The Michigan Daily - Monday, May 22, 2006 - 3 Study aims to improve 'U' admissions policies While a decision on MCRI looms, University officials voice concerns about AAAC's effort to determine the correlates of academic success By Walter Nowinski Daily Staff Reporter Interim Provost Edward Gramlich gave his sup- port to a controversial study last Monday at the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs meeting last Monday. The study in question, The Student Success Survey, aims to discover the factors that may contribute to a student's academic success at the University with the hope of shedding light on why some students admitted to struggling with their coursework while others did not. The group conducting the research - a subcom- mittee of the Academic Affairs Advisory Commit- tee - plans to examine measures of high school performance, such as GPA and SAT scores, along with measures of integration into the campus com- RESPONSE Continued from Page 2 Maynard said, "The Ann Arbor News wanted everything." She said the Regents delayed getting the information to them because they wanted the announcement to coincide with Martin's presentation. Data made available due to the FOIA request showed the athletic department has $40 million in reserves - an amount e very different from the $20-$30 million commonly believed to be in the reserves, Pollack said. He said the University could renovate the stadium under Deitch's alternative plan in two years because "two-thirds of the money is sitting in the bank" Pollack said he will work to get the facts out and "shine a bright light" on the process by which the University secretly put the stadium renovations on Friday's agenda. "Everyone on both sides has to be dis- To appointed in the process," he said. COLEMAN Ther Continued from Page 1 The arrests resulted from a crimi- nal investigation by the University's Department of Public Safety, which began in November after former media director Donovan Reynolds notified the DPS of suspicious activ- ity involving the on-air recognition S of sponsors. Reynolds resigned from the position March 1. University officials, including Chief Financial Officer Timothy Slottow, DPS spokeswoman Diane Brown and President Mary Sue Cole- man, denounced the criminal behav- ior and pledged to monitor the full compliance of policies by Michigan Public Media staff. Following Coleman's plea, Uni- versity spokeswoman Julie Peterson said the University has no further comment regarding the incidents. munity, academic records from the University and May 1, many members of the committee voiced neider, director of Faculty Operational Support data from academic support programs. concerns about the study's goals. Services, circulated the revised proposal. Sch- The committee will make recommendations to SACUA chair Charles Smith said the goals of neider declined to provide the Daily with a copy the University officials and the admissions office on the proposal were not well defined, and that he did of the proposal. how to refine the admissions process and enhance not understand the study's purpose. "Until we have the data in hand and begin our academic support programs. "A lack of clarity can work analysis, it seems premature to say much publicly AAAC and SACUA member A against getting people to coop- about the study," said Riles, chair of the sub-com- Keith Riles said the study was Ala of clarity erate with you," he said. mittee conducting the study. first brought to the attention work agains SACUA vice chair Bruno At last Monday's SACUA meeting, Riles said of the AAAC, a faculty senate can st Giordani echoed Smith's con- the subcommittee was ready to begin data collec- committee, last fall. cerns about the proposal's tion and asked Gramlich for his support. Although supporters of the gett p o ambiguity and worried that "Ianticipate some resistance from the Registrar's study are reluctant to com- cooperate with you" the study might just be a and Admissions offices, and I wanted to make sure ment, AAAC meeting min- - SACUA ch "fishing expedition." you (Gramlich) are on board," Riles said. utes indicate the study was -S air Giordani also raised con- Gramlich gave the committee his "blessing" initially proposed in a docu- Charles Smith cerns about the timing of the for the project and pledged to help Riles if he ment circulated by AAAC study because it involves the encounters resistance. members Riles, David Potter and Michael University's admissions process, already a "hot "I'll make some calls if I need to," he said. Thouless. button issue" given the ongoing debate regard- Gramlich also spoke about the scope and con- The AAAC voted to undertake the study on ing the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative. MCRI, a troversial nature of the study. He said the study has April 12. November ballot proposal, threatens to ban the use extremely ambitious aims because it hopes to quan- Anticipating that the University's Registrar of affirmative action at state institutions, including tify the factors contributing to student success, such and Admissions offices may be reluctant to hand the University. as integration into the campus community. over sensitive admissions and academic data, the After hearing SACUA's concerns, the AAAC "I don't want to dissuade you, though. We AAAC brought their research proposal to SACUA revised the study proposal to clarify its goals. should be able to do this - this is U of M," to gain additional support. At a SACUA meeting According to AAAC minutes, Thomas Sch- Gramlich said. play: Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3 4 7 8 4 16 5 5 9 2 F5 74 6 2 1 6 7 6 7 2 8 3 7 5 4 -1 5 1 4 6 42 67 w 5 4 8 3 6 I I 37 69 .. z 7 j 74 zI blsaus d oW'