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Wednesday, December 4, 2019 — 3A
When
asked
whether
it was the actions of the
Trump administration or
the actions of previous
administrations
that
had more impact on the
current
relationship,
Shirk
said
that
the
administrations of former
Presidents Barack Obama,
Bill Clinton and George
Bush have caused current
tensions between China
and the United States.
Shirk
furthered
her
argument,
saying
she
believes
previous
administrations
had
tried
to
stabilize
tensions between the two
countries and, at the same
time, protect American
interests.
Public Policy graduate
student Mathew Rigdon
told The Daily after the
event he enjoyed listening
to Shirk’s analysis of the
geopolitical
situation
between the United States
and China.
“It
was
interesting
to
hear
her
take
on
both
the
Chinese
and
American overreactions,
or
types
of
opinions
we can hold about each
other’s
countries
that
are not exactly accurate,
especially
from
the
American side,” Rigdon
said.
He said he felt Shirk was
optimistic about Chinese
expansive
economic
power in regard to their
territorial interests.
LSA freshman Justin
Scott told The Daily he
didn’t know much about
the current relationship
between the two countries
prior to attending the
lecture.
“So
personally,
I
didn’t come to the event
with
a
very
strong
understanding
of
U.S-
China relations, but now
I’ve realized it’s more
tense than I previously
thought. It might end up
getting worse,” Scott said.
Ultimately, Shirk urged
people
concerned
with
the tensions between the
United States and China
to take a level-headed
approach to the situation.
“Calm down and think
rationally about how to
compete with China in
a way that builds upon
the
advantages
of
our
system,” Shirk said.
RELATIONS
From Page 1A
From
engaging
with
students on North Campus
in advocacy for resource
improvements, to hydrating
the
student
body
each
game-day, Isabelle has been
a dedicated and selfless
leader in her role.”
CSG is in the process
of selecting a new vice
president,
who
will
be
approved by the Executive
Nominations
Committee
before being subjected to
a vote of confirmation by
the
Assembly.
Gerstein’s
statement guaranteed CSG
will
select
a
candidate
qualified to take on the role
of vice president.
“As
your
President,
I
want to assure the student
body that our commitment
always resides in creating
an
environment
where
students can be successful
and
pursue
continued
betterment of our campus,”
Gerstein’s
statement
continues. “I have no doubt
that the candidate selected
will do just that.”
The
Assembly
also
approved Law student Henry
Zurn as chief justice of the
Central Student Judiciary,
the
judicial
branch
of
CSG,
and
Engineering
freshman Braden Crimmins
as associate chief justice.
Zurn spoke regarding the
importance
of
working
toward greater continuity
in the elections of CSJ
members.
“The
Central
Student
Judiciary has had some
problems in the past with
turnover and continuity, so
it’s particularly important
that in this last round of
confirmations, we had a
good diversity both within
academic degree granting
units and within age of
students or time left here
at the University,” Zurn
said. “It’ll be my priority
and the priority of the
associate chief nominee to
keep
everything
running
smoothly, and to facilitate
that,
it’s
particularly
important that we have clear
lines of authority and clear
lines of continuity within
the student judiciary.”
The Assembly discussed
and approved a resolution
regarding CSG’s financial
procedures. The resolution
provides
clear
fiscal
semesters, ensures a budget
determines what funds are
allocated, and eliminates
some
budgetary
limits
considered
unnecessary.
The resolution passed by
unanimous consent.
The
Assembly
next
discussed
a
resolution
to run a pilot program
in
the
winter
semester
for
a
CSG-funded
test
preparation program. The
proposed program would
employ students who have
succeeded
on
graduate
school entrance exams such
as the LSAT, MCAT or GRE,
to tutor undergraduates at a
cost lower than typical test
preparation courses. The
end goal of the program
is to be presented to the
University and eventually
become a service provided
by the University.
The resolution is similar
to
testing
preparation
services
previously
provided by the University
Career Center. According
to
LSA
sophomore
Sam
Braden, the sponsor of the
resolution, one reason the
program ended came from a
desire to maintain a positive
relationship with outside
preparation services after
the University was accused
of violating copyright laws
in their tutoring services.
Braden
said
the
University Career Center
recommended
CSG
approach existing sources,
such
as
Kaplan
or
the
Princeton
Review,
and
subsidize access to their
services
for
students.
Braden said he did not want
to support the high prices,
ranging between roughly
$1,500 and $2,500, such
sources
charge
for
test
preparation courses.
“We
didn’t
like
the
thought of subsidizing a cost
that, in and of itself, should
not be this high,” Braden
said. “It’s obvious that they
don’t need to be charging
this much — Kaplan and
Princeton make immense
profits off of these.”
Some Assembly members
questioned
the
proposed
program’s ability to provide
tutoring services as high
quality as more reputable
testing
preparation
providers.
Others
also
expressed
concerns
about the possibilities of
bringing lawsuits against
CSG or future tutors from
such providers who could
argue tutors who had once
studied
their
materials
could use the knowledge
they acquired from their
companies to tutor others.
Jack
Wroldsen,
student
general counsel, said he
had brought the case to a
certified bar attorney, who
felt a lawsuit was plausible.
“He does think because
of
the
intellectual
property
and
copyright
law, Kaplan or Princeton
Review or whoever would
have a strong case for it,”
Wroldsen said. “He also
said, regardless if there is
or there isn’t, and I have to
agree with him, why would
we want to put ourselves in
any sort of position to have
to deal with a lawsuit at
all?”
Braden maintained that
because the program would
not use textbooks registered
with any testing agency,
and because he believes
any
lawsuit
would
be
unfounded, the resolution
should
proceed
for
the
benefit of students who do
not have the opportunity
to pay for expensive testing
services.
As a result, the resolution
was
referred
to
the
Resolutions
and
Rules
Committees
for
further
consideration.
The
Assembly
next
approved
another
procedural
resolution,
which
passed
with
unanimous
consent,
and
a
resolution
to
award
financial
aid
to
socio-
economically disadvantaged
CSG members for their time.
The resolution passed with
12 in favor, six abstentions,
and zero against.
RESIGNATION
From Page 1A
After sharing her story,
Whitmer received countless
emails,
calls
and
written
letters
from
Michigan
residents thanking her for
voicing a story so many of them
shared but hadn’t told anyone
about. She acknowledged that
at the time when her assault
occurred, she was completely
unaware
of
any
resources
that were available to her in
college, so she hopes to create
pathways of conversation and
change in society and college
campuses.
Following
the
keynote
speech, the summit featured
a four-person panel on sexual
assault’s
representation
in
the media and on college
campuses,
and
how
that
affects survivors. One of the
panelists, ESPN investigative
reporter Paula Lavigne, said
although schools are taking
action on sexual assault cases,
measuring change made in
each institution should be
based on its effect on other
survivors.
“The better way to measure
that is to measure it based
on the effect it has on other
survivors,”
Lavigne
said.
“Did writing about this, did
sharing this woman’s story,
did exposing this institution’s
failures, did that encourage
at least one other survivor to
come forward? And I think if
you look at that as a measure
— did it have an effect? Did it
affect change? I think in that
sense you can say, ‘absolutely
yes.’”
Lavigne
then
explained
how the popularity of the
story affects the probability
of survivors coming forward
and also provides more sexual
assault awareness.
“Obviously, there is more
pressure,
there
is
more
awareness when it is a big
story,” she said. “… But it’s
hard, because it’s very case
by case. It depends on who
the audience is, what kind of
support you’re getting from
people hearing your message,
and in the willingness of the
institution or the company or
whatever it is to take that next
step and to make that change.”
Venkayla Haynes, a panelist
and
survivor
of
sexual
assault,
said
she
believes
when the media covers sexual
assault, it tends to lack in its
representation
of
minority
groups.
“I can’t actually say that
the media is doing everything
really well,” Haynes said. “I
need to remember that this
movement is for me and that
the media is not the movement.
The grassroot organizing the
missions that develop on the
ground is the real movement.
And I think when we talk
about the media, and we talk
about sexual violence, we
don’t see the voices of Black
women. We don’t see the
voices of non-binary folks,
trans folks, queer folks.”
Another panelist, Brenda
Tracy, also a survivor of
sexual assault, went on to
say the media representation
of her sexual assault case
only had a negative effect on
her situation and her mental
health.
“The media coverage of
my story at that time didn’t
do anything to counteract
the victim blaming and the
backlash against me,” Tracy
said. “There was a lot of ‘what
was she doing there? What
was she wearing?’ That kind
of thing … I just remember
my community really turning
against me viciously.”
Tracey said the media not
only hurt her relationships
with people close to her but
also ruined her mental health.
“The media was part of a
machine that pushed me into
a place of darkness,” Tracey
said. “Depression. PTSD. I
really think that if I did not
have children, I would not be
here today. I would have killed
myself, absolutely.”
Tracy ended her discussion
on the media by discussing its
importance and how it must
be used properly to spread the
most awareness possible for
survivors and their stories.
“The media matters. I’ve
seen how much of a difference
it’s made in my life,” Tracy
said. “And my heart aches for
survivors who are not treated
well by the media, and when
we don’t do well coverage of
this issue because it really
changes the conversation, and
it can push it into a really good
place or it can push it into a
really bad place.”
Tracy said she believes there
is not much change happening
within
college
campus
culture, even with all the
recent coverage of survivors
and increased sexual assault
awareness in the community.
“We haven’t really made
that much progress on our
campuses,” Tracy said. “So,
until we start hearing from
survivors
that
‘my
school
treated me well,’ I just am not
willing to pat everybody on the
back … there’s a lot of work to
do.”
Haynes agreed with Tracy
that college institutions are
not doing their best to help
their students who have been
sexually assaulted and instead
become
defensive
when
charged with such allegations.
“We’re not at a point where
anyone
wants
to
be
held
accountable for their actions,”
she said. “. … It’s very, very
hard
to
eradicate
sexual
violence when you don’t even
acknowledge
that
it
even
happens. So, I think we’re still
at this point where we’re trying
to protect this institutional
image before protecting our
students.”
REPRESENTATION
From Page 1A
In an email to The Daily,
University
spokesperson
Dana Elger wrote there is
no University-wide policy
on the practice of faculty
teaching
and
requiring
students
to
purchase
works they have played a
role in creating. The role
of
regulating
textbooks
and determining policies
related to textbooks falls
on specific units instead.
The Faculty Handbook,
however,
does
note
teaching staff should not
have
“direct
dealings
with students in the sale
of
books,
instruments,
lectures, notes, or similar
materials.”
Elger pointed to LSA and
College
of
Engineering
policies,
which
require
faculty who plan to teach
their own books in class to
disclose this information
to a chair or director for
review.
The decision on whether
to allow faculty to teach
books they have edited and
authored has played out on
college campuses across
the country. Proponents
find the practice allows
lecturers to teach work
they know intimately and
is sometimes considered
the
best
literature
on
a
particular
subject,
whereas
critics
assert
it allows faculty to take
advantage of students and
raises ethical concerns.
At the University of
Kentucky, a journalism
professor
was
placed
on leave in 2016 after
administrators found out
he required his students to
purchase his book without
“special
administrative
permission”
from
the
school,
violating
its
policy. He had received
approximately $6,000 in
royalties at the time of his
dismissal.
In 2004, the American
Association of University
Professors weighed in on
the subject, writing in a
statement the practice of
faculty selecting their own
works as course materials
is
protected
through
academic
freedom
and,
alone, is not cause for
concern. The Association
noted there is a possibility
faculty could purposefully
choose a text from which
they would gain financial
benefits and policies at
different
schools
could
fail to address this issue.
Nationally, the validity
of the practice has been
debated for years, though
it still occurs on college
campuses regularly. A poll
from Insider and Barnes
& Noble College Insights
released in October found
two-thirds
of
students
surveyed at colleges across
the
country
reported
having to purchase a book
written by their professor.
Tailoring content to the
class
When
Mateo
began
teaching Astronomy 104,
the norm was to begin
the semester with physics
then
transition
to
the
broad, introductory look
at astronomy. However, he
developed what he sees as
a better way to teach the
class: having the physics
aspect
of
the
course
within the different units
as they become relevant,
as opposed to it being a
separate unit.
For a while, Mateo used
other books and relied
heavily on his detailed
notes to teach the class in
the way he felt was most
effective. He then decided
to create a book reflecting
his
vision,
which
was
“Alien Skies.”
The textbook, according
to Mateo, takes readers to
different places in space
and
describes
what’s
there and the context
needed
to
understand
it. He said this is a far
different approach than
other textbooks available,
which are all similar in
structure
but
different
than his vision for the
course.
“Honestly, I could cut
a page randomly out of
every book (published
in the area since the
1960s), put it together,
and you wouldn’t even
notice
that
they’re
different,” Mateo said.
“They’re all the same.
Every single textbook
that’s been done since
that time is exactly the
same. I decided I don’t
like this approach. I
don’t
think
that’s
a
good approach, so that’s
why I developed the
textbook.”
Mateo
noted
when
he
taught
the
class
without
the
book,
he
would jump around in a
different
textbook
and
add additional notes in
class. He said having his
tailor-made book provides
more cohesion within the
course, but also noted
what is taught in lecture
goes beyond the contents
of the book even if there is
some overlap.
When
working
with
the publisher, Mateo said
he requested the book be
reasonably priced to not
place an undue burden
on students. He said his
book is not any more
costly than a comparable
textbook, and students are
able to purchase it from
other
students
rather
than directly from the
publisher.
Some
staff
members
reject the notion faculty
teach their own textbooks
as a medium for increasing
revenue, which has been a
central argument against
the practice in the past.
Professor of History Victor
Lieberman, who teaches
a textbook he edited and
wrote
an
introduction
for in History 244: The
History
of
the
Arab-
Israeli Conflict, wrote in
an email to The Daily he
does not receive monetary
compensation when the
book is purchased.
“I
have
never
taken
a cent in royalties on
that book, which itself
constitutes a fraction of
assigned readings for the
course,” Lieberman wrote.
Mateo
echoed
Lieberman’s
sentiment,
noting he has not made
enough from the royalties
to balance out the work
he put into creating it.
Instead, Mateo said the
value lies in having the
book out there, in hopes
professors elsewhere want
to use it.
While Mateo said he
understands concerns on
this issue, he is against
having a University-wide
policy, as he feels it may
discourage faculty from
publishing. He said most
faculty
members
who
write
textbooks
do
so
to put their notes into a
structured document for
student use.
“These
are
not
bestselling books,” Mateo
said. “The reason you do
it is because it probably
reflects the vision that you
want to have for the for the
course
you’re
teaching,
and what’s wrong with
that?”
Student perspective
Charlic noted the issue
is difficult to solve, as
there is no one-size-fits-
all solution.
“It’s
not
necessarily
something you can apply
to every situation,” Charlic
said. “If a professor wants
to use their own textbook,
it needs to be approved
individually.”
LSA
sophomore
Ben
Dieffenbacher
was
required to purchase a
course pack from Ulrich’s
for a Political Science class
that included a collection
of chapters the professor
of the class wrote for the
course, according to the
syllabus.
Like
Charlic,
Dieffenbacher
said
he
would
feel
comfortable
with the practice if there
was
a
University-wide
approval system. He felt
the collection of chapters
he purchased contained
information all covered
in lectures and said he
recommends
students
planning
to
take
the
course not purchase it if
they attend class.
“Looking
back
on
it, it does seem a little
bit
questionable,”
Diffenbacher said. “Why
would you assign your
own (book)?”
Diffenbacher
said
it’s
important
for
the
University
to
oversee
this to ensure students
do not have to purchase
unnecessary
books.
He
said
this
is
especially
an
issue
for
students
from
low-socioeconomic
backgrounds.
Diffenbacher also noted
he
has
no
issue
with
instructors
using
their
own content when it is
provided for free, but it
becomes a gray area when
there is a cost associated.
“When they brought it
for free, not a problem. If
you’re providing it for cost,
I think it gets problematic
in our current system,”
Diffenbacher said.
BOOKS
From Page 1A
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