The University spent the summer on the move both physically and intellectually. Physically, many units completed the move to new quarters in Wolverine Tower while programs grew in size and scope. For those faculty and staff who were away for the summer months, the Record offers its summer news roundup.
JOBNET process changes
Interim changes proposed in a 52-page report from the task force charged with reviewing the University’s automated employment process were tested in a pilot project that began in July and August.
“The recommended changes are necessary to address key departmental and applicant concerns now, but they do not address a number of the original employment service improvement objectives,” said Tom Palmer, manager of Human Resources Information Services. “It is our intent to implement these changes, then refocus our energies on continuous improvement in the University’s employment process.”
Effective August 8, the modified employment system enacted these changes:
Advisory committee to study communication department
A faculty advisory committee has been asked to study the Department of Communication and make recommendations concerning the department’s future to the LS&A dean and the College’s Executive Committee.
Dean Edie N. Goldenberg asked a six-person committee to submit recommendations by Dec. 1. The committee, chaired by John R. Chamberlin, will consider the department’s mission, organization, curriculum, degrees and degree requirements, faculty and governance. Chamberlin is LS&A associate dean for academic appointments and interim chair of the Department of Communication.
ITD, IBM launch joint Client/Server Exchange project
June 13 marked the official launching of a new partnership between the University’s Center for Information Technology Integration (CITI) and IBM that will provide practical information on client/server technologies and open systems based on experiences of the U-M and IBM in research, development and implementation.
CITI, the applied research and development center of the University’s Information Technology Division, engages in advanced development and research with external sponsors, which not only enhances the U-M’s information technology environment but is transferable to industry, government and education. CITI researchers are currently involved in mobile computing, mass storage, network modeling and wide-area distributed file systems.
Budget includes both tuition and salary increases
The University’s 1994–95 general fund budget includes a 2.25 percent base increase to each unit for salary compensation, an average 6.9 percent tuition increase for undergraduate students, and a 5 percent tuition increase for graduate students. The Ann Arbor campus general fund budget is $708.8 million, a $37 million increase over 1993–94.
Provost Gilbert R. Whitaker Jr., who presented the proposal to the Regents at their July meeting, noted that the tuition increase places the U-M about in the middle among Michigan’s public universities, where increases ranged from 3.5 percent to 17.7 percent.
“Our recommended increases are significantly below those recommended and approved last year,” Whitaker said, “and it is also worth noting that we are not recommending any increase in the registration fee or infrastructure maintenance fee this year.”
Whitaker also said that a large portion of the 1994–95 incremental funds will be devoted to the 2.25 percent base increase for compensation and an adjustment to cover increases in the rates charged for staff benefits. Each unit was asked to enhance its own compensation program by reallocating at least 2 percent of its internal resources to compensation.
Other incremental fund allocations:
3M gift supports research in four areas at U-M
A $602,000 gift from 3M will support research projects in four areas at the University: the National Pollution Prevention Center ($204,000), the Michigan Joint Manufacturing Initiative ($200,000), the Department of Chemistry ($87,000) and the Center for Nursing Research ($75,000).
A major portion of 3M’s gift to the National Pollution Prevention Center will support the development of college-level teaching materials in engineering, business and design.
The Michigan Joint Manufacturing Initiative will use the funds in its interdisciplinary program to bring new approaches in curriculum and research from students and faculty in business and engineering to the entire manufacturing enterprise.
The Department of Chemistry will use 3M funding to support research teams of two undergraduate students, one graduate student and one faculty member. The teams work together on research projects, developing mentoring skills as well as research expertise.
3M funds will be used in the Center for Nursing Research to support research in skin/wound care and prevention of skin breakdown, and for research in the use of personal protective equipment such as gloves and drapes by both professionals and family members caring for those with infectious diseases.
Kennedy retires
Richard L. Kennedy, vice president for government relations and secretary of the University, retired June 30. Kennedy served the University for 38 years, beginning in 1956 as field representative for the U-M Development Council. He had served as secretary of the University since 1970. Kennedy is the longest-serving executive officer of the University, noted the Regents in saluting him. He served with 19 different Regents, five presidents and 27 vice presidents.
Harold Johnson is interim secretary of the University and Walter Harrison, vice president for university relations, will assume responsibility for state and community relations.
Grafton named executive director of Alumni Association
Steve C. Grafton, formerly executive director and chief executive officer for the Mississippi State University Alumni Association, has been named executive director of the 91,000-member Alumni Association at the U-M.
He succeeds Robert G. Forman, who retired from that position in June.
810 area code affects many U-M paging numbers
Since Aug. 10, all calls to the 810 area code in Oakland, Macomb, Genessee, Lapeer, St. Clair and Sanilac counties as well as portions of Saginaw, Shiawassee and Livingston counties require that the 810 area code be used.
Since pagers are not necessarily based in the 313 area code, many were affected. Pagers that begin with the following first three digits now require the 810 area code prefix: 290, 308, 309, 312, 316, 401, 403, 406, 450, 470, 510, 518, 610, 617, 807, 812, 830, 870, 890, 905, 908, 916 and 970. You must dial 9 plus 1 plus 810 plus the pager number.
Kinnear named interim vice president for development
Thomas C. Kinnear, the D. Maynard Phelps Professor of Business Administration, became interim vice president for development Sept. 1. He fills the post vacated by Jon Cosovich, who now is deputy to the president. Kinnear will be responsible for administration of the Office of Development and will act as development counsel to the Regents, the president and the policy-making bodies of the University.
UROP receives $127,0000 grant from state
LS&A’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) has received a $127,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Minority Equity for the fourth consecutive year.
UROP places approximately 500 students with more than 350 participating faculty members in the humanities, engineering, behavioral, physical, environmental and social sciences. Students work an average of 10 hours per week for one year, complete a final paper or project and attend bi-monthly research support groups.
Nelms will lead U-M-Flint
Charlie Nelms became chancellor of the U-M-Flint, effective Aug. 1. He came to the
U-M from Indiana University East, where he had been chancellor since 1987. His appointment was approved at the May Regents meeting.
Jeffrey Lehman named dean of Law School
Jeffrey S. Lehman became dean of the Law School, effective July 1. He has been a U-M faculty member since 1987, and is a graduate of Cornell Uni-versity and the U-M Law School. His appointment was approved at the May Regents meeting.
Duderstadt promises to move ahead on Bylaw 14.06 changes
The University will move ahead with changes mandated by a revision of Regents’ Bylaw 14.06, which now guarantees that students, faculty or staff members will not be discriminated against because they are lesbian, gay or bisexual, announced President James J. Duderstadt at the May Regents meeting.
Duderstadt noted that implications of the changes will be complex because they involve benefits, University finances and law. Recommendations of a task force included extending the same benefits to children and other dependents of employees’ same-sex partners that are available to children and other dependents of employees’ spouses. In addition, the task force recommended that same-sex couples be given access to family housing at the University.
Advisory group named to assist in search for SPH dean
Provost Gilbert R. Whitaker Jr. named an eight-member advisory committee to assist in the search for a new dean of the School of Public Health (SPH). The committee is chaired by M. Anthony Schork, professor of biostatistics.
Whitaker asked the committee to search nationally for candidates in other schools of public health, government agencies and in related health sciences disciplines as well as internally. He requested a list of at least three candidates in time to permit the appointment of a new dean by July 1, 1995.
Richard G. Cornell, professor of biostatistics, will serve as interim dean until Aug. 31, 1995, or until a new dean is appointed.
FASAP adds alcohol abuse specialist to staff
Nora Gessert was named to a joint appointment with the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FASAP) and the University’s Initiative on Alcohol and Other Drugs. Gessert will offer workshops for supervisors on identifying alcohol problems and providing constructive help to employees. She also will consult with units across campus on developing and implementing policies on alcohol and other drugs, as called for in a 1991 task force report.
Gessert’s office is on the second floor, 715 North University, in the Initiative’s suite. She can be reached at 998-6750.
Direct loans will improve cash flow for students, save money
The U-M is one of 104 schools across the nation through which the federal government is making direct loans to students rather than working through banks and private lenders. The move will improve cash flow for students and universities, according to Thomas A. Butts, associate vice president for government relations.
An estimated $70 million in loans to U-M students for the 1994–95 school year were made, including all three campuses, the Law School and the Medical School. In 1993–94, noted Margaret H. Rodriguez, assistant financial aid director, 10,400 students at the U-M participated in the Federal Family Education Loan Programs. The U-M processed 29,000 checks from hundreds of lenders and worked with up to 46 guarantee agencies, each with its own forms and rules.
“Now we’re only dealing with the federal government. We have only one set of policies and procedures,” she said.
Teeri heads Botanical Gardens
On July 1, James A. Teeri, professor of biology and director of the Biological Station, also became director of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.
“Jim has the vision and the rare combination of abilities to bring intellectual spark to the Gardens, the Biological Station and the global change initiative in ways that will stimulate new and productive joint ventures.” noted LS&A Dean Edie N. Goldenberg.
Teeri joined the U-M in 1987 and is part of a team of scientists at the Biological Station simulating the atmospheric conditions anticipated to occur in the year 2040 and studying their effects on plants, soil and microbes.
New approach to budgeting under study
A 12-member team to help the University develop plans for a new approach to budgeting— Responsibility Center Management (RCM)—has been appointed jointly by Provost and Executive Vice President Gilbert R. Whitaker Jr. and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Farris W. Womack.
The RCM approach gives units more responsibility in managing their revenues and expenses rather than having the administration determine how units spend the money. Unit administrators will have increased authority and responsibility for all of the revenues and costs in their unit.
The RCM Implementation Team is co-chaired by Robert S. Holbrook, associate provost, and Chandler W. Matthews, associate vice president for finance. The plan is expected to be implemented July 1, 1995.
Ingham court ruling may affect U-M presidential searches
A July ruling by Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James R. Giddings favoring Michigan State University (MSU) may have an impact on future presidential searches at the U-M.
In the case, the Lansing State Journal and the Detroit News charged that MSU violated the Open Meetings Act in its 1993 presidential search. Giddings said that the Open Meetings Act “did not apply to that search because the Legislature could not pass a law affecting the Board’s constitutional duty to elect a president.”
U-M General Counsel Elsa Cole cautioned that the decision is not a binding precedent for any Washtenaw County Circuit Court judge. “Only if the MSU decision is upheld on appeal can the University rely upon it safely,” she said. Although the case has been appealed, there is no indication of when a ruling might be made.
More than 200 nominated for staff recognition awards
Faculty, students and peer staff members nominated more than 200 of their co-workers for Staff Recognition Awards, presented for the first time this year at the Workplace of the ’90s Conference in May.
Katrina Ward, basic science administrator in biological chemistry at the Medical School, received the Distinguished Service Award; Leah J. Long, administrative manager in the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters at the U-M-Dearborn won the Outstanding Leadership Award; and the Building Services Lead Team took the Exemplary Team Award.
