The University Record, September 7, 1999 Editor’s note: The following is a recap of University happenings during the summer months. To view the Record ’s summer issues in their complete form, visit the Record archive page at www.umich.edu/~urecord and select “Search.”
Appointments
Eichstadt appointed interim head of HR/AA
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jun07_99/2.htm
Marty Eichstadt, currently director of the Benefits Office, was named interim executive director of Human Resources/Affirmative Action. Pamela Gerber, currently assistant director of benefits, is acting director of the Benefits Office.
With the U-M since 1969 and director of the Benefits Office since 1995, Eichstadt “has made significant improvements in many areas,” noted Provost Nancy Cantor and Robert Kasdin, executive vice president and chief financial officer, in announcing the appointment.
Chamberlain named interim director of Center for Gene Therapy
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jun07_99/7.htm
Jeffrey S. Chamberlain, a molecular geneticist internationally recognized for his research on muscular dystrophy, was appointed interim director of the Center for Gene Therapy.
“Dr. Chamberlain has developed a promising new approach for the treatment of muscular dystrophies with advanced techniques capable of delivering normal muscle genes,” said Gilbert S. Omenn, executive vice president for medical affairs. “His work is a terrific example of the successful translation of basic molecular science into animal models and then on to applications in people.”
ASU’s Bess to head Department of Public Safety
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul06_99/2.htm
William R. Bess, director of public safety at Arizona State University since 1989, has been appointed director of public safety at the U-M. His appointment, effective July 26, was announced June 24.
As head of the Department of Public Safety (DPS), Bess will plan and direct the crime prevention, law enforcement, and safety and security services of the University.
NEH’s Mestas is Flint chancellor
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul06_99/6.htm
Juan E. Mestas, deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, was appointed U-M-Flint’s next chancellor at the July 15 meeting of the Board of Regents. His appointment will be effective Sept. 20.
In recommending Mestas for the post June 28, President Lee C. Bollinger noted that Mestas “is deeply respected at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and in Washington, D.C. He has done a remarkable job at NEH, and the continuing vitality and enhanced stature of the Endowment are due in large measure to his thoughtful administration of day-to-day operations.”
Alexander named to head OSEH
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul06_99/10.htm
Terrance G. Alexander has been appointed director of the Department of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health (OSEH). He will plan and direct occupational safety and environmental health programs for the University, including radiation safety, industrial hygiene and safety, biological safety, hazardous materials management and environmental programs.
Bernard Klein called upon to lead U-M-Dearborn, again
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul19_99/5.htm
Bernard W. Klein, professor emeritus of political science and public administration, was appointed interim chancellor of Dearborn, by the Regents at their July meeting.
Klein, who has twice stepped in to lead Dearborn in the past, assumed his new responsibilities July 16.
Life Sciences
Regents approve Institute for the Study of Biological Complexity and Human Values, Life Sciences Initiative
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/May24_99/3.htm
The University took a key step May 21 in positioning itself to be a national leader in research and education in the life sciences when the Board of Regents approved the creation of an Institute for the Study of Biological Complexity and Human Values.
Creation of the Institute and an accompanying cross-disciplinary and collaborative Life Sciences Initiative follows recommendations made in February by the Life Sciences Commission.
Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown presented Phase II of the campus plan to Regents at their May meeting in Dearborn, focusing on facilities for the Life Sciences Initiative.
Their presentation addressed the need for interaction between the Medical Campus and the basic sciences housed on Central Campus. Proposed sites are bordered by Washtenaw Avenue, East Huron Street and Zina Pitcher Place. Plans include walkways that would enable pedestrian traffic to travel over Washtenaw Avenue near Palmer Field.
In July, approval to proceed with the programming of the Life Sciences Institute building and the design of the Palmer Drive parking structure was given by the Regents at their July meeting. SHG Inc. (formerly Smith Hinchman and Gryels) and Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates Inc. (VSBA) will be commissioned to design the Institute building. SHG will be the architect-of-record, and VSBA will lead the design of the building.
VSBA was appointed the design firm for the parking structure, working in conjunction with Desman Associates, a Chicago-based parking consultant. The parking structure design will allow the construction of a building above the structure should a need arise and funding be available.
Bollinger appoints 10-member internal life sciences faculty advisory committee, six-member external board
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul19_99/4.htm
Appointment of a 10 member Faculty Advisory Committee for the Life Sciences Institute and Initiative was announced last week by President Lee C. Bollinger. The committee will be chaired by Jack E. Dixon, the Minor J. Coon Professor of Biological Chemistry and chair, Department of Biological Chemistry. He also appointed an external advisory board to help identify candidates for director of the life sciences institute.
The faculty group is intended to advise and assist Bollinger, Provost Nancy Cantor and Gilbert S. Omenn, executive vice president for medical affairs.
Engler signs ‘life sciences corridor bill’
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Aug16_99/6.htm
At Grand Rapid’s Van Andel Institute research facility, still under construction, Michigan Gov. John Engler signed legislation July 19 that directs about $1 billion of the state’s tobacco settlement money toward collaborative research in biotechnology over the next 20 years.
Flanked by state legislators, the head of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., and presidents of the state’s three major research universities and of the Van Andel Institute, the governor called the “life sciences corridor” a collaboration that will make Michigan the leader in life-saving discoveries and technologies.
Admissions lawsuits
www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Admission/admiss.html
Background: Two lawsuits were filed against the University in Oct. 1997, challenging admissions practices, one against LS&A, the other against the Law School. Both are pending in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit.
U asks judges to forego trials in admissions lawsuits
The University asked federal court judges to forgo the trials in the two cases challenging its admission policies and rule that those policies are legal based on previous decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court.
In motions for summary judgment filed May 3, the University’s lawyers say the undisputed facts in the cases demonstrate that the use of race in its undergraduate and Law School admission processes meets the constitutional requirements set forth in Regents of University of California v. Bakke.
The motions are pending.
Appeals Court rules intervenors may join lawsuit defense
An Aug. 10 ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati will allow two groups of intervenors to participate in the defense of the two admissions lawsuits filed against the University in 1997—one against LS&A and the other against the Law School.
The ruling makes it likely that trial dates may be delayed as much as six months. The next step, says Elizabeth Barry, associate vice president and deputy general counsel, will probably be a meeting with the District Court judges “to see where the case goes from here.” The likely issues for discussion will be how much time the intervenors need to become familiar with the case and to gather information from the other two parties in order to present their point of view.
Gerald Ford joins ranks of U-M supporters in lawsuits
In early August, support of the U-M’s admission processes that take into account an applicant’s race came from a well-respected alumnus. An opinion article by Gerald R. Ford, president of the United States in 1974–76 and a 1935 graduate of the University, was published in The New York Times Aug. 8. His opinion article supporting the University’s stand was distributed worldwide by the Associated Press wire service.
Major Gifts
$30 million gift to ‘transform’ Architecture and Urban Planning
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jun21_99/2.htm
“Now we feel a whole set of responsibilities. We must do the transforming,” said President Lee C. Bollinger in announcing the $30 million gift by businessman and philanthropist A. Alfred Taubman to the College of Architecture and Urban Planning. “This is one of the largest gifts in the University’s history and the most generous single gift ever made to a school of architecture in the United States,” Bollinger noted.
As a result of the gift, and by action of the Regents at their June meeting, the College now is known as the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
“Our aspirations—with this extraordinary gift—are no less than to transform the Taubman College into one of the preeminent schools of architecture and urban planning in the world,” Bollinger said. “This is a visionary gift, enabling us in one stroke to take giant steps forward in the next few years.”
$10 million gift from Sam Zell, Ann Lurie to create major entrepreneurial institute
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul19_99/3.htm
The Business School has received a $10 million gift from two great entrepreneurs—Samuel Zell and Ann Lurie—to create an Institute for research and teaching in entrepreneurship. Approved by the Regents at their July meeting, the Samuel Zell and Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies will begin to operate this fall.
“It’s a high honor to have such distinguished names at the center of our activities in entrepreneurship,” Dean B. Joseph White said. “Having these names associated with the Institute indicates that Michigan’s people and programs are setting a high standard in the field, and reminds us that we have an even higher standard to meet.”
Ford pledge supports education, environment, arts initiatives
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/May10_99/2.htm
Ford Motor Co. and the University announced a $9.3 million pledge from the Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of the company, to support major initiatives in education, the environment and the arts.
Ford’s pledge will have a significant impact on the College of Engineering, School of Business Administration, School of Natural Resources and Environment, LS&A, the Center for the Education of Women, visual and performing arts, and the U-M-Dearborn College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Sikh studies professorship endowed
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul06_99/4.htm
A Sikh studies professorship has been established in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. The professorship, made possible through a gift from the Sikh Studies Association, is titled the Tara Singh and Balwant Kaur Chattha and Gurbaksh Singh and Kirpal Kaur Brar Sikh Studies Chair. It honors the parents of Amrik Singh Chattha and Jaswinder Kaur Chattha, who contributed one-third of the total endowment ($1.2 million) for the chair.
The purpose of the professorship is to support the study of Sikh traditions, including religion, philosophy, history, literature, Punjabi language (modern and scriptural) and related subjects. The individual appointed to the chair will hold it for a five-year renewable term.
Wetzels’ $1 million gift funds projects at Library, UMS
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul06_99/14.htm
Alumni JoAn (’58) and Roy (’59) Wetzel established the JoAn & Roy Wetzel Library Endowment Fund and the JoAn & Roy Wetzel Endowment Fund at the University Musical Society (UMS). The Wetzels will fund the two endowments with a total of at least $1 million. In addition, Roy Wetzel, a retired NBC executive, will give the University Library his NBC Elections Collection, consisting of video and audio recordings as well as documents.
Part of the income from the JoAn & Roy Wetzel Library Endowment Fund will be used to acquire German language research materials to support teaching and research by the faculty and students in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literature. The remaining income will fund preservation of these materials and will be used to maintain and expand the elections collection.
Around the University . . .
Around the state
29 hit the road in the first class of Road Scholars
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/May24_99/12.htm
In May the Michigan Road Scholars, 29 faculty members and administrators, trekked 1,200 miles across the Great Lake State.
Funded for two years by the Office of the Provost and conceived by the Office of the Vice President for Government Relations, the Road Scholars Program is designed to allow faculty to explore the state’s economy, educational systems, government, politics, health and social issues. The tour also is an opportunity to increase understanding between the University and the people it serves, and to introduce the travelers to their students’ hometowns. Community leaders, economic development directors and politicians joined the group for meals and sometimes aboard the bus, as did a retired FBI agent who talked about gang activity in Michigan.
Observatory rededicated
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jun07_99/5.htm
The University of Michigan Detroit Observatory reminds us of an important aspect of human life—the desire of people to see and understand more clearly, noted President Lee C. Bollinger at the rededication ceremony for the building in May. “This telescope is one generation’s effort to see better, in this case asteroids and comets,” he added.
Bollinger, one of several speakers at the May 21 event celebrating restoration of the University’s first scientific research laboratory said, “When you look at this building, you can feel its power. Launching the life sciences institute is an effort at the end of the century to do what [President Henry P.] Tappan was doing in the 1850s,” Bollinger said.
Officials pleased with ‘generous’ state appropriation for 1999–00
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jun21_99/4.htm
The U-M’s appropriation will increase by 4.75 percent to $338.9 million, the highest increase in four years. Last year’s appropriation was $323.5 million.
Provost Nancy Cantor said that the University is “very pleased that the state has signified its confidence in the academic excellence of the University with this generous appropriation. The state support will be extremely helpful in allowing us to restrain tuition increases and to maintain and enhance our outstanding programs.”
Tuition increase–2.8%–lowest in years
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul19_99/2.htm
The University will be able to focus on its highest academic priorities in the coming year with the lowest percentage tuition increase in more than a decade. Tuition for all undergraduates—resident and non-resident, lower- and upper-division—will increase 2.8 percent. Tuition for most graduate students will increase 3 percent.
Overall, general fund budget revenues this year—$928.3 million—are 4.27 percent higher than last year. More than three-quarters of the new revenues will go to expenditures for academic units.
Major University priorities outlined by Provost Nancy Cantor include retaining faculty and staff, solidifying on-campus institutions that add to our “shared public culture,” and enhancing learning environments for students.
Rackham, Hill slated for major renovations
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul06_99/3.htm
At their June meeting, the Regents gave a green light to the renovation of the Rackham Building and approved a request to update a 1990 feasibility study for an addition to and the renewal of Hill Auditorium.
Rackham (1938) and Hill (1913) are “important parts of our architectural heritage and are valuable and valued spaces,” Robert Kasdin told the Regents. “They have, however, gone for generations without ongoing repair. Renovation will be extraordinarily expensive and will have to be done in phases,” explained Kasdin, executive vice president and chief financial officer. He also indicated that plans for work on Hill in particular “will be a public process involving the community.”
Report released on Athletic Department financial management
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul06_99/16.htm
A committee charged earlier this year with advising President Lee C. Bollinger on long-term financial planning and governance of the Athletic Department issued an interim report that includes four recommendations for tighter management of the department’s finances. The recommendations include implementing advance planning to fund facilities renovation and a focus on controlling expenses, rather than counting on ever-growing revenue.
LS&A staff briefed on results of forums
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/May10_99/10.htm
Access to the tools that will help them excel in their work, recognition for the work they do and problems caused by increasing workloads are among major concerns aired by LS&A staff members in a series of open forums that were conducted in January and February.
Results of the 28 forums were unveiled May 5 at the first of two LS&A Staff Town Meetings, attended by about 160 individuals. About 26 percent–228 persons–of LS&A staff participated in the forums, a counterpoint to faculty focus groups conducted in the fall. Staff volunteers who served as facilitators and note-takers received training from Human Resource Development.
Rehire, reinstatement policy amended
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/May24_99/8.htm
Beginning May 1, the policy on rehire and reinstatement was amended to allow credit for prior service to employees whose break in service with the University is greater than one year.
1999 Personal Statement of Benefits available by request
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul06_99/8.htm
In fiscal year 1997–98, the University spent more than $315 million on benefits programs for faculty and staff. To break this number down to a personal level, a Personal Statement of Benefits is available from the Benefits Office. The statement provides the dollar value of total compensation from the University (salary and benefits), summarizes individual benefit programs for participants, and provides a statement of the cost of benefits to both individuals and the University.
Committee on labor standards, human rights will advise Bollinger
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jun07_99/3.htm
President Lee C. Bollinger announced formation of an Advisory Committee on Labor Standards and Human Rights, which is called for in the University’s code of conduct for manufacturers of apparel and other items licensed to display U-M logos.
The comprehensive code, designed to ensure ethical business practices, was issued in March.
Letter establishes factory site disclosure requirement
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Aug16_99/5.htm
The University announced July 26 that a letter signed by Athletic Director Tom Goss had been sent to all manufacturers licensed to use U-M logos on their goods, requiring them to disclose the location of each site at which those goods are produced.
Committee issues recommendations on reducing binge drinking
www.umich.edu/~urecord/9899/Jul19_99/9.htm
A committee of students, faculty and administrators made dozens of recommendations aimed at the problem of high-risk, binge drinking, especially among first-year students.
Among the recommendations of the Binge Drinking Committee, released July 7, are:
