The Michigan Daily-Thursday, May 13, 1982-Page 3
The reviews begin
Education, Art, Nat. Res. to undergo scrutiny

The University's plan to make itself "smaller but
better" gets into full swing this spring as the review
process unfolds and the first schools and colleges
come under administrative scrutiny.
The plan-termed the "Five-Year Plan"-involves
a process of reduction and reallocation of almost $20
million from the University's General Fund budget to
areas of "high-priority" over the next five years.
THE UNIVERSITY'S $266 million General Fund
budget, made up for the most part of student fees and
state appropriations, is used to run the day-to-day ac-
tivities of the University, including faculty salaries
and plant operations.
In announcing the plan, Vice President for
Academic Affairs Billy Frye told the Board of Regen-
ts on February 18 that the rate of General Fund
revenue growth will not be sufficient "both to sustain
the current quality of the institution and to support
the current size of the institution."
The guidelines each review committee is charged
with following were distributed last week by Vice
President Frye's office. Individuals appointed to the
three review committees, which are subcommittees
of the Budget Priorities Committees, were also
revealed.
THE COMMITTEES are now ready to begin the
reviews of the Schools of Art, Education, and Natural
Resources, the first schools named under the plan.
Each committee is charged with evaluating the
school, identifying one or more scenarios for budget
or program reduction, and looking at the implications
of any reductions.
This summer's school reviews fall under the
category for possible budget reductions of more than
ten percent, or possible elimination.
Although the Rackham School of Graduate Studies
has also been named as a school to be reviewed, the
committee members have not been named and the
charges are still in the formation stages.
Charges
Education
The School of Education's review committee has
been charged with examining such matters as
declining enrollment, a nationwide surplus of
teachers, and current academic standards.
The charges from Vice President Frye include con-
cern that the average quality of students in some
programs may be too low, and that scholarly produc-
tivity and quality in some doctoral and faculty areas
may be slipping below the University's general ex-
pectations.
The committee will also examine how declining
enrollment and a surplus of teachers and schools
nationwide may affect the school.
In addition, the committee will be examing the,
education school's proposed plan of reorganization.
Over the past eighteen months, the school has been
following a planning program to reduce its current
ten departments to five areas.
The committee is charged with looking at the
school's relationship with education programs at the
University's Deaibo'aind Flint camptses, and-the


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Vice President for Academic Affairs Billy Frye oversees the review process.

NO SPECIFIC reduction charges are set for the
three committees; they, in fact, are free to decide
that no cuts and even budget increases are desirable.
The charges, however, strongly suggest that some
cuts may be necessary.
"At all times bear in mind that the overall
reallocation goal cannot be met without selective
reduction'of some budget units," the charges stated,
advising each committee to "approach its assign-
ment with the objective of determining whether there
are compelling reasons not to make a substantial
reduction, given the serious financial needs of the
TTniversity as a whole."

The review committees are not expected to com-
plete their reports until sometime in the Fall
semester. The reports will then be passed on to the
Budget Priorities Committee and Vice President
Frye: The schools involved will be submitting infor-
mation to the review committees throughout the
process. There also will be an opportunity for public
hearings before final recommendations are made.
Once the reports are completed, Frye must take his
recommendations to the University's executive of-
ficers and the Regents for a final decision.
-Lou Fintor

presented to committees
special status of the school's Department of Physical
Education. Currently, the physical education depar-N a R es.
tment falls academically under the school's control,
but has a separate budget.
The charges include a suggestion that the review s-
committee select a small subcommittee for issues-Ys"- ,
concerning the physical education and branch cam-
See EDUCATION, Page 10
Art 4
The quality of the University's School of Art in 7
comparison with peer institutions and the impact of
the school's geographical isolation from the nation's
major artistic centers are among the issues to be ad-
dressed this summer by the art school's review
committee.
Due to the difficulty of reviewing the instructional
and scholarly merits of an art school, the committee
is charged with comparing the school's academic
standards to those of other universities and private
art schools.
The committee also will examine how the art
school is affected by its isolation from the leading
U.S. art centers, notably New York City.
The committee has been asked to determine The low level of research productivity is one of the
whether this isolation makes it difficult to maintain main points concerning the School of Natural
the art school's reputation, and whether it hinders Resources raised by Vice President Frye.
faculty and student efforts to exhibit works before The charge will be considered by the review com-
major critics. mittee for the school this summer, along with
Art School Dean George Bayliss said he did not charges that the undergraduate student body has
think geographic isolation was a factor at all, adding exhibited comparatively low entrance qualifications
that in an artistic center, such as New York, there are and that classroom instruction overlaps with other
many distractions for students. "It's a question that University Courses.
would be asked by someone who doesn't understand Associate Dean Stephen Preston, commenting on
the issue," he said. "That's an issue that will dissolve the charge concerning the quality and amount of
on its own weight." research done by the School of Natural Resources,
Current art school underfunding is another charge said, "Half of faculty time is spent on teaching and
handed down to the review committee. Whether the the other half is spent on research and creative
school can maintain its current level of quality projects."
without significant budget increases will be explored. Addressing the charge that some natural resources
The committee also will look, into. the, pesent .....courses, offer material sivilars to other-.lUversity
See ART;Page 10 See NAT. RES., Page 10