KT Tomey is working on a project to develop maps for walking or running tours of public art in Ann Arbor. (Photos by the writer.)

“Arbor Winds” by Massachusetts artist Catherine Widgery features elevated, stand-alone louvered glass columns that are etched with images of trees – three on each end of the bridges, on the north side of Stadium Boulevard. The same type of louvered glass panels will also be used under the bridge along South State, affixed to the wall of the underpass – five sets on each side of South State Street. The overall project has a budget of $400,000 and has been in the works since 2011. If approved by council, it will likely be installed in 2015.

Commissioners also expressed enthusiasm for a new effort proposed by KT Tomey, who hopes to develop a mobile app for walking or running routes that highlight public art in Ann Arbor and on the University of Michigan campus. As a runner herself, she noted that people look for running routes when they visit new towns. So the app could be used to promote public art both to visitors and residents alike. Her first step is putting together .pdf maps that will be downloadable from AAPAC’s website.

Another new proposal prompted concerns about process. On the day of the meeting, John Kotarski – AAPAC’s vice chair – circulated an email to commissioners proposing that the city accept three pieces of donated art from Jim Pallas, an established Michigan artist and friend of Kotarski’s. The pieces are proposed to be located in the lobby of the Justice Center, in the atrium of city hall, and outside of city hall. Although commissioners seemed supportive of the idea, some expressed concern that the proposal wasn’t following AAPAC’s guidelines for accepting gifts of art, which include setting up a review committee.

Kotarski pointed out that Pallas is 75 years old. He noted that if artists donate artwork before they die, they can deduct the cost of materials from their taxes. But after they die, their estate is taxed on the market value of that artwork. “So these artists, at this point in their lives, have a financial incentive to find a good place for their artwork,” he said. “If we can make that process simple and easy for Jim – and pleasant – then I’m sure he’s willing to go to his friends” and encourage them to donate too.

He reported that the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority has offered a $500 honorarium to Pallas for each donated piece. Kotarski said the three pieces have a total estimated value of $100,000. He also mentioned that Pallas’ daughter, a law professor, knows city attorney Stephen Postema and that they’ve “made arrangement to resolve any legal issues necessary to facilitate this donation.”

Kotarski told commissioners that he’s tried to assure Pallas that this will work out, but “that’s why I’m a little nervous giving him these assurances, only to have this fall through at the last minute. That’s not going to be pleasant.”

Marsha Chamberlin said she recognized the benefits of encouraging Michigan artists to donate their work. “But we are a public body, and we have procedures. I just think it’s important that we observe those rules because we don’t want to make an exception for one thing, then hold someone’s feet to the fire for something else.”

Commissioners agreed that AAPAC chair Bob Miller would work with Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, to set up a gift selection committee to review this proposal and make a recommendation to AAPAC.

In other action, the commission approved its annual art plan for fiscal 2015, which begins on July 1, 2014. The plan includes projects that are already underway, as well as proposed capital projects to be enhanced with public art. The ongoing projects are: (1) artwork for East Stadium bridges; (2) public art at Arbor Oaks Park; (3) Canoe Imagine Art; and (4) the Coleman Jewett memorial. The proposed enhanced capital projects are street and sidewalk stamping, painting or stenciling in four locations to be determined, for a total cost of $30,000. The city council would need to approve these projects before they would move forward.

Commissioners also approved applying for a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Fast Track grant. The money, if awarded, would require matching funds in an equivalent amount from other sources for a public art project at Arbor Oaks Park in southeast Ann Arbor, located near Bryant Elementary School and the Bryant Community Center.

Fundraising continues for the Coleman Jewett memorial at the Ann Arbor farmers market, but Canoe Imagine Art has stalled. The community art project is intended as a temporary art display in downtown Ann Arbor using old canoes from the city that would be repurposed as public art. The city had hoped that the Ann Arbor Convention & Visitors Bureau would take administrative responsibility for the project, but the CVB has declined. Chamberlin, who’s taking the lead on this effort, said that if workarounds can’t be found for some of the administrative issues, “we have to kiss this project good-bye.”

East Stadium Bridges Artwork

The April 23 agenda included a resolution recommending approval of “Arbor Winds” artwork for East Stadium bridges, designed by Massachusetts artist Catherine Widgery. [.pdf of proposal]

Catherine Widgery’s rendering of her proposed public artwork for East Stadium bridges. (Image provided in the April 23, 2014 AAPAC meeting packet.)

In early August of 2013, Catherine Widgery of Cambridge, Mass. was recommended as the artist for this project. She was picked by a selection panel from four finalists who had submitted proposals for the project, which has a $400,000 total budget. [.pdf of Widgery's original proposal]

The selection panel provided feedback to Widgery and asked that she revise her proposal before it was presented to AAPAC and then later to the city council for approval. Members of the panel were Wiltrud Simbuerger, Bob Miller, Nancy Leff, David Huntoon and Joss Kiely. [.pdf of panel feedback]

Over the past few weeks, AAPAC chair Bob Miller and vice chair John Kotarski have been presenting her revised proposed to several local public entities, including the city’s park advisory commission, planning commission, and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. They also presented to the Cultural Leaders Forum, and a public forum was held on April 21 at the downtown library to get additional feedback. [More details on the presentation by Kotarski and Miller are included in The Chronicle’s report of the Ann Arbor planning commission’s April 1, 2014 meeting.]

Widgery’s new design for the bridge features elevated, stand-alone louvered glass columns that are etched with images of trees – three on each end of the bridge, on the north side of Stadium Boulevard. The metal support structures are 7 feet tall, with the glass columns rising above that for a total height of 22 feet. The same type of louvered glass panels are also used under the bridge along South State, affixed to the wall of the underpass – five sets on each side of South State Street. The panels will be lit from below, so that the etchings stand out at night. The glass is tempered and laminated for strength.

The artwork is meant to evoke the strength and fragility of this community. From the artist’s statement:

As one drives around Ann Arbor, the gracious stands of trees stand out as a clear expression of the town’s identity so trees have symbolized this arbor town from the beginning.

On a deeper level, the trees as portrayed in the artwork Arbor Winds are a metaphor for our own paradoxical fragility and strength in the context of our life cycles. We speak of having “deep roots” or of “branching out” or of how someone is “blooming”. After a long winter, the return to life of spring is expressed above all through the return of leaves to trees. We all feel the sense of being reborn in the spring with the blossoms and leaves and, in the autumn, the somewhat wistful sadness as the leaves reach their glory of color and then fall.

Arbor Winds evokes not just trees but wind and light as expressions of the energy that surrounds us. In each panel we see the ghostly afterimage as if the wind has blown the tree; we see both moments in time simultaneously. These images etched in glass are like those etched in our memories. We walk through a forest and it is our mental “snapshots” of the branches against the sky or the texture of the thick trunk, or the dense layers of the many trunks silhouetted against the forest underbrush that remain in our memories. Indeed each of these etched images is more the memory of moments rather than a physical reality: a subtle expression of our own ephemeral existence and the light traces we leave behind.

During the April 23 meeting, Kotarski made the same presentation that he and Miller have given to other groups over the past few weeks. He explained the process that’s been undertaken, starting in 2011. “It’s been well-vetted,” he said.

Bob Miller, chair of the Ann Arbor public art commission.

Kotarski noted that the question of “why not a local artist?” comes up in almost every discussion. The reason is that the city attorney has said it’s not legal to limit the proposals to local artists, Kotarski stated. There are world-class artists living in the Ann Arbor area, he noted, so outreach was done to make as many people as possible aware of the opportunity. Seven Michigan artists submitted proposals, but none were selected as finalists.

Miller noted that Widgery will be providing the LED light fixtures, and the city will be paying for the electricity. He reported that a city councilmember had asked whether the lighting will draw on solar power. That’s not a decision that’s within the purview of AAPAC, Miller said, but he liked the suggestion.

Jim Simpson asked what the general reaction has been from people who’ve seen the presentations by Kotarski and Miller. “Everyone loved it,” Kotarski replied. “I have not heard any negative comments – have you, Bob?”

“I have,” Miller said, adding that he’s only heard a couple of criticisms. One person had complained that it was an exorbitant amount to spend on artwork, and that you could buy potentially two homes for that amount. “That was his perspective, and I respected that,” Miller said. And some people just had aesthetic differences, he added. “Everybody has an opinion, and that’s really wonderful about people.”

Kotarski stressed, as he has during other presentations, that “not one single dollar of the money that goes to this artwork could possibly be used to fill potholes.” Although the money comes from the former Percent for Art program’s street millage funds, he contended that potholes are filled by funds from the state’s gas tax. “This is not a war of public art versus potholes,” he said.

Devon Akmon asked about possible glare from the lights. Miller replied that since the lights will be pointing up, they won’t be shining into traffic or nearby homes. Jokes were made about the difference between that and the University of Michigan’s large electronic billboard in the same area.

Simpson asked what happens if a panel is damaged. Would the artist fabricate a new one? Kotarski replied that Widgery will be providing a maintenance schedule, telling the city how to clean the work. She’ll also be giving the city a digital file with the images that are etched on each panel, he said, so that any damaged panel could be re-fabricated. Craig Hupy, the city’s public services area administrator, said he’d already asked Seagraves to look into possible replacement costs, and “it’s reasonable.”

The recommendation will be placed on the council’s agenda for its first meeting in June – on June 2. If approved, the art would likely be installed sometime in 2015.

An image by artist Catherine Widgery for artwork on the East Stadium bridge. This night view shows how the structures would be lit from below, illuminating the images of trees that are etched into louvered glass panels.

An image of proposed artwork by Catherine Widgery along East Stadium bridge.

An image of proposed artwork by Catherine Widgery along the north side of East Stadium bridge.

An image of proposed artwork by Catherine Widgery along East Stadium bridge.

An image of proposed artwork by Catherine Widgery below East Stadium bridge, along South State Street.

An image of proposed artwork by Catherine Widgery below East Stadium bridge, along South State Street.

A detail of the louvers designed by Catherine Widgery. The etched glass panels will be attached to a metal frame.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously recommended approval of the project for East Stadium bridges. The recommendation will be forwarded to the city council for consideration.

Donated Artwork

At the beginning of the April 23 meeting, Aaron Seagraves – the city’s public art administrator – noted that an item had been added to the agenda since it was first published the previous Friday. Under new business, the item was listed as a presentation of donated artworks. Marsha Chamberlin clarified with Seagraves that it related to an email sent to commissioners earlier in the day on April 23 from John Kotarski, AAPAC’s vice chair. [.pdf of Kotarski's email]

John Kotarski, AAPAC’s vice chair.

Kotarski told commissioners that a friend of his, the artist Jim Pallas, is leaving the state and had asked Kotarski to help place his artwork. [Pallas is based in Applegate, Michigan, on the east side of the state.] Pallas had intended to sell the work, but Kotarski said he persuaded Pallas to consider donating some pieces to the city of Ann Arbor. Kotarski said this idea appealed to Pallas, particularly because Pallas thought his work featuring moons was appropriate for Ann Arbor. “To him, moons are metaphors for dreams and dreamers, and he thought: What better place to situate these moons than Ann Arbor?” Kotarski said. Pallas imagines the city is a place of “dreamers dreaming world-class dreams,” Kotarski said.

The Ann Arbor District Library has agreed to accept a piece, Kotarski reported, as has the University of Michigan North Campus Research Center. [Responding to an email query from The Chronicle, AADL director Josie Parker reported that the Ladies' Library Association has agreed to pay the costs of installing the artwork in the downtown library's garden, near the entry to the children's room.]

Kotarski described Pallas as a world-class artist, and noted that he had emailed commissioners more information on Pallas’ background, including professional references. [.pdf of references and reviews] [.pdf of Pallas resume] He said the work was valued at about $100,000.

Kotarski said he had hoped to bring forward a completed proposal, but hadn’t had time to do that. He’d made the same point in his email, which was provided to The Chronicle after the meeting by Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator. The email had included a list of people that he’s already talked with about this donation. From Kotarski’s April 23 email to commissioners:

I had hoped to bring you a donation proposal with proposed locations for artwork which was completely vetted by all stakeholders, however municipal government moves slow and Jim plans to leave the state in four weeks. Hence, the last minute addition to our agenda. I think your knowledge of the process to date and my plans moving forward is appropriate now rather than waiting for a completely vetted proposal.

…

I have kept Craig [Hupy] and Bob [Miller, AAPAC's chair] in the loop as I met with Susan Pollay, Jim Curtis, Colin Smith, and Ken Clein. My plan is to review safety, maintenance, and traffic flow with appropriate Justice Center and City Hall staff to insure all stakeholders are in acceptance of the artwork in the proposed locations. Jim’s daughter, Lydia Loren, is a law professor and international scholar in intellectual property rights who happens to have worked closely with our City Attorney, Steve Postema. Lydia and Mr. Postema have made arrangement to resolve any legal issues necessary to facilitate this donation.

Kotarski said the challenge now is how to proceed. He mentioned that commissioner Marsha Chamberlin had circulated AAPAC’s donation policy in response to his email, but indicated that he had not been aware it had existed. [The policy and process for accepting donated gifts of art, including detailed selection criteria, is included in AAPAC's guidelines, which are posted on the commission's website as a .pdf file.]

The process includes completion of a gift disclosure form and review of the proposed donation by a gift committee. Kotarski suggested that AAPAC could act as that committee, or that he could make recommendations for who would serve on the committee. He said he’s already worked to identify where the three donated pieces could be placed, and to work through any legal issues that the city might have.

Kotarski said the city staff haven’t agreed to yet to the proposed locations, which are in or near city hall and the Justice Center. Here are images of the work, provided in Kotarski’s email:

Fallen Moon by Jim Pallas is proposed to be located outside of city hall.

Luna Maggiore by Jim Pallas is proposed to hang in the atrium of city hall.

This piece by artist Jim Pallas, titled LAW, is proposed to be installed in the lobby of the Justice Center.

Kotarski said he wanted to inform AAPAC about this opportunity. The city won’t accept these pieces without a recommendation from AAPAC, he noted. He wanted to know if commissioners thought they could make that recommendation within four to six weeks. If not, he’d help Pallas place the artwork elsewhere.

Kotarski thought the work would “bring cachet to the city.” He said he’d toured the Justice Center with the building’s architect [Ken Clein of Quinn Evans Architects], and that several spots had been identified as appropriate. “He feels it’s consistent with and would enhance the building,” Kotarski said.

Marsha Chamberlin.

If the city agrees to place the artwork in the proposed locations, and agrees to pay for installation and maintenance, Kotarski said, he hoped that AAPAC would agree to recommend to council that the city accept these donations. Installation and maintenance costs haven’t yet been determined.

Chamberlin noted that much of the information needed for the gift disclosure form is already available. A gift committee would need to be appointed, she said, and that group would make a recommendation to AAPAC. Chamberlin advocated for following this process. “I just think it’s important to be consistent,” she said.

Kotarski said that UM and AADL each have a “committee of one” who makes a recommendation. “If this [AAPAC process] doesn’t mirror that, you might want to think of revising it,” he said.

The proposed locations aren’t debatable, Kotarski added. Chamberlin said that AAPAC’s role is to evaluate the artwork, not to recommend the locations.

Kotarski stressed that “I don’t want to lead Jim on. I want to be upfront with him.”

Bob Miller stated that most of the work has been done, and he thought it would be reasonable to follow the process within the timeframe of four to six weeks. When he suggested that Kotarski could appoint the gift committee, Chamberlin indicated that Kotarski had a conflict of interest. “I would feel that I had one, if I was bringing the artist forward and representing the artist,” she said. Miller replied that he didn’t think so, because Kotarski wasn’t benefiting from it.

Devon Akmon suggested that Miller, as AAPAC’s chair, and Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, should determine the committee members. Seagraves pointed out that the guidelines outline how the committee should be formed. From the guidelines:

Upon receipt of a Gift of Art Disclosure Form, AAPAC will establish a Gift Committee as a subcommittee of AAPAC. The Committee will consist of a minimum of four (4) AAPAC members including: a member of the Committee who will act as chair, an appropriate community representative, an appropriate City representative, an appropriate artist dependent upon the scope of the proposed gift. Members of the Gift Committee will serve two (2) year terms.

Kotarski wasn’t sure there was time to do this, but Miller assured him that it would be possible.

Jim Simpson indicated support for the donation. He noted that it would be a way for the city to highlight Michigan artists. “If you can move quickly and people see that, they tend to get excited about the process as well,” Simpson said. “I think it’s worth it, myself.”

City councilmember Jane Lumm attended AAPAC’s April 23 meeting but did not formally address the group.

Kotarski pointed out that Pallas is 75 years old. He noted that if artists donate artwork before they die, they can deduct the cost of materials from their taxes. But after they die, their estate is taxed on the market value of that artwork. “So these artists, at this point in their lives, have a financial incentive to find a good place for their artwork,” he said. “If we can make that process simple and easy for Jim – and pleasant – then I’m sure he’s willing to go to his friends” and encourage them to donate too.

Kotarski said he’s tried to assure Pallas that this will work out, but “that’s why I’m a little nervous giving him these assurances, only to have this fall through at the last minute. That’s not going to be pleasant.”

Again, Kotarski stressed that AAPAC has the opportunity to get artwork donated by major Michigan artists. He said the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority is willing to give Pallas a $500 honorarium for each of the three donated pieces – “which is only reasonable, to recognize this value,” Kotarski said.

Chamberlin said she recognized the benefits of encouraging Michigan artists to donate their work. “But we are a public body, and we have procedures. I just think it’s important that we observe those rules because we don’t want to make an exception for one thing, then hold someone’s feet to the fire for something else.”

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Public Art Maps

One of the newest art commissioners, KT Tomey, brought forward a proposal for feedback: Maps for walking or running tours of public art.

Detail of a draft map of public art in downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan’s central campus. Links to .pdf of full map.

She’d been inspired by an “art run” that AAPAC chair Bob Miller had put together, which she had used for her running group. “It was wildly popular – people are still talking about it, wanting to do it again this summer,” she said.

In doing research to add to the next run, Tomey said she was surprised that there wasn’t one coherent map of art in Ann Arbor that people could easily access online. There’s a resource for art on the University of Michigan’s north campus, she noted, but it’s not easy to use to find out about the artwork.

Tomey first laid out what she called her “grand vision” for this project. There could be online .pdf maps with links to more information about each piece of art. But she also envisions a mobile app that people could load onto their phones, so that they could look at the map and information about public art as they’re walking or running. Eventually, she’d like to do a video tour that could be self-directed or used to train people who’d give tours in person.

The tours would serve multiple purposes, Tomey said, such as promoting art and increasing connections with the community.

As an initial modest step, Tomey said, she’d made two drafts of maps – one showing public art around downtown Ann Arbor and UM’s central campus, and another for UM’s north campus. [.pdf of Ann Arbor public art map] [.pdf of north campus public art map]

Tomey asked commissioners for feedback on the overall idea, as well as changes that might be made to the draft maps.

Craig Hupy, the city’s public services area administrator, offered to provide support from the city’s GIS staff in designing the maps. He also said the city’s communications staff can help promote the project, when it’s ready.

Commissioners Devon Akmon and Marsha Chamberlin.

Commissioners expressed enthusiasm for the project. Devon Akmon suggested looking for partnerships with the UM business school or computer science department to help with the mobile app. Regarding map templates, he noted that D:hive in Detroit has developed brochures and maps that might be helpful.

Akmon also wondered whether Google might be a potential partner, as the company has an office in Ann Arbor. Public art would be a good fit for the Google Cultural Institute project, for example. Finally, he said it’s simple and inexpensive to create an audio tour mobile app, similar to ones that are used by museums. [Akmon is director of the Arab American National Museum.] You can also create .mp3 files that are easily downloadable and could be posted online. It would be amazing to hear artists or people from the community describing the public art in Ann Arbor, he said. “What it always comes down to for me is how do you make it beautiful, and how do you make a big splash.”

John Kotarski suggested contacting UM’s Council for Disability Concerns, which is interesting in making public art accessible for people with disabilities.

Marsha Chamberlin said there might be grants available to support this project from the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs. She also thought the project might be of interest to the Ann Arbor Convention & Visitors Bureau, which is funded in large part by a local accommodation tax.

Tomey said she’d thought about identifying routes of different lengths for runners – both for local residents as well as visitors. “When you visit a city, you look up the running routes,” she said, and that could be another way to promote public art to visitors.

Jim Simpson suggested taking a phased approach, starting with maps that could be put up quickly. He offered to help with implementing the project. Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, said .pdf maps could be posted on AAPAC’s website.

Seagraves also recommended that the commission add this project to its list of ongoing work. Chamberlin pointed out that AAPAC no longer has available funding and that staff support is unclear after Seagraves’ contract ends on June 30. She wondered whether AAPAC would be able to get any support from the city for projects like this.

Hupy indicated that there would be some kind of ongoing support for this project.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Annual Public Art Plan

Approval of the annual public art plan for fiscal 2015 had been on the March 26, 2014 agenda for approval, but was postponed because it included some items that several commissioners had not previously seen. The March 26 discussion also resulted in some changes to the plan, so a revised version was on the April 23 agenda for approval. [.pdf of annual public art plan]

Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator.

Commissioners had initially voted to approve a draft annual plan at their Jan. 29, 2014 meeting. They also directed AAPAC vice chair John Kotarski to work with Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, to make final revisions to the plan, based on feedback from their Jan. 29 discussion. [.pdf of draft plan discussed on Jan. 29]

The plan includes projects that are already underway, as well as proposed capital projects to be enhanced with public art. The ongoing projects are: (1) artwork for East Stadium bridges; (2) public art at Arbor Oaks Park; (3) Canoe Imagine Art; and (4) the Coleman Jewett memorial.

The proposed enhanced capital projects are street and sidewalk stamping, painting or stenciling in four locations to be determined, for a total cost of $30,000. The city council would need to approve these projects before they would move forward. City staff would be involved in developing guidelines for these installations to “ensure the artwork will meet all applicable codes, are safe for all pedestrians and are compatible with the maintenance of the infrastructure,” according to the plan.

The document also lists four objectives that the commission will work on in the coming fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2014:

1. Make plans to use gifts, grants, crowd funding and other non-local government funds for public art in Ann Arbor, as the amended Public Art Ordinance allows.
2. Increase public outreach for long-term public art program goals, artwork selection, and artwork education and thus better carry out the duties of the Public Art Commission established by the Ordinance amendment of June, 2013.
3. Refine the selection of potential public art projects by using a project evaluation and prioritization model and base the initiation of projects on the evaluation of primary criteria.
4. Establish an open and regular channel of communication regarding public art program updates with city administration and City Council.

In addition, the plan lists three recommendations from the city council’s task force on public art, noting that the commission will support city staff in achieving these recommendations in the coming fiscal year:

1. Review the location of the arts program within the City of Ann Arbor government and evaluate the possibility of relocating the public art program.
2. Fulfill the Public Art Task Force’s recommendation of creating a position for a full-time public art staff person.
3. Review and revise the Public Art Commission’s Bylaws and Guidelines.

Discussion was brief. Kotarski thanked Seagraves for his work on this plan, saying it shows the work that AAPAC has been doing “even though juggling public criticism.” It tells the council that AAPAC has heard the city council’s charge for the commission, he said.

Seagraves noted that the plan will be sent to the council in time for their deliberations on the FY 2015 budget. City administrator Steve Powers presented a draft budget at the council’s April 21, 2014 meeting. The council will discuss and approve the budget, with possible amendments, at its May 19 meeting.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the FY 2015 annual public art plan. It will be forwarded to the city council.

Grant for Arbor Oaks Project

The April 23 agenda included an item to approve applying for a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Fast Track grant. The money, if awarded, would require matching funds in an equivalent amount from other sources for a public art project at Arbor Oaks Park in southeast Ann Arbor, located near Bryant Elementary School and the Bryant Community Center.

The effort is in partnership with the nonprofit Community Action Network, which runs the Bryant Community Center under contract with the city. The idea is to create concrete and mosaic sculptures near the five entrances to the park, to help link the school and different streets in the neighborhood. The artwork would involve residents and students at Bryant Elementary.

Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, described the small- to medium-sized sculptures as wayfinders. The grant application is due on May 8. Nick Zagar is the commissioner who’s taking the lead on this project. He did not attend AAPAC’s April 23 meeting.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the application for this NEA grant.

Project Updates

Commissioners were updated on projects that are currently underway: (1) Canoe Imagine Art; (2) the Coleman Jewett memorial; (3) sculptures at a rain garden at Kingsley & First; and (4) a possible mural at Bach Elementary.

Project Updates: Canoe Imagine Art

Marsha Chamberlin, who’s been leading the Canoe Imagine Art project for AAPAC, reported that the Ann Arbor Convention & Visitors Bureau has declined to be the project’s administrative “home.”

Craig Hupy, the city’s public services area administrator.

The community art project is intended as a temporary art display in downtown Ann Arbor using old canoes from the city that would be repurposed as public art. The installation of an estimated 25-30 canoes was to take place in fiscal 2015 or 2016, depending on funding. The project has received a $21,000 grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and organizers plan to raise additional funds from private donors.

AAPAC originally approved $10,000 in funding for the project, at its Sept. 25, 2013 meeting. It was to be used as a portion of matching funds for the state grant, with the remaining $11,000 in matching funds to be raised through donations. However, the city council voted to allocate the entire $21,000 in city funds to match the state grant. That action came at the council’s March 3, 2014 meeting.

At AAPAC’s April 23 meeting, Craig Hupy – the city’s public services area administrator – reported that the project was intended as a three-party effort involving the city, the CVB, and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. “We are struggling with the other partners not wanting to administer the contract,” Hupy said. As of July 1, which is the start of the city’s next fiscal year, there won’t necessarily be funds for art administration, he noted.

Chamberlin said it wasn’t until December of 2013 that the city attorney’s office informed her that the project couldn’t use a website that was separate from the city’s website, and that an RFP process must be used for seeking artists. Also, she learned that this effort would be required to hire a project manager. At the time, they were hoping to move the project forward more quickly, and so the idea of a “triumvirate” partnership was explored. Now, however, the timeline has been pushed back, but it’s unclear who will lead the project, she said.

Jim Simpson, AAPAC’s newest commissioner.

Hupy added that if another organization takes the lead, then the city’s procurement process – including issuing an RFP – wouldn’t be required. He also noted that the state grant must be spent by the end of September 2014, and it wasn’t clear if that would be possible. And because all the funding hasn’t yet been raised, the city won’t take on responsibility for a project that it doesn’t have the ability to fund completely. “We’re trying to make it work, but I can’t even say that I’m cautiously optimistic at the moment,” he said.

Another issue, Chamberlin noted, is that the city attorney’s staff has said the artwork can’t be sold, because the city’s purchasing policies don’t allow that. The idea had been to sell the pieces after they’d been on display, as a fundraiser. The city’s purchasing policies are perfectly reasonable for typical uses, like buying a truck or generator, she said, “but public art functions differently.”

If they can’t find a workaround for some of these issues, Chamberlin said, “we have to kiss this project good-bye.”

Hupy said that city staff will continue to work to find a solution. “We understand the direness of it,” he said. “I would say as a medical metaphor, it’s on life support at the moment.”

Project Updates: Coleman Jewett

Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, reported that a request for proposals (RFP) has been drafted to solicit bids for the Coleman Jewett memorial. The RFP is being reviewed by legal staff.

The memorial will be a bronze replica of an Adirondack chair made by Jewett, to be located at the Ann Arbor farmers market. Jewett was a long-time local educator who died in January of 2013. After he retired, he made furniture that he sold at the farmers market. AAPAC has committed $5,000 in city funds to the project, which now has a total project budget of $50,000 – up from its original estimate of $36,000. Other funds will be raised from private donations, including a contribution from the Old West Side Association. So far, $18,795 has been raised, not including the city’s $5,000 contribution.

Marsha Chamberlin, who’s spearheading the project, gave an update on fundraising efforts. A second mailing to solicit donations is being sent out this month. An alumni party for Tappan Middle School – where Jewett served as assistant principal – is being planned as a fundraiser, possibly at the Old German. Information will be passed out at the farmers market, although no solicitation is allowed there.

Project Updates: Kingsley Rain Garden

The installation of sculptures in a rain garden at the southeast corner of Kingsley & First will start in May. The entire project, including the rain garden, will be completed by the end of June. The artist, Joshua Wiener, will be coming to Ann Arbor during the first week in June. Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, reported that Wiener will be available for a public event, likely on June 3.

Promotion for the project is being planned. As part of that, one idea is to ask the public to name the artwork, Seagraves said. The rain garden is already named after Ruth Williams. It’s considered by the city to be a “stormwater feature,” not a park.

The Denver artist is working with landscapers to incorporate public art into the new rain garden, which is in a floodplain. The project has a $27,000 budget, though the artist’s contract is for $23,380. Wiener’s sculptures show the outlines of five fish. They’re small mouth bass, in different sizes, made of white epoxy-painted steel and pointed toward the Huron River.

Seagraves reported that the original proposal called for some of the fish to appear submerged into the ground. For structural and aesthetic reasons, Wiener has altered that original design somewhat. Although some fish will appear to be diving down, they will be above ground. He provided a revised rendering:

Josh Wiener’s rendering of fish sculptures for the rain garden at First & Ashley.

Project Updates: Bach Elementary Mural

Bob Miller reported that not much progress has been made on a public art project at Bach Elementary School, on the city’s Old West Side. He’s been working with the school principal Hyeuo Min Park, the school’s art department, local artist David Zinn, the AAPS maintenance staff and others to paint a mural on a concrete wall at Bach’s playground. It’s a place that gets tagged with graffiti, he noted. Miller said it could be a pilot for other projects, if it moves forward.

Craig Hupy, the city’s public services area administrator, quipped: “There’s a lot of retaining walls in the city that could be painted.”

Commissioners present: Devon Akmon, Marsha Chamberlin, John Kotarski, Bob Miller, Jim Simpson, Kristin “KT” Tomey. Also: Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator and Craig Hupy, public services area administrator.

Absent: Ashlee Arder, Connie Brown, Nick Zagar.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. in the basement conference room at city hall, 301 E. Huron St. [Check Chronicle events listing to confirm date]

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Ruth Kraut

And then, come November and December, I realize that once again, I failed to spread out my giving – and I had better pull out my checkbook. Writing the bulk of these checks at the end of the year has a benefit, in that it allows me to look at all of my donations at once. But it also means that I’m in a rush and I don’t always take the time to reflect. So this is my opportunity.

Like many of you, we make donations to local, national, and international groups that focus on a wide range of issues. For us, those organizations do work related to health, the environment, politics, women’s issues, Jewish groups, social action, human services, and more.

Although I do give to some groups that, loosely speaking, fit the category of “education,” those entities do not make up a significant proportion of our donations. I confess to a certain ambivalence to giving to such groups – because, in many ways, I’m already a big contributor to public education. And it’s likely that you are, too.

In this column, I discuss the concept of donations – both voluntary (to charitable causes) and involuntary (through taxes). I talk about ways that most of us are already contributing, and provide some information that will help you give even more, if you’re so inclined.

When I sent an early draft of this piece to Steven Norton, an Ann Arbor resident and executive director of Michigan Parents for Schools, he shared this thought: “I’m not sure I agree that we are ‘donating’ to the schools, in the sense that this means an optional charitable contribution. I don’t feel like I’m donating when I help pay for police or fire services, or road maintenance.” He then referred to a quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes: “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.”

His comments sent me straight to the dictionary – several dictionaries, in fact – looking for the distinction between donate and contribute. It wasn’t an easy search to find exactly what I was looking for.

For instance, the Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines donate as a verb that means “to give (money, food, clothes, etc.) in order to help a person or organization,” and “to make a gift of, especially: to contribute to a public or charitable cause.” That certainly implies a voluntary aspect. Yet a synonym for donate is contribute, “to give or supply in common with others.” In other words, contribute may or may not have a voluntary aspect.

Certainly, taxes are not voluntary, but they are contributions to a common cause. So in this column, when I use the term donor, donate or donation, I mean it in the sense of contributing to an important common good – public education.

The Property Tax Conundrum: I’m A Big Donor

I already give thousands of dollars to the vast educational enterprise that is Michigan’s public education system – as do many of you. Most of the sales tax I pay, a portion of my income tax, and the majority of my property taxes go to education. If you live in Ann Arbor, your tax bill includes line items for the State Education Tax, the Ann Arbor Public Schools, the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, and Washtenaw Community College.

More than 20 years ago – when I first became a homeowner – the taxes I paid for public schools actually went directly to the Ann Arbor Public Schools. In 1994, though, all of that changed with the passage of Proposal A.

The goal of that 1994 statewide ballot initiative was to create more equitable funding across all districts and to keep property taxes from escalating dramatically. But Proposal A took away most local control over school funding, though districts can still request voter approval to levy local millages for building construction, repairs, and maintenance – not, however, for operating expenses.

The state collects taxes directly from residential and non-residential property owners – 6 mills each, annually – and pools that money into the state’s School Aid Fund (SAF), which also includes revenues from sales and income taxes, state lottery revenue and other sources. Out of this fund, the state pays local school districts a per-pupil allotment – a variable amount set by the state legislature that can increase or decrease each year. In addition, state law controls the amount of taxes that school districts can levy directly – those that are not pooled into the SAF. Beyond the 6 mills that go into the SAF, for example, there’s an additional tax on non-residential property owners, but the state caps that tax at 18 mills.

Both the funding from non-SAF local property taxes and from the total School Aid Fund are factored into an amount called the per-pupil “foundation allowance.” This amount varies by district. Ann Arbor’s per-pupil funding for the current fiscal year, which began July 1, is $9,050 for each student. It accounts for most of the district’s revenues, with other revenues including the district’s share of a countywide special education millage and from federal grants. The per-pupil funding has been stagnant or falling for the last decade.

State per-pupil funding chart. (Source: Michigan Parents for Schools)

Because of Michigan’s complex system of funding public schools and the fact that Ann Arbor is a relatively affluent community, today Ann Arbor is – as AAPS board member Christine Stead is rightly fond of explaining – a “donor district.” That is, Ann Arbor taxpayers are paying more into the statewide system than the district receives back in state aid. Steve Norton of Michigan Parents for Schools told me that AAPS gets back from the state less than half – about 47% – of what local taxpayers actually pay to the state for education.

I find the “per-pupil” approach to funding to be particularly frustrating. It’s often an unfair way to allocate funding, because although incremental costs change with the addition or subtraction of kids to a school, many of the base costs don’t change. For instance, when Pfizer closed its large research operation in Ann Arbor several years ago, many families moved out of this community. The children in those families left AAPS schools – along with the per-pupil funding for those students. Although funding dropped because of those departures, the fixed costs for educating the thousands of remaining students didn’t decrease proportionately.

When it comes to per-pupil funding, my family has been an exceptionally big contributor. For the past 15-plus years, I’ve had 1, 2, or 3 kids enrolled in the public schools, and each of my kids has brought their per-pupil “foundation” allowance. So my family is a “donor” to public schools in two ways – as part of the larger property-taxed community, and as a family that has chosen to stay in the public school system.

In some ways, I don’t mind being a “donor” to the state’s public school system, which includes supporting districts that are much poorer than AAPS. For example, my taxes are supporting the Kalkaska schools [1] – and really, I don’t mind (too much) paying for that.

But I do mind that Ann Arbor taxpayers can no longer levy additional millages to pay for operating expenses for our own Ann Arbor Public Schools.

And as an aside, I also mind that my taxes are supporting the Education Achievement Authority, an entity that the state uses to take over schools that are designated as failing. For a longer and fairly neutral analysis of the EAA, I’d suggest reading this piece from the Michigan Policy Network. You’ll find a more critical view at the Inside the EAA website – which includes EAA documents obtained through the Michigan Freedom of Information Act by state legislators and others trying to counteract the authority’s secrecy.

The Parent Conundrum: I’m (Still) A Big Donor

But taxes aren’t the only way I contribute to local education. As a parent, I’m constantly being asked to donate to school-related activities. Certain expenses that I pay have directly or indirectly benefited my children. Those costs include paying $500 for my son to play high school basketball ($280 for the district’s registration fee and pay-to-play, plus other team-related costs), field trip expenses, and PTO dues.

I feel like I get milked dry by these costs – and it doesn’t make me want to jump up with donations for other activities. Over the past several years, I have spent thousands of dollars on school-related activities. Luckily, I can afford these expenses – and I understand that many families aren’t so fortunate.

Yes, I know. I signed up for having kids, and my kids are lucky to have these opportunities. So no, I’m not complaining. I’m just explaining why it is that when someone suggests I pay even more, I think: Wait a second – I’m already paying for the essentials, as a taxpayer, and as a parent who sends my kids to these schools. And I’m already paying for the extras – at least, those that involve my children. You want me to pay even more?

Must I Donate Again?

One way that we’re asked to pay even more is through donations to nonprofit foundations. Most of our local school districts, for example, have affiliated nonprofit educational foundations that solicit contributions. Historically, these foundations have been used for enrichment activities – not for core operating expenses.

Locally, that started to change in 2009 when a countywide operating millage – the only kind permitted under Proposal A – was defeated. (It passed in Ann Arbor, but failed in much of the rest of the county.) After that defeat, the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation decided to try to take up the slack with its “A Million Reasons” campaign. The name came from the idea that if everyone who supported the millage just gave the foundation the same amount of money that they would have paid in new taxes, the district would be in good shape. But that didn’t happen – and the campaign fell short of its fundraising goal that was intended to help with the basics of public education.

“Oh no,” my friend Laurie said to me as we discussed this on my annual Thanksgiving trip to my hometown. Laurie is on the board of her local educational foundation. “That doesn’t make any sense. Taxes are meant to fund schools. Local school foundations should focus on the extras.”

Now in fairness to the AAPS Educational Foundation, Laurie lives in a state that funds schools more generously, and in a district that probably gets more than twice as much as Ann Arbor does, per pupil.

But I’ll admit to sharing Laurie’s squeamishness. And the idea of the foundation spending so much social capital to raise only one million dollars – when the Ann Arbor schools budget is around $180 million – was never persuasive to me.

On the other hand, when I shared this perspective with Steve Norton via email, he noted that “personal donations are a last resort when the normal course of public policy has failed completely to meet the needs of our communities.” While he agreed with my friend that education foundations should pay for the “extras,” he also pointed to California, where local education foundations often pay for basics like salaries of whole programs – such as gym, music and art. The cause for California’s situation is similar to Michigan, he noted: a state tax system that was changed to strangulate public services. (In the case of California, their crisis was prompted by Prop 13.) “I hope we never get to that point,” Norton wrote to me, “but we are certainly headed in that direction.”

To me, the idea of asking educational foundations to make up a shortfall in public funding is a tough sell. However, the ideal that schools should be publicly funded is being challenged – and that’s still my ideal, and my values. And charitable giving is all about reflecting your ideals and values.

Multiple Ways to Give Even More

None of this is meant to imply that you shouldn’t donate to public schools, or to the broader educational enterprise. It is possible to donate directly to your local school district, without an educational foundation as an intermediary. The Ann Arbor Public Schools system has a donation policy, and probably most other local school districts do as well.

Many music teachers, for instance, will happily provide a new home for a serviceable instrument. (We donated my husband’s cello, which he stopped playing many, many years ago. His mother had maintained it in meticulous condition, hoping against hope that a grandchild would pick it up. They didn’t.)

The basic rule of thumb is, if you are interested in donating an item to a school, check with the building administrator to make sure it would be useful. And, of course, the schools also will gladly accept direct financial support – last year, for example, the Argus Planetarium at Pioneer High was renovated using a direct donation.

Or if you want to donate to one of the local educational foundations, here are links to several in Washtenaw County: the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation; the Chelsea Education Foundation; the Educational Foundation of Dexter; the Manchester Community Schools Foundation; the Foundation for Saline Area Schools; the Whitmore Lake Foundation for Educational Excellence; and the Ypsilanti Community Schools Foundation.

Nearly every school – maybe every school – has a parent-teacher organization (PTO), and generally they are also 501(c)3 nonprofits. So if you want to support your local school, you can give directly to the PTO. The PTO directs its funds to the programs or activities that the parents and teachers want to support. Some of the PTOs have very elaborate fundraising activities. The Burns Park Run, for example, raises money to support the Burns Park Elementary PTO programs, and Ann Arbor Open has turned Scrip into a high art form. Even if they don’t have organized fundraising efforts, all PTOs can use your support.

Perhaps you have a special place in your heart for the arts, or for environmental issues. Most of the schools have special funds (or a special nonprofit – yes, many of these are auxiliary groups with nonprofit status) to fund music, theater, athletics, and more. And the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has an environmental education fund that is meant to support the Ann Arbor schools.

Finally, there are many organizations that support kids and families, in ways both academically-related and in fighting poverty. For instance, groups like Peace Neighborhood Center, Avalon Housing, and Community Action Network support low-income families in particular neighborhoods with after-school tutoring. The Student Advocacy Center fights for kids at risk of, or threatened with, suspension and expulsion. And other organizations, like 826 Michigan, bring after-school tutoring to the masses. (A special shout-out to 826 Michigan for pairing up with the Ypsilanti cafe Beezy’s, which is open for breakfast and lunch, and then provides a space for 826 Michigan’s after-school tutoring.)

I don’t mean to give an exhaustive list, but rather to share some examples. Please do add to these ideas in the comments section.

Giving, Getting, and Governing

I’ve explained how I’m already a big contributor to the schools. But it’s not just that we give a lot. We get a lot, too – and so do residents who don’t have kids. I don’t mean that in a high-level, theoretical “we-want-good-schools” way. I mean that in an economic sense. That’s because perceptions of schools are major drivers of property values, and property values affect much more than schools.

So in the next few days, we will give to some school-related causes, and you might too. But remember – the bulk of school funding comes through the state, and that funding has been slashed over and over again in the past decade.

Perhaps the most effective donation you can make is your donation of time and effort to convince legislators to provide more funding to public schools. That’s how public schools get funding, and where reform will need to occur if we want the current situation to improve.

Keeping our public schools both public and nonprofit, at this point, requires a lot of advocacy. In my opinion, two excellent sources of information are Michigan Parents for Schools and the Tri-County Alliance for Public Education.

I’ve been writing about year-end donations, and when the year ends, a lot of people turn to New Year’s resolutions, too. While you are making your list of resolutions, I hope you’ll make room for one more thing: advocating for public, nonprofit schools. I hope you’ll advocate for schools that are for children, not for corporations or for-profit charter chains. And I hope you’ll advocate for adequate funding.

Whether you’re a donor, an advocate, or both, this I believe: together, we can make a difference.

Notes

[1] I’m not picking on the Kalkaska schools. Kalkaska became the poster child for school funding reform when it closed its doors early in the spring of 1993 after the latest of several attempts at passing an operating millage failed. [For more background, read this March 6, 1993 article in the Ludington Daily News.] Proposal A was the product of efforts to equalize school funding regardless of local tax base, coupled with then-Gov. John Engler’s promise to reduce property taxes.

Ruth Kraut is an Ann Arbor resident and parent of three children who have all attended the Ann Arbor Public Schools. She writes at Ann Arbor Schools Musings (a2schoolsmuse.blogspot.com) about education issues in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, and Michigan.

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The Stamps have already given millions of dollars to the university for a range of projects, including the Stamps Auditorium next to the Walgreen Drama Center on north campus, a commons area at the Ross Academic Center, the Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitors Series, the Art & Design Stamps Creative Work Scholarships, and the WORK gallery on South State Street.

The Stamps weren’t on hand for the meeting. UM president Mary Sue Coleman said the couple was celebrating the birth of their grandson this morning, but that they’ll “celebrate mightily” with the university at a later date. She and several other university administrators and regents praised the Stamps’ contributions, as well as people at the university who helped with the deal. The new dean of the A&D school, Gunalan Nadarajan – who’s been on the job two months and is also celebrating his birthday today – and former dean Bryan Rogers both addressed the board, expressing their thanks. There were several rounds of applause before the regents moved on to their regular business meeting.

This brief was filed from the Michigan Union’s Anderson Room on the Ann Arbor campus, where regents held their September meeting.

Aaron Seagraves, Ann Arbor's public art administrator, goes over some ideas for possible programs to be funded through the city's Percent for Art program. (Photos by the writer.)

Most of AAPAC’s December meeting was spent looking forward to the coming year – discussing how to develop the next annual art plan, which is due to be delivered to the city council in April. Commissioners talked about how to increase the amount of public art funded through the city’s Percent for Art, including putting in place new programs that would expedite the process. Some city councilmembers have raised concerns that few public art projects have been completed since the Percent for Art was created in 2007. The program, overseen by AAPAC, allocates 1% for public art from all of the city government’s capital projects.

So far, only two projects have been installed: (1) a tree sculpture at West Park, and (2) a large water fountain in front of city hall. Updates on several other projects were reviewed at AAPAC’s December meeting, and several days after the meeting, action was taken toward the selection of artists for two projects. A task force for a mural in Allmendinger Park is recommending Ann Arbor muralist Mary Thiefels for that work, with a $10,000 budget. And a task force that’s selecting artwork for the lobby of the Justice Center is recommending Ed Carpenter of Portland, Oregon for that $150,000 project. AAPAC is expected to get more details and vote on both recommendations at its Jan. 25 meeting.

During Dec. 13 discussion of the annual plan, it emerged that there’s been a revision to a key constraint on Percent for Art spending: The aspect of permanence. Previously, city staff had told AAPAC that because all artwork needed to be capitalized, it had to last a minimum of five years. Now, Chamberlin reported, the city’s finance department has revised its definition of “permanent” to a minimum of two years, not five. “That does change things a lot,” she observed.

One item that fits the “permanent” requirement, but posed other concerns, was a proposed donation to the city via local attorney Kurt Berggren. The work is an eight-panel set of gates called the Global Peace Gateway, originally located at a cathedral in Los Angeles. Commissioners discussed several issues related to that donation, including the cost of transporting the work to Ann Arbor and the fact that the gates contain religious iconography. Ultimately, they voted to reject the donation.

One thing that wasn’t mentioned during the meeting: Margaret Parker’s decision to leave the commission one year before her term expired. The news was revealed later in the month at a city council meeting, when mayor John Hieftje put forward a nomination for her replacement – John Kotarski. Parker, a local artist, has served on AAPAC since its inception, including three years as its chair, and was instrumental in creating the Percent for Art program.

Project Updates

During the meeting, commissioners and staff gave updates on several ongoing projects.

Project Updates: Justice Center Lobby

Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, told commissioners that a task force for selecting art in the lobby of the Justice Center would be meeting later that week and would likely pick an artist for the project. The names of three finalists had been posted on AAPAC’s website: Ed Carpenter of Portland, Oregon; Ray King of Philadelphia; and Thomas Sayre of Raleigh, N.C.

Responding to a follow-up email from The Chronicle, Seagraves said that the task force decided to recommend Carpenter for the project. Carpenter’s website describes him as an artist specializing in large-scale public installations, including architectural sculpture and infrastructure design – he has designed several bridges, for example. A total of $150,000 had been budgeted for the Justice Center piece; additional funds are available for artwork in an outdoor courtyard behind the building, facing Ann Street. The item will likely be on the agenda for AAPAC’s Jan. 25 meeting.

Project Updates: Dreiseitl Sculpture

Seagraves reported that the side panels were expected to be installed soon on the Herbert Dreiseitl sculpture in front of city hall, and the blue lights would be turned on soon. He wasn’t sure why it had taken this long for the final work to be completed. [The bronze sculpture – with a water feature and blue lights that flash in automated patterns – was officially dedicated at a public ceremony on Oct. 4. It's the first major installation paid for out of the city's Percent for Art program. The lights were turned on later in December.]

Project Updates: East Stadium Bridges

Seagraves said he’d done a walkthrough of the site earlier in the week with the project manager for the East Stadium bridges, which are being rebuilt, and they looked at possible locations for public art. Jim Kosteva, the University of Michigan’s director of community relations, will be part of the task force for this project, Seagraves said.

Project Updates: Allmendinger Mural

The finalists for the mural on pillars of the building at Allmendinger Park had submitted preliminary concepts, Seagraves said, and the task force was meeting later in the month to make a recommendation. [The finalists were (1) Robert Delgado of Los Angeles, Calif.; (2) Bethany Kalk of Moorehead, Kentucky; (3) Jefferson Nelson of Liberty Center, Ohio; and (4) Mary Thiefels of Ann Arbor. The project has a budget of $10,000.]

In a follow-up email to The Chronicle, Seagraves said that Thiefels will be recommended to AAPAC for the project. The commission is likely to vote on her selection at its Jan. 25 meeting.

Project Updates: Kingsley Rain Garden

Connie Brown has been taking the lead on a task force for artwork at the proposed Fuller Road Station. But because that project is on pause – commissioners were told last month that the entire project, which has not yet been approved by the city council, has been pushed back 6-12 months – Brown volunteered to “champion” the public art component for the Kingsley rain garden project. She said she’d work with Seagraves to form a task force for the effort.

At its Nov. 30, 2011 meeting, AAPAC had approved moving ahead on the project. The city is buying 215 and 219 W. Kingsley – land that’s located in a floodplain – and building a rain garden there.

Project Updates: Huron River Artwalk

Seagraves reported that he, Margaret Parker and Malverne Winborne had attended a meeting organized by the Huron River Watershed Council about possible art projects along the river. AAPAC has identified two locations for possible public art along the river: (1) at Gallup Park, in conjunction with planned improvements to the canoe livery; (2) at the Argo Dam canoe bypass, which is currently under construction. [.pdf of River Art Walk proposal]

The HRWC is looking at a broader art project involving multiple communities. For AAPAC’s project, Seagraves said Colin Smith – an Ann Arbor resident and chair of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners – is likely to serve on a task force for the effort, as will a member of the city’s park advisory commission.

Project Updates: Village Green

Elaine Sims asked whether there would be any public art at Village Green’s City Apartments, a residential complex planned for the corner of First and Washington. She recalled that the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority had a role in the project, but she couldn’t remember the details – nor could anyone else.

[The Ann Arbor city council finalized the sale of land to the developer Village Green at its Nov. 10, 2011 meeting. Village Green plans to build a 244-space parking deck as the first two stories of a 9-story building with 156 dwelling units, called City Apartments. The Ann Arbor DDA has pledged around $9 million of support for bonds to pay for the parking deck component of City Apartments, and the city will own that part of the project. Village Green representatives and the DDA had both discussed a possible public art component with AAPAC in 2008, but the issue hasn't been raised at AAPAC meetings since then.]

Project Updates: Street Art

Seagraves said he’d met with city staff who are involved in street repair and replacement projects, to try to get a sense of how public art might be incorporated. He plans to bring a more detailed report to AAPAC’s January 2012 meeting. As of December 2011, available Percent for Art funds from the street millage totaled $529,251.

Administrative Funding for Public Art

Margaret Parker asked whether there had been any movement toward increasing funds available for administrative support of the Percent for Art program. She has advocated for doubling the amount that’s currently set aside for the program’s administration. The position of public art administrator, currently held by Aaron Seagraves, is a part-time job. Other funds are available for project management work on specific projects, but the amount is capped at 8%. Parker would like to see the public art administrator be a full-time job, and the cap for other project management work raised to 16%.

Seagraves indicated that he hadn’t heard anything else about it, and said it’s a sensitive issue for him to pursue since it relates to his job. Parker said she doesn’t want the issue to slip through the cracks, and AAPAC needs to be kept informed about it.

Marsha Chamberlin, AAPAC’s chair, said she meets regularly with the public services area administrator – that position has been held by Sue McCormick, who recently took a job as head of the Detroit water and sewerage department. Chamberlin plans to continue meeting with the McCormick’s replacement, when that position is filled, as well as with the city administrator, Steve Powers. She said she’ll continue to pursue the issue of administrative funding.

Annual Planning

Most of AAPAC’s December meeting focused on long-range planning issues, beginning with the process of developing the commission’s annual art plan. [.pdf of annual plan for FY 2012, which was adopted earlier this year.] The discussion also looked at possible programs that AAPAC might pursue, similar to the mural program that’s now in a pilot stage.

Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, led the discussion. By ordinance, AAPAC must submit an annual public art plan by April of each year. He noted that to date, the plan has been primarily driven by location – the plan aims for geographic diversity of art installations – as well as by the city’s capital improvement plan (CIP), which outlines upcoming projects that include Percent for Art funding.

He had prepared a draft timeline for developing an annual plan, as well as three general criteria to consider when determining what to include: (1) the number of new projects, (2) estimated recommended expenditures; and (3) programs or “themes.” He said he hoped the discussion could give guidance to AAPAC’s annual plan committee, which would flesh out this input as they develop a formal recommendation. [.pdf of draft timeline and criteria]

The timeline drafted by Seagraves begins in January:

• January: Meet with city staff regarding upcoming projects in the capital improvement plan (CIP) for FY2013.
• February: (1) Begin public input process; (2) Request information from residents; (3) Conduct survey; and (4) Attend meetings and forums with neighborhood associations.
• March: (1) Hold work session with the city’s park advisory commission and city council; and (2) present the plan to AAPAC.
• April: Annual plan due – submit to city council.

Marsha Chamberlin suggested that the annual planning process be a year-long effort. If it starts in January, “you’re already too late,” she said. Seagraves agreed, but noted that they do need to start working on the next plan now, which is due in April 2012.

AAPAC chair Marsha Chamberlin.

Commissioners talked about different ways to gather public input for the plan, such as meeting with neighborhood associations or speaking at business and civic groups like the Rotary Club or Main Street Area Association. They also discussed using an online survey and publicizing it through groups like the PTOs at local schools. Margaret Parker said she finds online surveys cold and impersonal, and suggested that instead of having it online, commissioners should attend meetings and pass out surveys to people there. When Chamberlin asked if Parker would be willing to tabulate paper copies of a survey, Parker said she would not be interested in doing that and suggested that they find a student to do it.

Tony Derezinski suggested putting information on Community Television Network, saying it’s surprising how many people watch public access TV.

The group also discussed how to approach the presentations at the park advisory commission and the city council. Derezinski, who also serves on the city council, said AAPAC should present a list of projects they’d like to do, then ask for comments “but not approval.” AAPAC has momentum right now, he said, in the wake of defeating an attempt to temporarily reduce funding from 1% to 0.5%. “We have the advantage for the time being, and we have to utilize that and strike,” he said. AAPAC needs to show that they’re doing what they said they’d do, he added, “and we can – it’s really doable.”

Annual Planning: Projects, Programs and Criteria

Seagraves asked commissioners to consider how many new projects they might want to set as a goal in the annual plan. He listed current projects in the order of expected completion, and noted that the first three would likely be finished in 2012:

• Mural program at Allmendinger Park
• Justice Center
• Kingsley & First rain garden
• Argo mill race, or Gallup Park canoe livery
• East Stadium/State bridge and Rose White Park
• Fuller Road Station

He also asked whether there were particular funding sources that commissioners wanted to target. He gave estimated available funding through FY2013 for the various Percent for Art sources, based on upcoming capital projects: parks ($35,200); streets ($638,300); water ($230,100); sewer ($438,700); stormwater ($33,900); solid waste ($37,000); energy ($6,400); and airport ($3,100).

Seagraves also introduced some ideas for programs that AAPAC could develop, similar to the mural program that’s now in a pilot phase. Other possibilities include artwork at crosswalks or shared-use paths, or a variety of public items that could be designed by artists: manhole covers, banners, street “furniture” (like benches or lights), fire hydrants, wayfinding signs or kiosks.

For programs, Seagraves said, some things to consider include how often would a work be commissioned, what funding source would be used, how long would these items be expected to last, and where might they be located?

Elaine Sims wanted to add “community art-making” to the list of potential programs. In other communities, artists do projects that involve large groups of people, like school children, she said. It’s a way to get more community buy-in.

Margaret Parker said the estimated $638,300 in the streets fund would be a good source for purchasing non-commissioned artwork. Sims noted that the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority has indicated a willingness to partner with the city on public art projects. Perhaps the streets fund would be a source for funding a project with AATA, she said.

Tony Derezinski suggested that the bus pullouts or bus stops along Washtenaw Avenue were an opportunity to install public art. Thematically, looking at bus stops might be a potential program, he said. From the city council’s perspective, he said, it would be helpful for AAPAC to develop collaborative relationships, like a partnership with the AATA.

With regards to partnerships, Marsha Chamberlin reported that she’d had some email exchanges with Abby Elias of the city attorney’s office regarding possible locations for art funded by the Percent for Art program. According to Elias, Chamberlin said, the AATA’s Blake Transit Center isn’t eligible because the city doesn’t own any of it. [The AATA is rebuilding the Blake Transit Center, located north of William between Fourth and Fifth avenues.]

Chamberlin said parking structures operated by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority do qualify as possible locations for Percent for Art projects, because those are owned by the city. So one criteria for selecting specific projects would be that the location must be on city-owned property, she said.

Tony Derezinski, who serves on AAPAC and city council.

Geographic location – making sure that work is spread out in different neighborhoods – would be another criteria. After additional discussion, the criteria of visibility, funding source, and ease of implementation were also added to the list.

Chamberlin told commissioners that the overall idea is to get more public art into the community. One approach would be to pick a program – focusing on murals or sculptures, for example – and issue a request for proposals for artists. From those who apply, AAPAC could choose five artists and match them with five locations, she said. That would put more work in the pipeline.

There was some discussion about the issue of permanence. In the past, commissioners had been told by city staff that Percent for Art funds could only be used on “permanent” art installations. From the Chronicle’s coverage of AAPAC’s October 2011 meeting:

Marsha Chamberlin noted that AAPAC is challenged because the Percent for Art ordinance restricts the kinds of projects that can be done. It’s limited to projects that are permanent – which means the visual arts. That eliminates the ability to support performance arts, for example. Tony Derezinski said that people often refer to ArtPrize, an annual artist competition in Grand Rapids that draws hundreds of thousands of people to that community. Some wonder why Ann Arbor can’t do something like that event, he said: “There’s some Grand Rapids envy there, I think.”

Chamberlin noted that the meaning of permanent relates to its ability to be capitalized – it needs to last a minimum of five years, she said. [At AAPAC's July 2010 meeting, McCormick told commissioners that the city runs a depreciation schedule on each piece of art.]

By way of background, the word “permanent” is not used specifically to refer to public art in the Percent for Art ordinance, which defines public art in this way: “Public art means works of art created, purchased, produced or otherwise acquired for display in public spaces or facilities. Public art may include artistic design features incorporated into the architecture, layout, design or structural elements of the space or facility. Public art may be any creation, production, conception or design with an aesthetic purpose, including freestanding objets d’art, sculptures, murals, mosaics, ornamentation, paint or decoration schemes, use of particular structural materials for aesthetic effect, or spatial arrangement of structures.” [.pdf of Percent for Art ordinance]

At the Dec. 13 meeting, Chamberlin reported that the city’s finance department has revised its definition of “permanent” to a minimum of two years, not five. “That does change things a lot,” she observed.

Toward the end of the meeting, Seagraves offered to put together a summary of their discussion, and bring it to the January meeting for additional refinement. The group also agreed to discuss the development of a rating sheet at that meeting, to be used in assessing projects based on the criteria they’ve identified.

Commissioners also discussed modifications to a draft, outlining steps that should be taken in developing public art projects. [.pdf of project steps spreadsheet] Seagraves plans to bring an updated version of that document to the January meeting too.

Donation of Gates

Marsha Chamberlin noted that she had emailed commissioners regarding a proposed donation to the city. Typically, when AAPAC receives an offer of a donation, a task force is formed to evaluate it and make a recommendation on accepting it. Chamberlin began by asking whether there might be any circumstance in which AAPAC did not need to take that step – for example, if it were a donation that commissioners felt would grossly offend public taste.

Ann Arbor public art commissioner Elaine Sims.

In the current case, the donation was offered by local attorney Kurt Berggren for an eight-panel set of gates called the Global Peace Gateway, originally located at a cathedral in Los Angeles. They were created in 1922 by an unknown artist, Chamberlin said, and include religious iconography – specifically, several large crosses. At a minimum, it would cost an estimated $15,000 to transport the gates to Ann Arbor, she said. So the question for AAPAC is whether to create a task force to evaluate the donation before making a decision, or whether to simply make a decision without taking that step.

Margaret Parker said the gates are actually a piece of architectural detail, not a standalone work of art. “We’re not in the architectural element recycling business,” she said. Parker also noted that there’s no indication as to what the maintenance costs for the gates would be.

Wiltrud Simbuerger observed that the gates would have to be made into a piece of art, and someone would have to do that, which would result in additional expense. Tony Derezinski said the gates could be located at a gateway to the city, citing Fuller Road Station as a possibility. But he added that his initial impression was he’s doubtful about accepting the donation. It would cost the city some money, and there are unanswered questions. What additional information did they need to make it more appealing? he asked.

Chamberlin ventured that paying so much for transport isn’t the best use of city funds. Elaine Sims said she’s troubled by the crosses, while Connie Brown noted that there’s nothing like this proposed in AAPAC’s annual art plan.

Derezinski said the cumulative effect of all these concerns make it difficult to move ahead.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to turn down the donation of the Global Peace Gateway.

Parker’s Resignation

At the Ann Arbor city council’s Dec. 19, 2011 meeting, mayor John Hieftje nominated John Kotarski to replace Margaret Parker on AAPAC. Kotarski has been a media consultant who previously worked for the Mount Clemens Schools. He has attended several recent AAPAC meetings as an observer.

Parker served for several years on the commission on art in public places (CAPP), the precursor to AAPAC. She was last re-appointed to AAPAC on June 15, 2009 for a three-year term, which would have ended Dec. 31, 2012. Parker served as chair of AAPAC from the enactment of the city’s Percent for Art ordinance in 2007 until the end of 2010. Marsha Chamberlin agreed to assume responsibility as chair in April this year.

At the Dec. 13 AAPAC meeting, Parker did not mention her plans to resign.

Commissioners present: Connie Rizzolo-Brown, Marsha Chamberlin, Tony Derezinski, Margaret Parker, Wiltrud Simbuerger, Elaine Sims. Also Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator.

Absent: Cathy Gendron, Malverne Winborne, Cheryl Zuellig.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. at city hall, 301 E. Huron St. [confirm date]

The Chronicle relies in part on regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of publicly-funded programs like the Percent for Art, which is overseen by the Ann Arbor public art commission. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle.

Al Taubman, who recently donated $56 million to fund medical research at UM, is flanked by his wife Judy Taubman, right, and Eva Feldman, a UM neurology professor and director of the Taubman Medical Research Institute. Seated behind them is Kellen Russell, who won a national championship in wrestling and was also recognized by regents at their April 21, 2011 meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

The donation – to fund work at UM’s Taubman Medical Research Institute – brought his total gifts for that institute to $100 million, and his total overall UM contributions to more than $141 million. He is the largest individual donor to the university.

In conjunction with this latest gift, regents approved the renaming of the Biomedical Science Research Building – where the institute is housed – in honor of Taubman.

In thanking Taubman, board chair Julia Darlow called his gift transformative, and noted that his name has been “stamped” on the university in many ways – at the Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, the Taubman Gallery at the UM Museum of Art, Taubman Health Care Center, Taubman Health Sciences Library, and the Taubman Scholars program, among others. Though he did not complete a degree, Taubman did study architecture at UM and has been involved with the institution for decades.

The real estate developer, who’s widely credited with popularizing the modern shopping mall, is not without controversy. Taubman maintains his innocence, but the former owner of Sotheby’s auction house served about nine months in federal prison in 2002 for an anti-trust conviction related to a price-fixing scheme with Christie’s, a major competitor. At the time, university officials stood by him in the face of calls to remove his name from UM buildings.

In addition to announcing Taubman’s most recent gift, the regents handled a variety of other items during their April meeting. They unanimously approved an extension of the maximum allowable tenure probationary period to 10 years, and before voting heard from several UM faculty members on both sides of the issue. Regents also approved several million dollars in infrastructure projects, as well as a new degree program in health informatics.

Chris Armstrong, who made national news after being harrassed by a former state assistant attorney general, gave his last report as outgoing student government president and was thanked by university executives for his leadership. Regent Libby Maynard told Armstrong he’d helped all of them grow during the year.

And during the time set aside for public commentary, students and staff raised several issues, including negotiations with the nurses union, campus sustainability efforts, and a proposal to partner with an Israeli university for study abroad.

Agenda Addition: Al Taubman

Media had been alerted earlier in the week that an agenda item would be added at the start of the April 21 regents meeting, featuring news that involved a prominent individual – no additional details were provided. That individual turned out to be Al Taubman, a familiar name to the university because of major donations he’s made in the past.

Taubman, his wife Judy Taubman and Eva Feldman – a UM neurology professor, director of the Taubman Medical Research Institute, and Taubman’s personal physician – were among those on hand when UM president Mary Sue Coleman called Thursday’s meeting to order.

Speaking with difficulty through a hoarse voice, Coleman began by describing Taubman as a thoughtful, dedicated and driven supporter of the university for many years, always wanting his alma mater to excel. [Taubman received an honorary doctorate of law degree from UM in 1991.] She cited several UM units that have benefited from his support, including the UM health system, the museum of art, the College of Literature, Science & the Arts, and the Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning.

“Today he is once again moving Michigan forward,” Coleman said, extending his long-standing support with an additional gift of $56 million. At that, the regents and others attending the meeting gave Taubman a standing ovation.

Coleman continued, saying the gift brings his total donation for the Taubman Medical Research Institute to $100 million. The funds will allow UM’s scientists to conduct high risk research, with potentially high rewards, into some of the most terrible diseases that anyone has experienced, she said, like Lou Gehrig’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. As a university president, a scientist, and someone whose family has been affected by such a disease, Coleman said Taubman’s gift will make a tremendous difference, and she expressed deep gratitude to him for making it.

Six of the eight regents made additional remarks. Julia Darlow, the board’s chair, called Taubman a true Michigan man, noting that he grew up in Michigan, studied at the university, and based his business in this state. She thanked him for his “life-changing gift,” saying “your generosity will save lives – we are certain of that.” Darlow also thanked Taubman for sharing his time, advice, energy and leadership with the university, citing many of the other UM programs and institutions he has supported over the year. The Taubman name “has been stamped on this university,” she concluded, saying that they are forever grateful for that.

Al Taubman and Eva Feldman in the lobby of the regents boardroom prior to the start of the April 21, 2011 meeting. In the background is a photo of regent Andrea Fischer Newman.

Denise Ilitch noted that she’s known Taubman for a long time, and said she was thrilled by his gift. In particular, she expressed excitement for the potential that the institute’s stem cell research promises, noting that her family has also been affected by the diseases that the research hopes to cure. “You are a rock star!” she said, adding that her family – which owns the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers – typically celebrates by doing a cheer: “Wooo!”

Saying he’d recently met one of his boyhood heroes, Larry Deitch said it was great to honor one of his adult heroes as well. Taubman’s gifts have enriched the life of this state, Deitch said. He highlighted Taubman’s previous gifts to support stem cell research at the university, saying it was something an entrepreneur would do.

Andrea Fischer Newman told Taubman that he’d put the university on the map with this gift, making them a power to be reckoned with. Because of it, they’ll be able to retain the scientists they have, and attract new ones for generations to come. He’s done more for this institution than anything they could ask for or hope for, she said, “and we appreciate it.”

Andrew Richner also thanked Taubman, saying that as a lifelong Michigander, “I can’t imagine the state of Michigan without the Taubman family.”

Martin Taylor thanked Taubman for stepping in to support a critical area of research at a time when there are so many forces working against it.

Coleman told Taubman that Ora Pescovitz, who leads the University of Michigan Health System, was unable to attend the meeting, but had videotaped some remarks, which were then played.

Taubman came to the podium and thanked the regents and Coleman for their kind words and recognition, saying it was his honor to support the university. He thanked the people who had encouraged him to donate, including Bob Kelch, the former UM executive vice president for medical affairs.

He recalled that 35 years ago, then-governor Bill Milliken had asked him to serve on a committee for building a new hospital at UM. He said Milliken had asked him because he’d complained about their plans to tear down the old hospital, which had been designed by the renowned architect Albert Kahn. Milliken had told him to figure out a way to save the old building, or help build a new one. Taubman said they’d ultimately chosen the latter course, and that the last time he’d attended a regents meeting it was to plead the case for an accelerated construction schedule for that hospital – it had been completed on time and under budget, he noted.

Taubman also recalled meeting Eva Feldman, who years ago had agreed to be his personal physician and more recently had sold him on the idea of new research using embryonic stem cell therapy. At the time, it was illegal to conduct such research in Michigan, he said, so they opened a lab in La Hoya, California. About three years ago, he said he also spent several million dollars to fund a campaign to change Michigan’s restrictive laws regarding stem cell research. After Michigan voters approved a 2008 referendum to legalize embryonic stem cell research, Taubman said they moved the lab back to UM. The research holds potential for curing some of the most devastating diseases, he said, “and that’s what today’s announcement is all about.”

Members of The Friars, a student a cappella men's group, delivered a rendition of "The Victors."

Taubman received another standing ovation after concluding his remarks. Coleman then introduced a supplemental agenda item to rename UM’s Biomedical Science Research Building in honor of Taubman. The building, which opened in 2006, houses the Taubman Medical Research Institute and is located at 109 Zina Pitcher Place, off East Huron just before it curves into Washtenaw Avenue. With no discussion, the regents unanimously approved the name change.

Capping off this portion of the meeting, the eight betuxed members of The Friars, a student a cappella men’s group, entered the room and delivered a full rendition of “The Victors,” UM’s fight song. They were joined during the chorus by most of the people in the boardroom.

The board then took a recess, and Taubman was escorted to another room in the building for additional media interviews. The meeting reconvened after a roughly five minute break.

President’s Opening Remarks

Because UM president Mary Sue Coleman was hoarse and had difficulty speaking, Sally Churchill – vice president and secretary to the university – delivered Coleman’s prepared opening remarks. She highlighted several recent achievements by UM athletes. The men’s and women’s gymnastics programs each won NCAA championship all-around titles – Kylee Botterman took the women’s title, and Sam Mikulak won the men’s. Botterman attended the regents meeting with her coach. Also attending Thursday’s meeting was Kellen Russell, who won an NCAA national championship in wrestling. His coach, as well as athletic director David Brandon, came to the meeting as well. Regents gave the student athletes a round of applause.

Continuing Coleman’s prepared remarks, Churchill also noted that commencement ceremonies would be held in less than two weeks, and they welcomed Gov. Rick Snyder as the keynote speaker. [The choice of Snyder has been criticized by some students, including three who spoke at the regents March 17 meeting in Detroit. One of those students, Richard Durrance, presented regents with a petition with more than 4,000 student signatures, protesting Snyder’s selection as commencement speaker in part because of budget cuts he has proposed to K-12 and higher education. A rally against those cuts is planned for the morning of commencement, on Saturday, April 30, starting at 8 a.m. at Pioneer High School.]

Students with Disabilities

Regents heard a presentation about the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) program, part of the UM division of student affairs. The program’s director, Stuart Segal, attended the meeting, but the presentation was given by three students who’ve taken advantage of those services.

Carrie Lofgren, a freshman, told regents that when she was searching for a university to attend, she looked for two things: (1) a rowing team; and (2) support services. Lofgren said she’s been diagnosed with dyslexia, and the other institutions she looked at – the University of Virginia and Brown University – lacked the support she needed. She was impressed with the Ross Academic Center, which provides academic support for student athletes, and since arriving at UM, the SSD staff has been there to help her manage her studies with a variety of resources. She’s used them to her fullest advantage, Lofgren said.

Brian Rappaport, a senior in public policy, said he found out about SSD services a bit late – when he was a freshman, he had to leave the university after one semester, because of issues related to his attention deficit disorder. Since returning, the SSD staff has been instrumental in his success, Rappaport said, primarily helping with time management. He said he hoped SSD could expand its peer mentorship program – that would have been valuable to him. Reflecting on this freshman year and his upcoming graduation, Rappaport thanked SSD staff for helping him reach his goal. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Edward Timke, a doctoral student in the department of communications, told regents that he’d just passed his preliminary exam – a milestone he wouldn’t have been able to reach without SSD. He was born without ear canals, and though they’ve been reconstructed, he is hearing disabled. Before he enrolled in UM’s doctoral program, he was concerned about how he’d be received, given his need for aid.

But Timke reported that his department has been willing to make accommodations, including services provided through SSD. He pointed out that during the regents meeting, he’d been able to follow the discussion because someone was there providing real-time captioning for him. Timke also said that thanks to GradCare, a medical insurance program for graduate students, he’d been able to receive a Phonak hearing aid implanted in his skull – without that insurance, he wouldn’t have been able to afford the device. He said he’s worried that with budget cuts, that insurance might not be available in the future.

Timke also noted that more can be done. He knows students who’ve faced both overt and covert discrimination on campus because of their disabilities, and some departments or faculty are reluctant to make accommodations. Some people also feel that disabled students get preferential treatment, he said – much more needs to be done to ensure there’s greater sensitivity to the needs of disabled students. They aren’t asking for a free ride, he said. Timke urged regents to support positive programs like GradCare and SSD, and to springboard off that to create an even better environment for students with disabilities.

After the presentation, board chair Julia Darlow thanked the students, and also highlighted the work of UM’s Council for Disability Concerns. She said she’d never seen a group so dedicated, and praised the local residents and faculty who served on it. Darlow introduced two members who attended the regents meeting – Anna Ercoli Schnitzer and Jack Bernard – and they received a round of applause. The amount that they contribute is truly unbelievable, Darlow said.

Tenure Extension

The board was asked to approve a change to Regents Bylaw 5.09 that would extend the maximum allowable tenure probationary period to 10 years. It has been set at eight years since 1944. The change does not impose the longer period, but allows faculty governing groups at UM’s various schools and colleges to extend it, if they choose.

From a memo accompanying the proposed revision:

The changing nature of scholarship, with its emphasis on interdisciplinary projects, more complex research models requiring the setting up of sophisticated equipment and laboratories, and increased regulatory and compliance requirements, increases the time necessary for completion and evaluation of initial research results. These factors, combined with the fact that many faculty members, especially those from two-career and single-parent households, find it increasingly difficult to balance their teaching and research commitments with family obligations, have led to the conclusion that a more flexible tenure probationary period is warranted.

Tenure Extension: Public Commentary

Seven faculty spoke during the meeting’s public commentary, most of them in support of the change. Regents had previously heard from faculty – most of them from the UM Medical School – at their Feb. 17, 2011 meeting.

Ed Rothman, chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA), urged regents to postpone a decision on extending the tenure timeline.

Ed Rothman – chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA), the faculty governance body – began by saying that this is a difficult issue, and people on both sides are well-intentioned. He cited several concerns with the change, including the likelihood that allowing a longer time to make a decision on tenure will result in taking longer to make a decision, adding the stress of an increased wait. It’s also unclear if they’re treating the problem or a symptom, he said. If the workload is too heavy, should the answer be to lengthen the time to achieve tenure, or lighten the workload? The university can’t afford to be divided on this issue, he said, and SACUA opposes the change, as does the majority of the Senate Faculty. He requested that regents hold off on a vote until a more agreeable solution can be found.

Ben Allen also urged regents to postpone their vote. He is an assistant professor in the medical school – he noted that he works in the building that’s being renamed in Taubman’s honor – and his initial reaction was to see the change as positive. As the father of two little girls, he appreciated the concern for balancing work and personal life. However, he’s come to believe that the change will in fact hinder the success of junior faculty. One concern is that faculty seeking tenure would be held to higher standards if they take longer. And simply providing more time to achieve tenure isn’t helpful without also providing resources to support achieving it, such as increased startup funds for research and opportunities for promotion. Allen said he believes the changes are being proposed sincerely as being in the best interest of junior faculty, but he urged regents to postpone action until other measures are taken as well.

Abby Stewart, a professor of psychology and women’s studies, spoke in favor of the extended tenure. She cited the diversity of family circumstances as a reason for adding flexibility to the process. Over the past 25 years, she said, people have come to her for advice about how to pursue their academic careers in the wake of complex demands in their personal lives. Stewart gave examples of people dealing with special needs children, care for elderly parents, and long-term illnesses. Other problems relate to challenges at the university – for example, when renovations at a lab prevented a researcher from using that space for an extended period. Fifty years ago, Stewart said, the current tenure timeline was adequate. But now, flexibility is needed. She said it’s unlikely most schools and colleges will change their policies, but for those that need it – like the medical school – they should have that option.

Three faculty from the medical school – David Bloom, chair of the medical school’s department of urology; Kathleen Cooney, chief of the division of hematology/oncology; and Chris Dickinson, chief of pediatric gastroenterology – also spoke in support of the change.

Rob Salmond, an assistant professor of political science, gave a poignant description of the medical challenges faced by his daughter, who was born with birth defects requiring five open heart surgeries. He and his wife, who is also in UM’s political science department, split their time staying by her bedside in the hospital, he said, but despite the efforts of the medical staff, their daughter died two months ago. Salmond said he had selfish reasons for asking regents to extend the tenure timeline, but that it would benefit many more untenured faculty as well. He urged them to approve the change.

Tenure Extension: Staff and Regents

Sally Churchill, vice president and secretary to the university, described the various ways that this proposal has been publicized, and how feedback had been solicited from faculty groups. The proposal was posted in The University Record, and more than 100 comments in response to that posting were overwhelmingly in support of it, she said.

Provost Phil Hanlon told regents that their vote would itself not change the tenure process, nor would it affect the university’s strong commitment to tenure. All that’s being requested is a change in the upper limit of time allowed to complete tenure – a timeline that’s set by the governing faculty at each academic unit. The need has arisen from people’s experiences on campus, he said, including the increasing complexity and nature of their scholarship, and the need to balance work and family.

This change was first proposed in 2006, Hanon said, and there’s been vigorous debate about it. He noted the concerns raised by Ben Allen about unintended consequences, and said he plans to convene a committee to advise him on how to monitor and provide oversight if a college or school decides to extend their tenure timeline.

Regent Kathy White clarified that the change merely increases the maximum number of years that schools and colleges can set for their tenure timeline. She confirmed with Hanlon that the decisionmakers would be faculty or members of committees elected by the faculty, and that the administration would not be picking faculty of their choosing to make these decisions.

Regent Julia Darlow, the board’s chair, said there’s been some misunderstanding on this issue, but that there had been an excellent and thorough discussion. “I do think the time has come,” she said.

Outcome: Regents voted unanimously to extend the maximum allowable tenure probationary period to 10 years. Regent Larry Deitch left the meeting before this vote.

Michigan Student Assembly: Changing of Guard

This was the last regents meeting for Chris Armstrong, outgoing president of the Michigan Student Assembly, UM’s student government group. Royster Harper, vice president for student affairs, thanked Armstrong for his leadership during a challenging year. He represented himself and the university well, she said, and persisted when everyone else would have understood if he did not. He has a “teachable spirit,” Harper said, noting there were many occasions to see that in evidence.

Chris Armstrong, outgoing president of the Michigan Student Assembly.

[Harper was alluding to the fact that Armstrong was the subject of attacks last year by former state assistant attorney general Andrew Shirvell. Shirvell kept a blog – the “Chris Armstrong Watch” – which criticized Armstrong for his openly gay lifestyle and “radical homosexual agenda.” The situation received national media attention, and Armstrong ultimately filed a lawsuit against Shirvell earlier this month, accusing him of stalking and inflicting emotional distress.]

Armstrong received a round of applause from regents before giving his final report to the board. “It has certainly been quite a year,” he said. He highlighted several MSA accomplishments during his tenure, including renewing a car service for student service groups, starting an online forum for students to petition the university, changing the housing policy for transgender students, and hosting a concert for students, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. “It’s been an honor for me to represent that work to you all,” he told the regents.

Regent Libby Maynard told Armstrong he’d helped all of them grow during the year. He’s been instrumental in making them better people, she said.

Armstrong then introduced the new MSA president, DeAndree Watson. Watson, a junior, said that Armstrong’s work has set a foundation for the coming year. He outlined several goals for his administration, including the desire to increase interactions with local, state and national officials. Noting that UM has a history of being a hub for student activism, Watson said he hoped to make MSA more of a resource for student activists by creating a fund to support those efforts, as well as an online database to share information and help student groups collaborate.

Infrastructure Projects

Regents approved several infrastructure projects at Thursday’s meeting, totaling more than $21 million.

Infrastructure Projects: Information Technology

Two items related to information technology (IT) infrastructure, totaling $8.9 million. Regents authorized a $2.7 million annual maintenance and replacement program for information and technology services in fiscal 2012. The program includes three major projects: (1) replacing the networking infrastructure for UM’s data network in campus buildings; (2) replacing the Northwood Housing network infrastructure; and (3) making upgrades to campus voice systems.

Regents also approved construction of a $6.2 million data center on the north campus, located near the UM Transportation Research Institute. The facility – which UM’s chief financial officer, Tim Slottow, described as an “ecopod” – is being built in response to increased demand for research computing and data storage capacity.

Laura Patterson, UM’s associate vice president and chief information officer, spoke briefly about the project, saying it’s part of an effort to consolidate the university’s 180 server rooms into a much smaller number of data centers, which would save about $1.3 million in annual operating costs. It will be a pre-manufactured facility, she said, delivered by semi-trailer truck and placed on a concrete slab. Smaller than the size of the regents boardroom, it will be much more efficient than a traditional data center, Patterson said.

Integrated Design Solutions LLC is the project’s designer. Construction is expected to be finished by the spring of 2012.

Infrastructure Projects: Michigan Memorial Phoenix Lab

Regents also authorized staff to issue bids and award construction contracts for an $11 million renovation and addition at the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Laboratory, which houses the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute. The project includes renovating about 10,000 square feet of lab space for energy-related research, and building a 10,000-square-foot addition for administrative functions. Regents approved the schematic design at their September 2010 meeting.

Infrastructure Projects: Orthotics & Prosthetics Center

Finally, regents approved a $1.3 million renovation to the UM Orthotics and Prosthetics Center, located at the Eisenhower Corporate Park West facility. The project will renovate roughly 12,500 square feet, resulting in a higher-capacity clinic space and expanded laboratory area with accommodations for new programs. Ann Arbor-based A3C Collaborative Architecture will design the project, which is expected to be complete by the spring of 2012.

Conflict-of-Interest Disclosures

Without comment, regents authorized 12 items that required disclosure under the state’s Conflict of Interest statute. The law requires that regents vote on potential conflict-of-interest disclosures related to university staff, faculty or students. The items often involve technology licensing agreements or leases.

An item involving a lease agreement with Lycera Corp. was withdrawn. Sally Churchill, vice president and secretary of the university, indicated that the agreement wasn’t yet completed. The company is planning to occupy 14,134 square feet of laboratory and office space in Building 26 at the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC) – the former Pfizer site on Plymouth Road.

Items approved were related to the following companies, organizations and individuals: (1) InSight Photography; (2) Camp Doc; (3) ElectroDynamic Application Inc.; (4) Holbrook Design; (5) Jeannette Routhier; (6) Baker-Calling Inc.; (7) Cytopherx; (8) MEMSTim; (9) NextGen Metabolomics Inc.; (10) Silicon Kidney; (11) Soar Technology Inc.; and (12) Vortex Hydro Energy LLC.

Academic Items: Courant Reappointed, New Degree OK’d

Provost Phil Hanlon highlighted the reappointment of Paul Courant as university librarian and dean of libraries, from Feb. 29, 2012 through Aug. 31, 2013. He said he wanted to get more time from Courant, but that’s all he would agree to. Courant is nationally recognized as a thought leader, Hanlon said, especially in the field of digitization. [As an example, Courant is among the leadership of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) effort, which also includes Ann Arbor District Library director Josie Parker.]

Later in the meeting, regents were asked to approve a new joint master’s degree and graduate certificate program in health informatics. The degree, to be offered at UM’s Ann Arbor campus, is a two-year program of the School of Information and the School of Public Health. Hanlon told regents that there’s a need for training in health care technologies, and that students have expressed interest in pursuing this course of study. The target date to enroll the first graduate certificate students is the fall of 2011, with enrollment of the first master’s degree students in the fall of 2012.

Regental, Academic Calendars

Regents approved two calendars during their meeting: (1) their meeting schedule for 2012; and (2) the university’s calendar for the 2013-14 academic year.

Regarding the academic calendar, it appears that the 2014 spring break might not coincide with the break for Ann Arbor Public Schools. A memo provided to the regents stated that the university’s spring break in 2014 will run from March 1 through March 9. From the memo: “We have communicated with the Ann Arbor Public School District, which in the past often tried to schedule a winter break that coincides with the UM academic calendar. We have been informed that new state requirements will mean that AAPS is unlikely to have much flexibility about when its breaks are set.”

Washtenaw Community Health Organization

Regents took two actions related to the Washtenaw Community Health Organization (WCHO), a partnership between Washtenaw County and the UM Health Systems. The partnership focuses on providing services to children and adults with mental or emotional health disorders, substance abuse problems or developmental disabilities.

Each institution appoints six members to the board. In action taken on Thursday, regents reappointed two members to WCHO’s board of directors, to represent the university: (1) Martha Bloom, vice president of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation; and (2) Jerry Walden, who founded and directed Packard Clinic until his retirement in 2007. Both members will serve terms from April 1, 2011 through March 31, 2014.

Also at the April 21 meeting, regents approved several changes to the WCHO bylaws. Among the changes include: (1) removing language for the UMHS to provide money for physical health services; (2) providing for the executive committee to act on behalf of the board and for actions to be reported to the full board at its next meeting; and (3) removing Washtenaw County as the fiscal agent for the WCHO. UM’s Hospitals and Health Centers executive board approved these revisions at its March 28, 2011 board meeting. The county board of commissioners approved the bylaws without discussion at its March 2, 2011 meeting.

Public Commentary

Five people spoke at the end of Thursday’s meeting on items not related to the agenda.

Public Commentary: Family Housing Language Program

Debbie Green, an Ann Arbor resident, talked about the decision to eliminate the family housing language program, which provided English classes and community support to families of international students living at Northwood Community Apartments, on UM’s north campus. Green said she taught with the program for five years in the 1980s, and found it to be popular and effective. The other main English as a Second Language program in Ann Arbor is located 40 minutes away by bus from Northwood and doesn’t offer the range of classes that were previously offered at UM, Green said. She noted that the university has stated that it wants to provide more opportunities for American students to interact with the foreign community at Northwood, but the needs of foreign families are being ignored. If the university is less welcoming to foreign students, they risk losing the tuition, diversity and expertise of that group, she said.

Regent Andy Richner asked for an explanation about the decision. Royster Harper, UM’s vice president for student affairs, said she’d follow up.

This message is posted on the program’s website:

The Northwood Community English Language Program is not offering English classes during the Winter 2011 semester.

We are currently refocusing our resources to provide programming that will serve a larger number of University Housing residents. Instead of our traditional English language classes, over the next several months, we will develop programs that serve the interests of Northwood’s international population as well as U-M student and faculty interest in international cultures and studies. The new programs may include collaborations with University academic units and cultural organizations to develop language mentorship opportunities for Northwood residents and their dependents. They will also engage Housing residents in global learning and cross-cultural initiatives.

Katie Oppenheim, chair of the University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council, spoke during public commentary at the April 21, 2011 regents meeting.

Public Commentary: Nurses Union

Katie Oppenheim, chair of the UM Professional Nurse Council, told regents that the union started contract negotiations with the university last week. The union’s roughly 4,000 members are fortunate to be working at an institution that’s prospering, she said, and the university is well-positioned so that the union’s members can provide the highest quality patient care. Part of that means that nurses need control over their nursing practice, and all that it entails, Oppenheim said. Nurses must have the resources they need to provide excellent patient care, and she hoped they could count on the regents’ full support.

After the commentary, regent Andrea Fischer Newman noted that Oppenheim had been her nurse when she delivered her son 15 years ago.

Public Commentary: Sustainability

Devi Glick spoke about the university’s sustainability efforts. Despite some positive steps, such as creating the Office of Campus Sustainability, she said UM is not a leader in pushing for environmental and social sustainability. She cited several examples where UM fell short, such as valuing aesthetics more than recycling efforts when asked to place recycling bins on the Diag, and in its drive for growth. “The university can become better without becoming bigger,” she said. Glick said she wasn’t encouraging unrealistic goals, but she urged regents to be bold. Achieving 90% of an ambitious goal is far better than attaining 100% of an unambitious goal, she said.

Public Commentary: Studying in Israel

Two students – Julie Sherbill and Laura Katsnelson – talked about why UM should establish a partnership with an Israeli university, allowing students to study abroad in that country. UM has a policy against setting up university-supported study abroad programs in any country with a travel warning – such a warning for Israel was issued by the U.S. State Department in 2001.

Sherbill told regents that they’ve collected over 1,000 student signatures in support of establishing a partnership with an Israeli university, proving that it’s a student-driven initiative. Resolutions in support were also passed unanimously by the Michigan Student Assembly and the student governing group for the College of Literature, Science & the Arts (LSA). Further, the action is also supported by U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, Sherbill said, as well as Deborah Dash Moore, director of the UM Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, and Liz Barry, managing director of the UM Life Sciences Institute.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman noted that the regents addressed this issue at their Feb. 17, 2011 meeting. She asked provost Phil Hanlon for an update.

Hanlon reported that he’d met with the people responsible for UM’s study abroad programs, to better understand why the current policy is in place. It’s a risk issue, he said. For most countries on the list – including Israel, Kenya and Mexico – there are only certain parts of the country that are deemed dangerous. However, UM staff didn’t feel they had the in-house expertise to know which parts of each country would be safe. Hanlon said his staff has also contacted others in the Association of American Universities to see what their policies are, and have talked to representatives from Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin, which both allow study in Israel, to see how they assess risk.

Mark Tessler, vice provost for international affairs, has set up a small group to look into this issue, Hanlon said, adding that he strongly urged Tessler to provide a recommendation to regents in May.

Newman said she understood UM’s policy, but suggested that they consider looking at countries individually, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. She said she’s very familiar with travel warnings issued by the State Department – Newman is senior vice president-government affairs for Delta Airlines. The government can only pay for dependents of federal employees to leave the country if a travel warning is in effect, she noted, so that should be taken into account. There’s also a difference between travel warnings and travel advisories, she said – that should be looked at as well.

Newman asked how long it would take to put the policy into effect, assuming it were changed to allow study in Israel. Hanlon replied it depends on the type of mechanism they use to assess risk.

Regent Andrew Richner asked whether they would look at all countries with travel warnings, not just Israel. Hanlon said he expected any change would apply to all countries in that category.

Katsnelson then described what a partnership with Hebrew University in Jerusalem might look like. Specifically, the university’s Rothberg International School is experienced in partnering with American universities, she said. The director of academic affairs there, Janet Alperstein, has expressed interest in working with UM to establish a partnership. If liability and safety are concerns, UM can ask students to sign a waiver, Katsnelson said – a packet provided to the regents included a sample waiver used by Harvard University.

Present: Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio), Julia Darlow, Larry Deitch, Denise Ilitch, Olivia (Libby) Maynard, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andrew Richner, Martin Taylor, Kathy White.

Next board meeting: Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 3 p.m. at the Fairlane Center on UM’s Dearborn campus, 19000 Hubbard Drive. [confirm date]

Richard Durance presented regents with a petition signed by more than 4,000 students protesting the selection of Gov. Rick Snyder as spring commencement speaker. (Photos by the writer.)

Richard Durance, an undergraduate who authored a petition against Snyder’s selection that was signed by more than 4,000 students, delivered it to regents on Thursday, saying that Snyder’s proposed cuts to K-12 and higher education make him an inappropriate choice. Zach Goldsmith, describing himself as the “angry senior” who organized protests earlier this week at the Diag, criticized regents for holding their meeting in Detroit, making it difficult for students to attend and voice their concerns.

After the public commentary, several regents defended the decision, which was made by UM president Mary Sue Coleman and did not require a vote of the board. Regent Larry Deitch said that although he’s a Democrat and personally doesn’t agree with some items in the Republican governor’s proposed budget, he endorsed the decision. And if students decide to protest at the April 30 event, he added, “that’s in the finest Michigan tradition, and we welcome it.”

Regents also heard presentations about three programs focused on Detroit: (1) the Semester in Detroit, a student-initiated program that has participants live, study and work in the city; (2) the Healthy Environments Partnership, a community-based participatory research effort that focuses on understanding and promoting cardiovascular health in Detroit neighborhoods; and (3) Revitalization and Business: Focus Detroit, a new program that’s connecting organizations in Detroit with students at the UM Ross School of Business.

Thursday’s meeting also included a unanimous vote to name The Lawyers Club dormitory in honor of Charles T. Munger, who gave the university $20 million toward renovations of the building, and a vote to approve a $39 million renovation of The Lawyers Club and the John P. Cook buildings – part of a larger expansion and renovation effort at UM’s law school.

And during public commentary – in addition to the calls for protest against Snyder – one of the speakers promoted this year’s TEDxUofM, to be held Friday, April 8 at the Michigan Theater from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The theme – “Encouraging Crazy Ideas” – was inspired by an August 2010 Forbes column written by UM president Mary Sue Coleman.

President’s Opening Remarks

Mary Sue Coleman began the meeting by saying they were happy to be there for the first regents meeting in Detroit – the birthplace of the university, and home of many partnerships. She and other university officials had been in the city since the previous day, meeting with civic leaders, alumni, the media and others, and they were pleased to have so many engaged partners in metro Detroit. Together, they’re committed to making a strong future for Michigan, she said.

UM president Mary Sue Coleman, left, talks with regent Libby Maynard prior to the start of the March 17, 2011 board of regents meeting, held at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel in downtown Detroit.

Coleman then turned her comments to the crisis in Japan, which is recovering in the aftermath of a major earthquake and tsunami that hit the country earlier this month. She encouraged the campus community to help in whatever way they could. Seventeen UM students are studying there, she said, and all are safe. But based on state department guidelines, the university is encouraging them to consider returning to campus, she said. There are also about 100 Japanese students studying at UM, Coleman noted – the university community’s thoughts are with them and their families.

Coleman noted that regents would be taking action later in the meeting to approve the honorary degrees to be awarded at spring commencement. One of those degrees will go to Gov. Rick Snyder, she said, who already has earned three degrees from UM. She said she was pleased that he accepted her invitation to be the commencement speaker, in UM’s tradition of inviting newly elected governors to speak at that event. Former governors William Milliken, James Blanchard, John Engler and Jennifer Granholm have all spoken at previous commencements, she noted. Snyder will continue that tradition, she said.

Earlier this week, Coleman said, they announced that Charles Munger is donating $20 million to the university’s law school – one of the largest gifts they’ve received. He studied at UM as an undergraduate, and always remembered his days on campus, she said. They appreciated his gift of support for renovations at the Lawyers Club, a residence hall for law students.

Regarding another student residence hall, Coleman invited the public to an open house at North Quad, UM’s newest dorm, which opened this fall at the corner of State and Huron streets. It will be held from 3-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, and she encouraged everyone to stop by.

Coleman congratuated regent Denise Ilitch for being honored with the Trillium Lifetime Achievement Award, given by the Michigan Women’s Foundation. The 2011 award will be given to Ilitch and her mother, Marian Ilitch – it’s the first time the award has been given jointly to a mother and daughter, Coleman said.

Finally, Coleman noted that March is a time for NCAA tournaments, and she reported that several UM teams are competing – including men’s basketball and wrestling, women’s swimming and diving, and men’s hockey. She sent all student athletes well-wishes for success. [On Friday afternoon, the Michigan men's basketball team won their first game of the NCAA tournament, beating the University of Tennessee Volunteers 75-45.]

Protesting, Defending Gov. Snyder

Since the university announced earlier this month that Gov. Rick Snyder had been invited as the main speaker for UM’s April 30 commencement, students have debated the decision. About 30 students protested earlier this week at the Diag and in the president’s office, according to a Michigan Daily report. The Michigan Student Assembly also voted on a resolution to oppose the choice of Snyder – the Daily reported that the resolution was defeated by a 14-9 vote.

Gov. Snynder: Public Commentary

Five students had originally signed up to address regents on this topic during public commentary at Thursday’s meeting. However, only three of them showed up to speak.

Zach Goldsmith

Zach Goldsmith identified himself as the “angry senior” who had organized Wednesday’s Diag protest. He said he wanted to voice in the strongest possible terms his opposition to the decision to invite Snyder. The fact that regents had chosen to hold this month’s meeting in Detroit – “conveniently” located an hour away from the Ann Arbor campus – indicated the premium they place on student participation, he said. Goldsmith said he wasn’t going to rehash the injustice and idiocy of Snyder’s proposed budget, the harm it will cause to public education, or the threat to democracy resulting from changes to emergency financial management legislation.

Goldsmith said he was a James B. Angell Scholar, and had worked hard to reach the day of his graduation – but his parents had worked even harder, he said. They worked in Ypsilanti as civil servants for 35 years, and now their retirement is called into question because of Snyder’s budget. They helped the residents of Ypsilanti and lived modestly so that they could send their two children to school. After all of that, he said, now the university wants to bring in a union buster, a Scott Walker-wannabe, to speak at commencement. What could Snyder possibly say? Snyder “doesn’t represent me, he doesn’t represent my class and I hope to hell he doesn’t represent my university.” Over 4,000 students who signed a petition of protest agree with him, Goldsmith said – students want the regents to rescind the invitation.

Andrea Ronquist said she’ll be graduating in April, and is concerned about the invitation to Snyder. It seems hypocritical to choose someone like him, she said, given his actions. She had attended a rally in Lansing on Wednesday to protest the proposed budget, and many other students were there. Students care about political issues, she said. Some students have threatened to walk out or turn their backs on Snyder if he gives the commencement speech, just as he’s turning his back on the people of Michigan, she said. Ronquist noted that during Obama’s speech last year, the president voiced his political views, and it’s likely that Snyder will do the same – though she hoped he would focus instead on the future of Michigan. If it’s a UM tradition to invite the state’s governors to be commencement speakers, then she’d respect that. But the university should also respect students’ views, and ask one of the other honorary degree recipients to give a speech as well.

Richard Durance began by noting that he had authored the petition that had accumulated more than 4,000 student signatures, protesting Snyder’s selection as commencement speaker. Durance delivered the petition to the board, and said he hoped they would reconsider the decision. The choice is inappropriate, given Snyder’s proposed budget cuts to K-12 schools and to public colleges and universities, as well as other controversial moves. Other speakers would be more appropriate – for example, someone like CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who publicly defended student body president Chris Armstrong when Armstrong came under attack by former assistant attorney general Andrew Shrivell last year.

More generally, Durance urged regents to consider adopting a policy that would preclude sitting elected officials from speaking at commencement. “While the university should promote political discussion and the exchange of differing viewpoints, we feel that graduation is not the appropriate forum,” Durance said. They are making this case not only for the Class of 2011, he said, but on behalf of future students as well.

Gov. Snyder: Regents Respond

Larry Deitch responded to the students’ commentary by saying he was born a Democrat and will die a Democrat. Last year they were thrilled that president Barack Obama, a Democrat, spoke at the spring commencement, he said, but it’s likely that about half of the people in Michigan Stadium hadn’t voted for him. Snyder was elected by the majority of people in Michigan, Deitch said, and the university has a tradition of inviting governors to speak at commencement. Snyder is as passionate an alum as anyone he knows, Deitch said. And while he personally doesn’t agree with some items in the Republican governor’s proposed budget, this is the democratic process and the marketplace of ideas. And if students decide to protest at the event, he added, “that’s in the finest Michigan tradition, and we welcome it.”

Andy Richner said he wanted to associate himself with Deitch’s comments – though not, he joked, with the comment about being a Democrat. [Richner is Republican.] You don’t have to agree with Snyder, but it’s important to hear what he has to say.

Andrea Fischer Newman, a Republican, also agreed with Deitch and Richner, and thanked the students for coming to express their concerns. She said she appreciated that the students let the regents know how they feel.

Finally, Libby Maynard, a Democrat, said it had been fun to have her email jammed with so many messages from students, but that it was important for the university to honor the role of governor and to hear what Snyder had to say. “I don’t have to agree with him on everything, but he is the governor of the state of Michigan.” She noted that the university’s annual Academic Freedom Fund Lecture honors three faculty members who were fired during the McCarthy era for holding views that the university administration disagreed with. [Those professors were Chandler Davis, Mark Nickerson and Clement L. Markert. Markert was later reinstated.] Maynard said they don’t want anything like that to happen again – the university stands for academic freedom.

Later in the meeting, the regents unanimously approved honorary degrees to be awarded to six people at the April 30 commencement, including Snyder. Other honorary degree recipients include: Vernon Ehlers, a former congressman and physicist; William Clay Ford Jr., Ford Motor Co. executive chairman; film director and producer Spike Lee; journalist and author Eugene Robinson; and Stephen Ross, CEO and managing partner of The Related Companies. Ross has been a major donor to UM – the Ross School of Business was named in his honor, following a $100 million contribution to the university.

Highlighting Detroit

Several speakers addressed the regents regarding UM programs and partnerships in Detroit. President Mary Sue Coleman noted that these represented only a sampling, saying that more information about UM’s work in Detroit is online.

Highlighting Detroit: Semester in Detroit

At the start of Thursday’s meeting, Coleman introduced Detroit city councilmember Saunteel Jenkins, who read a resolution of support and appreciation for UM’s Semester in Detroit program. Jenkins noted that all nine members of the Detroit city council had signed the resolution – and reaching agreement on anything “is not always an easy thing to do,” she joked. Jenkins introduced two UM students who were participating in the program by working with city council staff. She also introduced her chief of staff, who was a graduate of UM. About half of the students who go through the Semester in Detroit end up living and working in the city, she said, and she thanked the university for preparing students for life after graduation.

Charles Bright – director of UM’s Residential College, which coordinates the Semester in Detroit – told regents that this was a student-initiated program that started in 2008. Without students, it wouldn’t have happened, he said. During the semester, they live on the campus of Wayne State University, take courses taught by faculty at UM’s Detroit Center on Woodward Avenue, and work as interns for nonprofits, community groups or arts organizations.

The synergy between classwork and the living/work experience is key, Bright said. It’s also important that there be mutual payoff for both students and the groups they work with, he said – volunteerism for a “feel good” effect has little more impact on the community than doing scutwork at an office. All of this takes planning, monitoring and honest reflection about what works and what doesn’t, Bright said.

Bright then introduced two students who’ve participated in the program, who shared their experiences. Larissa Carr, a junior who’s majoring in political science, told regents that even though she’s a native of Detroit, this program has allowed her to build a deeper connection to the city. She’s been working with the Urban League of Southeastern Michigan, doing outreach with local high schools to help students prepare for applying to college. Patrick Morris, who graduated from UM last year, interned with the Detroit Public Schools, teaching creative writing to elementary school students. He now works at Racquet Up Detroit, a nonprofit after-school youth development program. The Semester in Detroit allowed him to feel part of the community, and led him to explore his own family’s history in more depth.

Bright concluded the presentation by noting that this isn’t easy work, and that to be sustainable, it requires the support and resources of the university. He invited everyone to the program’s April 20 “closing celebration” at the Detroit Center.

Highlighting Detroit: Healthy Environments Partnership

Amy Schultz, a UM associate professor of public health, and Angela Ruiz of the Detroit Hispanic Development Corp. talked about the Healthy Environments Partnership (HEP), a partnership between the UM School of Public Health and several community partners in Detroit. It’s also an affiliated project of the Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center (Detroit URC).

The partnership launched in 2000 – it’s a community-based participatory research effort that focuses on understanding and promoting cardiovascular health in Detroit neighborhoods. Over the past 11 years, the partnership has developed five programs, including a walking program called CATCH-PATH (Community Approaches to Cardiovascular Health: Pathways to Heart Health). CATCH-PATH helps community organizations form walking groups and promote active living. So far, 350 residents have participated in the walking program.

Schultz and Ruiz also described another HEP program: Social and Physical Environments and Cardiovascular Health Disparities. The project is researching the link between air quality and cardiovascular health, raising awareness of the health impact of exposure to airborne particulates – from sources like incinerators, vehicle traffic and industrial sites – and urging policymakers in Detroit to consider this information when they make decisions about land-use issues, for example.

HEP has received about $12 million in funding for its efforts over the past decade, and has employed over 35 Detroit area residents.

Highlighting Detroit: Revitalization and Business

For the final presentation, two MBA students at UM’s Ross School of Business described a student-led program called Revitalization and Business: Focus Detroit. David McCarty, a second-year MBA student, was one of the organizers of the program. He told regents that the effort began about a year ago as a way to institutionalize the connections between Detroit and UM business students. Their mission is to change the conversation about Detroit, which historically has been negative. They wanted instead to focus on Detroit’s assets and opportunities for business students.

The program has two components: (1) a two-day conference that took place in January, and (2) Detroit Impact, which pairs student teams with Detroit organizations to work on specific projects.

McCarty said that by every measure, the conference was a huge success. It met in downtown Detroit on the first day, with workshops and tours of the city. Events on the second day were held in Ann Arbor, and included a keynote speech by DTE Energy CEO Tony Early and Bill Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. Over 700 students were involved and feedback was positive, McCarty said. He overheard some students say they now wanted to explore starting a business in Detroit, rather than take a traditional job, like one in investment banking. They have ambitions to grow the program, he said, engaging more students and faculty, eventually including year-round programming, and improving connections with Detroit employers.

Neesha Modi, a first-year student in the joint MBA and School of Natural Resources & Environment program, described her experience on a Detroit Impact team. They acted as consultants for the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce and the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan, developing a plan to market the region as a supply-chain hub. She said the experience was life-changing, and she looked forward to growing these opportunities.

Law School Projects, Naming

Regents voted unanimously to name The Lawyers Club dormitory in honor of Charles T. Munger, who gave the university $20 million toward renovations of the building, which houses about 260 students. The north Lawyers’ Club residences will be renamed The Charles T. Munger Residences in the Lawyers’ Club. The work is part of a larger renovation and expansion project of the law school, which includes a new academic building on the corner of State and Monroe streets.

Munger is vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, a holding company led by investor Warren Buffett. Munger studied mathematics at UM in the 1940s and received an honorary doctorate of laws degree from the university in 2010. He previously provided $3 million for lighting upgrades at the law school’s Hutchins Hall and the William W. Cook Legal Research Library, including its reading room.

Regents also approved a $39 million renovation of The Lawyers Club and the John P. Cook buildings – part of a larger expansion and renovation effort at UM’s law school. The project will entail complete renovation of the John P. Cook building, which was constructed in 1939, along with renovations of the dormitory wing of The Lawyers’ Club, which was built in 1924 and houses nearly 260 students.

The project’s design will be handled by Hartman-Cox Architects and SmithGroup. Regents will be asked to approve a schematic design for the project at a later date.

Regent Andy Richner said he’d spent “a year or two” living in The Lawyers Club while earning his law degree at UM, and described the proposed changes as transformational. The law school is doing well, he said, thanks to generous contributions from people like Munger.

Evan Caminker, dean of the UM law school.

Evan Caminker, dean of the law school, attended Thursday’s meeting and was invited to speak about the project. He told regents that Munger recognizes that attending law school is a holistic experience – both an academic endeavor and a lifestyle on campus. Munger saw that The Lawyers Club was largely unchanged from the time it was built in the 1920s, and his donation will allow the residence hall to be completely revitalized, Caminker said. The work will bring it into compliance with modern building codes and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and will increase energy efficiencies in the building.

Caminker thanked several UM executives for their help, including CFO Tim Slottow, vice president of development Jerry May and president Mary Sue Coleman, for helping cultivate the relationship with Munger.

Regent Libby Maynard asked Coleman whether Munger would be returning to the university to be honored for his donation. Coleman replied by noting that he had received an honorary degree at the 2010 winter commencement, and said she hoped he returned again – “I keep finding excuses for him to come back.” Coleman reported that he likes working with the university because they listen to him, and actually take his advice.

Action Items: Hospital Project, Financing

A $6 million expansion of the University Hospital medical procedure unit (MPU) was unanimously approved by regents at their March 17 meeting. The project will create additional prep/recovery bays, procedure rooms, and storage space, and expand the patient and family reception and waiting room. The work entails renovating 2,200 square feet of existing space, and expanding the current MPU location by roughly 4,000 square feet. The project will be designed by Niagara Murano, an architectural firm, with construction scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2012.

Regents also authorized a new commercial paper program, allowing the university to sell up to $200 million to provide funding for certain capital projects. Commercial paper is a money-market security issued by banks or large institutions like UM to get money for short-term debt. The previous commercial paper program – Series H – expired in November 2009. Several projects might be funded by this financing, including the Alice Crocker Lloyd Hall renovation, Crisler Arena renovation, Institute for Social Research expansion, the expansion of the Law School academic building and Hutchins Hall Law School Commons, and the UM Hospitals and Health Centers C.S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospitals, among other projects.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures

Regents authorized three items that required disclosure under the state’s Conflict of Interest statute. The law requires that regents vote on potential conflict-of-interest disclosures related to university staff, faculty or students. Often, the items involve technology licensing agreements or leases.

The items concern:

• A 12-month lease agreement and relationship agreement with Wolverine Energy Solutions and Technology Inc. Wolverine Energy will lease space at UM’s North Campus Research Complex, as part of the university’s business accelerator program, called the Venture Accelerator. The item falls under the conflict-of-interest statute because four UM employees – Theodore Goodson, Stephanie Goodson, Meng Guo, and Oleg Varnavski – are also co-owners of the company. The lease will begin in early 2011 – rates are $200 per month for each office (maximum of 2) and $2,150 per month for each half bay of laboratory space (maximum of 2). Earlier in the meeting, Stephen Forrest – UM’s vice president for research – noted that Wolverine Energy will become the sixth tenant in the accelerator program, which opened in January. It indicates that UM has the capacity and ability to make a measurable economic development impact, Forrest said.
• A research agreement between UM and JV BioLabs. UM pathology professor James Varani is a partial owner of the business, which is commercializing methods to profile drugs and natural products for skin repair. The company plans to provide $176,709 in funding for research by UM professor Narasimharao Bhagavathula.
• An agreement between UM and Advanced Battery Control, which is seeking an exclusive option to license certain university technologies related to large-scale batteries. Two owners of the business – Kang Shin and Hahnsang Kim – are university researchers. Shin is also a UM professor of computer science and electrical engineering.

All items passed unanimously, with no discussion.

Public Commentary

In addition to the three students who spoke about the selection of Gov. Snyder for spring commencement speaker, two other people addressed the regents during public commentary. Three people who had originally signed up did not attend the meeting.

Alex O’Dell had previously spoken to regents at their January 2010 meeting, as an organizer of the first TEDxUofM event. On Thursday, he said he represented a team of 65 students who are putting on this year’s TEDxUofM, to be held Friday, April 8 at the Michigan Theater from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The theme – “Encouraging Crazy Ideas” – was inspired by an August 2010 Forbes column written by UM president Mary Sue Coleman, O’Dell said. Each of the 20 speakers will have 18 minutes to give “the talk of their lives” about their own ideas, he said. [The full list of speakers is included on the TEDxUofM website.] Registration for the event opened on Monday, and on the first day 800 people signed up to attend – after 48 hours, that number reached 1,400.

TED stands for technology, entertainment and design, and the 18-minute lectures at its conferences – known as TED Talks – are focused on what organizers call “ideas worth spreading.” TEDx events are independently organized, with guidance from the original TED.

After his comments, UM president Mary Sue Coleman said, “I think it’s going to be successful!” Regent Martin Taylor noted that when the regents start to wonder about things, someone like O’Dell comes along and encourages them with his enthusiasm.

Elijah Robinson

Elijah Robinson said he didn’t have any prepared remarks, but that he’d been thinking about a lot of things and would just “let my spirit flow.” He said he’s been studying the university – its mission, people and ideas – and that much of what he discovered is similar to his own goals. However, he said his focus isn’t on fame, money or success – he’s focused on the Bible, specifically the New International Version (NIV). He said he’s an individual who can make the future better. Though he wasn’t asking to be admitted to the university, he said he was openly interested in the school. He’d spoken with someone in UM’s admissions office, and asked about the difference between getting a degree and gaining knowledge. He hoped to have the opportunity to speak to someone further about his ideas.

Present: Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio), Julia Darlow, Larry Deitch, Denise Ilitch, Olivia (Libby) Maynard, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andrew Richner, Martin Taylor, Kathy White (via speaker phone).

Next board meeting: Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 3 p.m. at the Fleming Administration building, 503 Thompson St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]