t1ie id jian 0 aj 0" i N I MI 141)" \\ I A1 I I II\I11 1( Ann Arbor, Michigan Friday, April 18,2014 FROM BROWN TO BLUE michigandaily.com ADMINISTRATION External candidates tapped for deanships JAMESLLLE/Daily University President-elect Mark Schlissel delivers brief remarks during the University's Board of Regents meeting Thursday afternoon in the Michigan Union. ACADEM ICS Project to rethink North C i Ca--u D a ethtc LSA, Pharmacy deans hail from outside institutions By YARDAIN AMRON Daily StaffReporter At their monthly meeting Thursday afternoon, the Univer- sity's Board of Regents confirmed the appointment of Andrew Martin, current vice dean of the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis, as the next dean of the College of Lit- erature, Science and the Arts. Martin was one of two dean appointments approved Thurs- day. James Dalton, a former professor at The Ohio State Uni- versity who most recently led research and development at a Memphis pharmaceutical com- pany, was selected to head the University's College of Pharma- cy. Whereas dean selections fre- quently come from within the institution, both of Thursday's selections were external hires. History Prof. Terrence McDonald, director of the Bent- ley Historical Library and former LSA dean, said there are benefits and drawbacks of an external appointment like Martin. "The widely thought benefit of an external person is that they come from a different context and may have ideas that come out of that context," McDonald said. "Therefore some people would argue that you have a chance of a fresh look when you bring somebody from the outside. The contrary argument is that there is a terribly steep learning curve from someone who comes from the outside. Inside people ironi- cally know how to get things done as well. SoI don't think that necessarily either kind person is necessarily going to be better than the other." McDonald, who served as dean for a decade and has been at the University since 1980, stepped down in 2012 to direct the Bentley Historical Library. He was replaced by LSA interim dean Susan Gelman, a professor of psychology at the University. Martin's term officially begins July 1 of this year, and comes with a tenured professorship See DEANSHIPS, Page 3 Regents approve $6.9 million plan to invigorate student engagement By CLAIRE BRYAN Daily StaffReporter At the University's month- ly Board of Regents meeting Thursday, the board approved the North Campus Grove proj- ect, which will transform the area's outdoor space. The project will improve the four acres of around the Lurie Tower, located in between the Duderstadt Center, Electrical Engineering Computer Science, H.H. Dow Building, Beyster Building and Stamps Audito- rium. With a budget of $6.9 mil- lion, the initiative will renovate the central plaza, plant addi- tional trees, improve lighting, add new walkways with seat: ing throughout and feature an informal amphitheater. The renovations are con- sistent with the North Cam- pus Master plan that has been revised many times, said Tim Slottow, executive vice presi- dent and chief financial officer. "The North Campus Grove project will greatly improve the quality of this outdoor space, creating more vitality and activ- ity within the North Campus core, and providing more oppor- tunities for multidisciplinary interaction," Slottow wrote in a communication Monday. Aplaza,madeprimarilyofbrick, will be created on one side of the Tower to provide a meeting place and at times a stage for events, DeanofEngineeringDave Munson said. The space will accommodate approximately 800 people. The North Campus Diag, which is currently flat, will undergo landscaping changes to create small hills for outdoor seating to be built into. "It is not going to be a tradi- tional amphitheater," Munson said. "We don't want that because amphitheaters when not being used look empty, and we don't See DIAG, Page 3 GOVERNMENT International students a focus for state and 'U' MINI SOUTH U r' Ir Expanded resources available for students on temporaryvisas post graduation By SHOHAM GEVA Daily StaffReporter As a new push in the state to increase immigration to promote economic prosperity increases, international student retention has become a key focus, leading to involvement from many col- leges in the state, including the University. As of the Fall 2013 semester, the international-student popu- lation numbered 5,963 under- graduate and graduate students, according to data from the Inter- national Center's 2013 annual report. The number has been increasing steadily since the early 2000s, rising more than 1,500 since 2004. After they graduate, these stu- dents have two main options if they want to stay in the state or in the country: pursue another degree or find a job through post-completion optional practi- cal training, or OPT. OPT allows graduates to stay in the United States for a preliminary period of 12 months as long as they find a job in their field of study. Right now, only about a fifth of University international students stay on OPT following gradua- tion. However, a new program may enhance more young talent to extend their stay in the state. Global Detroit, an initiative to attract immigrants to Detroit, was founded in 2010 to imple- ment the objectives recommend- ed by a study of the same name, which found that immigrant tal- ent is a huge driver of both the U.S. economy and the Michigan economy. Global Detroit Director Steve Tobocman said international students have the potential to fill in gaps in the state's STEM and entrepreneurship fields. "The average immigrant high- tech entrepreneur starts their business 13 years after enter- ing the country, and the number one reason they come to the U.S. is not to start a business, but to get an education," Tobocman said. "You see international stu- dent retention as the pathway to become the Silicon Valley of the Midwest." Jeff Mason, executive direc- tor of the University Research Corridor, which is a partnership between the University, Wayne State University and Michigan State University, said the URC's three member schools are espe- cially important for talent reten- tion because of their research focuses. "Our three universities are a tremendous pipeline to produce that kind of talent, particularly in the STEM fields," Mason said. When it was founded in 2006, the URC's initial focus was on See STUDENTS, Page 3 ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily A student walks by a miniature diorama of Pinball Pete's glued toa lamp post by the UMMA on Thursday. STUDENT GOVERNMEN T With CSG presidenrcv over Proppe reflects on tenure Achievements to office only after their main his administration. He and opponents were found guilty of Dishell, who recently assumed include Night Owl "actively influencing" students the CSG presidency, initiated while they were voting. two of their main platform route, extended Proppe said his unconven- promises: the opening of a tional victory was an initial 24-hour cafe on North Campus Bert's Cafe hours source of friction in the CSG and the implementation of the assembly along bitter "parti- "Night Owl" bus route. By MICHAEL SUGERMAN san lines." Proppe added that CSG was Daily StaffReporter "It probably held back the also hit with a number of "sur- assembly from being produc- prises" that necessitated the He almost wasn't the presi- tive in the beginning," he said. recalibration of his goals as dent. "At the time there wasn't really president. One of these was the Business senior Michael that trust between myself and Athletic Department's unveil- Proppe and Public Policy Bobby and the assembly. It ing of general admission seat- junior Bobby Dishell lost the took us a while to build those ing at football games, which 2013 Central Student Govern- relationships. After a couple was met with heavy backlash ment election by approximate- months, that all melted away." by students. ly 500 votes. The presidential Despite the rough start, The first resolution that and vice presidential candi- Proppe said he is proud of Proppe authored - also the dates, respectively, ascended all CSG accomplished under See PROPPE, Page 3 ACADEMICS Professors' research to improve teaching Faculty group uses NSF grant to explore best practices for STEM learning By TOM MCBRIEN Daily StaffReporter Think about a lecture you attended just two days ago. How many facts can you recall? Odds are, not many. Decades of research have shown that the traditional lecture is a poor way to teach, and a group of Univer- sity faculty leaders is planning to change how science and math courses are taught over the next three to five years. The program, called REBUILD - Researching Evi- dence Based Undergraduate Instructional and Learning Developments - received a $2 million National Science Foun- dation grant to study evidence- based educational practices and institute the findings in intro- ductory science courses that affect more than 8,000 students per term. Classes such as organ- ic chemistry, introductory phys- ics and introductory biology could all see large changes. For the past 30 years, the NSF has been studying how best to educate STEM students, resulting in significant discov- eries in the efficacy of different See LEARNING, Page 3 WEATHER HI: 57 TOMORROW LO: 31 GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Call 734-418-4115or e-mail Study A-blog: Life in transit news@michigandaily.com and let us know. 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