One hundred four years of editorial freedom Summer Weekly Wednesday May 24, 1995 " ; s " A x e,_ 'U' buys pieces of city property By James Nash Daily Staff Reporter With a day's warning to city leaders, the University last Friday finalized the purchase of a $9.9 million building com- plex, bringing muted-but still critical- reaction from City Hall. The University had attempted to de- flect criticism from its purchase of the Willi amsburg New complex by an- nouncing and ex- Property plaining the sale he University in a letter to about bought 5 250 community buildings i leaders. health Athletic By purchasing care Campus the five buildings facilities . D near Briarwood Mall, the Univer- sity has removed them from the tax Briarwood rolls. The move Mall will cost the city of -.94 Ann Arbor about Daily Graphic $50,000 in annual tax revenue and the schools and county another $120,000, according to University calculations. The Williamsburg buildings are al- ready leased by the University for long- term primary health care. "University leaders fully recognize the local financial impact such a decision makes," stated the letter, signed by Vice *resident for University Relations Walter Harrison. "However, they also must re- main vigilant to state taxpayers and those purchasing health care who expect them to be proper fiduciaries of their funds." SEE PURCHASE, PAGE 2 Hospital opens talks for merger By Amy Klein Daily News Editor The University Medical Center signed a memoradum yesterday to investigate a possible merger with three Catho- lic health-care systems. The move might mean a broader geographic accessibility for the University, said John D. Forsyth, executive director of the University Medical Cen- ter. The non-binding negotiations with Sisters of Mercy, Daughters of Charity and Mission Health Corp. are scheduled to last six months. Forsyth told the Board of Regents last week that he would return after the negotiations with an agreement. "We haven't formally bound ourselves, we've just formally agreed to look at the desirability and feasibility of integrating those systems," he said. "We may come back to this board in six months and say this is not doable." Regent Shirley McFee (R-Battle Creek) said she approves of the Medical Center's recent steps. "It's very heartening to see this university taking the lead at this time," she said. Forsyth said he plans to keep the community's best interest at the forefront of the discussions. "If you can improve access and quality while reducing costs, then it is in our best interest," he said. While the discussions will strive to create a statewide de- livery system, Forsyth said merging the three Catholic hos- pitals with the University system may create an uneasy al- liance. "I think it is an issue. The merging of the Catholic ethical issues and a public university will have to be addressed. But there have been Catholic hospitals in the past that have success- fully merged with universities," Forsyth said. Regent Andrea Fisher Newman (R-Ann Arbor) said she agrees that disagreements might eventually arise. "Ido think the differences will be an issue in the future if the negotiations go through," Newman said. Officials at the three hospitals did not return phone calls yesterday. The external Shapiro library renovations have been recently completed. Dedication new -name, new facade By Scott Bishop For the Daily Last Friday, in an atmosphere of mutual admira- tion, the University dedicated the renovated Under- graduate Library to former University President Harold Shapiro and his wife Vivian, a former Uni- versity professor of Social Work. A dedication ceremony was held on the lawn next to the renamed Shapiro Library. The Shapiros, with several family members and friends, toured the updated library prior to the cer- emony. Many "wonderfuls" were exclaimed at the ar- chitecture, thecomputer technology and the bright out- door views. The compliments were returned by ac- quaintances from the Shapiros' days at the Univer- sity. Standing near the second floor reserve desk, Shapiro shared his reaction to the dedication. "I could never in my lifetime have imagined some- thing so wonderful. It's a wonderful facility and I can only encourage (students) to use it to its fullest potential," he said. Vivian Shapiro shared the enthusiasm about the facility's potential. "I think it unites the way we thought about libraries," she said. "With books and technology, it represents the future. It's very exciting- and inviting," she said. SEE SHAPIRo, PAGE 2 Mcard introduced as 'smarter' card for students *y Amy Klein Daily News Editor Last September, the student identifi- cation cards received a facelift. This year, aesthetics meet technology as the University introduces the new "smart card" to students. An addition to the Mcard, the smart card boasts a computer chip that will be programmed to store information about the student. The chip will replace the ashStripe originally slotted on the Mcard. Associate Vice President for Finance Randy Harris, who helped develop the student identification card at Florida State University, has dubbed the smart card "the card of the future." "It has the possibility of all kinds of things that can be done. The intent of the card was the flexibility - it offers every- thing," Harris said. "If someone was in an accident in another state, an officer could read the computer chip and find out medi- cal information about the student so they could be attended to inmediately." The new computer chip will also serve as the debit feature of the card, just as the plans for the Mcard outlined, and students can store up to $50 on the com- puter chip. If the card is lost or stolen, the balance on the chip cannot be refunded. The CashChip will be linked to vending machines and other services on campus. "Eventually, if you want a pizza deliv- ered to your home they could even have a hand-held device that could read your card. Thet are no rmitations," Harris said Harris said he did not know the time frame for adding the smart card feature to the Mcard. While the new card features a com- puter chip, the smart card still retains many of the same characteristics of the pilot Mcard. Executive Vice President Farris W. Womack said the revamped card will still attempt to centralize the many different cards a student might use. SEE MCARD, PAGE 8 Card with a Chip UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 600847 0000 0000 00 Exp. 10-96 THEODORE D CARDMAN Student The new Mcard's computer chip will store information about the cardholder. -- ------------- - - " .r Y - aeM'szi .,1 1' s _11 T T T ~.1i'. .I'U V), I Arts: Willis returns with avengeance/9 Sports: Softballmakes College Woriu enes/ it