Public commenters
talk equitable funding,
contract negotiations
The University of Michigan’s
Board of Regents held its third
meeting of the year via Zoom on
Thursday to approve recommend-
ed revisions to the Regents’ bylaws
and address ongoing changes in
University operations amid the
COVID-19
pandemic.
Univer-
sity President Mark Schlissel said
Regent Katherine White (D) was
not present due to an assignment
with the National Guard, but all
other Regents and executive offi-
cers of the University attended.
The meeting was live streamed on
the University’s website and You-
Tube.
The
board
unanimously
approved changes to the bylaws
concerning the dismissal, demo-
tion, termination and severance
pay of tenured faculty. The chang-
es include refusal of severance pay
in cases of alleged misconduct.
Sally Churchill, vice president and
secretary of the University, said
the changes were reviewed by a
group of nine professors from all
three University campuses.
“The group was charged with
furthering the University’s com-
mitment to upholding tenure;
addressing egregious situations
deserving of expedited proceed-
ings and interim measures; and
reviewing and revising existing
by law language,” Churchill said.
“Decisions regarding the dis-
missal of tenured faculty within
a reasonable time frame while
respecting their due process rights
are beneficial to both the faculty
member and the University.”
The revisions come two months
after David Daniels, a former
Music, Theatre & Dance profes-
sor accused of sexual misconduct,
was dismissed at the March Board
of Regents meeting. Daniels had
been on paid leave since sexual
misconduct allegations against
him surfaced in August 2018. The
University began its official firing
process in April 2019.
Schlissel noted the recom-
mendations were shared with the
community and the board sought
feedback for final revisions.
“The process for how we con-
sider the removal of tenure is
one that cannot be taken lightly,”
Schlissel said. “Tenure is essential
for the integrity of the academic
enterprise. I again thank everyone
who has helped us develop these
revisions to make us a better Uni-
versity.”
Schlissel commended the Uni-
versity for supporting the state
of Michigan’s response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. He high-
lighted ongoing efforts in patient
care, research and education that
have helped the state save lives
and develop an understanding of
the effects of the pandemic. He
noted several laboratory research
programs
resumed
in-person
activities on Wednesday in accor-
dance with Michigan Gov. Gretch-
en Whitmer’s executive order
2020-90.
Schlissel reiterated the Univer-
sity is still developing a plan for
the upcoming semester, but he said
he was hopeful it would be pos-
sible to offer in-person instruction
on campus.
“The University of Michigan
will look very different in the
months ahead than what we’ve
become accustomed to, but I am
optimistic
about
our
future,”
Schlissel said. “The planning tak-
ing place at all levels of our Uni-
versity to adjust on how we deliver
on our mission is thorough and
impressive. This includes our
preparations for the fall as we
hope to be able to deliver a pub-
lic health-informed fall semester
with a mix of in-person and online
instruction on our campuses.”
Schlissel took a moment before
addressing items on the agenda to
offer his condolences to those who
have been affected by extreme
flooding in Midland County on
Wednesday.
“I want to express my sympa-
thy to the thousands of Michigan-
ders affected by the flooding in
Midland and in nearby communi-
ties,” Schlissel said. “The disaster
comes at a time when residents
2
Thursday, May 28, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS
Alternative academic
plans increase amid fall
semester uncertainty
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic,
incoming students who would
normally head off to the University of
Michigan in the fall are considering
alternative
plans.
Gap
years,
internship pursuals, community
college classes and other options
are now relevant as plans for remote
learning develop, multiple students
told The Daily. While the University
is in the process of planning a “public
health-informed” semester, the fate
of fall semester is still uncertain.
Many other universities have either
canceled
in-person
instruction
completely or are planning for an
accelerated first semester to avoid
the possible second COVID-19 peak.
Incoming Music, Theatre &
Dance freshman Lucy McDowell is
from the suburbs of Chicago and has
officially deferred her acceptance
for the upcoming school year. As a
music major, McDowell explained
how her decision revolved around
the value of in-person classes, given
how
group-focused
her
music
classes would be.
“A big part of your music
education comes from ensemble
work, and if you’re supposed to be
in a choir with 100 or more kids, it’s
difficult to make that happen over
Zoom or recordings,” McDowell
said. “It just doesn’t have the same
connection or outcome. You just
don’t get to have that personal
connection with your professors,
which is hard to do over the internet
because it’s a really isolating
experience.”
Similarly,
Ian
Pathak,
an
incoming Music, Theatre & Dance
freshman from Virginia, has also
considered taking a gap year given
the uncertainty of in-person classes.
Pathak explained the many factors
influencing his decision, including
tuition
costs
for
out-of-state
students.
“The only problem is the financial
aspect of being an out-of-state
student and taking remote classes,”
Pathak said. “It’s already expensive
for me to pay going there full on.
And room and board and meal does
take part of it off, but tuition still
remains the same.”
Current
students
across
the
University
shared
similar
sentiments with Pathak, unsure
if full tuition for remote classes is
worth the cost. LSA junior Sam
Burnstein said the transition from
in-class lectures to Zoom classes
revealed the diminished quality of
remote learning.
“What we’re paying for are a
couple things: a slide deck and
30, 40, maybe 50 hours of video,”
Burnstein said. “Both of those
things can be acquired very easily
online for free — it’s becoming
incredibly clear that we’re paying
for the degree. We’re paying for
the certification. This was already
clear before classes went online, and
I think going online made things
Incoming students
consider gap year
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Regents alter policy
for faculty tenure