The Michigan Daily-Thursday, May 27, 1982-Page 3
RESEARCHERS EXAMINE STAGES IN SHUTDOWN
College closings studied at 'U'
O^V t10 er in4i ~rnrV~~afOn d -d
By GREG BRUSSTAR
Two University researchers have
created a unique model to help the
nation's colleges deal with the prospect
of financial difficulty and closing.
In the past 20 years, more than 200
American colleges and branch cam-
puses have closed, and in the next two
decades, 200 more will close, School of
Education Prof. James Miller and
Michael Erwin, a project director at the
Institute of Labor and Industrial
Relations, reported.
"DESPITE THIS trend, the systema-
tic study of college closings is prac-
tically non-existent," they said. "Many
institutions who are faced with closing
don't have any literature to turn to in
order to find out what should and should
not be done," Miller added.
The researchers' paper suggests "the
'Many institutions who are faced with closing
don't have any literature to turn to in order to
find out what should and should not be done. '
-University Prof. James Miller
importance of examing the experience
of colleges which have closed in order
to better predict and in some cases
avert similar occurences among
colleges which have not closed." Ac-
cording to Miller, it is the only study of
its kind.
Of approximately 235 colleges that
have closed over the past two decades,
Miller and Erwin found complete in-
formation on only 27. By analyzing this
date along with a somewhat parallel
subject-industrial plant closings-
they were able to identify key stages in
the closing process: the conditions that
led to the closing decisions; the people
involved and those affected by the
close; and the aftermath.
MILLIER STRESSES that most of the
schools that have closed in the past 20
years have been very small (with
student bodies of only a few hundred)
and private. Examples are small
theological schools and women's
schools in areas where other women's
schools have gone coed. Most of these
schools are in the Nvortheast ana mia-
west where there is a higher concen-
tration of private colleges. Miller also
said that in the future, most of the
college closings will also be small
private institutions.
Miller said that larger public colleges
will not fail because the "political im-
pediments to closing a college are
great." However, the economic
recession will force cutbacks in
programs and activities in order to
remain financially stable, the study
shows.
One of the reasons for enrollment fall-
off is a decline in the number of people
between the ages of 18-24, Miller said.
"If one went by only the demographic
statistics, then the decline will be
greater than predicted. Already
elementary school and high schools
See RESEARCHERS, Page 5
Freeze backers
hand in petitions
at state Capitol
By SCOTT STUCKAL
special to the Daily
LANSING - Nuclear disarmament
supporters filled the state Capitol steps
D Y yesterday as they presented officials
with a 375,000 signature nuclear freeze
petition that may force the state to put the
issue on the November ballot.
Gov. William Milliken announced his
support of the proposal in a letter of
congratulations to the freeze suppor-
ters. "I share your deep concern about
the threat of nuclear war and I support
the proposal to request a bilateral and
verifiable nuclear weapons freeze,"
Milliken said, offering his "best wishes
for your cause."
THE PROPOSAL asks the state
legislature to urge the United States to
"immediately propose" to the Soviet
Union a freeze of the number of nuclear
weapons. Freeze supporters needed
only 229,000 signatures to get the
proposal on the ballot. The additional
136,000 signatures should replace any
signatures that are ruled invalid.
"Our security depends on a freeze" of
nuclear weapons, said Michael Betzold,
AP Photo a member of the Detroit Nuclear
Weapons Freeze Committee who ad-
ing yesterday. dressed the crowd on the Capital steps.
"disastrous
By CHARLES THOMSON labor unions
Ann Arbor City Administrator Terry Sprenkel is supportersa
about to take a 30-day leave of absence and is expec- "We bega
ted to resign from his position soon, according to were getting
members of the City Council. member E.1
Assistant City Administrator Godfrey Collins con- large surp
firmed yesterday that he received a memo from treasury ear
Sprenkel designating him acting city administrator ANOTHE
from May 29 to July 4. Sprenkel could not be reached Third Ward
for comment. cast the cit
ONE MEMBER of the city council said the search payers, esp
for a new administrator would begin soon and that a special mill
new city administrator would probably be chosen by earlier this
October. bit awkwart
Council members yesterday associated Sprenkel's city adminis
departure with his handling of the city's budget and S
with what one council member called the
"Common sense screams that it is
crazy to build more nuclear bombs
when we already have enough to blow
up half the solar system," Betzold said.
State Representative Perry Bullard
(D-Ann Arbor), who attended the rally,.
said the success of petition gatherers
for a nuclear freeze proposal in Michigan
"shows a tremendous amount of sup-
port." President Reagan's budgetary
shift into the military "increases ten-
sion" and fuels opposition to nuclear
weapons, Bullard said.
AN ESTIMATED 9,000 signatures on
the petitions were from University
students who also gathered a total of
more than 11,000 signatures in and out-
side of Ann Arbor.
"We had over 100 students return
petitions for us on campus," said Will
Hathaway, vice president of LSA
Student Government, the organization
which headed student efforts for a
nuclear freeze. In early May, Univer-
sity students collected 8,000 signatures
in Detroit, according to Michael
Gramlich of the Detroit Freeze Com-
mittee. "They did a tremendous job for
us," he said.
In the fall, Hathaway said, studerts
See MILLIKEN, Page 11
contract negotiations with the city's
a. Council members said Sprenkel had no
among any of the members of the council.
n to lose confidence in the information we
g from the administration," said Council
Edward Hood (R-Fourth Ward) citing the
lus suddenly discovered in the city
rlier this year.
R councilmember, Virginia Johansen (R-
), said the discovery of the surplus funds
y in a bad light in the eyes of the tax-
ecially after the city had asked for a
page increase to pay for street repairs
spring. "I find that, frankly, just a little
d," she said. "(But) I don't know that the
trator was totaly responsible for that."
ee SPRENKEL, Page5
VIRGINIA JORDAN, 73, demonstrates in Lans
Sprenkel
takes leave,
expeeted
to resign