As students from all over reunite
in Ann Arbor for a new school year,
The Michigan Daily has you covered
with all the major news coming out
of the University of Michigan this
summer.
It’s been an eventful summer for
the Wolverines. From announcing
a new president to medical students
walking out of their white coat
ceremony, from a new minimum
wage to LEO-GLAM’s first contract
with the University of Michigan,
here’s what you need to know for the
upcoming year.
APRIL
April 9: The Michigan Democratic
Party endorses Katherine White
(D) and Michael J. Behm (D) for
re-election to UMich Board of
Regents
At
the
2022
Endorsement
Convention in Detroit’s Huntington
Place
convention
center,
the
Michigan
Democratic
Party
endorsed Katherine White (D) and
Michael Behm (D) for re-election to
the University’s Board of Regents.
White,
the
longest-standing
regent at the University, is currently
a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army
National Guard, and is a professor at
Wayne State University Law School.
She serves in Lansing as the Deputy
Commander of the 46 Military Police
Command. She was inducted into the
Michigan Military and Veterans Hall
of Honor in 2021.
Behm is president and owner
of the Behm & Behm law firm and
chairperson of Business Forward
Michigan. Behm served as an officer
of the Michigan Association for
Justice from 2008 to 2012 and served
as president from 2011 to 2012.
April
23:
The
Michigan
Republican Party endorses Lena
Epstein (R ) and Sevag Vartanian (R
) for UMich Board of Regents
At the DeVos Place convention
center in Grand Rapids, the Michigan
Republican Party announced that
they would endorse Lena Epstein (R)
and Sevag Vartanian (R) for election
to the University’s Board of Regents.
If Epstein and Vartanian win their
elections, they will be the third and
fourth Republicans on the board.
Regent Ron Weiser (R), chairman of
the Michigan Republican Party, has
chosen to support Lauren Hantz for
the election.
Epstein received her B.A. in
economics from Harvard University,
and received her Master of Business
Administration from the University
of Michigan Ross School of Business.
She is the co-owner and general
manager of Vesco Oil Corporation
and has not previously served in
public office.
Vartanian earned a Bachelor of
Science in actuarial mathematics
from the University in 1991. Varta-
nian worked in the finance indus-
try after he received a M.B.A. in
finance and statistics from the Uni-
versity of Chicago Booth School
of Business. Vartanian currently
operates Vartanian Capital Man-
agement, an asset management
firm.
MAY
May 20: Regents approve new
chief diversity officer, updates to
the president’s house at May meet-
ing
At the May Board of Regents
meeting, Interim University Provost
Laurie
McCauley
recommended
Sharon F. Matusik as the next dean
of the Ross School of Business,
Carlos Jackson as the dean of the
School of Art & Design and Vicki
Ellingrod as the dean of the College
of Pharmacy. Tabbye M. Chavous
was also recommended by McCauley
as the next vice provost for equity and
inclusion and chief diversity officer,
replacing Robert Sellers.
The regents also approved a $15
million renovation to the President’s
House, as well as $9.5 million for
the construction of the temporary
replacement for the Central Campus
Recreation Building (CCRB) on
Palmer Field following the planned
demolition of the current CCRB
after the Fall 2022 semester. The
temporary structure will be used
until construction at the current
CCRB is completed in 2025 — it will
then be removed from Palmer Field.
JUNE
June 5: UMich receives $3.5
million reimbursement for Philbert
settlement
The University will receive a
$3.5 million reimbursement from
Munich Reinsurance America for
its $9.25 million settlement with
eight survivors of former University
Provost Martin Philbert’s sexual
misconduct. Philbert was fired from
his position in March 2020 after the
law firm WilmerHale uncovered
over 15 years of evidence of sexual
misconduct against him.
June 16: UMich Board of Regents
approves $15 minimum wage and
tuition increase at June meeting
At the June Board of Regents
meeting, a new budget for the 2023
fiscal year was approved, which
included an increase in tuition and a
mandated $15 minimum wage for all
workers across the Ann Arbor, Flint
and Dearborn campuses.
For the 2022-23 school year,
tuition will increase by 3.9% for out-
of-state students and will increase
by 3.4% for in-state students. This
tuition increase is over double the
increase for the 2021-22 school year,
which was 1.8%. Tuition increases
do not apply to in-state students who
receive need-based aid.
Included in the tuition and fees,
the University Health Service fee
will increase by 2.2% to $209.80 per
semester and the Central Student
Government fee will increase from
$2 to $11.19. Residence hall room and
board rates with Michigan Housing
will also increase by 4.6% for the
upcoming fiscal year.
June 16: Nurses at Michigan
Medicine rally for fair contract amid
negotiations with UMich
Members
of
the
University
of Michigan Professional Nurse
Council (UMPNC) marched from
the Detroit Observatory on East Ann
Street to the June Board of Regents
meeting at the Ruthven Museums
building. UMPNC is a branch of the
Michigan Nurses Association and
has been undergoing negotiations
with the University since March 15.
The current contract the University
has with the nurses at Michigan
Medicine expired on June 30.
UMPNC’s
original
demands
included an end to understaffing,
enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios,
fair wages and hazard pay. According
to a UMPNC update from June 8,
Michigan Medicine had not met the
union’s demands about mandatory
overtime and multi-unit positions at
the time of publication.
Several of the nurses spoke
at the Board of Regents meeting
following the march, highlighting
understaffing issues and re-outlining
their demands. University Regent
Denise Ilitch (D) assured them that
their concerns were being addressed,
but a contract has still not been
negotiated.
JULY
July 13: Dr. Santa Ono is officially
appointed as 15th U-M president
Current University of British
Columbia President Dr. Santa Ono
was officially appointed as the 15th
president of the University at a special
meeting of the U-M Board of Regents
on July 13. Ono is set to begin his term
on Oct. 13 and will have a base salary
of $975,000. Interim University
President Mary Sue Coleman — who
was appointed following the firing
of former University President Mark
Schlissel — will continue to serve as
president until the start of Ono’s term.
According to a July statement from
the University, Ono’s appointment
came after a nearly six-month search
of potential candidates that spread
across the country. Ono will be the
first president of the University that
is of Japanese descent. While Ono’s
base salary will be $975,000, that
salary is subject to annual increases
at the discretion of the Board of
Regents, and Ono is also entitled to a
deferred compensation of $350,000
as well as residence at the President’s
House.
July 22: Regents appoint Interim
Dean of Public Policy at first meeting
in the Upper Peninsula
The July Board of Regents meeting
marked the first time the board met
in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
During
the
meeting,
Interim
University Provost Laurie McCauley
recommended the appointment of
Celeste Watkins-Hayes as the interim
dean of the Ford School of Public
Policy. Watkins-Hayes was associate
dean for faculty affairs in the Public
Policy School, professor of University
Diversity and Social Transformation
and founding director of the Center
for Racial Justice.
July 24: UMich medical students
walk out of white coat ceremony
Incoming
medical
students
walked out of their white coat
ceremony to protest the selection
of Clinical Assistant Professor Dr.
Kristin Collier as speaker due to her
anti-abortion views. The walkout
followed the circulation of a petition
to remove Collier as speaker, which
received over 400 signatures.
Michigan Medicine ultimately
declined to select another speaker,
2A — Wednesday, August 31, 2022
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The University of Michigan
Board of Regents met at the Alex-
ander G. Ruthven Building to dis-
cuss the budget for the 2023 fiscal
year, which includes an increase in
tuition and a $15 minimum wage
for all workers across campuses.
Interim University President
Mary Sue Coleman opened the
meeting
by
announcing
that
Regent Jordan Acker (D) will be
succeeded by Regent Paul Brown
(D) as the new chair of the Board.
Acker will continue to serve on the
Board of Regents until his term
ends in 2027.
Regent Sarah Hubbard (R)
shared updates about the Presi-
dential Search Committee and
the process of selecting the Uni-
versity’s new president. In Febru-
ary, the University announced the
Presidential Search Committee,
led by regents Sarah Hubbard and
Denise Ilitch, to find a replacement
for former President Mark Schlis-
sel, who was fired in January
for engaging in an inappropriate
relationship with a subordinate.
The committee, which solicited
feedback from the campus com-
munity through virtual learning
sessions and an online survey,
consists of representatives from
all three campuses and Michigan
Medicine.
“We continue to be on track to
complete the search for a new pres-
ident this summer,” Hubbard said.
“We’d like to have an announce-
ment sometime soon. The interest
is very high. We’re interviewing a
diverse pool of candidates.”
Following Coleman’s opening
remarks, Laurie K. McCauley, Uni-
versity Provost and Executive Vice
President for Academic Affairs,
presented the Fiscal Year 2023
General Fund Budget for the Ann
Arbor campus. The budget out-
lined an increase in the minimum
wage for students and temporary
workers of the University to $15 an
hour, up from $9.87 per hour.
“This change will assure that
all employees, including students
and temporary staff, are compen-
sated in a manner consistent with
the institutional values, regardless
of how many hours they worked at
the University,” McCauley said.
The
budget
presentation
detailed an increase in tuition
for all paying students. For the
2022-23 school year, tuition will
increase by 3.9%, amounting to
$2,102 per year, for undergradu-
ate out-of-state students and will
increase by 3.4%, or $558 per year,
for in-state students. The increase
in the cost of tuition amounts to
over double that of last year’s, with
Catch up on the latest news from the ‘U’ administration
Here’s what you missed from the University of
Michigan this summer
The Michigan Democratic Party
endorsed Katherine White (D) and
Michael J. Behm (D) for re-election
to the University of Michigan Board
of Regents on April 9 at the 2022 State
Endorsement Convention in Detroit’s
Huntington Place convention center.
On April 23, the Michigan Republican
Party endorsed Lena Epstein (R) and
Sevag Vartanian (R) at DeVos Place
convention center in Grand Rapids,
Mich.
White and Behm aim to retain
their seats on the Board of Regents
in the November 8 election, while
Epstein and Vartanian’s elections
would make them the third and
fourth Republicans on the board.
Regent Ron Weiser (R), chairman
of the Michigan Republican Party, has
backed Lauren Hantz for the election.
The state of Michigan is holding
an election for two of eight seats on
the Michigan State University Board
of Trustees, two of eight seats on
the University of Michigan Board
of Regents and two of eight seats on
the Wayne State University Board of
Governors on November 8, 2022.
Article VIII § V of the Michigan
Constitution
provides
for
the
election of the governing boards
of three Michigan universities, the
University of Michigan, Michigan
State University and Wayne State
University,
by
the
citizens
of
Michigan. Two U-M regents — White
and Behm, in 2022 — are up for
election every two years. As of 2022,
there are two Republicans and six
Democrats on the University’s Board.
White is a professor at Wayne State
University Law School and a Brigadier
General in the U.S. Army National
Guard. She is serving in Lansing,
Mich. as the Deputy Commander
of the 46 Military Police Command
and was inducted into the Michigan
Military and Veterans Hall of Honor
in 2021. White is the longest-standing
Regent at the University.
Behm is president and owner
of the Behm & Behm law firm and
chairperson of Business Forward
Michigan. He was an officer of the
Michigan Association for Justice from
2008 to 2012 and served as president
from 2011 to 2012. Behm succeeded
former Regent Julia Donovan Darlow
(D), who did not seek re-election, in
2014.
White was originally elected to the
Board in 1998 and was then re-elected
in 2006 and 2014. If Behm and White
are re-elected, they will be serving
their second and fourth eight-year
terms, respectively.
Epstein
attended
Harvard
University where she received a B.A.
in economics. She graduated from the
University of Michigan Ross School
of Business with a Master of Business
Administration in 2008. Epstein
is also the co-owner and general
manager of Vesco Oil Corporation.
She has not previously served in
public office.
Vartanian is a 1991 graduate of
the University of Michigan, where
he earned a Bachelor of Science
in actuarial mathematics. After
graduating from the University of
Chicago Booth School of Business
with an M.B.A. in finance and
statistics, Vartanian has worked in
the finance industry. He currently
runs Vartanian Capital Management,
an asset management firm.
White, Epstein and Vartanian did
not respond to requests for comment
from The Michigan Daily.
Jon Vaughn, a survivor of late
athletic doctor Robert Anderson,
announced in Nov. 2021 he would be
running for the University’s Board of
Regents in 2022. Vaughn also did not
respond to The Daily’s requests for
comment.
LSA senior Noah Zimmerman,
Central
Student
Government
(CSG) president, said maintaining a
relationship between CSG and the
Board is an important part of CSG’s
role at the University.
“(We talk) about what we want
to see for the year (and) how we can
work together, but the regents are
really the ones who vote on things
and decide on things,” Zimmerman
said. “So we’re really just trying
to advocate to them, answer their
questions, tell them what students
have been seeing, what they want to
see more of and telling them what
students want to change about the
University. We’re really a voice for the
students to the board.”
Zimmerman said while CSG
cannot endorse or support any
candidate for regent, the election
does have an impact on the plans and
actions CSG is able to take.
“If a regent is more amenable to
student decisions, they’ll probably
listen to us a little bit more than
some other regents,” Zimmerman
ANNA FIFELSKI
Summer News Editor
Michigan Democrat and Republican
parties endorse candidates for
UMich Board of Regents election
ADMINISTRATION
Michigan Democratic Party endorses White and Behm,
Michigan Republican Party endorses Epstein and Vartanian
ADMINISTRATION
UMich Board of Regents approves
$15 minimum wage, tuition increase
at June meeting
Regents agree on budget for the 2023 fiscal year
ADMINISTRATION
ANNA FIFELSKI & IRENA LI
Summer News Editors
Read more at michigandaily.com
JULIANNE YOON/Daily
RILEY HODDER
Summer Managing News Editor
Read more at michigandaily.com
NEWS
News
Read more at michigandaily.com