The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, November 25, 2013 - 5A
PETITION
From Page 1A
students, according to the Uni-
versity. The University hired
Accenture, a major consulting
firm, to implement the shared
services - a contract valued at
$11.7 million.
Engineering Prof. Fawwaz
Ulaby organized the petition, in
which 842 faculty signatories
claim the AST model is flawed due
to its focus on decreasing admin-
istrative costs without consider-
ing the toll it will have on staff
productivity. Notable signatories
include former University Presi-
dent James Duderstadt, several
former deans and several former
department chairs, among others.
Ulaby said the AST model is
"one model fits all," and the goals
and functions of each department
differ too much to work efficient-
ly in a centralized location.
The petition reiterates con-
cerns expressed by University
departments in multiple letters
sent earlier this month to admin-
istrators, which include concerns
about the lack of consultation
while developing the process and
the program's overarching effect
on low- to lower-middle-income
women.
Thepetitionlays outthe down-
falls of the AST model, which
include six key consequences of
the center.
The petition argues that facul-
ty productivity would be reduced
by 10 to 20 percent, because the
model would make faculty per-
form clerical tasks usually per-
formed by support staff, such
as making copies for class and
arranging meetings. Addition-
ally, the interface would be
replaced by e-mail and web com-
munication.
"The centralization approach
DETROIT
From Page 1A
high-school students because the
mentors already have a close rela-
tionship with mentees who they
can prepare for college.
"This is aimed at people who
care about young people and
want to be able to see themselves
as a resource to help young peo-
ple be successful later in life,"
Shipp said.
The college-bound audience
ranged from elementary- and
high-school teachers to parents
of young people, as well as stu-
dents considering applying to
college.
The event started with two
presentations by the Office of
Undergraduate Admissions on
finding a the right college for a
student's needs, how students
can prepare for college during
high school and what the applica-
tion process entails.
The presentations encouraged
students to start thinking about
college early and to find the right
college for them - as opposed
doesn't work, and we need to
achieve the same cost-saving role
we support but by having every
unit develop its'own strategy it
fits the character, style and every
way they do business," Ulaby said.
Additionally, the petition
claims a 10-percent reduction
in faculty productivity would
result in a decrease of research
funding. It proposes an alterna-
tive model called Unit-Centric
Services, which involves a more
decentralized structure with spe-
cific departmental committees to
develop higher productivity, and
thus higher revenues, although
other universities have adapted to
the centralized model proposed
by University administrators.
If implemented, UCS proposes
that the dean of each school or col-
lege create a 10-person committee
of faculty, staff and administrators
to put in motion a strategic plan
for the general fund budget estab-
lished by the central administra-
tion. Similar to how the Medical
School develops its own financial
savings model, this alternative
places more trust in the individual
school departments.
The petition also alleges that
the use of the consulting firm
Accenture is in opposition to the
University's values and goals.
"The University is not a cor-
poration; it's an academic insti-
tution," Ulaby said. "Trying to
convert it to a corporation is det-
rimental to its mission."
In an interview with The
Michigan Daily on Friday, Pro-
vost Pollack said the University
used Accenture to help aid the
decision-making process and cre-
ate the organizational structure
of the Shared Services Center.
Although the petition criticizes
the University for using an out-
side contractor, Pollack said the
University only hires an external
consulting firm when necessary.
to only thinking about popular
schools.
"You want to be able to put
yourself in the best situation to
advance yourself as far as pos-
sible," Shipp said.
Ann Hower, director of the
Office of New Student Programs,
discussed how to best prepare stu-
dents to transition into a college
lifestyle. She said it's important
mentors ease students' concerns
about adjusting to college life.
Deric Williams, assistant
director of outreach at the Office
of Financial Aid, concluded the
event with a presentation on how
to pay for college. He explained
the variety of options available to
students, includingstudent loans,
scholarship opportunities and
financial aid.
Detroit resident Alecia Cart-
er, whose son is in 11th grade,
thought the event was very help-
ful in educating her about the col-
lege admission process.
"I feel more informed than
I did before I got here," Carter
said. "I'm ready to make some
decisions, and I know which way
I'm headed."
Historically, Ulaby said the
administration has communi-
cated with the faculty well when
implementing new policies or
procedures. Though the admin-
istration sent concerned faculty
an e-mail apologizing for the
flawed decision-making process
on Thursday, Ulaby said the state-
ment was not enough to solve the
issue at hand.
"It's not just the process that's
flawed; it is the essence of AST
that is flawed," Ulaby said.
Pollack said the e-mail apolo-
gized for inaccuracies in the deci-
sion-making process and facts
presented to the faculty.
"We recognize the concerns
when there's a lot of inaccuracies
and we want to make sure they
understand the points and we
aren't making the decisionsbased
on inaccuracies," Pollack said.
The signatories wrote that the
administration has two options:
to implement AST against their
will, or to create an approach
similar to UCS.
"We implore that you follow
the judicious path," the letter
stated. "Restore sanity to the Uni-
versity of Michigan, which we all
love and feel proud to be a part of,
and allow us all to work together
to make our great university even
greater and more productive."
At the end of the petition, sev-
eral faculty members gave testi-
monials supporting the letter's
contents.
"As it is, I average 70 hours
a week, and I can't take on the
additional five hours imposed by
AST," onetestimonial said. "More
than likely, in future semesters, I
will stop making myself avail-
able to students on a daily basis,
and will limit myself to the three
hours designated as official office
hours for the course. The obvious
consequence for students is long
lines and long waits."
In its role in promoting diver-
sity on campus, Shipp said he
believes the University does a
good job of informing students
from Detroit about the college
admissions process and prepara-
tion. However, he said it does not
have the "flexibility" to admit
students in the manner it would
like to.
After a constitutional ban on
considering race and gender in
college admissions that passed
in 2006, the University has been
barred from considering race as
a factor in the admissions pro-
cess. In order to counteract the
subsequent decline in enrollment
of underrepresented minorities,
the University has worked on
alternative outreach programs
to encourage students from these
groups to apply.
"I think the Detroit Center's
goal is to continue to provide
exposure to University life to
the residents of the city Detroit,
and I think that continuing to
have exposure to aspects of the
University of life, you will entice
individuals to try and take part in
it," Shipp said.
PITCHES
From Page 1A
Adam Bratt and Jason Raznick of
Benzinga, a financial news outlet
with startup roots in Southfield,
Mich. The company now has
three U.S. offices.
Raznick emphasized the
importance of being proactive
with ideas and taking risks to
bring them to fruition. He said
those who are "doers" are able
to make an impact, a phrase he
coined as "do-archy."
Bratt encouraged the students
to believe in their ideas, reiter-
ating Raznick's advice to take
action. He proposed that the
next billion-dollar idea could
come from University students
SURVIVORS
From Page 1A
lies. The program is organized by
Jewish Senior Life of Metropoli-
tan Detroit.
Some survivors had written
books about their stories, while
others brought artifacts and pic-
tures from their past to show stu-
dents.
"They feel so enriched to meet
the students," Charles Silow, a
clinical psychologist with the
Program for Holocaust Survivors
and Families, said. "It means a lot
to the survivors that the students
are interested, that they care
about what they went through
and that theyhave the knowledge
that their stories will be remem-
bered through the students."
Holocaust survivor Irene Mill-
er has spoken at the luncheon for
the past three years. Prior to the
German invasion of Poland, she
lived in Warsaw until her fam-
ily escaped to the Soviet Union.
After spending time in a Siberian
TEACH
From Page 1A
Lila Naydan, a University lec-
turer and co-chair of the LEO
Communications Committee,
said the University should not
base decisions off of "corporate
values."
"LEO stands with these staff
members and will continue to
work to see that all members of
the university community - be
they staff, students or faculty -
have real say in this university's
governance," Naydan said.
Rackham student Paige
Andersson discussed past dona-
tions for the University's endow-
ment - specifically Charles
Munger's donation for the
graduate student dormitory. She
like themselves if executed
properly.
With those inspiring words
in mind, the students split into
smaller workshops to take a
closer look at their pitches and
figure out how to improve them.
Participants were able to discuss
their ideas together and get feed-
back from both mentors and their
peers.
Engineering freshman Teri
LaForest was one of the 200
semi-finalists. Her pitch included
a new type of contact lens that
has the ability to take a picture,
providing the user with a more
precise image.
She said pitching her idea got
her out of her comfort zone.
LaForest entered the compe-
tition as an assignment for her
gulag, Miller and her parents
were transported to Uzbekistan
where she and her sister were put
in a Jewish orphanage.
When the war ended, Miller
returned to Poland and was
placed in an orphanage in Kra-
kow. When she was 17, she moved
to Israel where she married and
later moved to the United States.
"I was very glad to have an
opportunity to share my story
with the younger people," Miller
said.
Stefa Kupfer, another survi-
vor, also shared her story of going
into hiding with her mother and
sister. During the war, Kupfer
obtained papers that said she was
an Aryan and was concealed and
cared for by a Christian woman
in Poland.
"She didn't do it for money and
she didn't do it for fame; she was
just a good person," Kupfer said.
"Basically, she saved my life."
Kupfer was forced to lose con-
tact with the woman who hid her
to ensure the woman wouldn't
be harassed by her anti-Semitic
claimed Munger had the idea
of building graduate dorms to
increase productivity by group-
ing together students from dif-
ferent disciplines.
"Anyone who knows anything
about grad students knows they
don't typically choose to live in
seven-bedroom dorms with peo-
ple they don't know," Andersson
said, adding that facilities such as
the dorm and the proposed athlet-
ic facilities are unwanted by most
of the graduate student body.
Afterward, the teach-in tran-
sitioned into a strategy session
in which participants broke
into groups to discuss ways to
act against what they called the
increasing "financialization" of
the University.
Possible ideas included col-
laborating with other student
Entrepreneurship 407 class, yet
she enjoyed the satisfaction of
developing it further in the sum-
mit workshops.
The pitches came from a
diverse collection of students.
Most pitches this year came from
LSA students, and there was also
a strongshowing of Business stu-
dents.
Business sophomore Emily
Goodman developed a pitch
about fundraising methods for
various environmental efforts
as part of her involvement in the
Tamid Israel Investment Group,
a business club. While she is still
unsure about pursuing her pitch,
she found both the summit and
the competition as a whole to be
a great learning experience mov-
ing forward with future ideas.
neighbors.
"This is a big pain in my heart
that we never had a chance to say
thank you," Kupfer said. "I am
sure that if there is such a thing,
she sits next to God."
After the war, Kupfer lived
in a displacement camp in Aus-
tria before moving to the United
States in 1952.
Following the event, stu-
dents and survivors previewed
an art exhibit organized by Art
& Design senior Meirav Cafri,
president of Hillel Arts. The
exhibit features artwork from
survivors and family members,
and will be on display at Hillel
until Dec. 8.
In addition its yearlyluncheon,
COTH organizes Shabbat din-
ners and holds readings on the
Diag on Holocaust Remembrance
Day in April.
"It's an honor to do this every
year," Kappy said. "I hope it goes
on for as long as it possibly can.
While the survivors are still here
with us, it is a beautiful event we
can hold each year."
organizations on campus, col-
laborating with schools going
through similar issues around
the nation such as the University
of Texas and University of Cali-
fornia, Berkley, staging a public
relations and Twitter campaign
to raise awareness of dissatisfac-
tion, addressing the ttnjversity's
Board of Regents and gaining the
support of local businesses and
schools in the area.
"We need to bring that trans-
parency and ,democracy where
students can have a voice in how
theUniversityis run andhowthe
money is distributed," Wyman,
the Engineering sophomore,
said. "We think that only then
can these problems of tuition
and diversity what the Univer-
sity's priorities are really going
to be solved."
Meningitis victims hope for
Mass. criminal charges
BOSTON (AP) - Dirk Thomp-
son III doesn't hold out much hope
that he and the 750other victims in
a nationwide meningitis outbreak
will ever see much, if any, compen-
sation for the deaths and illnesses
causedby tainted steroids.
He hopes to find justice anoth-
er way if criminal charges are
brought against the principals of
a Massachusetts compounding
pharmacy that made the steroid
injections blamed for the fungal
meningitis outbreak.
A federal grand jury in Boston
has been investigating the New
England Compounding Center
for more than a year. A separate
grand jury in Minnesota also has
been conducting an investigation.
"They have to be prosecuted to
the fullest extent of the law," said
Thompson, 58, of Howell, Mich.,
who was hospitalized for 38 days
with meningitis after receiving
a steroid injection for back pain.
"They were totally irresponsible."
Since the contaminated ste-
roids were first discovered, 751
people in 20 states have devel-
oped fungal meningitis or other
infections, includingf64 who died.
Michigan, Tennessee and Indiana
were the hardest-hit states.
Federal prosecutors have
declined to comment on the
investigation, but the FBI recently
asked anyone who received one of
the tainted injections to fill out a
questionnaire detailing their ill-
nesses and saying whether they
believe another medication dis-
tributed by NECC caused harm to
them or their family.
Michigan Attorney General
Bill Schuette said in a statement
on Sunday that he and Boston
U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz will
hold a news conference Monday
to discuss a development in the
independent state and federal
.investigations into NECC.
The FBI, which has also sent
agents to visit victims, set a Nov.30
deadline for victims to submit the
surveysonline ortomailthemtoits
health care fraud squad in Boston.
Itisunclearwhetherthecompany
or its executives will face criminal
charges. Several lawyers who rep-
resent victims in lawsuits say health
care companies charged with sell-
ing contaminated drugs often reach
settlements with the federal govern-
ment and agree to paylarge fines.But
the NewEngland Compoundingcase
is different because ofthe large num-
ber of deaths and serious illnesses
caused by the tainted steroids.
ZACHARY WITUS/Daily
Guests participate in a silent auction at the Savea Heart celebration event at the Union Friday.
HEART
From Page 1A
money for food or even gas to
get back and forth," Wendy Wil-
son, whose family experienced
the effects of congenital heart
disease, said. "It is hard to find
words when someone saves your
daughters' life."
The Wilson family was provid-
ed with a place to stay and other
basic necessities during their
more than 11-month stay at Mott
Children's Hospital.
Richard G. Ohye, an asso-
ciate professor of cardiac
surgery, said the trying expe-
riences and extenuating cir-
cumstances that reach beyond
the medical side of congenital
heart disease are daunting.
For low-income families, treat-
ment can be very difficult and
expensive.
Ohye added that community
understanding and involvement
in the issue are necessary, includ-
ing the provision of daily necessi-
ties that people not going through
such an experience would take
for granted.
"For people who live in Ann
Arbor or go to Michigan, it's
hard to think that it would be
hard for you to just get your
child to an appointment," Ohye
said, adding that about 50 per-
cent of families receiving care at
the center come from outside of
the region.
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