Regents authorized staff to issue bids and award construction contracts for the $116 million renovation of East Quad. The overall project had been approved at the board’s July 21, 2011 meeting.  Subsequently, regents signed off on a schematic design at the Nov. 17, 2011 meeting.  The 300,000-square-foot residence hall – located at 701 E. University, between Hill and Willard – houses about 860 students and the Residential College. The renovation is expected to be finished by the summer of 2013.

Authorization for issuing bids and awarding construction contracts was also given by regents for a renovation of The Charles T. Munger Residences in the Lawyers’ Club and the John P. Cook Building. A schematic design for that $39 million project had been approved at the regents Dec. 15, 2011 meeting, with the initial authorization given in March 2011. The building is part of the Law School campus at South State Street, between South University and Monroe streets. The project is also scheduled for completion in the summer of 2013.

A smaller $2.1 million project also received approval from regents, for installing an uninterruptible power supply at UM’s Cardiovascular Center, located in the medical campus at 1500 E. Medical Center Drive.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the Fleming administration building on UM’s central campus, where the regents’ meeting is held. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman passed around a tray of Block M cookies before the Nov. 17 board meeting. Later, regent Martin Taylor objected to a potential “cookie cutter” approach to appropriating money for higher education, via formula funding. It was fairly clear that he wasn’t referring to these cookies. (Photos by the writer.)

This year, as part of the standard budget appropriations process, the state also has asked universities to provide suggestions for how to implement “formula funding” – a mechanism that’s being considered as a way to standardize appropriations for higher education. Martin Taylor and other regents expressed concerns over the approach, and asked for revisions to a letter being sent from the university to the state budget director that would explicitly state UM’s opposition to this kind of funding model.

Also on the agenda were two requests related to renovations at East Quad on central campus and Baits II on north campus. The topic prompted regent Andrea Fischer Newman to call for a broader strategy for student housing in the coming decades, saying that more attention needs to be given to that aspect of the university. Regent Larry Deitch noted that UM charges a healthy price, and he doesn’t believe there’s full value for UM’s lower-division students when some facilities aren’t up to snuff.

The child rape scandal at Penn State was mentioned at two points during the Nov. 17 meeting. Toward the start, board chair Denise Ilitch read a brief statement on behalf of the regents, saying that the board fully supported president Mary Sue Coleman’s Nov. 16 letter to the campus community. The university plans to use this tragic situation, Ilitch said, for thoughtful re-examination of UM’s values, culture and priorities.

At the end of the meeting, Douglas Smith spoke during public commentary, criticizing the university for not protecting alleged victims of sexual assault by UM athletes Brendan Gibbons and Jordan Dumars. Penn State was only an anomaly because the victims were children, he said. But it’s not an anomaly for university administrators to protect their athletic programs rather than the victims, he added – that’s the norm.

Two others spoke during public commentary. Stephen Raiman, founder of Students Against GSRA Unionization, lobbied regents to reverse their previous vote of support for the right of graduate student research assistants to unionize. And Courtney Mercier, founder of Michigan Student-Athletes for Sustainability, advocated for support to improve integration of the athletic department into the university’s sustainability efforts.

Student filmmakers also made a presentation during the meeting, highlighting video public service announcements (PSAs) they’d made for UM’s “Expect Respect” campaign. After they finished, Ilitch asked whether they’d be interested in making a PSA for the regents, too.

President’s Opening Remarks

UM president Mary Sue Coleman typically starts each meeting by giving highlights of recent accomplishments that the university or its faculty, students or alumni have achieved. She began the Nov. 17 meeting with news that UM alumna Jesmyn Ward had won the National Book Award in fiction for her novel “Salvage the Bones.” Ward received her MFA in creative writing from UM, graduating in 2005. While a student at UM, Coleman noted, Ward won five Hopwood awards, and faculty had expected great things from her in the future. Coleman observed that “Salvage the Bones” had generally been considered a long-shot to receive the award, and that the honor is a real credit to Ward and to UM’s creative writing program.

Regent Denise Ilitch, left, and UM president Mary Sue Coleman.

Coleman also congratulated Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, who was recently elected to the Washington, D.C.-based Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Pescovitz is UM’s executive vice president for medical affairs and oversees the University of Michigan Health System. It’s one of the highest honors in the medical or health professions, Coleman said. Pescovitz received a round of applause from regents and UM staff.

The university’s health system is on the cusp of welcoming patients and families to the new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, Coleman said. The hospital opens officially on Dec. 4, but staff and faculty have already started moving in. More than 20,000 people from the community attended an open house for the facility earlier this month. No one expected that kind of turnout, Coleman said, but it speaks to the community’s interest in the hospital. She thanked the board for their support of the project.

Highlighting another recent venture, Coleman noted that UM’s Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses are part of the new Michigan Corporate Relations Network, along with Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Wayne State University and Western Michigan University. The intent is to connect university resources with businesses more efficiently, she said. The initiative, funded by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the Michigan Strategic Fund, will include several programs designed to spur economic development. Coleman said it’s another way that the university is working to reinvigorate the state’s economy.

Coleman concluded her remarks by noting the recent death of regent emeritus Deane Baker. He was 86. Baker had served as a regent for 24 years, in a tenure that overlapped with regents Larry Deitch and Andrea Fischer Newman. Coleman praised his generosity to the university, and gave her condolences to his family.

State Budget Appropriations Letter

Provost Phil Hanlon briefed regents on the university’s annual letter to the state budget director, outlining the 2013 budget needs of the Ann Arbor campus. [link to .pdf of budget development letter] The 12-page letter, officially from UM president Mary Sue Coleman, makes the case that UM needs state support, noting that the Ann Arbor campus receives 30% less in state funding than it did a decade ago. It also provides details of UM’s cost containment efforts and impact on the regional economy.

This year, the state also asked universities to provide suggestions for “formula funding” – a mechanism that’s being considered as a way to standardize appropriations for higher education.

UM’s letter notes that formula funding, as a new funding model, poses several challenges. From the letter:

The University of Michigan has long expressed concerns about formula funding. When not carefully designed, formulas may favor standardization, ignore economies of scale, and make flawed assumptions about costs being consistent between institutions. The incentives that are embedded into formulas can steer institutions toward uniformity and away from diversity, and this poses serious drawbacks for the State of Michigan. We believe that the diversity of scope and mission seen among the State’ s fifteen public universities is invaluable; it is what enables our universities to meet the State ‘s critical goals for higher education. A formula that fails to recognize the important differences amongst the public universities will undercut the important investments already made in these institutions, and harm rather than help the State.

When the State institutes formula funding, careful planning will thus be required to avoid that potential harm. Specifically, it is critical that the methodology include comparisons of each university to similar institutions. Using the Carnegie classifications and limiting the comparisons to only public institutions will allow for Michigan public universities to be measured against their peers.

The letter goes on to suggest specific performance measures that a formula funding model might include. They include:

• Six-year graduation rates
• Freshman to sophomore retention rates
• Total number of undergraduate degrees awarded
• Number of degrees awarded in fields that will fuel economic growth of the State: engineering, mathematics and natural sciences, health professions (nursing, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry)
• Number of advanced degrees, particularly those awarded in fields critical to maintaining and enriching business, legal, civic, and educational endeavors within Michigan (such as JDs, MBAs, PhDs)
• Sponsored research funding
• Technology transfer and economic development indicators, such as the number of patents filed by university faculty or the number of start-up companies spun out of the university.

Attached to the letter is a copy of the university’s $1.587 billion FY 2012 general fund budget, which the regents approved in June 2011. The budget is based on the assumption that UM will receive $268.8 million in state appropriations for the fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012. That amount represents a $47.5 million cut in UM’s state appropriation – a decline of 15% compared to FY 2011, and the lowest amount of state aid received since FY 1964, when adjusted for inflation. The budget included a 6.7% increase in tuition and fees for most in-state first- and second-year undergraduates at the Ann Arbor campus, for a total of $12,634 per year ($6,317 per term).

State Budget Appropriations Letter: Regents’ Discussion

Regent Martin Taylor began the discussion by asking if it’s a fait accompli that the state will combine the budgets for K-12 and higher education funding. K-12 and state-funded institutions of higher education have traditionally received support from different state funding pools.

Cynthia Wilbanks, UM’s vice president for government relations, said that last year – for the first time – the state used some of the School Aid Fund to support higher education. Revenues for the School Aid Fund, set aside to fund K-12 public schools – come mostly from the state sales tax, she said. There remains concern about this move on both sides of the aisle, she said.

Her understanding is that the growth of the School Aid Fund has outpaced growth of the state’s general fund. It’s been characterized as a surplus that could be used to fund all education, not just K-12, she said. Wilbanks said she wouldn’t describe it as a fait accompli, but there’s some expectation that a similar recommendation will be made for the next budget, tapping the School Aid Fund for higher education as well as K-12.

Taylor said he’s talked with some people who are knowledgeable about the state legislature, and they feel it’s a done deal.

He then raised the issue of formula funding, calling it a dangerous area for the state to get into. It’s disturbing to turn funding into a cookie-cutter approach, he said. Wilbanks replied that the first indications of Gov. Rick Snyder’s interest in formula funding were seen in the state’s FY 2012 budget, although that budget appropriated funds for higher education as they’ve been handled historically. Looking ahead, the projected state budget amounts for higher education in FY 2013 are roughly equal to FY 2012, she noted, but specific reference is made in the state budget document regarding formula funding in FY 2013.

Specifically, the state budget document for 2012 and 2013 states:

Beginning in fiscal year 2013, Governor Snyder proposes the use of a formula to allocate university funding. The efforts to develop the formula will be led by the State Budget Director, with input from universities and other stakeholders. The formula will encourage universities to graduate a highly educated workforce in a timely manner and conduct research that contributes to the overall economic strategy for Michigan. [link to .pdf of full budget document]

University officials have been working for the past six months on recommendations regarding formula funding, Wilbanks said. There are serious challenges, including the cookie-cutter issue that Taylor mentioned, she said. Those concerns have been expressed to state officials, she said.

From left: Regents Andrew Richner and Martin Taylor.

Taylor said it seemed that the merging of K-12 funding with higher education, along with the formula funding approach, were designed to reduce funding to higher education. That’s an attitude that’s popular in Lansing, he noted.

Higher education hasn’t fared as well as K-12 regarding state funding, Wilbanks said. So there’s a debate about the mechanics of appropriations, as well as with formula funding. There have been numerous attempts at formula funding going back decades, she noted, but this is the first time she’s seen a much more serious effort in that regard. She believed the university has the opportunity to influence some of the characteristics that might be considered in the formula.

Hanlon said that the state’s 15 public universities have very different missions, so it’s hard to imagine how a single formula could work. The letter to the state brings up some of these concerns, he said.

Wilbanks noted that over the past decade, there hasn’t been any consistency in the funding of higher education. But the challenges of formula funding are evidenced in other states that use this approach, she said. Applying a formula to the appropriations process doesn’t ensure consistency and predictability. Financial pressure might preclude the ability to “fund the formula,” she said, or legislative priorities might change. These things wreak havoc, Wilbanks said. Throwing a formula into the process simply makes it more challenging, she concluded, noting that she and others have pointed out these issues to state policymakers.

Andrew Richner brought up the issue of the impact on the university’s bond rating. Now, UM has a AAA rating, and it’s important to maintain, he said. The high bond rating allows the university to get better interest rates when borrowing money for projects like the East Quad renovation, he noted. He didn’t see that mentioned in the letter to the state.

UM president Mary Sue Coleman told regents that the university has presented a lot of evidence to state budget officials, and UM executives have talked to legislators and the governor. They’ll continue to do that, she said. UM has experienced a 30% reduction in state funding over the past decade, not adjusted for inflation, she noted. Coleman said she’s proud that through cost cutting and aggressive fundraising, they’ve been able to keep the university financially sound. “But this isn’t a given going forward, and we need to appreciate that,” she said.

Taylor advocated for revisions to the letter that would explicitly state UM’s opposition to formula funding, along with the letter’s existing suggestions for how to implement it. He observed that in the 26-page document, they weren’t putting up much of an argument against formula funding. To him, the letter seems to imply that going in the direction of formula funding is acceptable, he said.

Hanlon noted that the university wasn’t asked if formula funding is a good idea. They were asked for suggestions on how to implement it.

Taylor countered that it was important to explicitly state the university’s view on this. To say nothing “just doesn’t seem to me to be very smart,” he said. The same is true for separate letters from UM’s Flint and Dearborn campuses, he added.

This is the second year that Hanlon has been responsible for drafting the university’s letter regarding its state budget allocations – he was promoted to provost following the 2010 departure of Teresa Sullivan, who was hired as president of the University of Virginia. The letter was also criticized by some of the regents last year. At the regents’ November 2010 meeting. Andrea Fischer Newman told Hanlon that the request for state funding had been too low, and she didn’t feel that they’d taken the opportunity to lay out their case for more funding effectively.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved the letter, with the provision that it be modified to reflect their concerns. The Flint and Dearborn campuses submit separate letters, which were also approved by regents.

Dorm Projects Lead to Broader Discussion on Housing

Items related to renovations of two University of Michigan dorms – Baits II and East Quad – were on the agenda for the Nov. 17 meeting.

Typically, Tim Slottow – UM’s chief financial officer – is responsible for briefing regents on capital improvement projects. He was absent from the meeting, and Royster Harper, the university’s vice president for student affairs, handled these housing-related items.

Harper began by noting that the renovations were designed to improve the residential experience for students, and to enhance living/learning opportunities. She said she wanted to assure regents that the closing of East Quad and Baits II in the next academic year would not create an overall shortage of beds. She reminded them that Alice Lloyd Hall, a dorm with 530 beds that’s been closed for renovations, will reopen next year. Along with other measures, Harper said UM will be able to accommodate demand for all students, and will have options for graduate students and law school students as well, if they are interested in university housing.

Royster Harper, UM vice president for student affairs, talks with Stephen Forrest, vice president for research.

Regents were being asked to authorize an estimated $11.95 million renovation to Baits II, located on UM’s north campus. The work includes infrastructure updates and reconfiguration of community spaces. The 175,000-square-foot, five-building complex was built in 1967 and houses about 575 students.

The project will be designed by UM’s department of architecture, engineering and construction, in collaboration with Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc., a Grand Rapids firm. The work is expected to be completed in the summer of 2013. The nearby Baits I residence hall, which houses about 570 students, will be closed at the end of this academic year because of infrastructure issues, and won’t be reopened.

Regarding the Baits II renovations, Harper said the university has been working hard to enhance the vibrancy and appeal of north campus. They’ve created an undergraduate community in the Northwood apartments, she said, and there’s a great living arts program in Bursley Hall. In 2008, some infrastructure work was done at Baits II, but now the university need to do more, she said. The work is even more important in light of the university’s decision to close Baits I, Harper told the regents. That residence hall didn’t provide the kind of experience that students should have, she said, and it wouldn’t have been worth the investment to make the necessary renovations.

Dorm Projects: Regents’ Discussion

Andrea Fischer Newman told Harper that the regents appreciate the investments and upgrades to residence halls, but there’s a bigger issue. She wanted to see a long-term strategic plan for university housing and student life, including recreational facilities and the future of Mary Markley Hall. The new North Quad has had a positive impact, she indicated. [North Quad, located at the southeast corner of State and Huron streets, opened this fall and has been praised by regents in the past. It was the first dorm built by the university since the 1960s, and houses about 450 students.]

Newman said she knows that funding is an issue, but these things need to be dealt with. This aspect of the university needs to be addressed, and not enough attention has been paid to student living, she said, whether it’s freshmen or married couples or students with children. She hasn’t seen an overall plan, and it’s an area that’s important to UM’s competitive position.

Harper replied that a plan for student housing would be brought to the board’s meeting next spring. When pressed by Newman about details – What’s the timeframe for the plan? Will it include suggestions for new dorms? – Harper said the plan would address the university’s direction for student housing in the next 40-50 years. Denise Ilitch, the board’s chair, added that regents will be reviewing a broader master plan for the university at their December meeting, and student housing will be a part of that. Additional details about the student life aspect of that master plan, including housing and recreational facilities, will be discussed in the spring.

Newman said she’s on Harper’s side – she understands that there’s no dedicated funding stream for housing improvements, and that there’s not enough focus on it. Her intent is to push things forward.

Regent Andrew Richner asked for more details on how housing for the freshman class will be handled. Harper said that the living/learning communities in the Northwood apartments 1-2 would be expanded to Northwood 3, where the apartments will be renovated. Alice Lloyd Hall will reopen, adding about 530 beds.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman. In the background are UM president Mary Sue Coleman and regent Larry Deitch.

Harper said plans are still uncertain for how to accommodate about 300 students, but they’re working on it. Their first priority is freshmen, she said, and there likely won’t be as many returning students living in residence halls.

Larry Deitch told Harper that she does a great job, and he’s sure her staff will make Northwood the best it can be. But it’s not ideally suited for an 18-year-old new undergraduate, he said, and it doesn’t compare with other facilities. The university needs to focus on building more facilities like North Quad, he said. If the money isn’t there, he wants the university to explore public-private partnerships. He noted that he’s said this before, but the idea has been resisted.

The university charges a healthy price, Deitch said, and he doesn’t believe there’s full value for UM’s lower-division students when some facilities aren’t up to snuff.

Newman agreed. As regents, they hear from constituents, she said, especially when housing assignments come out. And most of the complaints are from people who are upset about being assigned to north campus housing. She wondered whether there was any consideration given when making housing assignments, to coordinate with a student’s area of study?

Harper identified the main issue as transportation. It’s a challenge to get back and forth between north campus and central campus in a reasonable amount of time, she said, and the university needs to work harder at improving that situation. She noted that there are students who clearly don’t want to live on north campus. But when a student is first assigned there, they often react to the reputation of north campus being a terrible place to live, which is very different from a student’s experience after they live there, she said. But no matter how wonderful the living situation is, it doesn’t matter if you can’t get back and forth between campuses, she said.

Newman suggested taking a closer look at this situation. Perhaps there are more classes that can be offered on north campus, so that students won’t have to make the trek. She said she thinks there’s a better way to coordinate housing with academics, and noted that feedback on the issue has been “incredibly high-pitched” this year.

Provost Phil Hanlon agreed that they can do better, and that the kind of coordination that Newman mentioned hasn’t been done historically. He reported that there are 17 engineering students in the freshman calculus class that he teaches, and all but one of their classes are on central campus. [The College of Engineering is located on north campus.]

Regent Kathy White spoke up, saying that she’d been an engineering student at a different university, and the last thing she would have wanted was to live next to the engineering building. “That is insane,” she said. White said a lot of engineering students don’t want to be relegated to north campus.

Newman responded that there needs to be a balance. With about 2,200 students living on north campus, there’s a level of concern, she said.

Harper said she understands the concern, and at a minimum, the university needs to fix the transportation piece. [The transportation piece is one that is to be addressed in part through an alternatives analysis phase of a study of the Plymouth-State corridors, headed up by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, with support from other partners including UM. The first phase of that study, found some kind of higher capacity transit system would be supportable in that corridor, at least in the area connecting the UM campuses. See "AATA: Transit Study, Planning Update"] Richner also expressed concern about the university’s meal service, saying that issue needs to be addressed as well.

UM president Mary Sue Coleman concluded the discussion by noting that following North Quad and the renovations of other student residence halls, they need to keep those kinds of successes going.

Later in the meeting, Chuck Lewis, a vice president with Integrated Design Solutions, briefed regents on the proposed schematic design for the $116 million “deep” renovation of East Quad, located at 701 E. University Ave., between Hill and Willard. Regents had approved the project at their July 2011 meeting, and authorized IDS as the project’s architect.

The 300,000-square-foot residence hall houses about 860 students and the Residential College, a living-learning community started in the 1960s. The RC will be temporarily located in West Quad, according to a Michigan Daily report. The East Quad renovation is scheduled for completion by the summer of 2013. The project is part of a campus-wide “Residential Life Initiative” first presented to regents in September 2004.

Outcome: In separate votes, regents unanimously approved the renovations at Baits II and the schematic design for East Quad.

“Expect Respect” PSAs

Toward the beginning of the meeting, regents heard a special presentation from four undergraduate filmmakers involved in creating a series of public service announcements for UM’s “Expect Respect” campaign. Josh Buoy, Chris Duncan, Roddy Hyduk, and Stephanie Hamel were on hand to highlight four short PSAs that were played for regents, and to give behind-the-scenes descriptions of the productions.

From left: UM junior Josh Buoy with Rob Rayher, who teaches an introductory filmmaking course at the university. Buoy was one of four students who gave regents a presentation about public service announcements they made to promote the “Expect Respect” campaign.

Buoy told regents that they had gotten involved in the project as an outgrowth of an introductory filmmaking course they took with Rob Rayher, who also attended the Nov. 17 meeting.

Most of the PSAs feature students and administrators – and in one, former UM football player Desmond Howard – all with the theme of respecting others. The PSA featuring Howard is called “The Man” and promotes UM’s “Stay in the Blue” program. The program calls for keeping blood alcohol content at .06 or below.

Other PSAs were made for UM’s Spectrum Center (“Huddle Up”) to promote tolerance of sexual orientation, and for the Sexual Assault Awareness Center (“Connections”) to showcase healthy relationships. All videos are posted on the Filmic Productions website, and have been shown during UM home football games this fall on Michigan Stadium’s scoreboard video screens.

After the presentation, regent Denise Ilitch told the students that the board would love to have them do a PSA for the regents. “We’ll talk,” Buoy said.

Conflict-of-Interest Disclosures

Regents were asked to authorize eight 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. This month, the items included three lease agreements, three research option agreements and one licensing agreement.

Lease agreements related to leases at the UM North Campus Research Complex‘s startup “accelerator” with Silicium Energy Inc., Arborlight LLC, and Possibilities for Change LLC. One item related to a licensing agreement amendment with NeuroNexus Technologies Inc. – UM biomedical engineering professor Daryl Kipke is CEO and co-owner of the firm. Items related to option agreements were with the companies ImBio LLC, RiskWatch LLC, and Silicium Energy.

Also authorized was a collaboration between The Ark, a downtown Ann Arbor concert venue, and the University Unions Arts and Programs. The event – an Oct. 7 concert by Vienna Teng at UM’s Power Center – triggered the conflict-of-interest issue because The Ark’s board chair, Kathryn Huss, works for UM as deputy director and chief administrative officer of the Museum of Art.

Outcome: Without discussion, regents authorized all conflict-of-interest disclosures.

Public Commentary

Three people spoke during the time for public commentary at the end of the meeting.

Douglas Smith directed his remarks to UM president Mary Sue Coleman, saying that she didn’t need to travel to Penn State to find a university administration that failed to protect alleged victims of sexual assaults, especially involving football or basketball players. He described a 2009 incident involving UM field goal kicker Brendan Gibbons, who was arrested for an alleged rape of an 18-year-old freshman, and a more recent incident involving UM basketball player Jordan Dumars, who was accused of sexually assault on an Eastern Michigan University student. [Smith had also raised questions about these two incidents during public commentary at the Ann Arbor city council's Feb. 22, 2011 meeting.]

Smith argued that university administrators allowed for the victims to be intimidated so that they refused to cooperate with police. “Penn State was only an anomaly because the victims were children, but the fact that the university administration chose to protect their athletic programs rather than the victims is not an anomaly. It is the norm,” Smith said.

Smith said the board of regents needs to realize that Coleman’s administration is just as guilty as Penn State’s for not protecting the alleged victims in these cases. He asked Coleman what she had done to protect these women, and he distributed police reports that he said he hoped she would read. “Perhaps then you will cheer a little less enthusiastically the next time the football team scores a field goal.” [.pdf text of Smith's full remarks]

Stephen Raiman, founder of Students Against GSRA Unionization.

Stephen Raiman, founder of Students Against GSRA Unionization, told regents that his group represents about 400 students and is growing. He wanted to talk to them about the implications of their decision to support the rights of graduate student research assistants (GSRAs) to decide whether to organize and be represented by a labor union. [Regents had passed a resolution of support at their May 2011 meeting, over dissent from the board’s two Republican regents – Andrew Richner and Andrea Fischer Newman. UM president Mary Sue Coleman had spoken in opposition to the action prior to the vote.]

Raiman said he appreciated the board’s willingness to listen to students and do what’s best for them, but the problem is that the students objecting to unionization don’t have a voice. They’ve been shut out of hearings held by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC), he said, so there’s no opportunity to express their opinion.

Letting GSRAs vote on whether to unionize sounds fair, he said, but he and others don’t feel the vote should be held. It can’t be a fair process, given the parties involved, he argued. The Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), which is leading the push for unionization, is backed by the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Teachers, Raiman said. They have access to professional campaign organizers and public relations experts, he said, whereas his group is small and doesn’t have that expertise. “We’re doing what we can to make our voices heard,” he said, and urged regents to reconsider their vote.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman said she’d be happy to reconsider, though she was in the minority on the board. She asked whether the university could provide resources to Raiman’s group, in the same way that the university supports groups like the Michigan Student Assembly. Regent Martin Taylor said the answer would likely require research.

Denise Ilitch, who chairs the board, said she thought that the anti-union students were getting support from the Mackinac Center. Raiman told Ilitch that the Mackinac Center has not provided any funding to his group, though they are providing legal assistance to Melinda Day, a UM graduate student who objects to the unionization effort.

[In September 2011, MERC issued a written opinion dismissing a GEO request to conduct an election seeking to represent GSRAs, and denying Day's motion to intervene in the case.]

Courtney Mercier, founder of Michigan Student-Athletes for Sustainability.

Courtney Mercier, founder of Michigan Student-Athletes for Sustainability (MSAS), introduced herself as a senior who’s also a varsity athlete on the women’s soccer team, and who’ll be attending UM law school next year. She’s interested in a career in environmental law.

Soon after the athletic department approved the creation of MSAS, Mercier said, she was thrilled to hear UM president Mary Sue Coleman’s announcement about broader campus-wide sustainability initiatives. As a student-athlete, Mercier said, she notices that sustainability isn’t infused into the culture of the UM athletic department. Her group wants MSAS to be a venue for student-athletes to raise concerns and help make the department more environmentally sustainable. They’ve adopted the slogan: “We Play on Planet Blue” – a nod to UM’s Planet Blue sustainability initiative.

Mercier said that most people’s exposure to the university is through athletic events and facilities, and while she has pride in the athletic department, a sustainable athletic department would be even better. She’s not just talking about installing recycling bins, she said, but about reaching out to educate people about sustainable lifestyles. Integrating athletics into the sustainability effort is important, because athletes are the public face of the university. She hoped regents would support the efforts of MSAS.

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

Next board meeting: Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011 at 3 p.m. at the Fleming administration building on the UM campus in Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the University of Michigan board of regents. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

Regents authorized an estimated $11.95 million renovation to Baits II, located on UM’s north campus. The work includes infrastructure updates and reconfiguration of community spaces. The 175,000-square-foot, five-building complex was built in 1967 and houses about 575 students. The project will be designed by UM’s department of architecture, engineering and construction, in collaboration with Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc., a Grand Rapids firm. The work is expected to be completed in the summer of 2013. The nearby Baits I residence hall, which houses about 570 students, will be closed at the end of this academic year because of infrastructure issues, and it’s unclear it if will be reopened.

Regents had approved the $116 million “deep” renovation of East Quad at their July 2011 meeting, and authorized Integrated Design Solutions as the project’s architect. On Nov. 17, regents signed off on a schematic design of the project. The 300,000-square-foot residence hall – located at 701 E. University, between Hill and Willard – houses about 860 students and the Residential College, a living-learning community started in the 1960s. The project is part of a campus-wide ”Residential Life Initiative” first presented to regents in September 2004.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the Fleming administration building on the UM campus in Ann Arbor. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

John Greden, director of the University of Michigan Depression Center, briefed regents at their July 21, 2011 board meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

That message was delivered by the center’s director, John Greden – the man whose vision was instrumental in creating it a decade ago. Greden briefed regents on the center’s progress so far, describing its research and outreach efforts, including its leadership in developing a national network of depression centers that he said is strengthening the fight against the illness. He also indicated the center will be launching a fundraising campaign in the near future, to raise more resources in the face of overwhelming demand for services.

In addition to Greden’s report, regents voted on a range of items. The most significant in terms of a financial commitment was approval of a $116 million “deep” renovation of East Quad, a large dorm on East University Avenue. It’s also the home to UM’s Residential College. At the board’s May 19, 2011 meeting, philosophy professor Carl Cohen had raised concerns about the impact of the renovations as initially designed, saying the RC would be pushed into smaller, inadequate space and would “atrophy and fade away.” A schematic design hasn’t yet been presented to the board for approval.

Among other actions, regents also approved a new joint master’s degree program in entrepreneurship to be offered by the College of Engineering and the Ross School of Business. They authorized renaming the department of geological sciences – it will be called the department of earth and environmental sciences. Regents also approved a $698,364 purchase of land at 417 S. Division, next to the UM Institute for Social Research. Within the past year, that’s the third property – all with apartment buildings – that the university has bought to accommodate ISR’s expansion project. Regents approved that project last year.

In the context of board committee assignments, regent Martin Taylor alerted his colleagues that he’d talked with the university’s general counsel about possible conflict of interest issues that might arise for him in the future. The board’s health affairs committee will likely be involving all regents in overseeing a strategic plan for the UM health system – Martin also serves as a director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Only one person spoke during public commentary. Dan Benefiel, a leader of the Willow Run Tea Party Caucus, sharply criticized the university’s support of globalism and its relationship with China, a country that he accused of stealing intellectual property and trade secrets from the U.S. The “Trojan Horse of China” must be stopped from “unleashing its unsavory minions” on America, he said.

President’s Opening Remarks

The meeting began, as it typically does, with comments by UM president Mary Sue Coleman. Alluding to the week’s scorching temperatures, Coleman said it was fitting to begin her remarks by highlighting UM’s solar car team. Earlier in the week, students had showcased the car by taking it on a demonstration tour throughout the state, she said. They covered about 1,000 miles as a warm-up to the October 2011 World Solar Challenge, a 1,800-mile competition in Australia’s outback. [Last year's edition of the car was also spotted by The Chronicle earlier this month at the Rolling Sculpture car show in downtown Ann Arbor.]

The UM team is reigning champion of the American Solar Challenge, she noted. Coleman said she’s looking forward to the international event, which no college team has won in many years. ”If any college team can do it, we absolutely believe ours can,” she said.

While the solar car team is one of the most visible signs of teamwork on campus, Coleman said, that same spirit is the impetus behind a new degree program that was on the July 21 for regental approval. A joint graduate degree in entrepreneurship has been developed by UM’s College of Engineering and the Ross School of Business – both units have worked together for a long time, she noted.

University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman, right, speaks with UM regent Julia Darlow prior to the start of the July 21 regents meeting.

The degree will be a tremendous addition to the entrepreneurial climate that’s flourishing across campus, she said. Administrators and faculty understand how important the innovations of research universities are to help accelerate the economy, Coleman added. She noted that Stephen Forrest, UM’s vice president for research, made that same point at a recent media roundtable panel sponsored by The Science Coalition in Washington, D.C. It’s also reflected in the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership that UM is participating in – Coleman pointed out that she joined President Barack Obama when he announced the partnership last month. Several UM faculty members will be involved in that effort in the coming months, she said.

July also marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 15 flight, manned entirely by UM alumni, Coleman said – David Scott, Jim Irwin and Al Worden. Worden will be returning to campus this fall, she noted, to talk about his experience on the Apollo 15 flight and the future of the U.S. space program.

Coleman concluded her remarks by reporting that earlier this month, she and other UM executives had attended the funeral of Betty Ford. Coleman described the former First Lady as a remarkable woman who spoke her mind, and who was candid about her struggles with breast cancer and alcohol addition. Ford and her husband, former U.S. president Gerald Ford, were intimately involved with the university – most notably through UM’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Coleman said the university community would miss Ford and is grateful for the many years of friendship she’d given.

Renovation Projects: East Quad, North Hall

Two renovation projects – vastly different in scale – were on the July 21 agenda for approval.

Renovation Projects: East Quad

Regents were asked to approve a $116 million “deep” renovation of East Quad. The 300,000-square-foot residence hall – located at 701 E. University, between Hill and Willard – houses about 860 students and the Residential College, a living-learning community started in the 1960s. The project is part of a campus-wide ”Residential Life Initiative” first presented to regents in September 2004. Other residence halls – including Alice Lloyd Hall and Stockwell Hall on South Observatory, and Couzens Hall on East Ann Street, among others – have undergone similar renovations since then. The Alice Lloyd Hall project is still underway, with tentative completion by August 2012.

The pending East Quad renovation has caused concern in some quarters. At the regents’ May 19, 2011 meeting, philosophy professor Carl Cohen passionately urged regents to intercede in the renovation of East Quad in order to prevent the Residential College from being pushed into what he described as smaller, inadequate space. If regents did nothing, he said, “your Residential College will atrophy and fade away.” A staff memo on the renovations states that the RC will be renovated to meet “current academic standards.”

The entire project will be designed by the architectural firm of Integrated Design Solutions. Staff will return with a construction schedule and approval of a schematic design at a future meeting.

Royster Harper, UM’s vice president for student affairs, briefly described the building’s history and the proposed renovations. The project will revitalize the East Quad community, she said, and strengthen the connections between the academic activities and residential life.

From left: UM chief financial officer Tim Slottow, regent Andrea Fischer Newman, and Ora Pescovitz, UM executive vice president for medical affairs.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman jokingly made a motion to approve the item after Harper’s remarks, even though the action item didn’t appear on the agenda until later in the meeting. Newman said she was eager to act on the project – she’d been on a tour of residence halls a few years ago, and was familiar with the condition of East Quad. Residence halls are important when recruiting students, she said. Students today are accustomed to a different level of comfort than what she and others her age expected when they were in college. Yet some dorms haven’t changed since she was in college, Newman added. That’s why this is an important project.

Later in the meeting, when regents reached that agenda item, Coleman asked Tim Slottow, UM’s chief financial officer, whether he had any additional information to add. [The East Quad renovation falls under the category of "Finance-Property" in the agenda, an area that Slottow oversees.] He joked that he didn’t want to come between Newman and the vote – Newman then moved the item and the board voted.

Outcome: Regents voted unanimously to approve the East Quad renovation project.

Renovation Projects: North Hall

A $1.6 million renovation to North Hall – which houses the University of Michigan’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs for the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force – was on the agenda for approval. The 48,000-square-foot building, located at 1105 N. University, was originally constructed in 1900 to house the university’s homeopathic medical department. The project will be designed by the architectural firm of Smith Group, with construction set to be completed in the winter of 2012.

Andrea Fischer Newman also made the motion to approve this vote, joking that she was moving the item “in honor of Kathy White.” [White, a regent who did not attend the July 21 meeting, is a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army reserves and a law instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.]

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved the North Hall renovation.

New Entrepreneurship Grad Degree Approved

A new University of Michigan joint master’s degree in entrepreneurship – a partnership of the College of Engineering and Ross Business School – was on the agenda for approval. The degree program has been in development for more than two years. According to a staff report on the proposal, the “primary objective of this program is to arm students with the critical multidisciplinary knowledge necessary to create new technology-focused ventures, either as stand-alone entities or within established innovative organizations. Students will learn to create and capture value from novel technologies within the context of entrepreneurship.” [.pdf of full staff report]

The program was developed in partnership with UM’s office of technology transfer. Approval is also required by the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan – that’s expected to happen in October. The first students for the degree would be accepted in the fall of 2012.

Coleman had highlighted the new degree in her opening remarks. When the item came up on the agenda, provost Phil Hanlon said he strongly supported Coleman’s comments about the importance of the program.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved the new joint master’s degree in entrepreneurship.

Land Purchase

Regents were asked to approve a $698,364 purchase of an 0.09-acre of land at 417 S. Division, next to the UM Institute for Social Research. A tentative closing date is set for Aug. 3 – existing leases in the 3,152-square-foot apartment building located on that lot expire in August, according to a staff memo.

A $23 million expansion of ISR’s building on Thompson Street had been approved by the board in April of 2010 – they signed off on the project’s schematic design last July. At their November 2010 meeting, regents approved two other land purchases on South Division related to the ISR project: $919,425 for 439 S. Division St., which included a 3,210-square-foot apartment building; and $805,575 for property at 443 S. Division, where a 6,048-square-foot apartment building is located.

The regents most recently got a report on ISR’s activities at their September 2010 meeting, when director James Jackson gave an overview of ISR’s work.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved the purchase of 417 S. Division.

Geological Sciences Dept. Renamed

On the July 18 agenda was an item asking regents to give the university’s department of geological sciences a new name: the department of earth and environmental sciences.

According to a staff memo provided to regents, the department “has seen pronounced shifts, coinciding with national and international trends in earth science, toward a heightened emphasis on the societal impact of the field. … The name change more effectively communicates to undergraduates the rich experiential learning opportunities in the department, preparing them for highly adaptable and versatile careers in industry, government, and academia.”

Provost Phil Hanlon briefly reviewed reasons for the change, noting that it’s not the same type of study that regents might recall from their college days. Among other things, the field is increasingly interdisciplinary, he said.

Regent Libby Maynard mentioned that her sister is a geologist. Hanlon said the things that Maynard’s sister studied were likely quite different – topics in the field have expanded significantly.

Outcome: The renaming of the department of geological sciences was unanimously approved by the board.

Faculty Appointments

Regents approved dozens of personnel actions at the meeting – only a few were highlighted. Doug Strong, CEO of the UM Hospitals and Health Centers, was re-appointed for a second five-year term. Marie Lynn Miranda was appointed as dean of the School of Natural Resources and Environment, effective Jan. 1, 2012 through Dec. 31, 2017. Her appointment was announced in June, and she’ll replace outgoing dean Rosina Bierbaum, who will remain on the SNRE faculty.

A few of the other re-appointments of note include:

• Robert Axelrod, the Mary Ann and Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. Professor for the Study of Human Understanding in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, effective Oct. 1, 2011 through Sept. 30, 2016.
• Jim Baker, Jr., the UM Medical School’s Ruth Dow Doan Professor of Biologic Nanotechnology, effective Sept. 1, 2011 through Aug. 31, 2016.
• Paul Courant, professor of information at the School of Information, effective Sept. 1, 2011 through Aug. 31, 2016.
• Howard Hu, chair of the Dept. of Environmental Health Sciences, and NSF International Department Chair of Environmental Health Sciences in the School of Public Health, effective Sept. 1, 2011 through Aug. 31, 2014.

At the July 18 meeting, provost Phil Hanlon also drew attention to the appointments of four faculty members as distinguished professors:

• Richard Janko, Gerald F. Else Distinguished University Professor of Classical Studies, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts;
• Gordon L. Kane, Victor F. Weisskopf Distinguished University Professor of Physics, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts;
• Miriam H. Meisler, Myron Levine Distinguished University Professor of Human Genetics, Medical School;
• Terry E. Robinson, Elliot S. Valenstein Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Outcome: Without discussion, regents approved appointments, re-appointments and promotions as part of their consent agenda.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures

Regents were asked to sign off on 10 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.

This month, the list included purchase-of-service, research and licensing agreements, among other items. The disclosures related to the following companies and individuals: Monkey Shavers Productions, Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Melisa Schuster, Sakti3 Inc., Reveal Design Automation Inc., 3D Biomatrix, Edington Associates, and NanoBio Corp.

The NanoBio item relates to an amendment to the existing licensing agreement between the firm and the university, adding another technology – “nanoemulsion vaccines” – to the agreement. The conflict of interest disclosure arises from the fact that Jim Baker Jr., a UM professor and director of the Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, is also an owner and director of NanoBio. Earlier in the meeting, regents had also approved Baker’s re-appointment as the Ruth Dow Doan Professor of Biologic Nanotechnology.

There was no discussion on these items, other than a question from regent Andrea Fischer Newman, who wanted to know what a Monkey Shaver was. Tim Slottow, the university’s chief financial officer, told her it’s the name of a video production company.

Outcome: Regents approved all 10 items related to conflict of interest disclosures.

Depression Center Update

Only one presentation was on the agenda for the July 18 meeting: A briefing by John Greden, director of the UM Depression Center.

Greden began by telling regents that ”basically, you got us here.” In 2001, the board had authorized formation of the nation’s first comprehensive depression center – five of the eight current regents were also on the board at that time. [Those regents are Larry Deitch, Libby Maynard, Andrea Fischer Newman, Martin Taylor and Kathy White.] Greden then introduced about a half-dozen people affiliated with the center who’d come to the July 18 meeting, including former Detroit Lions quarterback Eric Hipple, the center’s outreach coordinator.

An estimated one in six people experience clinical depression, Greden said – it’s one of the leading afflictions, along with cardiovascular disease and cancer. To address it, an interdisciplinary, comprehensive center of excellence was proposed with five aims, he said: (1) find people who are suffering as early as possible, (2) develop better treatments, (3) develop strategies to maintain wellness after someone has been successfully treated, (4) overcome depression’s stigma, and (5) build a national network, analogous to the national network of cancer centers.

One of the first steps was to put the word “depression” in the center’s name, which Greden characterized as a bold move. He believed it had achieved the goal of helping to de-stigmatize the illness, and positioned UM as the leading voice in public policy on the issue.

In 2006, the center’s new building opened on Plymouth Road, on the UM Health System’s east medical campus. Greden described it as the antithesis of depression – bright and open, with lots of natural light. The center started with 70 people in related fields on campus. Today, 151 people are involved in the center from over 30 departments campuswide. Greden said he stole a quote from Mary Sue Coleman, who has said that rather than “publish or perish,” the new priority mandate is to “partner or perish.” Greden said, ”I think we’re doing it quite well.”

Greden described a variety of programs at the center. The Prechter Bipolar Genetic Repository – one of the largest collections of DNA samples from people diagnosed with bipolar disorder – is housed at the center. Other efforts include screenings for depression among pregnant mothers, and partnerships with K-12 schools to help identify students suffering from depression – it’s the third leading cause of death among high school students, and the second leading cause among college students, he said. The center has also developed programs for veterans and athletes.

The center has been successful in raising research funds as well as philanthropic donations, Greden said. And they’ve accomplished one of their boldest goals – creating a national network of depression centers (NNDC), with more than 20 members. The UM center houses a data sharing/coordinating center for that network, he said. Now six Canadian centers are interested in joining the NNDC as well, or forming their own network. So the original goal is no longer a dream, Greden said – it’s real, it’s powerful, and Michigan made it come alive.

“We are making a difference, but there’s so much left undone,” Greden told the regents. As the stigma of depression is overcome, that creates a greater demand for treatment, he noted. The need to partner is great, and the center will use its 10th anniversary to build on what’s already been accomplished. ”Thank you for helping us start it,” he said.

Depression Center Update: Regent Discussion

Several regents praised the center and Greden’s vision. Julia Darlow asked what the board could do for the center. Greden said he’d been talking with Ora Pescovitz, CEO of the UM Health System, about the possibility of a fundraising campaign – they’re working through the early stages of that, he said. The regents can be voices of support for the center, he said, and could play pivotal roles in a campaign. He’d be returning with specifics at a later date, he said.

Libby Maynard said there’ve been times when someone she knows has needed help for depression, and she’s been frustrated that there was resistance to seeking treatment. What’s the best way for someone like her, a lay person, to assist a person who’s suffering from depression?

Greden described that as a complicated and important question that’s not easily answered. It’s a situation in which only limited resources are available to meet what seems like unlimited demand, he said. There’s nothing worse than for someone who’s suicidal to call for help, only to be told that there’s a six-week waiting list. “We’re struggling with that,” he said. Depression is an illness, and it can be treated, Greden said. Everyone needs to be open about it – UM can be very proud of its leadership, but there’s still a need to overcome the remaining stigma associated with depression.

Denise Ilitch told Greden the center is making a difference in the community, and she urged him to return to tell the board and the public about how they can contribute to the center’s efforts. She also noted that Larry Deitch, who could not attend the meeting, had wanted her to communicate his support for Greden and the center. Deitch called Greden a visionary and a saint, Ilitch said.

Committee Assignments

Denise Ilitch, who was elected chair of the board at the regents June 16, 2011 meeting, announced assignments for the coming year to the board’s three committees:

• Personnel, compensation and governance committee: Martin Taylor (chair), Denise Ilitch.
• Finance, audit and investment committee: Kathy White (chair), Libby Maynard, Andy Richner.
• Health affairs committee: Julia Darlow (chair), Larry Deitch, Andrea Fischer Newman.

Regent Martin Taylor.

One member from each committee gave a relatively brief summary of the meetings they’d held earlier that day – primarily mentioning the topics they’d discussed, and who had attended. The report by Darlow was somewhat longer, focusing not on the committee meeting itself, but rather on the role of the committee and its future work.

She noted that it was formed just a year ago, and she thanked Larry Deitch for chairing it for the past year. The committee was established to focus on the university’s health system – patient revenues account for 45% of all UM operating revenues, she noted. Because of that large scope and the range of issues that the health system faces, committee meetings will likely often involve the entire board, Darlow said.

Some of the issues they’ll tackle include assessing market conditions and forecasting trends as health system administrators develop a strategic plan. Regulatory issues will also be an important topic in the coming year. She commended the staff for the recent 14th place ranking by U.S. News & World Report magazine in “America’s Best Hospitals.” Darlow gave special thanks to Ora Pescovitz, UM executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of the UM Health System, and Doug Strong, CEO of the UM Hospitals and Health Centers. But she also praised the health system’s nurses, doctors, greeters, aids, billers – everyone throughout the system who cares about patients and makes everything work so well, she said.

Pescovitz also spoke briefly about the U.S. News & World Report ranking, calling it wonderful news and noting that in fact UM had tied with Vanderbilt. UM had also ranked nationally in all 16 specialty areas, she said – of the 4,825 hospitals in country, only 140 get ranked in even one specialty. So to be ranked in all 16 is really significant, Pescovitz said. UM has been named to this ranking for 17 consecutive years.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman wondered why UM wasn’t first in the ranking. Pescovitz replied that regionally, UM was ranked No. 1 in metro Detroit – in previous years, Washtenaw County hadn’t been considered to be part of the Detroit region, Pescovitz said. UM was the only Michigan institution to make the national ranking.

UM president Mary Sue Coleman described the results as a stunning achievement.

Also related to health system issues, later in the meeting Taylor told his colleagues on the board that because of his position as a director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, he’d had a conversation with the university’s general counsel about possible conflicts of interest he might have when issues arise related to UM’s health system. He said he wanted to keep the issue at the forefront and be mindful that he might need to recuse himself from time to time, if that’s deemed appropriate. There was no additional discussion on the topic.

Michigan Student Assembly Report

DeAndree Watson, president of the Michigan Student Assembly, listed several events and activities planned for the coming academic year. [.pdf of full MSA report] Several events are planned for Sept. 5-9, the week before classes begin – including a Day of Reflection to promote student activism, and a Gayz Craze event on Sept. 5 to welcome incoming students in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community.

MSA is also hosting an alcohol-free tailgate for the Sept. 10 Michigan-Notre Dame football game, and will participate in a farmers market at the Michigan Union on Sept. 14 to promote healthier meal choices and encourage students to buy locally grown food. Watson also told regents that MSA leaders are working to make the organization more of a service-oriented body, serving as a direct link between the students and the university administration. As part of that, MSA executives will be establishing relationships with their university administrative counterparts, “to represent students in all relevant university initiatives, and to be educated about them,” he said.

Public Commentary

Only one person spoke during public commentary.

Dan Benefiel of Ypsilanti Township, who had addressed the regents at their meeting in June, returned to make additional points about the university’s relationship with China. He said he’s not an enemy of UM – he’s been a fan of the university since he was little. But he’s heard university officials talk about globalism in a positive way, he said, and as a member of the Willow Run Tea Party Caucus and the Washtenaw County Republican Party executive committee, he wanted to go on record as opposing that view.

Dan Benefiel, a member of the Willow Run Tea Party Caucus and the Washtenaw County Republican Party executive committee, spoke during public commentary against UM's involvement with China.

He likened China’s involvement with America as a Trojan Horse, and compared the economic union of the U.S. and the communist nation to the marriage between Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis. China threatens the world economy by buying American debt, stealing industrial and high tech property and trade secrets, violating international law and engaging in cyber terrorism, he said.

But the mindset of many U.S. leaders is that China is our friend, he noted. Under this view, Benefiel said, “China is a sweet cuddly Panda who couldn’t hurt anyone and we must all rethink the ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ attitudes of the past and see the world ‘globally.’ Major industries in the U.S. today no longer see themselves as American first … Shame on all of us who have this attitude!” he said.

In particular, China is targeting university campuses as a way to gain technical information that the U.S. government has enjoined from being exported. “There is coming a day soon when every university president must face the reality that the out-of-state tuition monies and monies from foreign governments and huge government research grants will be endangered if connections are found between foreign entities such as the Chinese military/government and foreign students enrolled who are found to be spying out illicit technologies, Benefiel said. He concluded by saying he wants to prevent the “Trojan Horse of China” from “unleashing its unsavory minions” on America.

When Benefiel’s public commentary concluded, Coleman said, “And with that, we’ll see you in September!” The board does not meet in August.

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

Absent: Larry Deitch, Kathy White.

Next board meeting: Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011 at 3 p.m. at the Fleming administration building on UM’s central campus in Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

The pending renovation has caused concern in some quarters. At the regents’ May 19, 2011 meeting, philosophy professor Carl Cohen passionately urged regents to intercede in the renovation of East Quad in order to prevent the Residential College from being pushed into what he described as smaller, inadequate space. The RC is a living-learning program that Cohen helped start in the 1960s – its housed at East Quad. If regents did nothing, he said, “your Residential College will atrophy and fade away.” A staff memo on the renovations states that the RC will be renovated to meet “current academic standards.”

The entire project will be designed by the architectural firm of Integrated Design Solutions. Staff will return with a construction schedule and approval of a schematic design at a future meeting.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the Fleming administration building, on UM’s Ann Arbor campus. A more detailed report will follow: [link]