4 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, June 3, 2002
420 MAYNARD STREET
ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 LISA HOFFMAN ZAC PESKOWITZ
letters@michigandaily.com Editor in Chief Editorial Page Editor
EDITED AND MANAGED BY
STUDENTS AT THE Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN the majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other pieces do not
SINCE 1890 necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
W ith the selection of Mary Sue The role of the Athletic Department in
Coleman as the 13th president of A1 course I action the University is one potential area where
the University, it is imperative that Coleman and the regents may disagree.
the new president quickly recognize the Coleman must battle regents and Athletic Department The Athletic Department has emerged
unique difficulties and obstacles that she will from the financial problems of the Tom 4
face at the University. While Coleman Goss era, but now has the specter of Ed
remains the president of a Big Ten university, of regents who will then report to the board in authority to set the agenda. Now the president Martin to contend with.
her move from Iowa to the University will be toto. These changes have already permanent- is required to work with the chair to set this In December, the regents passed a bylaw
challenging. The University has more stu- ly altered the regents' machinations giving agenda. What was once a powerful check on change that according to the University's
dents, more professors, larger egos and elicits new broad powers to the chair, currently the power of the University Board of Regents chapter of the American Association of
more national media attention than the Regent Laurence Deitch (D-Bingham Farms) has now vanished and Coleman will suffer. University Professors, will ultimately
University of Iowa. While Coleman should and have lead to bitterness and petty politick- To combat the broad new authorities of reduce faculty oversight over the Athletic
be able to adjust to these differences over ing within the body. It is crucial that Coleman the University Board of Regents, Coleman Department and limit its accountability to
time, there are two University bodies that understands the divisions between the regents will have to be willing to take strong the public. In the past when faculty over-
could become especially bothersome during and work to ensure that these divisions do not stances against the regents when necessary. sight has lapsed, the department has slipped
her presidency: The University Board of obstruct University projects or limit the While Coleman has a reputation as an into impropriety. It is crucial that faculty
Regents and the Athletic Department. University's future.' excellent diplomat and was known for her have the ability to ensure athletes meet their 4
In February, the regents approved a bylaw While this task would be difficult enough, ability to compromise with administrators academic requirements and ethical viola-
change that completely restructured the inter- the regents approved an additional bylaw and faculty at Iowa, the current direction of tions are not taking place. Coleman must
nal operations of the board. The amended change which will seriously limit Coleman's the regents will at times require Coleman to restore significant faculty authority on the
bylaws created two new positions: Chair and power to serve the University's best interests. staunchly stand against the regents. Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics
vice-chair of the University Board of Along with the February restructuring, the Coleman will need to utilize the same qual- and reign in the Athletic Department to
Regents. In addition, the regents will now regents changed the procedure for setting ities with the regents that she used during avoid the embarrassments of the past and
operate under a committee system which will agendas for regents meetings. In the past, the her vocal opposition to the Iowa State guarantee that Michigan athletes are gen-
divide responsibilities between committees president of the University had the sole Legislature's education budget cuts. uine student-athletes.
Consistent inequality
University must address chronic gender pay gap
T he unsurprising findings of the students from working with the most tal-
Report on Faculty Salary and ented faculty and receiving the best pos-
Composition released by the sible education.
Committee on the Economic Status of While some departments have imple-
the Faculty reveal that one of the most mented transparent hiring practices,
persistent troubles at the University is more must be done. The University must
the gender pay gap. The study reveals work to comprehensively reorganize hir-
that the University has yet to solve this ing, recruiting practices, advertisement
recurrent problem. While the causes for of positions and the tenure process. This
the perpetual gap go far beyond the task will require the dedication of both
University and can be found throughout faculty and administrators if it is to be
society, the University does bear some of successful.
the responsibility for the lag in The problem of gender
compensation and must proac- The first step inequity at the University is
tively address the problem. for the University not new. During his term as
Although the report does not is to increase its president of the University,
prescribe a course of action for recruitment James Duderstadt imple-
the University, there are a num- efforts toward mented the Michigan
ber of steps that the University women. Agenda to increase the pres-
needs to take to correct this ence of women in the profes-
problem. The first step for the soriate. Duderstadt's Michigan Agenda
University is to increase its recruitment and the Michigan Mandate to increase
efforts directed toward women. Once the role of minorities at the University,
women faculty arrive at the University, were created to secure the University's
they must have access to the same men- position at the forefront of academia. To
toring and support services that their maintain this position the University
male counterparts receive. must expand its efforts to incorporate
Another obstacle to gender pay equal- women in the faculty ranks and must be
ity at the University is the composition able to offer them the same compensa-
of many departments. The upper eche- tion as male faculty and equal access to
lons of many departments are dispropor- top positions.
tionately dominated by men, this prob- Thirty years after the passage of Title
lem is particularly acute in the sciences, IX, the gender inequality in compensa-
mathematics and School of Engineering. tion has yet to disappear. An entire gener-
Too often, tenure-track appointments and ation of women has reached adulthood
hiring decisions are determined through and gone through this nation's higher
personal relationships and familiarity education system, yet the promise of
between the applicant and current facul- equal compensation has eluded them. The
ty, not the qualifications and skills of the University must reinstill the spirit of the
applicant. This lack of transparency, Michigan Agenda throughout the faculty
which hurts outside applicants, people of and administration to prevent the chronic
color and women prevents University pay gap from continuing unabated.
An opiate for the few
Trotskyite group has yet to change its tactics
4
T he Coalition to Defend Affirmative actual University students. BAMN's go-it-
Action and Integration and Fight for alone attitude has prevented collaboration
Equality By Any Means Necessary with student groups and drawn away popu-
has not changed. The group, which has a lar support from their causes.
long history on campus of alienating would- The group's unwillingness to accept
be allies, working against student groups contrary positions has been one of the pri-
and usurping issues, held its most recent mary causes for the stagnant debate on affir-
event this weekend in Ann Arbor, the mative action at the University. Students on
Student/Youth Conference of the New Civil both sides of the issue have been silenced
Rights Movement. The group, which has from making contrarian or innovative argu-
extensive ties with the Detroit-based ments, fearing the denouncement of
Revolutionary Workers' League BAMN. Serious intellectual
and ascribes to the philosophy of The group's debates concerning the role of
Russian revolutionary L.D. unwillingness to affirmative action at the
Trotsky, organized the confer- accept contrary University are extremely rare,
ence which brought a large num- positions has been instead attempts at discussion
bers of high school students from one of the primary usually degenerate into unintelli-
across the nation to Ann Arbor. causes for the gible shouting matches.
At the conference, dogma and stagnant BAMN's involvement with
ideology dominated the week- affirmative action the RWL and Scheff and
end. debate at the Washington Law Firm, has been
While BAMN's strict adher- University. the primary cause for its divi-
ence to revolutionary doctrine sive habits. These group's dedi-
has driven many University students away cation to a future violent revolution of the
from the support of affirmative action, the working and educated classes has allowed
group's most troubling habit has been its BAMN to justify its doctrine of "by any
predilection to intrude in other student means necessary." While civil disobedi-
groups' affairs. In September, BAMN ence can be an appropriate way to achieve
orchestrated the green armband campaign political goals, their ultimate vision of vio-
to show solidarity with Arab-American lence and their present intimidation of
students, but the group failed to consult opponents is unacceptable.
with or seek the support of any Arab- If BAMN were willing to thoroughly
American student groups. These irrespon- reevaluate its methods and use its vast
sible tactics have made it impossible for resources and connections, they could serve
other student groups to constructively as a powerful advocate for affirmative
work with BAMN. action at the University. Their alienating
Through their extensive financial power rhetoric and tactics do nothing to advance
and political connections, the group has their important positions on affirmative
attempted to make itself the only advocate action, standardized testing and integration.
and the sole spokesgroup for affirmative These causes are too important to let die
action and its litany of other causes, under their banner of anger, divisiveness
although the group has little support among and violence.