'U' officers ' brief Regents on economic hardship plan The Michigan Daily-Saturday, June 22, 1980-Page 3 Local Scenemmm By MITCH STUART University executive officers yester- day briefed the Regents on a three-year budget plan developed to help Univer- sity units maintain quality during the anticipated economic hardships of the immediate future. In a subsequent action, the board ap- proved emergency spending for the 1980-81 fiscal year that essentially holds expenditures at or below their current 1979-80 levels. The move is necessary because the state legislature has not yet approved a 1980-81 fiscal budget, and may not do so until November. HOLDING EXPENDITURES at current levels is the only way the University can be sure the state will cover its expenses when the legislature adopts the budget this fall. An increase in state allocations to the University of less than four per cent seems likely and an absence of any increase at all is a possibility. The backbone of the three-year plan is a controlled reduction in the size of the staff while maintaining adequate support for "all members of the University community, including faculty, students, and staff whom we are able to retain," University officials told the Regents. Specifically, the plan calls for the various University units (the 17 schools and colleges, administrative services, and other general fund-supported areas) to take on partial responsibility for funding their own salary and com- pensation programs, beginning im- mediately. Part of the 1980-81 salary program will be funded from units' existing 1979-80 budgets. UNIVERSITY President Harold Shapiro at yesterday's meeting reaf- firmed his belief that some layoffs will be necessary to keep compensation as high as possible for the remaining staff. Regent Thomas Roach (D-Saline) ob- jected to what appeared to be across- the-board cuts called for in the three- year plan. Acting Vice-President for Academic Affairs Alfred Sussman said the executive officers shared his concern and planned to make available "bridging funds" for those units in dire need. The funds would be "in the nature of a loan," with repayment expected if at all possible, Sussman said. VICE-PRESIDENT and Chief Finan- cial Officer James Brinkerhoff added although most units would be expected to take certain cuts across the board, individual departments within each unit could take cuts that might vary widely. Shapiro interjected although units will have much autonomy in making budget cut decisions, the central ad- ministration will insist that units not do away with their equipment funds. He said the strategy of ignoring equipment needs was attempted in 1974-75 and failed dismally. Shapiro yesterday reiterated his hard-line opposition to the Tisch II proposal, which now seems likely to appear on the state's November ballot. He said he recognized the legitimacy of its backers' complaints, but called the amendment itself "foolhardy." IF PASSED, Shiawassee County Drain Commissioner Robert Tisch's See REGENTS, Page 10 AN ANN ARBOR bicyclist pedals down Packard St. without incident, unlike many of his cycling compatriots. A recent upsurge in cycling accidents has prompted city officials to begin a bicycle safety program and to upgrade city bicycle paths. Bikemishaps i n A2 up, coordinator says By ELAINE RIDEOUT Diverted by a scantily-clad sunbather, a cyclist riding down Packard Rd. toward campus takes his eyes off the road for a moment, and looks up just before an oncoming cycylist barrels in- to him head-on. The combined speed of each cyclist, both going 20 mph, Area agencies, Sheriff's dept. team up to aid battered women By BONNIE JURAN The woman may be unable to appreciate initial police Area human service agencies and the Washtenaw County guidance, Hanewicz said, because they are often in a Sheriff's Department jointly launched a new program this precarious emotional state. Recontacting the victims, he week in an effort to decrease the incidence of domestic continued, may "re-encourage them (to seek help) at a time violence, when they are more likely to take (the information) in." The new plan will commit special volunteer deputies to The deputies who volunteered for the program have a per- recontact domestic violence victims within 72 hours of the sonal interest in making it a success, the professor said, original incident and encourage them to get in touch with because domestic disputes are the third-ranked cause of of- area agencies for assistance, according to Michigan State ficer death or injury. University Associate Prof. of Criminal Justice Wayne HE ADDED THE deputies received special training in Hanewicz, who helped formulate the program. "how not to be offensive" on the telephone when encouraging HANEWICZ ADDED THAT currently, fewer than two per battered women to seek assistance. cent of the battered women in Washtenaw County contact Debra Lipson, co-ordinator of the Assault Crisis Center, local organizations for help after initial police recommen- said her organization participated in the deputy training dations to do so. See PLAN, Page 11 produces a 40 mph impact speed. Either cyclist could have been killed. The accident hasn't happened... yet. But, according to Packard resident Bruce Carol, serious accidents like this one come close tohappening every day. "I SEE A LOT of close calls with cyclists traveling on the wrong side of the road," the LSA junior said. "I saw three near-miss accidents within five minutes one day." According to Tom Pendleton, Ann Arbor bicycle coordinator, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of bicycle accidents reported this year-an increase he attributes in pert to the energy crisis. "We only hear about the accidents reported to the police," he said, "and the police probably hear about 10 per cent of all the accidents." He suggested the in- crease in accidents could correspond with an increase in bikers. "People who were here tell me there are unquestionably more bikers now than there were a year ago," he said. Pendleton came to Ann Arbor last August to become the city's first full time bicycle staff person. As coor- dinator of the only city bike service in Michigan, he blames bikers themselves rather than motorists or faulty road .See BICYCLE, Page 11