basis "with a very comprehensive approach" to research the issue and discuss their findings. He added that he was impressed with how committed Univer- sity administrators have been in working on the issue. In November, Mersol-Barg and the task force traveled to California on an University- funded trip to discuss the steps needed to produce a more accessible environment for undocumented students with administrators from the Uni- versity of California, Berkeley, and the University of Califor- nia, Los Angeles. While California is one of 12 states to enact state provisions that allow institutions of high- er education to give benefits to undocumented individuals, the state of Michigan permit these benefits and governs under a 1996 law. See CTE, Page 3A LSA juniors Chris Osborn and Haley Sakwa, forUM's presidential and vice presidential candidates in the upcoming CSG election, speak to LSA sophomore Jacob Nathanson about the Ann Arbor Student Food Co.'s fresh produce stand in Mason Hall yesterday. STUDENT GOVERNMENT Re ent makes historic stop to address CSG -members CAMPUS LIFE Four-day event looks to overhaul education EDUpreneurship participants to brainstorm solutions ByASHWINI NATARAJAN Daily StaffReporter An overhaul of the current edu- cation system is in the making: students are in a generation under- going an education revolution. To encourage this shift, the University's entrepreneurial student organization MPowered has created the EDUpreneurship Bootcamp, a four-day event from March 21 to 24 in which Univer- sity students will work in teams to create plans for education reform in local school districts from grades K-12. The program is partnering with the University's School of Education, Ross School of Busi- ness, Center for Entrepreneur- ship, Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, Central Student Government and the Saline high schools to host the bootcamp. The Gates Foundation See EDUCATION, Page 3A Bernstein may be first regent to visit assembly By GIACOMO BOLOGNA Daily Staff Reporter He has been in office for only a few months, but Uni- versity Regent Mark Bernstein might have made history when he attended the Central Stu- dent Government assembly meeting Tuesday night. "I was checking with folks in the secretary's office in the Fleming building - I may be the first Regent actually to ever address Central Student Government," Bernstein said. Touching upon numerous issues including tuition costs and state funding, Bernstein spoke to the assembly and gave a presentation before fielding questions from repre- sentatives. Having been elected in November, Bernstein com- pared his time as a regent to "the first semester of an eight-year degree." With the election in recent memory, he See REGENT, Page 3A WEATHER HI: 23 GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail Sophia's Study-A-Blog: Subways in Moscow TOMORROW LO: 17 news@michigandaily.com and let us know. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS INDEX Vol. CXXiII, No. 55 ©2013 The Michigan Daily michigondoily.com NEWS .........................2A SPORTS............ A.8A OPINION .....................4A CLASSIFIEDS...............6A ARTS ...................... 5A STATEMENT ................1B m a A