OPINION Friday, June 13, 1986 Page 6 The Michigan Daily Vol. XCVI, No. 6-S 96 Years of Editorial Freedom Unsigned editorials represent the majority views of the Daily's Editorial Board Cartoons and signed editorials do not necessarily reflect the Daily's opinion. Tenure poiti cs The denial of tenure for University Law School prof. Michael Rosenzweig shows the mistaken priorities of the University administration. The reasons behind the rejection of the recommendation of two thirds of the faculty have not been stated. Though former Vice President Billy Frye noted that Rosenzweig's scholar- ship was questionable, he refused to say whether this was the reason behind the tenure denial. This appears to be the first time in 20 years a recommendation of the law school faculty has been denied. Whatever the reasons, it is clear that Rosenzweig's teaching evaluations warrant approval. In 1982 Rosenzweig won the Law School Student Senate's "Best Teacher" award. Students and faculty unanimously praise Rosenzweig's teaching ability. Both teaching and scholarship should be important considerations in deciding tenure. In Rosenzweig's case however, teaching ability should have taken priority. While producing good and useful scholarship is a mission of the Law School, so is turning put good lawyers. The University seems to heavily emphasize research over teaching. Many national rankings, which determine both the prestige of a University and its ability to attract students, are based on a comparison of the different faculty's research. When professors are told to "publish or perish" teaching can become a secondary consideration. For Rosenzweig, however, teaching remains a high priority. Those best positioned to evaluate Rosenzweig's work on a daily basis over a number of years - his fellow faculty mem- bers - voted to grant tenure. This recommendation should have been given priority as it has been in the past. The University should respect the opinions of its students and faculty. 'U' Terrace ignored To the Daily: can no longer live at UT without a car. In ad- Your editorial "Poor Communication" dition, many female students who need their (Daily, June 6) gives several examples of the cars for reasons of safety will not be able to live administration's recent breaches in com- at UT in the future. By taking away our munication. Though not nearly as momentous parking the hospital apparently hopes to as the University's mishandling of the Mandela displace UT families. Perhaps that is the inten- nomination, the recent decision by the hospital tion of the hospital planners as a necessary to arbitrarily take away over half of the prelude to the next step-the destruction of parking spaces from University Terrace University Terrace to make room for con- residents makes it clear that in some cases the tinued hospital expansion. This is all purpor- University may simply prefer not to let its in- tedly part of a "Ten-Year Plan" approved by tentions be kn9wn to students. the regents years ago and, according to one Residents were not given advance notice of regent, "common knowledge," except, that is, this decision, and no attempt was made to find to the residents of UT. alternative parking. Furthermore, no official On Tuesday, June 6, a pair of bulldozers at the hospital will come forth and discuss the moved onto the lawn behind one of the UT issue with residents. In fact, for a year residen- buildings and proceeded to gravel it over to ts were led to believe by the Family Housing make parking spaces for hospital staff. No Office that frequent changes orchestrated by notice was given the residents of the building the hospital in the UT parking area would It's unfortunate that the Housing Office can- finally end with the establishment of a per- not seem to get the hospital to face up to what manent UT parking lot. Instead, the hospital it is doing to University Terrace residents. It is decided simple to do away with over half of precisely for that reason that UT residents UT's parking to make room for staff parking. organized on their own and picketed the The hospital's standard response to residen- hospital's opening ceremony two weeks ago. ts' complaints is "UT residents aren't the only And it is for the same reason that UT residents ones suffering from the parking situation.' will continue to press the hospital to deal with The hospital fails to recognize that UT residen- University Terrace residents with candor and ts have been living for years with inadequate concern for our well-being. parking (123 spaces for 197 units) and are now Finally,-we view the hospital's preempting being summarily deprived of over half that of Family Housing's resources without com- number. To placate present car-owning pensation as an indication of the shifting residents the hospital agreed to raise the num- priorities of the University in general. In the ber of spaces to 83 with the understanding that scramble for prestige the University is shifting when current car-owning residents leave their resources away from "low priority" concerns, spaces would be appropriated by the hospital, like student housing, and into high-visibility, leaving UT wiith only 53 spaces (down from money-making enterprises like the hospital. 123) for all future residents. Already the hospital has appropriated two UT What the hospital and Family Housing fail to buildings, comprising over 40 student apar- realize, however, is that we at University tments, for its own use. UT parking has been Terrace are a community who rely on our cars drastically reduced, and now the entire com- for our livelihood. We live here. Removal of our munity has been targeted for extinction to parking is not therefore merely an incon- make room for hospital expansion. Ultimately, venience-as the scarcity of parking is for the however, all students will be made to pay for staff who must drive around sometimes for 30 the hospital's success if student priorities are minutes before finding a space. Staff do not ignored in the race for institutional prestige. have to worry about where to park when they -Angela Hinz, return to their homes. And that's the point-Ut Chris Chiesa, is own home. Take away our parking and you University Terrace residents force many of us to move. June10 What all this means is simple. Many families I DJKAIS OWSTIDE DEMOCRATSI Mediator unnecessary While the Michigan Student Assembly's internal conflicts may now require an outside mediator, using student funds to pay the mediator as much as $75 per hour should be a last resort. The assembly should be credited for recognizing that its conflicts have crippled its effectiveness. At the last meeting, members agreed that few substantial actions could be accom- plished until conflicts between president Kurt Muenchow and op- position leaders are resolved. Animosity between Muenchow and the Student Rights party majority, though not as nasty as during and af- ter assembly elections, has brought MSA to a standstill. Assembly employees wait for wages rightfully theirs and MSA leaders ignore student concerns like a proposed freshman course on racism and sexism and fighting a code of nonacademic conduct. MSA's great potential for student advocacy is un- dermined by the need to overrule Muenchow on issues traditionally handled by the president. Muenchow has stubbornly refusedto pay such valuable employees as women's safety leader Jennifer Faigel and military research advisor Robyn Watts. To risk losing these employees is foolish. If assembly members took a mature attitude toward their job, these problems could be worked out without a mediator, a luxury even the United States Congress doesn't allow itself. Also, since most of the assem- bly is away for the summer - MSA might feel the need for mediation again in the fall. If MSA cannot grow up and work its internal problems out, it can at least not spend student funds to resolve them. A cost-free mediator from within the University seems a much more appropriate solution. 1. TO &rET PEOPL.E 2. TO INCREKSE OFF WELFARE, REVJENUES, ENWOCE FIND VW ~IJoBs TAX COL.Ec~TIO RVOLUTONtWIU7 V\(1) ' y ~ 'tP'.T "lL CoA&lW(TTEE- NI WlOUNTR -_' AI- cAou1