Starting at the beginning
of
classes
Tuesday,
the
University
of
Michigan’s
two-year-long
transition
to Canvas was complete —
drawing mixed reactions from
faculty over the process and
implementation, and overall
positive
impressions
from
students.
Canvas
is
an
online
learning management system
that includes features such
as assignments, grades and
discussion
boards.
Moving
forward, it will be the class
platform for all University
classes,
replacing
CTools.
The switch is one part of the
University’s NextGen plan —
a strategy for investing in the
next generation of technology
and
creating
shared
infrastructure across campus.
The
University
piloted
Canvas
in
the
2014-2015
school year with lukewarm
responses from faculty and
students, using it in 130
courses and engaging more
than 10,000 students and
150 instructors. The decision
to move forward with the
transition was motivated by
a decided need to, once the
transition had begun, reduce
At their meeting Tuesday,
City Council voted 8-3 to
approve the proposed and
long-delayed Woodbury Club
Apartment project three years
after it was first brought before
the council for approval.
The
Woodbury
project,
slated to be built on the
southeast corner of Nixon
Road and M-14 near North
Campus, was introduced in
2013. However, approval has
been consistently delayed due
to pushback from neighboring
residents concerned about the
potential ecological damage to
nearby wetlands and increased
flooding risk.
Dozens of city residents
living
in
neighborhoods
adjacent
to
the
proposed
development
attended
Tuesday’s
City
Council
meeting to advocate against
the
project
—
a
regular
occurrence whenever a vote to
approve the project has been
brought before the council for
debate in the past.
Along
with
ecological
concerns, opponents to the
project expressed frustration
with a perceived lack of effort
by
the
project’s
developer
in
engaging
neighboring
residents and the potential
for
overcrowding
schools.
They also pointed to a lack
of
accessibility
to
public
transportation
from
the
proposed apartments, which
they
said
could
lead
to
increased traffic congestion.
Ann Arbor resident Jane
Kingston reiterated concerns
expressed by many of her
neighbors, saying the proposed
project will damage the nearby
wetlands and increase the risk
of flooding.
“I’m really sad, and kind
of mad and kind of frustrated
that I’m here again to try and
argue the case for this issue,”
Kingston said. “We’ve been
told by consultants and the
people in the area that the
parkland that’s there, as well
as the properties nearby will
be negatively damaged in a
manner that is dramatic and
severe. We’re not talking about
just a little bit of development
impact, we’re talking about
damage in a manner that is not
reversible.”
The South University Avenue
business district is preparing to
undergo a 10-story change.
Hughes
Properties
is
working with Hobbs + Black
Architects to construct a new
student housing building near
the intersection of the Diag and
South University. The building
will offer a combination of
four-,
five-
and
six-person
bedrooms to appeal to a wide
range of students, and it will
include commercial spaces on
the ground floor.
It will replace a few buildings
along the north side of South
University
between
Church
Street
and
East
University
Avenue,
though
Espresso
Royale and TCF Bank will
remain standing.
Over the past years, high-
rises such as these have been
controversial,
with
students
pointing to them as one of many
examples of unaffordable rent
downtown.
The cost to rent in the
South U. building has not
been
disclosed.
However,
rent at Landmark — another
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
INDEX
Vol. CXXV, No. 129
©2016 The Michigan Daily
NEWS......................... 2A
OPINION.....................4A
CL A SSIFIEDS ..............6A
SUDOKU..................... 2A
ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5A
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7A
See CANVAS, Page 3A
E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, addresses the students of the Central Student Government about her wishes for the coming school year at the CSG
meeting in the Michigan Union Tuesday.
Central Student Government
President David Schafer, an LSA
senior, spoke to the body about
issues ranging from diversity to
mental health support on campus
at their first meeting of the
semester on Tuesday,
Schafer specifically highlighted
the need to increase the number
of staff members in Counseling
and
Psychological
Services,
noting that four more full-time
members have already been added
after discussions between CSG
and University Provost Martha
Pollack.
“Last year the ratio stood 1 to
14,000 and now it should be down
to about 1 to 1,150 to 1 to 1,200,”
Schafer said. “Obviously there’s
still work to be done but this is
a really positive development
and this is a strong foundation
on which additional work and
advocacy in the area of student
mental health and well-being can
be built.”
The body also discussed new
directives to focus on during
the year. Schafer said six new
directives were considered as
See APARTMENTS, Page 3A
CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily
Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor listens to community concerns at the Ann Arbor City Council meeting at City
Hall Tuesday.
The Statement
How students on campus
navigate social life without
Facebook
» Page 1B
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
The University of Michigan
is the world’s number one
public college, according to a
recent report.
Last year, the University
ranked 30th on the QS World
University Rankings, behind
the
public
University
of
California, Berkeley and the
University of California, Los
Angeles.
The
ranking,
determined
by global education company
Quacquarelli
Symonds,
included top public and private
institutions
from
North
America, Europe and Asia.
The University ranked 23rd
overall among both public and
private colleges. It followed
several Ivy League institutions
and
elite
universities
from
China, Australia, Switzerland,
Singapore
and
the
United
Kingdom.
The list ranked more than
700 universities, using a system
analyzing
academic
quality,
student-to-faculty
ratio,
employer reputation, citations
per
faculty,
international
faculty ratio and international
See RANKING, Page 3A
See COUNCIL, Page 3A
Peppers’ progress
Perhaps the most indispensable
player on the Michigan football
team, Jabrill Peppers is happy
in Don Brown’s defense
Page 8A »
disconnected
See CSG, Page 3A
‘U’ finishes
transition to
Canvas after
long process
CSG pushes for Regents bylaws to
include student input in decisions
ACADEMICS
Students and faculty express mixed
feelings about the switch
JENNIFER MEER
Daily Staff Reporter
Body president says more work is needed , but the resolution is a step forward
JACKIE CHARNIGA
Daily News Editor
Developer
considering
new South
U. high-rise
ANN ARBOR
10-story complex would
offer 4, 5 and 6-person
bedrooms to students
RHEA CHEETI
Daily Staff Reporter
City residents express environmental
concerns about proposed building site
Council debates Woodbury Club project during Tuesday meeting
BRIAN KUANG
Daily Staff Reporter
University
top public
college in
new report
ADMINISTRATION
UM ranked among 700
other top global schools
in international study
LYDIA MURRAY
Daily Staff Reporter