The-MichiganDail
Vol. XCII, No. 40-S Ann Arbor, Michigan--Thursday, July 15, 1982 Ten Cents Twelve Pages
Reaction mixed to ISMRRD cut
By GEORGE ADAMS
University and non-University of-
ficials alike gave a double-edged reac-
tion yesterday to the proposed.
elimination of the University's Institute;
for the Study of Mental Retardation and
Related Disorders (ISMRRD).
The elimination of ISMRRD would
mean the loss of a unique research cen-
ter in the state, but community services
offered by the institute can be found
elsewhere, sources said.
ADMINISTRATORS revealed earlier
this week that a special subcommittee,
of the University's Budget Priorities
Committe (BPC) recommended in a
budget review that the institute, except
for its Child Development Clinic, (CDC).
be closed.
"Cutting ISMRRD would mean the
loss of a specialized area of academic
research," said David Schweighoefer,
director of Rehabilitation Services at
the Washtenaw County Department of
Mental Health. "There is no other
(facility like ISMRRD) in the state," he
Even though I am in the field . . . I couldn't
recommend that it (ISMRRD) be continued as it
is.' -Don Hoyle,
executive director of the Washtenaw
Association for Retarded Citizens
added, calling the institute's services
"excellent."
However, both Schweighoefer and
Thelma Sterling, director of the
Michigan Department of Labor
Vocational Rehabilitation, said that the
institute's evaluation services are
duplicated by at least two other
vocational services in the state.
STRONGER criticism of the in-
stitute's services came from Don
Hoyle, executive director of the
Washtenaw Association for Retarded
Citizens.
Hoyle said the institute was "ivory-
towered, esoteric, an self-centered,"
and had "little to do with the real world
of mental retardation." He had
testified against the continuation of
ISMRRD during the second of four
review hearings.
"I've seen more dissatisfied, unhap-
py parents and clients come from
ISMRRD than satisfied ones," he said.
COMMENTING on his testimony to
the review subcommittee, Hoyle said,
"Even though I am in the field, and it
would be a loss for the state not to have
a research facility in mental retar-
dation, I couldn't recommend that it
(ISMRRD) be continued as it is."
The BPC subcommittee was asked to
examine three areas during the review:
" "Are there compelling reasons not to
close ISMRRD?
" If it is closed, should special effort be
made to serve some of its clients or
trainees in other units?
"If there are compelling reasons
against closure, could those activities
that appear to be essential be sustained
while the institute's budget is substan-
tially reduced?"
"We had no doubt about the importan-
ce of study in the field of mental retar-
dation, or that it's a vital area of
reserach that is very properly the in-
terest of the University," said
epidemiology Prof. Victor Hawthorne,
a member of the six-member review
sub-committee.
"It boils down to what is cost-
effective," he said of the subcommittee
recommendation. The institute curren-
tly hasa budget of more than $290,000.
Hawthorne said the review concluded
that ISMRRD "had undergone substan-
tial attrition-both in funding and
staff-and failed to fulfill its intended
purpose."
HE SAID the recommendation to
See ISMRRD, Page 2
U.S. cites
sex bias in
' ' athletics
By BILL SPINDLE
The University's athletic department
is presently violating several federal
anti-sex discrimination guidelines, ac-
cording to a federal investigation due to
be released in several weeks.
Investigators from the Chicago bran-
ch of the Office of Civil Rights have
pointed to four areas in which they feel
the University has not complied with
the federal government's Title IX
regulations.
THOSE AREAS-which are outlined
by the University's affirmative action'
director, Virginia Nordby, at the June
meeting of the Board in Control of In-
tercollegiate Athletics-include:
* disproportionate allocations of
money toward men's and women's
athletic scholarships;
" smaller travel budgets for women's
teams than their male counterparts;
" less opportunity for women than
men to receive coaching in their sports;
and
" fewer dollars for recruiting female
athletes than for male athletes.
THE IDENTIFICATION of these four
areas is the result of an investigation
that began in the fall of 1980 and was
stalled until early this year. University
officials have been working with the Of-
fice of Civil Rights over the last few
months to update information and
establish a program to eliminate the
discrepancies cited.
The government's policy is to work
out the details of compliance before
releasing the results of its in-
vestigation, according to federal of-
ficials.
The government conducted its survey
under the assumption that the athletic
department falls under its jurisdiction.
Although the athletic department has
said it will comply with the gover-
nment's requests, University officials
insist that the athletic department
should not be subject to Title IX
because it receives no federal money.
Changes the University will make to
comply with federal standards will
amount to "a big expense," said Bob
DeCarolis, assistant business manager
for the athletic department.
THERE IS presently about a 10 per-
cent difference between the proportion
of scholarship money going to men
compared to male representation in the
athletic department, DeCarolis said.
Federal guidelines say universities
See GOVERNMENT, Page 3
Dody Photo by ELIZABETH SCOTT
Selling religion
On the lawn north of Angell Hall, two adherants of Hare Krishna peddle a
book describing their faith in an attempt to spread their religion and further
understanding of alternate lifestyles.