University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman before the start of the May 19, 2011 regents meeting, which was held at the Fairlane Center on UM's Dearborn campus. (Photos by the writer.)

The issue was a resolution introduced at the start of Thursday’s meeting – an item not originally on the agenda – to support the rights of graduate student research assistants to decide whether to organize and be represented by a labor union. Before the vote, Coleman spoke out against the move, describing the relationship between graduate researchers and faculty as a special one that was fundamentally different than an employee-employer relationship. Changing the nature of that interaction could affect the university in significant ways, which she said caused her deep concern. The board’s two Republican regents – Andrew Richner and Andrea Fischer Newman – also objected to the resolution, both criticizing the fact that it had been introduced at the last minute without time for adequate discussion.

The resolution passed on a 6-2 vote, with Richner and Newman dissenting. It was notable in part because, with the exception of votes regarding tuition increases, nearly all votes by the board are unanimous, and in accord with the administration’s recommendations.

The meeting also included a variety of other action items, but none that spurred commentary by regents. They voted to increase room and board rates for 2011-12 by 3%, approved the schematic design for a $52 million expansion of Crisler Arena, and authorized the tenure or promotion of 169 faculty members on the Ann Arbor campus.

Regents also authorized creation of the Institute for Health Care Policy & Innovation, a new venture to be housed at renovated space in the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC) – a $13.7 million renovation project that regents also authorized at the meeting. Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, executive vice president for medical affairs, said the institute will be the largest co-located group of health care researchers anywhere in the world.

In other action related to the NCRC, regents approved agreements – among a collection of 17 conflict-of-interest disclosures – with six start-ups that will lease space in the former Pfizer site, as part of the university’s Venture Accelerator program.

And in another item added to the agenda during the meeting, regents voted to approve the hiring of Lisa Rudgers as UM’s new vice president for global communications and strategic initiatives, effective June 1 with a salary of $270,000.

The board also got an update from Sue Scarnecchia, UM’s vice president and general counsel, on the Compliance Resource Center – a new website that coordinates various compliance efforts at the university.

At the end of the meeting, philosophy professor Carl Cohen spoke during public commentary, passionately urging regents to intercede in the renovation of East Quad in order to prevent the Residential College from being pushed into smaller, inadequate space. The RC is a living-learning program that Cohen helped start in the 1960s, and that’s housed at East Quad. If regents did nothing, he said, “your Residential College will atrophy and fade away.”

Resolution of Support for GSRA Right to Organize

In a move that one regent called unprecedented, regents voted 6-2 to support the rights of graduate student research assistants to decide whether to organize and be represented by a labor union.

The resolution was introduced near the beginning of the meeting by Julia Darlow, the board’s chair. It states:

Consistent with the University of Michigan’s proud history of strong positive and mutually productive labor relations, the Board of Regents supports the rights of university Graduate Student Research Assistants, whom we recognize as employees, to determine for themselves whether they choose to organize.

UM president Mary Sue Coleman spoke against the resolution in a statement she read aloud prior to the vote. [.pdf file of Coleman's full statement]

Coleman told regents that she feels passionate about the issue personally, and is deeply concerned about it on an institutional level. She sees research assistants as students, not employees. This opinion has been formed from her past experience as a graduate student researcher, she said, as well as her work as a faculty researcher and mentor to graduate student researchers. If GSRAs choose to organize, it would fundamentally change the relationship between the GSRAs and faculty, she said. This relationship is key to recruiting both faculty and graduate students, she added.

Further, a student’s performance as a research assistant is indistinguishable from their progress as a graduate student, she said. They aren’t evaluated as employees – they’re measured in terms of their progress toward completing their degree.

Coleman noted that the funding for these positions is not a work-for-hire approach. Faculty raise funds to support the graduate student’s total education – including their apprenticeship in the lab or in other research-based academic settings, she said. “This has been an extraordinarily effective strategy for more than 60 years, and it is a model used by every major research institution in the country.”

It’s been a long-standing university policy that graduate student research assistants receive pay and benefit increases that are comparable to increases received by graduate student instructors (GSIs), Coleman said, so that GSRAs are not at a disadvantage. [GSIs are represented by the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) union. The GEO has been lobbying for GSRAs to have the right to negotiate terms of their employment.]

Coleman concluded by saying the university has enjoyed excellent relationships with the unions that represent some of its employees, and she expected that positive working relationship would continue. If regents adopted this resolution, the administration would abide by the applicable election procedures and work to ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote can make a full and fair evaluation of the issue, she said.

Coleman said she appreciated the board’s concern for students as well as for UM’s academic quality. “We have worked through many vexing issues together, and although there is disagreement over this issue, I know we share an unwavering commitment to this great university.”

Resolution of Support for GSRAs: Regents Response

Regent Larry Deitch said he didn’t have an opinion about whether GSRAs should organize or not, but he was confident that they are employees, and as such they have collective bargaining rights. If they organize, that’s their choice, he said. It’s also the right of the university administration to reject any contract that doesn’t protect the qualities that Coleman had articulated, he said.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman spoke against a resolution that recognized the rights of UM's graduate student research assistants to organize.

Regents Andrew Richner and Andrea Fischer Newman – the only Republicans on the board – both spoke out against the resolution. Both expressed dismay that they’d only received notice of the resolution shortly before the meeting.

Richner called the decision to act against the advice of the president unprecedented. He pressed Darlow to answer questions about who would define the group of GSRAs for the purpose of determining the bargaining unit. Darlow responded by saying that the term “graduate student research assistant” is defined in UM’s faculty handbook, and that there is already a process in place for determining how to define the bargaining unit. It’s premature to state who would be part of that, she said – that will be worked out later.

Richner asked whether Darlow would agree that the president can define that class of employees. Certainly not, Darlow responded. As Richner asked another question, Darlow said she didn’t feel it was appropriate to go into details about how this will be implemented. The board does not dictate the actions of the president, she said – they articulate policy.

Richner said it seemed then that Coleman would have some freedom to negotiate the makeup of the bargaining unit. Darlow said she’d already responded to that statement. Will the president, deans and others have the power to educate the campus about their views on this resolution and how it might impact the university? Richner asked. Darlow replied that everyone on the board was committed to the principle of academic freedom.

Richner then asked what Coleman was supposed to do with this policy. What if she determines that the law provides that graduate student research assistants aren’t employees? At this point, Darlow – clearly exasperated – told Richner that if he wanted to comment about the resolution, he should make a statement rather than try to use her as a vehicle to make his points.

Richner said there were a lot of questions about this resolution, and he didn’t feel they had a clear understanding of the issue. It’s one of the most important votes they’ve taken since he’s been on the board, he said, and he was disappointed that regents didn’t have the opportunity to discuss it – they’ve spent more time discussing issues of far less importance, he noted. He felt it would have a negative impact on the university’s reputation and on its ability to recruit faculty and students, and that there will be negative consequences to academic freedom.

Newman also objected to the resolution. She’d just seen it about 20 minutes before walking into the room, she said, though she understood that others on the board had known about it before then. She wished they’d had an opportunity to talk to people who would be impacted by this vote. She noted that she’d had experience working with unions both through her job and as a regent.[Newman is senior vice president-government affairs for Delta Airlines.] But the relationship between a GRSA and a faculty member is not an employee/employer relationship – it’s learning-centered, she said, and the university’s reputation hinges on that. They’ve worked hard to keep UM strong in the wake of competition, and this change would be harmful.

It was a rare occurrence when the majority of the board had such a fundamental disagreement with the administration, Newman said, adding that she found it deeply troubling. GSRAs should not be considered employees, she said, and she opposed the resolution.

A voice vote was taken without further discussion.

Outcome: By a 6-2 vote, regents approved the resolution, with regents Newman and Richner dissenting. Deitch left the meeting immediately following the vote.

Room & Board Rates for 2011-12

Regents were asked to increase residence hall rates at the Ann Arbor campus by 3% this fall. The rate increase for Northwood Community Apartments – housing primarily for graduate students and families on UM’s north campus in Ann Arbor – is 1% for the 2011-12 academic year. [.pdf of proposed rate increases]

Chart showing University of Michigan room & board rates for 2011-12. (Links to larger image)

Normally, the topic of room and board rates falls under the purview of the vice president of student affairs, Royster Harper. But Harper was out of the country, so provost Phil Hanlon made a few remarks before the regents’ vote. He noted that significant improvements to UM’s residence halls have been made over the past several years, with strong support from regents. Capital investments require a very careful balance between providing the best possible facilities for students, he said, while maintaining reasonable housing rates.

Hanlon said the rate increases reflect an anticipated increase of $2.6 million in expenses related to employee costs, food supplies and other items, but that the University Housing staff was able to reduce operating expenses in other areas by about $1.7 million for fiscal 2012, which begins July 1, 2011. He indicted that effort allowed the rate increases to be lower than they might otherwise be.

A staff memo accompanying the proposal indicates that the 3% increase for residence halls is divided into two components: 1% for increased operating costs; and 2% for residence hall renovations. Room and board costs for a single residence hall room would increase from $10,970 to $11,300. A double would increase from $9,192 to $9,468.

In April, Eastern Michigan University’s board of regents approved an aggregate 2.15% room and board increase, and a 3% increase for university apartments. A list of housing rate increases at peer institutions was provided as part of the regents meeting packet. At the top end is Duke University, with a 5.9% increase. A 5.1% increase is slated for Michigan State. Among other Big Ten universities, UM is at the low end of rate increases – only Purdue University has a lower rate increase, at 2%. However, UM’s room and board costs are among the highest in that group – only Northwestern and Purdue cost more. [.pdf file of comparison housing rates]

Regents had no comment on this item.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved increases in room and board rates for the Ann Arbor campus in 2011-12. They separately voted to approve a 2.9% increase for residence halls on UM’s Flint campus.

New Communications VP Appointed

In an item that wasn’t on the original agenda, regents approved the appointment of Lisa Rudgers as vice president for global communications and strategic initiatives. Her appointment takes effect June 1, with a salary of $270,000. She replaces UM’s previous vice president of communications, David Lampe, who stepped down from that job earlier this year. He now serves as executive director of research communication in the office of UM’s vice president for research.

Rudgers was the university’s vice president for communications from 2000-2007. She left the university to start her own consulting firm – Lisa Rudgers & Associates – where she worked for other institutions, including Eastern Michigan University. A 2007 article in The Ann Arbor News reports that EMU paid Rudgers $37,000 for media consulting services, providing advice on releasing a report and communicating with the media after a probe into the December 2006 death of EMU student Laura Dickinson.

In 2009, Rudgers returned to UM on a part-time basis as special counsel for communications in UM’s Law School.

In her new role, Rudgers’ responsibilities include developing the university’s communications strategy and overseeing the Freedom of Information office, Michigan marketing and design, public affairs, internal communications, Michigan public media, presidential communications, the film office and the news service. She will be a member of the senior management team and will advise deans, directors, executive officers and the president regarding communications, according to a statement issued by the university.

Crisler Expansion

At Thursday’s meeting, the board was asked to approve the schematic design for a $52 million Crisler Arena expansion project. The board had given its initial approval of the project at its January 2011 meeting, and had selected TMP Architecture and Sink Combs Dethlefs as the architects. Regents had also previously approved – at their October 2010 meeting – a renovation of the arena’s infrastructure and a replacement of seating to a capacity of 12,800.

Don Dethlefs, CEO of Sink Combs Dethlefs, was on hand to give a brief description of the project – his Denver-based firm specializes in sports projects. The expansion will add about 63,000 square feet of new construction, and includes building new spectator entrances, retail spaces, concession areas, ticketing counters and a private club space. In addition, roughly 54,000 square feet would be renovated to accommodate accessible seats, increase the number of restrooms and concession areas, and add other fan amenities. Dethlefs said a new colonnade will for the first time mask the arena’s service functions, such as its loading dock and trash area.

Dethlefs described the addition as essentially enveloping the current structure. The concourse level will include significantly more restrooms for women, and a roof deck accessible to fans, with a view to the east. One of the new entries will allow access to the southwest, convenient for people who park at the Pioneer High School lot, he said. Glass entries will make the building seem like it’s glowing at night when events take place there, he said, and allow for natural lighting in the day to reduce energy costs.

Construction is expected to be finished by the winter of 2014.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved the schematic design for Crisler Arena’s expansion.

Institute for Health Care Policy & Innovation

On Thursday, regents approved the Institute for Health Care Policy & Innovation, a new venture to be housed at renovated space in the North Campus Research Complex – a $13.7 million renovation project that regents also authorized at their May 19 meeting. Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, executive vice president for medical affairs, told regents the institute will be the largest co-located group of health care researchers anywhere in the world.

The institute will be part of UM’s Medical School, and bring together researchers who are studying a range of topics related to health care services, including insurance design and preventative care. The hope is that housing researchers in close proximity will spur additional innovation and collaboration. It’s expected that researchers from other parts of the university – including the colleges of engineering and pharmacy, and the schools of nursing, public policy, public health and dentistry – will eventually become part of the institute.

A national search for the institute’s director will begin soon. That person will be appointed by the president and will report to the dean of the Medical School. The president will also appoint an executive committee to help oversee the institute.

As part of this effort, regents approved a $13.7 million renovation project at the NCRC – the former Pfizer site. The project entails renovating 120,000 square feet in Building 16. Five floors, three conference rooms and a fitness center will be renovated as part of the project.

About 100 researchers who’ll likely join the institute are already working at NCRC, in different locations on the site. Eventually, more than 500 researchers could be part of the venture.

SmithGroup will serve as architect for the project, which is expected to be completed in the spring of 2012.

Outcome: In separate unanimous votes, regents approved both the creation of the institute and the NCRC renovation project.

Tenure and Promotion Approvals

Regents were asked to authorize tenure or promotion cases for UM faculty in the Ann Arbor campus, presented by provost Phil Hanlon and Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, executive vice president for medical affairs.

Hanlon began by saying the university’s preeminence rests in large part on the quality of its faculty. Decisions that they make regarding tenure and promotions will shape the future of the institution, he said – they take the process very seriously. Of the 233 cases that were reviewed, 169 were accepted.

Hanlon recalled that when former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had given a lecture earlier this year on campus, she’d been asked which role she preferred – secretary of state, or faculty member at Stanford. He said she responded by saying she most preferred being provost, because it allowed her to see into the future of knowledge being developed, as she reviewed the work of faculty who were up for tenure and promotion. Hanlon and Pescovitz agreed that it was a highlight of their jobs, too.

Hanlon and Pescovitz each highlighted three examples of exemplary faculty, reading descriptions of the accomplishments that each person had achieved. The faculty who were highlighted include: Anthony Grbic of the College of Engineering; Laura Kay Kasischke in the College of Literature, Science & the Arts; Tiya A. Miles in the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies; Gary Hammer in the Medical School’s department of internal medicine; Celina G. Kleer in the Medical School’s department of pathology; and Alexandra Minna Stern in the Medical School’s department of obstetrics and gynecology.

Outcome: Regents approved the recommendations for faculty tenure and promotions.

Infrastructure Projects

In addition to Crisler Arena and NCRC renovations, regents approved other infrastructure-related projects at their May 19 meeting.

Infrastructure Projects: Beal Avenue Water Main

A $2.2 million water main project on Beal Avenue involves a 60-year-old, 12-inch water main, which serves all university buildings along Beal Avenue between Hayward Street and Bonisteel Boulevard, on UM’s north campus. Tim Slottow, UM’s chief financial officer, often jokes about the exciting nature of these infrastructure upgrades, and this meeting was no exception.

According to a staff report, recent breaks have reduced water service reliability, and buildings in the area have experienced water infiltration from flooding. A recent study recommended that installing a storm relief sewer is the best way to reduce the surface flooding. UM’s Department of Architecture, Engineering and Construction will collaborate with Hubbell, Roth & Clark Inc. to design the project. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2012.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved the Beal Avenue water main project.

Infrastructure Projects: University Hospital

Two projects for the University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers’ University Hospital – totaling $9.7 million – were on the agenda.

A $4.8 million project to improve access to the hospital’s computed tomography angiography (CTA) technology includes renovating two radiology rooms to house a new CTA scanner system. The architectural firm Integrated Design Solutions will design the project, which is expected to be complete by the fall of 2011.

In addition, regents approved $4.9 million to replace an existing CT simulator with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, and to renovate roughly 1,800 square feet in the hospital to accommodate the new MRI. The architectural firm Project and Design Management LLC will design the project, which is scheduled for completion in the winter of 2012.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved the two University Hospital projects.

Building Named for Gorguze

Regents were asked to authorize naming the College of Engineering’s Engineering Programs Building as the Gorguze Family Laboratory. Vincent T. and Gloria M. Gorguze donated $5 million to fund an expansion of the building, located on UM’s north campus.

Vincent Gorguze received a bachelor’s degree from UM in metallurgical engineering in 1941. He worked for Ford Motor Co. and Curtiss-Wright Corp. before joining Emerson Electric in 1962, eventually becoming president and chief operating officer. Gorguze is now co-founder and chairman of Cameron Holdings Corp., which specializes in acquiring and operating manufacturing, industrial services and distribution companies.

Outcome: Regents approved renaming the Engineer Programs building as the Gorguze Family Laboratory.

Wolfson Endowment

Regents were asked to approve a variety of uses for $419,000 in estimated income from the Julian A. Wolfson and the Marguerite Wolfson Endowment Funds, which support the UM law school faculty. The uses include paying for faculty to attend professional meetings, equipping faculty offices, and sponsoring the Wolfson Scholar-in-Residence program, among other things.

Regents also approved continued use of the Wolfson reserves – unspent endowment income accumulated from prior years – as recommended by the law faculty for emergency and housing loans to the faculty.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved items related to the Wolfson endowment funds.

Conflict-of-Interest Disclosures

On Thursday’s agenda were 17 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 seven lease agreements, 11 licensing agreements and three research agreements with various companies, including several based in Ann Arbor.

Six of the agreements relate to start-ups that will lease space in the university’s Venture Accelerator program, located in Building 26 at the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC) – the former Pfizer site on Plymouth Road. The highest-profile among those was a three-year lease agreement with Lycera Corp., which is planning to occupy 14,134 square feet of laboratory and office space. The item had been withdrawn from the regents’ April 2011 agenda because the deal hadn’t been finalized in time for the meeting. It was not on the original May 19 agenda, but was added at the meeting as a supplemental agenda item. Lycera is a start-up that’s developing treatments for autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The lease would begin during the summer of 2011, with Lycera paying a monthly rate of $42,083.33 and 3% annual increases. The lease is a full service gross lease – all costs are covered by the monthly rent. In addition, Lycera will enter into an animal services agreement during the lease, paying standard rates for UM’s regulatory oversight of research animals for no more than $500,000 annually.

The disclosure was triggered because three UM employees also own stock in Lycera. They are David Canter, executive director of the NCRC; Lycera co-founder and UM professor Gary Glick, who also serves as the company’s chief scientific officer; and associate professor Anthony Opipari, a Lycera co-founder who serves on the firm’s scientific advisory board.

Other start-ups leasing space at NCRC that were approved by regents include Advanced Battery Control, Chemxlerate, Edington Associates, JBR Pharma Inc., and Reveal Design Automation Inc.

The remaining conflict-of-interest disclosures related to the following entities: 1250 N. Main LLC, BHJ Tech Inc., Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Baker-Calling Inc., LectureTools Inc., Possibilities for Change LLC, SenSigma Inc., and Vortex Hydro Energy.

Outcome: Without discussion, regents unanimously authorized all 17 conflict-of-interest disclosures.

Presentations: Compliance Website, MSA Report

In addition to a presentation related to business education at UM’s Dearborn campus, regents heard two other reports, regarding: (1) a new compliance website; and (2) the Michigan Student Assembly.

Presentations: Compliance Website

Sue Scarnecchia, UM’s vice president and general counsel, gave an overview of a new website that coordinates various compliance efforts at the university. The Compliance Resource Center has been developed over the past 18 months, Scarnecchia said – a process that included interviews with over 100 individuals and many campus groups. She introduced two staff members – Fiona Linn, compliance project manager, and Kris Snook, senior paralegal and compliance coordinator – who took the lead on that effort.

Sue Scarnecchia, UM's vice president and general counsel, gave a presentation about a new website that coordinates the university's various compliance efforts.

They also looked at the approaches taken by more than two dozen other universities, Scarnecchia said, and found two basic models: (1) a centralized compliance office; or (2) a decentralized approach, with compliance efforts handled by individual units. They didn’t think either model would work for UM, so they created their own, she said.

They didn’t want to create a duplicative process or add employees, so they decided to develop a website that coordinates existing compliance offices campuswide, she said. In addition, a compliance coordinator position was created – that job is held by Snook. The website is intended to respond to queries from outside entities or the regents, if questions arise about compliance issues. It also is designed to help people who are new to the university or to their roles, guiding them through compliance processes and providing resources.

The site allows users to browse by topic – such as athletics, health care or tax/financial – or by activity or operation. It also provides compliance overviews related to specific roles – faculty, staff, researchers or managers. There are mechanisms on the site to report concerns or ask questions, and a guide to “acting ethically.”

The site launched in March, and has had 3,500 unique visitors and about 13,000 page views since then, Scarnecchia said. Other universities have also started to ask if they can copy UM’s site design, she said.

Presentations: MSA Report

DeAndree Watson, president of the Michigan Student Assembly – the university’s student governing group – gave regents an update on MSA’s efforts to promote student activism, including an effort to boost recycling and composting on campus. He also noted that high school students at the University Academy, a Detroit charter school, have decided to model their student government bylaws and constitution based on MSA documents. Students from the school were coming to campus the following day to meet with him and other MSA leaders, he said. [.pdf file of MSA report]

Public Commentary

Carl Cohen was the only speaker during the meeting’s two opportunities for public commentary.

Cohen, a UM philosophy professor at the Residential College, outlined the history of the RC, a living-learning community located within the East Quad dorm. He noted that he was one of the faculty who designed the program, which opened in 1967.

UM philosophy professor Carl Cohen advocated for design changes in the upcoming East Quad renovations, to better accommodate the Residential College program.

Cohen said the RC does what’s now being praised at the new North Quad: “We integrate the residential circumstances of undergraduates with their university studies.” When the college celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007, more than 10% of graduates returned for the event – normally, such reunions only bring about a half percent, he said. What’s more, “our students have been more than loyal – they have excelled,” he said.

East Quad is about 70 years old, and will soon get a “badly needed” renovation, Cohen said. The RC, which he said will be exiled for the 2012-13 academic year, recently was shown plans for where the program will be located after the renovation. “Present plans are a total disaster,” he said. Spaces that have been used by the RC will be returned to university housing, and instead the program will be given less space in undesirable locations – including windowless cubicles for faculty in the basement, and classrooms and small offices that are “jammed on top of one another.”

“In this cramped and profoundly unsatisfying setting we simply cannot survive,” he said. Senior faculty won’t come, he added, nor will undergraduates be attracted to it.

Cohen urged regents to intervene and ensure that adequate space is provided to the Residential College in the renovated East Quad. He said he knew how passionate regents have been in supporting undergraduate education. “You have an opportunity to manifest that support,” he said. “You can make your pleasure known – you can save the college of which we have all been so proud. But if you do nothing, the planned deployment of spaces will go forward, and your Residential College will atrophy and fade away.”

Present: Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio), Julia Darlow, Larry Deitch, Denise Ilitch, Olivia (Libby) Maynard, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andrew Richner, Kathy White. Martin Taylor participated by speaker phone. Deitch left the meeting following the vote on the GSRA resolution.

Next board meeting: Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 3 p.m. at the Fleming Administration Building, 503 Thompson St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

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]

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.”

This brief was filed soon after the meeting’s adjournment from the regents boardroom in the Fleming administration building. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

University of Michigan graduate student research assistants and members of the Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO) crowded the boardroom at Feb. 17, 2011 board of regents meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

They came to support four speakers during public commentary, who were advocating for better benefits and working conditions for graduate student employees. Also speaking during public commentary were five professors from the medical school, urging regents to support a flexible “tenure clock” that would give faculty more time to achieve that professional milestone.

The meeting’s main presentation focused on international aspects of the university – students from other countries who study at UM, and American students who study abroad. Mark Tessler, vice provost for international affairs, told regents that three-quarters of the UM students who study abroad are female – they’re trying to find out why male students aren’t as interested.

The presentation led to several questions from regents, who wanted clarification about why UM doesn’t offer an international program in Israel. They also cited the importance of finding incentives to keep international students in Michigan after graduation.

Regents also voted on several items, mostly without discussion, including: approving the next step in a major renovation of Alice Lloyd Hall; giving departmental status to the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies; and officially naming the new Law School commons in honor of Bob Aikens, a UM alumnus who donated $10 million to the project.

Another UM alum, Gov. Rick Snyder, had released his proposed state budget earlier in the day. Prior to the meeting, several university executives huddled with Cynthia Wilbanks, vice president for government relations, to get updated on the implications for their own budget – funding for higher education is among the many cuts Snyder has proposed. President Mary Sue Coleman also addressed that issue in her opening remarks.

President’s Opening Remarks

President Mary Sue Coleman began by acknowledging that Gov. Rick Snyder had released his state budget proposal earlier in the day. Clearly the state faces severe budget challenges, she said, and will require shared sacrifices.

The university has anticipated this day, she said, and for years has been preparing for a reduction in state funding. The university faces substantial cuts in the governor’s budget, she noted. “There’s no denying this will be painful, but we are fully prepared to do our part.”

Before the start of the Feb. 17 regents meeting, Cynthia Wilbanks, UM vice president for government relations, confers with other executives about the state budget that Gov. Rick Snyder had proposed earlier that day. From left: Tim Slottow, chief financial officer; Jerry May, vice president for development; and provost Phil Hanlon.

[Under the proposal, state appropriations for UM's Ann Arbor campus would be cut 19.4% from FY 2011 levels, to $254.9 million. If the university complies with tuition increases recommended by the governor, it would receive an additional $13.8 million. Under that scenario, the university would receive a total of $268.8 million – a cut of $47.5 million, or 15%, from the FY 2011 appropriation of $316.3 million. It would reduce funding levels to about the amount received in 1990-91.]

The university is committed to providing a world-class education that is accessible to Michigan residents, regardless of income, Coleman said. The budget proposal is the beginning of a conversation, and there’s much to review – including the impact on the University of Michigan Health System. They expect to be fully engaged, she said, adding that Snyder – a UM graduate – understands the importance of higher education to the state’s economy. She noted that they’d be able to demonstrate that importance the next day, when Snyder was scheduled to attend the Feb. 18 awards ceremony on campus for the Clean Energy Prize competition.

Coleman also highlighted some achievements of UM’s arts community. Michael Daugherty, a professor of music, earlier this month won three Grammy awards for his composition “Deus Ex Machina.” Daugherty won the award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition, and the album was awarded Best Orchestral Performance and Best Engineered Album in the classical music category. Also, Ken Fischer, president of the University Musical Society, received the Fan Taylor Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, which recognizes those whose outstanding service, creative thinking, and leadership have had a significant impact on the profession. “Ken certainly fits that criteria,” Coleman said.

UM president Mary Sue Coleman, left, goes over her prepared remarks with Kim Clarke, director of executive communications.

She pointed out that spring break begins soon – from Feb. 28 through March 4 – and she was pleased that 450 students are participating in alternative spring break programs, doing community service across the country. She commended them for giving up their vacations.

Finally, Coleman noted that next month’s regents meeting will be held in Detroit, on March 17, to highlight and celebrate the university’s partnerships there. UM was founded in Detroit, she said – it is the state’s most important city, and the university is committed to strengthening the community and its citizens. [The meeting will be held at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel, site of last year's Washtenaw Community College trustee retreat.]

Internationalization at UM

The main presentation at Thursday’s meeting was given by Mark Tessler, UM’s vice provost for international affairs. His talk focused on two aspects of international studies at the university: Students from other countries who study at UM, and UM students who study abroad. He began by noting that internationalization had been the focus of the university’s 2010 accreditation process.

About 5,200 international students are on campus, from 117 different countries. Of those, the mix is 70% graduate students and 30% undergrads. UM has the nation’s sixth largest international student population, he said. The number of international students has increased almost 35% since 2000, and is increasing as a percentage of the overall student population as well. In 2001, international students represented about 10% of the overall student population. Today, they make up 12.5%.

Having international students enriches campus life, Tessler said, and UM is looking for ways to deepen the relationships between U.S. and international students – many of whom will eventually become leaders in their respective countries.

Tessler said students are drawn to the university for many reasons, as a result of UM’s reputation, its partnerships with institutions in other countries, and its international network of alumni recruiters. One example is a student from Oman, he said, who won a scholarship to attend a U.S. university, and was advised by the country’s cultural affairs officer to pick UM. The student, an Arab, got involved in Judaic studies at UM, and is now back in his country active in political affairs.

Of the roughly 5,200 international students at UM, about 80% come from 10 countries: China (38%), India (20%), South Korea (18%), Taiwan and Canada (6% each), Malaysia (4%), and Singapore, Japan, Turkey and Brazil (2% each).

Turning to UM’s American students, Tessler said each year they send about 3,200 students to 85 different countries, including semester- or year-long studies and shorter summer programs. Most students still go to Europe, though proportionally that number is declining. They’re trying to develop more programs in Asia, Africa and Latin American. He noted that he had studied abroad two times as a student – in Israel and Tunisia – and described the experiences as life-changing. It’s important, as U.S. citizens, to develop “global competence,” he said, and the experience enriches life on campus when you return.

In the last five years, the number of students studying abroad has doubled, but they’re hoping to increase those numbers even more. Some of the reasons that students don’t go is a lack of financial aid, he said, or they have concerns that they won’t be able to graduate on time. So the university is offering a broader array of programs, including some that are shorter in duration. The university is also working with students to help them better plan for an international experience earlier in their academic career.

Tessler also pointed out that about three-quarters of the students who study abroad are female – it’s a national trend, he noted, but they’re trying to see what it would take to get more male students interested.

Internationalization: Regents Comments

Andrea Fischer Newman noted that Tessler had mentioned studying in Israel. There’s currently a student petition being circulated that advocates for UM to start a program there, she said. Though there’s no official program, UM students can study in Israel through programs at other universities, and transfer credits, Newman said. She asked Tessler to talk about why the university doesn’t have an international program in Israel.

Tessler said they have a lot of partnerships with institutions in Israel, but it’s a university policy to suspend programs in countries that are on the U.S. State Department’s travel advisory list, as Israel is. Students can go, he said, and it’s common for them to travel there through programs at other universities. There are also “non-regular” programs that UM faculty and students can create independently in countries that are under travel advisories – in that case, they sign a waiver before traveling.

Newman asked if it were fair to reconsider that policy. Tessler said it’s a fair question – some other institutions ignore the advisories, or ask students to sign waivers for their official programs. There are also universities like UM that take a more conservative view, and don’t feel they should substitute their own judgment for that of the state department. Ultimately, it’s not his decision to make, Tessler said.

At that, Newman turned to provost Phil Hanlon with a questioning look. Hanlon said it’s worth looking at the policy again, to see if it is still appropriate. Tessler noted that there are several other countries on the travel advisory list that they’d like to look at as well.

Denise Ilitch observed that regents had recently received an update on the status of UM students studying in Egypt, in the wake of the uprising there. Tessler said Egypt hadn’t been on the advisory list, but it would be now – a remark that elicted laughter.

Andy Richner asked whether Tessler had data on the number of international students who stay in Michigan after graduation. Tessler said he didn’t, but he imagined it would be a small number. Richner said he’d heard otherwise.

Larry Deitch said they might consider how to incentivize people to stay. Some of the innovation in Michigan has been driven by immigrants, especially those educated here. Richner noted that the governor has expressed interest in this as well.

Internationalization: Student Perspective

Two undergraduates who’ve been involved in UM’s international programs talked about their experiences.

UM undergraduates Grace van Velden, left, and Bianca Renae Lee chat before Thursday's regents meeting started. They both spoke to regents during a presentation on the university's international programs.

Bianca Renae Lee, who’s studying sociocultural anthropology and is graduating in April, described a wide range of programs she’s attended abroad, including studies in Ghana and Ireland. She also worked in New Orleans through UM’s Global Intercultural Experience program – because of that, she’ll be going back to Louisiana after graduation, as a Teach for America worker.

Lee said her international experiences allowed her to grow academically and spiritually, and to build many important relationships. “My life wouldn’t have been the same without these international opportunities,” she said.

Grace van Velden – a junior and president of the UM chapter of Sigma Iota Rho, an honor society for international studies – thanked regents for allowing her and Lee to represent the voices of their peers. Originally from South Africa, she moved here when she was in grade school, but returns in the summers to work in HIV/AIDS and malaria clinics outside of Johannesburg. She also has worked at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Van Velden said she’s grateful that UM pushes students and nurtures their desire to travel, both internationally and within the U.S. – she hopes those efforts will continue.

Michigan Student Assembly Report

Chris Armstrong, president of the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA), gave a brief report to regents, summarizing the student government’s recent work. On Feb. 19 they were co-hosting the Stand Up to Bullying event at the Ypsilanti District Library – speakers would include Washtenaw County sheriff Jerry Clayton and former state legislator Alma Wheeler Smith. The MSA is continuing to work with university administrators on an open housing initiative, he said, and is working on a campuswide campaign to solicit ideas about what to fix on campus. He reported that the MSA’s environmental commission had collected over 1,400 signatures to ban plastic bottles on campus. Armstrong also urged regents to strongly encourage negotiations between the administration and the Graduate Employees’ Organization as they discuss their upcoming contract.

CAAS To Become a Department

Regents unanimously approved reorganizing UM’s Center for Afroamerican and African Studies (CAAS), an institution founded in 1970, into the Department for Afroamerican and African Studies, part of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. The new status aims to strengthen the undergraduate program, allow the unit to develop additional graduate studies, and aid in recruiting and promoting faculty.

No financial costs are anticipated as a result of the change, which would take effect on Sept. 1, 2011.

Law Commons Named for Aikens

Regents voted to officially name the new UM Law School commons in honor of Robert B. Aikens. A 1954 graduate of the law school, Aikens gave the university a $10 million donation for the school’s current expansion and renovation project, which includes the new commons. It’s the largest gift ever given to the law school by a living individual, according to Jerry May, vice president for development. May praised Aikens and his wife Ann Aikens as being lifelong supporters of many parts of the university, with previous gifts to the UM School of Art & Design and the athletics department.

Capital Projects: Alice Lloyd, School of Social Work

Several capital projects were unanimously approved by regents at their Feb. 17 meeting, with little discussion. They include:

• Authorization to seek bids and award construction contracts on a $56 million “deep” renovation of Alice Lloyd Hall, located at 100 S. Observatory. Regents had previously approved the project’s schematic design at their Dec. 17, 2010 meeting. The 176,000-square-foot dorm houses about 560 students. Construction is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2012.
• A $1.85 million renovation project at the School of Social Work. About 18,400 square feet in the atrium of the building – located at 1080 S. University Ave., at the corner of East University – will be renovated into a new clinical suite to allow students to practice and observe clinical approaches, and to accommodate expanded continuing education programs. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2011.
• A $2 million renovation project on the fourth floor of the C.C. Little Science Building, located at 1100 N. University Ave. The roughly 10,600 square feet of renovated lab and support space will be used by recently recruited faculty for the Dept. of Geological Sciences. Construction is expected to be finished by the fall of 2011.

Bylaws Revised

Regents approved three revisions to their bylaws, with no discussion. [.pdf of bylaws revisions] Changes were made to:

• Reflect the fact that recreational sports programs are now overseen by the division of student affairs, not the athletics department.
• Delete the entire Chapter VII on student affairs, which refers to entities that either no longer exist or that are covered in other sections of the bylaws.
• Reflect a change in the reporting lines for the Museum of Zoology and Herbarium.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures

Regents authorized five 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.

Items included: (1) a contract between UM and the Gladwin Center – a meeting facility on Liberty Road, just west of Wagner; (2) option agreements with Cardiavent LLC and Wolverine Energy Solutions Technology Inc.; and (3) licensing agreements with Omni MedSci Inc. and Atrial Innovations Inc.

All items passed unanimously, with no discussion.

Public Commentary

Public commentary occurs at the end of regents meetings. On Thursday, two topics dominated speakers’ remarks: a proposed flexible “tenure clock” for faculty; and issues affecting graduate student workers.

Flexible Tenure Clock

Five faculty members of the UM Medical School addressed the regents in support of a more flexible timeline for achieving tenure. The provost, Phil Hanlon, is considering extending the maximum allowable period to 10 years – the change would ultimately require action by the regents. The current maximum is eight years, though many units of the university set shorter timelines.

Timothy Johnson, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology, told regents it was the democratically right thing to do – faculty at the medical school have discussed it for more than a decade, and support it. Given their clinical duties, the medical school faculty are quite different in how they achieve scholarship, so a flexible tenure clock is required. There’s a great deal of uncertainty surrounding funding for staff – at the federal level, support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is changing, and health care reform will have an impact on reimbursement for physicians. These are turbulent times, he said, and people in Michigan are further stressed by the exigencies of this state’s economy. Having a tenure clock that’s shorter than their peer institutions puts them at a competitive disadvantage, he said.

John Carethers, chair of UM Medical School's department of internal medicine.

John Carethers, chair of the department of internal medicine, said he represented the medical school’s largest department, with over 640 faculty. Flexibility in achieving tenure is important for their ability to attract and retain the best faculty, he said, with diversity in race, gender and discipline. There are at least two dozen examples of faculty who had difficulty in achieving tenure over the past few years, and a disproportionate number of them were women, compared to the makeup of the overall faculty. There are many reasons for this, he said, including delays in getting NIH funding, the collaborative nature of their research, or health and child-related issues. He concluded by reading a letter from Maria Silveira, an assistant professor of internal medicine who practices palliative care. The letter described Silveira’s own health struggles, noting that she had to petition the dean to extend her tenure clock. Without flexibility, tenure is possible only for those who are privileged or lucky.

Toby Lewis, a pediatric pulmonologist and environmental epidemiologist, described her research, which addresses childhood asthma in low-income neighborhoods. The community-based approach is collaborative and interdisciplinary, she said, and is time- and labor-intensive. There are challenges in working with vulnerable communities, and a typical study takes five to seven years to complete. Lewis said she was giving regents this information because research like this needs to be done for intractable problems, and the university needs to embrace and promote faculty who are taking risks to do this work. Flexibility in the tenure clock is needed so that high-performing faculty have the time to complete their research.

Carol Bradford, chair of the UM Medical School's department of otolaryngology.

Carol Bradford, chair of the department of otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), described her career path from the time she joined UM as an assistant professor in 1992. She listed many of the accomplishments she’s been able to achieve – she is president-elect of the American Head and Neck Society, the first woman to hold that role – but said that were it not for mentorship and some lucky breaks, she might not be here today.

Susan Goold, a professor of internal medicine, said that she’s an Ann Arbor native who also joined the medical school faculty in 1992 – she became the first tenured women in her division. She recalled that when she was a young resident, she had lunch with a national leader in her field. When Goold expressed admiration for another female researcher, he told her that the researcher wouldn’t have been as successful if she’d had children. Goold said that the pressure of a ticking tenure clock often coincides with the urge to have a family. More flexibility in the tenure timeline would help recruit more female faculty, she said. But it’s not just about women and pregnancy, she added – it would also help those who face illness, or whose research just takes longer to get rolling. She concluded by noting that some people are concerned about the potential for abuse – delaying tenure in order to keep salaries lower. That’s something to keep an eye on if they extend the tenure clock.

Graduate Employee Concerns

Four graduate students spoke during public commentary, but at least two dozen others attended the meeting, many of them carrying signs that lobbied on issues related to contract negotiations between the university and the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO).

Chelsea Del Rio, an officer in the Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO).

Chelsea Del Rio, a GEO officer, thanked the university for meeting with GEO representatives, and said they looked forward to talking about issues like parents’ rights, health benefits and wages. She described the kind of work that graduate student instructors (GSIs) do – teaching classes, writing letters of recommendation, holding office hours and more – and said they do this because they’re invested in the success of their students and of the university. They’re asking for resources necessary to be the best possible employees that they can be, she said. They want a reasonable contract that will protect GSIs, she said. Del Rio described a recent situation when a professor pressured GSIs into staying late to grade papers, even though a blizzard was on the way. Another GSI had to sneak out into the parking lot to breastfeed, because there was no place else to do it – the university needs to provide clean and secure areas for this. She also noted that graduate student research assistants (GSRAs) aren’t protected by a union contract – they aren’t represented by a bargaining unit like GEO. Like GSIs, GSRAs contribute to the success of the university. “The University of Michigan works because we do,” she said. Del Rio concluded by saying she was confident they could reach an agreement.

Alix Gould-Werth, a graduate student research assistant (GSRA), described the type of work she does in studying the impact of unemployment insurance. Sometimes she prioritizes the work over her own studies, she said, but she likes it. She asked the university to recognize it for what it is: work. As a GSRA, she doesn’t have any say over her benefits or working conditions. Now, the GSRAs are talking about whether to join the GEO bargaining unit, and she asked the university to be neutral about it and not oppose the move, if that’s what the GSRAs decide to do.

Daniel Marcin, treasurer of the Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO).

Daniel Marcin identified himself as the treasurer for GEO and a graduate student in economics. The GEO certainly understands the university’s economic constraints, he said, and they know that budgets are tight. They’re asking for a 3% raise in each of the first two years of the contract, and a 6% raise in the third year. “We know that you understand compound interest,” he said, adding that this is a fair starting point for the negotiations. Graduate student instructors earn $17,200 per academic year – “We do deserve a little more,” Marcin said, “and that’s what we’re asking for.”

Denise Bailey said she represented two minorities: graduate students with disabilities, and graduate student parents. Both bring unique perspectives to the university, and she hoped the university would make strides in accommodating them and integrating them fully into campus life. For graduate students with children, she advocated for: (1) removal of the current work/study requirement that’s needed to get a childcare subsidy; (2) sufficient parental leave that wouldn’t result in losing medical benefits; and (3) private space where lactating mothers could pump breastmilk or nurse their babies.

Regent Martin Taylor responded to the public commentary, saying he strongly supported the rights of workers to organize. He said he understood the administration’s concerns, but hoped they could come together and allow students to organize. Regents Kathy White and Julia Darlow indicated support for Taylor’s comments.

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

Absent: Olivia (Libby) Maynard

Next board meeting: Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 2 p.m. at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit, 1114 Washington Blvd., Detroit. [confirm date]

This early 2009 Chronicle file photo shows Christopher Mark as he conducts a rehearsal of the Huron High symphony orchestra. (Photo links to Jan. 12, 2009 Chronicle article about a visit from lead violinist for the Guarneri String Quartet, Arnold Steinhardt.)

In neither case did the board explain its reasoning or share any details of their investigation. However, public commentary about Mark’s case revealed the board’s concern that Mark had engaged in a possibly inappropriate relationship with a woman when she was a student at Huron High School five years ago. Mark and the woman are currently dating.

Also at the meeting, AAPS interim superintendent Robert Allen presented a draft of proposed changes to the district’s strategic plan. Three of the eight original action teams for the plan, each centered on a core strategy, have been asked to reconvene from January to March of 2011 to clarify the focus of their work in light of the proposed changes. Finalized updates to the strategic plan will be presented in April 2011 for board approval.

A number of additional actions were taken by the board at the meeting, including adoption of a set of principles to be used in drafting education reform legislation. The principles will now be shared with other local districts in the hopes of presenting a unified set of suggestions to legislative representatives early in 2011.

Tenure Charges

In the state of Michigan, after four years of achieving satisfactory performance evaluations, a teacher receives tenure. This means that for the teacher to be demoted or discharged, the board must pursue charges with the Michigan State Tenure Commission (MSTC). An administrative law judge then hears the case, and makes a determination about the teacher’s continued employment with the district that brought the charges. Before the board were two resolutions to proceed with tenure changes – one for Christopher Mark and the other for William Harris. Their cases are not connected.

Tenure Charges: Public Commentary

Ten people made public comments regarding  Mark. Five parents, three students, and Mark’s attorney, Nick Roumel, spoke in support of him.

Parents challenged the board to be confident in their assessment of Mark’s behavior, and not to “rush to judgment.” They likened the district’s investigation to a “witch hunt,” and a “vendetta” brought by the parents of the former Huron student who Mark is now dating. Yi Keep added that there are ethno-cultural issues at play, contending that the former student’s parents are using Mark as a “pawn” to control their daughter’s behavior.

Supporters of Christopher Mark filled the board room to standing-room only at the AAPS board's Dec. 15 meeting. Mark is standing at the far right.

Students defended Mark’s behavior, saying that his spending significant time alone with individual students was not unusual, and arguing that this is “not inappropriate student-teacher conduct, but friendship.” One added, “A lot of us don’t want to talk to our parents, but we will talk to Mr. Mark.”

Another implored the board to consider the testimony of the many students who have spoken in support of Mark, and advised, “Amazing high school teachers can change lives. So can their absence.”

Roumel, himself a former member of the AAPS board of education from 1994-2000, stressed that Mark broke no laws or rules, but “acted from the heart” to help a distressed student. “If you believe some of his actions were not appropriate, it’s up to you to put some guidelines in place, because there were none.” Roumel challenged the board to “punish [Mark], but it doesn’t have to be the death penalty.” He suggested, “We can satisfy everybody’s concerns … I look forward to trying to reach that resolution with you.”

Nick Roumel, an attorney representing Christopher Mark, addressed the board during public commentary.

In contrast, Marian Faupel, an attorney and former member of the Saline Area Schools board of education, encouraged the board to follow the law.  She cautioned, “The children of this district rely on you and your wisdom … The past is a good predictor of the future … If [Mark] admitted to the challenged conduct, but does not see a problem with it, there is no chance of rehabilitation.” As Faupel spoke, hisses from the audience crescendoed until board president Deb Mexicotte, who chairs the meetings, admonished the gathering to afford Faupel the courtesy due all speakers.

Tenure Charges: Two AAPS Teachers

At Wednesday’s meeting, the board voted to proceed with filing tenure charges against Christopher Mark and William Harris. For now, both Mark and Harris remain on paid administrative leave. Ultimately, their continued employment with AAPS will be based on the MSTC rulings, if they file an appeal of the board’s decision to the MSTC. If they do not file an appeal, each will be automatically terminated as an AAPS employee 20 days after receiving the board’s decision.

Several  of Mark’s supporters had also addressed the school board at their Nov. 17, 2010 meeting. A few agenda items before the vote on the tenure resolutions on Dec. 15, the board recessed to a closed, executive session for 43 minutes for the purpose of discussing attorney-client privileged communication. As board members began to stand up and leave the room, one of Mark’s supporters questioned the board’s action, calling out, “Will you be back?” Board president Deb Mexicotte answered that yes, they would return to complete the agenda. The supporter’s reply: “We’ll be here.”

Attorney Marian Faupel, during her public commentary, called upon the board to follow the law.

Following the vote to proceed with tenure charges against Mark, many students began crying, and some parents glared at the board members as they filed out, one offering bitterly, “Justice has been done!” Some consoled each other, saying, “It’s not over.” Mark, who had been sitting hand in hand with his girlfriend during the vote, offered a sarcastic, “Thank you,” to the board as he left the room.

After the board heard and voted on the second resolution – to pursue tenure charges against Harris – Mexicotte read a statement stating that the board followed the due process afforded all Michigan teachers, and that the next step would be hearings before an administrative law judge. She closed by saying that the board would not make any further comments at that time.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to pursue tenure charges against Christopher Mark and William Harris.

Strategic Plan Update

AAPS embarked on its three-phase strategic planning process in 2007, and in late October 2010 strategic planning team members reported to the board on the successes of Phase I.

Strategic Plan: Staff Report

At Wednesday’s meeting, interim superintendent Robert Allen explained that the strategic planning team had reconvened for a two-day meeting in early December to conduct a planned review of the process this far, and to kick off Phase II.

The district’s strategic plan contains eight strategies, each directing the work of an action team made up of staff, students, administration, and community members. The primary charge of the review meetings, according to Allen, was to determine whether the work of each of the action teams was on track, needed a slight correction in focus, or should be abandoned. At the same time, the strategic planning team was asked whether any new strategies should be added to the eight already identified.

Allen reported that the team decided to continue work on the same eight strategies, but that three of the eight action teams would be asked to reconvene to clarify their focus, given language changes to their strategies suggested by the strategic planning team. He highlighted the impact of local and national economic changes in the past three years as the main reason the strategies might need to be tweaked. “We embarked on this process at the worst possible time, as we were about to enter into an economic downward spiral,” Allen said, noting that the outside facilitator working with the planning team commended the district for what it had been able to accomplish during Phase I, given the economic climate.

The strategies around which the three teams will be reconvening are:

• Strategy #1: We will create a complete educational program featuring personalized learning that realizes student aspirations and meets international standards;
• Strategy #5: We will implement a system to ensure continuous development of staff capacity; and
• Strategy #6: We will engage and inform our constituents to engender trust and support to accomplish our mission and objectives.

AAPS has put out an open call to the community to be part of these action teams. Allen noted that, though the first set of action teams met for eight months, these teams would work for only three months, from January to March of 2011. Final revisions to the strategic plan will then come before the board in April of 2011 for approval.

In addition to reviewing the strategies, the planning team also analyzed the strategic plan’s belief statements, mission statement, and objectives. Allen presented the draft of proposed language changes to the belief statements and objectives. Of the mission statement’s review, he said, “We went over every word, but did not reach any consensus as to what needs to be changed … Should [the mission statement] be something you can fit on a pencil or recite from memory, or should it be comprehensive? … We are still working on that.”

Noting that approximately one-third of the planning team members are new to the process, Allen suggested that the time spent on reviewing the beliefs and mission statement was particularly useful for them to “gain a high level of understanding as to what was behind all those words.”

Finally, Allen reviewed the general dynamics of the process, suggesting that more emphasis should be placed on communicating about the strategic plan internally. He asked four members of the strategic planning team – Sylvia Nesmith, chair of the Black Parents Student Support Group; former AAPS superintendent Scott Westerman; Alex Hassan, a junior at Huron High; and Clague principal Cindy Leaman – to share their reflections on the two-day review meeting with the board.

Nesmith noted the variety of opinions shared at the review meeting, saying, “It drove home the importance of having diversity on our planning teams, so as the district moves forward to address the needs of all of our students, it can be done with real meaning.” Hassan agreed, “You can’t just have one perspective – you need everyone’s voice to reach consensus.” He argued that the student voice in the strategic planning process was extremely important, and thanked the administration for inviting student participation.

Westerman said he was encouraged by the work of the strategic planning team so far, and asserted that the board will be impressed when they see the final product of the review in April. “We spent 20 hours together and were pretty productive,” he said. “It didn’t seem like 20 hours.”

Leaman, one of the new members on the team, called the process “challenging and provocative, with plenty of opportunities for creative expression, and the nurturing of human spirit.” She noticed the dynamic of the plan’s mission statement reflected in the review process.

After recognizing the hard work of three administrators – Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelly, interim deputy superintendent of instruction, Liz Margolis, director of communications, and Jane Landefeld, director of student accounting – Allen invited board members’ comments or questions.

Strategic Plan Update: Board Response

Board members asked for some clarification on the way wording changes were presented on the slides in the presentation, and requested that future presentations include strike-throughs and underlines, rather than character color changes, to show wording that has been deleted or added, respectively.

Simone Lightfoot asked how more students could be invited to participate. Margolis said she would be recruiting students to participate on the three reconvening action teams by calling the high schools.

Irene Patalan, who had been on the original planning team, said “it broke my heart that I could not be part of this one due to other personal commitments.” She said the strategic plan has been her “guiding light” as a board member, and she thanked those who are giving of their time to keep working on it. Patalan expressed pride that the plan has yielded innovative and creative programming, even as available funds are dwindling.

Susan Baskett thanked the planning team members, and asked how new action teams members would be recruited, and when the board would be notified of who is sitting on each team.

Allen said AAPS would reach out first to the action teams’ original members, and then seek new members. Margolis added that, in addition to posting information on how to volunteer on the district’s website, AAPS will send out information to all of its parent and community groups. She also noted that she has been collecting names of community members interested in participating for the past year, and that she would follow up with them as well.

Allen noted that the teams will need to be in place by Jan. 12, because the action team leader training will take place on that day. Deb Mexicotte asked that the complete list of action team members for the three reconvening teams be included in the board packet for the next regular meeting, also scheduled for Jan. 12.

Christine Stead shared that she was honored and privileged to be a part of the strategic planning team’s review, and “to see the passion and intellect of the people of our community.” She also expressed surprise that the finance action team (team 8) did not need to be reconvened given the changing economic environment, and noted that much of the work currently being done by the board committees, including legislative reform and broadening funding sources, is the work that had been planned for by that action team.

Glenn Nelson stated that he was impressed with the process, and noted that Patalan’s “regrets turned into my joy at being able to participate.” He encouraged the community to participate by joining a reconvening action team. “If you have any inclination at all,” he said, “… come and join us. I was on an action team last time and really learned a lot.”

Andy Thomas joked that, to him, the 20 hours of meeting “seemed like 40 hours …We were trying to reach agreement on every. single. word. … It was painful, but very much worth the effort, I guess.” Mexicotte ventured that Thomas “needs to work on his trustee-speak.”

Mexicotte thanked everyone who participated, and asserted that the process has yielded some amazing results.

Board Committee Reports

The board has two standing committees. The planning committee consists of: Christine Stead (chair), Susan Baskett, and Irene Patalan; the performance committee consists of: Glenn Nelson (chair), Simone Lightfoot, and Andy Thomas. Board president Deb Mexicotte sits on neither committee.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the performance committee gave an unusually long report, embedding a presentation on enrollment data.

Performance Committee

Nelson turned over his report to Thomas, and then Lightfoot. Thomas shared a chart created by AAPS director of student accounting Jane Landefeld, which showed student enrollment on count day by grade over time.  The state of Michigan determines the official number of enrolled students in each school district by requesting that students be counted twice a year – on specific “count days” in September and February.  The state uses a blended count from these two days to determine total foundation allowance allocations for each district.

The chart Thomas presented included data as far back as the 1994-95 school year. Overall this year, AAPS has 16,552 students, which is a net increase of 110 students from last year, due to new students in the WAY Washtenaw program and those who opted to attend AAPS as a school of choice. Thomas praised the district’s efforts to increase enrollment, asserting that without these new students, AAPS would have lost the equivalent of roughly $100,000 this year.

Thomas then pointed out some trends from the data presented by Landefeld. Student enrollment increases from kindergarten to first grade, then gradually declines through elementary school. Middle school enrollment is steady, and then the high school enrollment numbers show a loss of approximately 40 students per year, which is roughly equivalent to the district’s drop-out rate.

Thomas pointed out that the performance committee is also looking at the reasons why students living in the AAPS attendance boundaries choose to attend school outside the district, and what AAPS can do to bring them back. He also noted that the committee is exploring what local private schools offer, other than religious education, that AAPS is not currently offering.

Lightfoot added to the committee’s report, saying that the board will continue to tweak the district’s achievement gap plan, which is currently in draft form. She suggested that the board talk to those students who are in the gap on a regular basis. Lightfoot also acknowledged that when she came on the board, she wanted to move more expeditiously, but that now she is comfortable with moving just a little slower to “get it right.”

Mexicotte thanked the performance committee for sharing the enrollment chart, and said it can be used to debunk myths, such as a perceived drop in middle school enrollment.

Planning Committee

Stead reported that her committee had met Dec. 9. They reviewed the strategic plan update, discussed the district’s transition to Google Mail, and reviewed an early draft of a document intended to better communicate with the community about the district’s efforts to close the achievement gap.

Next, Stead reviewed a resolution to be voted on later in the meeting for the board to adopt a set of principles on education reform. The principles were crafted by a task force of the board’s planning committee, and include ideas on appropriate funding, performance, and charter schools. The board had reviewed the principles in some depth at a study session earlier in the month. [.pdf of reform principles]

Stead asserted that this is the board’s opportunity to have a chance to change legislation, along with other districts in Washtenaw County. Once approved, the idea would be to forward these reform principles along to other local districts, and then take them to legislative representatives in February.

Mexicotte commended the set of principles put forth by the task force as “comprehensive, and forward-thinking,” asserting that “it is an excellent framework to begin a countywide and statewide discussion.” She thanked Stead for her leadership in bringing the document forward.

Association Reports

At each meeting, the board invites reports from six associations: the Youth Senate, the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA). At the Dec. 15 meeting, the board heard reports from the Youth Senate, the AAPAC, the BPSSG, and the PTOC.

Association Reports: Youth Senate

The Youth Senate representative reported on a voting age survey taken at Huron and Pioneer high schools. The survey results indicate that most students would vote if the voting age was lowered, while also showing that most students believe that young people do not understand the full power of voting. Some students suggested that students should be able to vote at least in local decisions involving schools.

The Youth Senate also reported a shift in its philanthropic efforts at Pioneer to address poverty locally instead of globally. In particular, Pioneer will look at how poverty affects youth and the rate of homelessness in the local community.

Association Reports: AAPAC

Rick Altschuler reported for the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education. He began by thanking the AAPS administration for its support, and said the AAPAC was pleased to learn of Elaine Brown’s technology vision. Brown is the assistant superintendent of student intervention and support services. Altschuler noted that assistive technology is important, as it is the only way for many children to access the curriculum.

He also thanked Ann Roger, the director of Special Olympics for Washtenaw and Livingston counties, for coming to the AAPAC’s December meeting in the hopes of increasing the number of children in AAPS who can join Special Olympics teams. He noted that the Special Olympics is for all persons who have a disability, and that it also offers an inclusion curriculum program called “Get Into It,” which teachers can use in their classroom for free.

Altschuler reported that parents of exceptional youth are already thinking of upcoming transitions, noting that “a great deal of care goes into helping exceptional students transition successfully from year to year.” The AAPAC, he said, is looking forward to continuing to work with AAPS administration to ensure successful transitions.

Finally, he reported that the Disability Awareness Workshops will be taking place again this year for fourth grade classes across the district. He offered a special thanks to Wendy Correll, of the AAPS Educational Foundation for help with disbursing the necessary funds to keep the program going.

Association Reports: BPSSG

Sylvia Nesmith reported for the Black Parents Student Support Group, first thanking everyone who attended the group’s meeting on Dec. 14. She reported that the BPSSG had discussed ideas on boosting their meeting attendance, and has decided to put together a brochure about themselves, along with information about scholarships and other information that might be of interest to parents and students. The brochure will be distributed at school functions, churches, and community centers. Nesmith welcomed the board’s input to the brochure’s content.

Association Reports: PTOC

In her report from the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council, Amy Pachera said that ongoing training for PTOs would continue in the new year, with treasurer training on Feb. 7 and officer training on Feb. 8. The PTO training sessions are being put on by the NEW Center, and each will cost PTOs $25, which Pachera asserted is well worth the price.

Coming up, the PTOC will hold two forums, each in a round-robin style, at which member PTOs will be able to share ideas and best practices. The January forum will be on enrichment activities, and the March forum will be on fundraising.

Pachera also reported that the PTOC advocacy committee has been busy scheduling meetings with the newly elected legislature, and encouraging other school districts to do the same. The PTOC is also participating on the board task force on education reform legislation.

Finally, she reminded the community that the PTOC is a great resource for PTOs if they have questions about issues coming up within their individual schools. The PTOC, Pachera said, can advise on issues of school funding, or help with the review of bylaws or policies.

Superintendent’s Report

Robert Allen reported on the successes of a set of students, teachers, and individual schools in the district. AAPS homebuilding students won a local competition, Forsythe Middle School students came in fifth in a national Knowledge Master Open competition, and many individual students have won scholarships for next year.

In addition, Allen pointed out a number of holiday service projects in play at some local elementary schools – Thurston students collected 88 coats to be distributed to those in need in Washtenaw County, Logan collected 135 paired sets of pajamas and bedtime storybooks, and Eberwhite raised over $1,000 for local families in need. Deb Mexicotte commented that Allen’s report points out how generous and competent AAPS students are, even at young ages.

Allen wished a peaceful and safe holiday season to all.

Board Action Items

There were no first briefing items at this meeting. In addition to pursuing tenure charges as described above, the board approved a number of other items at this meeting with little or no discussion.

Action Item: Consent Agenda

Outcome: After confirming that there were no questions for the second briefing on the first quarter financial report, the board unanimously approved a consent agenda consisting only of the financial report and a set of gift offers.

Action Item: Nomination of WISD Committee Representatives

Deb Mexicotte explained that the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) has a parent advisory committee that is mandated by the state to advise them on special education matters. Recently, the AAPS has not had representation on this particular advisory committee, and members of the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education asked if they could address this lack of representation by suggesting names of parents who would be willing to serve on the WISD committee.

Mexicotte asked for any discussion on the two parents nominated for this committee by the AAPAC – Scott White and Barb Byers.

Glenn Nelson applauded their willingness to serve on this committee, especially as the WISD embarks on a major change in leadership – both superintendent, Bill Miller, and assistant superintendent, Rick Leyshock, have recently announced their upcoming resignations, Nelson said – while working on renewal of the special education millage. He stated that White and Byers are excellent candidates to represent Ann Arbor, and that they are two of the people who first educated him about special education services.

Outcome: Irene Patalan and Mexicotte seconded Nelson’s enthusiasm for White and Byers, and the board voted unanimously to recommend them to WISD as new committee members.

Action Items: Education Legislation Reform Resolution

Christine Stead had presented a resolution on education reform legislation earlier in the meeting during her planning committee report. Mexicotte asked her if she had anything to add, or if the resolution was ready to bring to a vote.

Stead took the opportunity to thank the committee that had crafted the set of principles the resolution would adopt, saying that this body of work came together from the ongoing work of many people.

The only discussion was Nelson’s suggestion of a friendly amendment to reword a piece of the language on charter schools to make it more positive toward their existence in areas where the existing public schools are providing low quality education services.

Outcome: The amendment was accepted, and the board unanimously approved the education legislation reform resolution.

Action Items: Student Discipline Action

Before the board was a resolution to reinstate an unnamed student to AAPS.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously with no discussion to recommend that, as discussed in a closed hearing on Nov. 30, Student A be reinstated to AAPS, but placed in a different middle school in January 2011.

Action Item: Policy Reinstatements

Mexicotte explained that three board policies that have not yet been re-reviewed will expire at the end of the calendar year unless the board votes to extend time for their review. She moved that the board delay expiration of three policies – 3760 (Transportation), 6120 (Pilot Projects/ Innovation), and 7220 (Parent & Booster Organizations) – until March 31, 2011, to allow for their review and renewal.

Outcome: With no discussion, the board unanimously approved extending the expiration date of policies on transportation, pilot projects/innovation, and parent & booster organizations until March 31, 2011.

Agenda Planning

Mexicotte said she would like an update on the district’s special education services before the special education renewal is voted on by the community in May. She requested that Elaine Brown, AAPS assistant superintendent for student intervention and support services, provide such a report in February or March of 2011.

Items from the Board

Susan Baskett pointed out that information on board members needed to be updated on a purple card that the administration created with speaking points on it about the district. Mexicotte added that the mission statement on the same document had been truncated.

Simone Lightfoot pointed out that for her, Dec. 16 marks one year of service on the board, and that she has loved it. She thanked those who supported her initial appointment, and the electorate who voted for her this past November, saying, “It is indeed my pleasure to serve.”

Baskett also thanked the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice for its efforts to create a community-wide task force on the elimination of the district’s achievement gap. “We put out there that the community needs to pick up some of the work, and they picked that up.” In addition, Baskett reported that her fourth grade teacher made a donation to the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation in honor of Baskett’s service on the board. Baskett thanked her teacher – “the first person to introduce me to American civics.” Finally, she wished everyone a happy and safe holiday.

And with that, the board adjourned until the new year.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Susan Baskett, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Glenn Nelson, Christine Stead, and Simone Lightfoot. Also present as a non-voting member was Robert Allen, interim superintendent of AAPS.

Next regular meeting: Jan. 12, 2011, 7 p.m., at the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

Todd Roberts, superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools. (Photos by the writer).

While introducing the item, AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts noted, “This is certainly a very difficult thing for myself and for this board to be recommending tonight,” but said he was hopeful that AAPS will continue to work collaboratively with its employee groups to end up with “as few job reductions as we possibly can.” District officials hope that many of the layoffs will be rescinded before the start of school in the fall.

Last night’s meeting also contained the first of two public hearings on recommendations from the district’s sexual health education advisory committee regarding materials to be used in elementary-level sex education.

Layoffs Ordered

The main item of business before the board was to lay off nearly 16% of the district’s teaching staff starting in June. After board president Deb Mexicotte introduced the item to trustees as a “personnel action,” she offered, “If there is any discussion anyone would like to have before I move this motion, this would be the time to do it … Dr. Roberts, is there anything you’d like to say?”

Roberts began, “I wish there was nothing to say,” and then defined the personnel action the board was being asked to take as “the decision to lay off 191 teachers, all probationary teachers in the district.” He described the action as necessary to deal with the possible elimination of up to 90 teaching jobs outlined in the 2010-11 budget plan.

The list of 191 teachers receiving layoff notices was not made public, but Roberts and teachers’ union president Brit Satchwell confirmed to The Chronicle after the meeting that it contains all probationary teachers except for those who will be receiving tenure this June. Tenure is usually granted in the fourth year of teaching.

The reasoning behind laying off roughly 100 people more than needed is based on the complicated algorithm used to determine teacher seniority, which is outlined in the collective bargaining contract between teachers and the district, and mandated in part by state and federal law. Article 4.813.4 of the contract states, “Probationary teachers shall be laid off on the basis of certification, qualification, degree and experience.”

“Certification” refers to the specific grade levels and subject area endorsements listed on a teacher’s state of Michigan teaching certificate. “Qualification” refers to a teacher’s status as “highly qualified” to teach a specific subject, as delineated in the federal education law No Child Left Behind (NCLB). NCLB mandated that, by 2006, all teachers – new and old – of core subject areas (including foreign languages, and the arts) would have a bachelor’s degree, be certified to teach what they are teaching, and meet one of the following provisions:

• Have a major (or at least 30 credits) in the content/subject they wish to teach; or
• Pass a state-level subject area test; or
• Create a comprehensive teaching portfolio to prove competence in a certain subject; or
• Hold national board certification in the subject they wish to teach.

“Degree and experience” refers to a combination of the highest degree a teacher holds (up to a master’s), the number of years the teacher has taught (state seniority), and the number of years the teacher has taught in AAPS specifically (district seniority).

Brit Satchwell, president of the teachers' union, just after Wednesday's Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education meeting.

In an interview with The Chronicle directly following the meeting, Satchwell explained that the complexity involved in properly applying the contract language essentially makes it very difficult, even impossible, for the district to know exactly which teachers they will not need in the fall before the state-mandated April 30 deadline for issuing layoff notices.

So while teacher retirements, pending state legislation, fluctuating health care costs, and bargaining unit negotiations are still being worked out, the district is essentially forced to lay off a larger number of teachers than it needs to let go up front, and then “call back” as many as it can.

This process of rescinding layoff notices, referred to by Satchwell as “human Tetris,” involves calling teachers back one by one, in order of district seniority, to positions for which they are highly qualified – even if that means involuntarily moving the teachers currently in those positions to other positions for which they are highly qualified. In the end, regardless of how many or which teaching positions are eliminated (which at this point is still uncertain), district seniority is the leading factor determining who gets called back and who remains laid off.

Before the vote at Wednesday night’s meeting, Roberts said that negotiating this situation was the most difficult part of his 21-year career in education, 16 of which he has spent as an administrator. He called the current state of education funding in Michigan and lack of state-level political leadership “unacceptable,” and noted that 3,000 teachers have received layoff notices in Michigan this year.

Though Roberts offered to have Dave Comsa, assistant superintendent for human resources and legal services, and Cindy Ryan, director of human resources, answer any questions board members had regarding the layoff or possible callback process, no questions were asked at the public meeting.  Instead, three board members – secretary Glenn Nelson, treasurer Christine Stead, and Mexicotte – made comments before the vote.

Nelson’s comments echoed and expanded on the concerns he had stated at the previous board meeting regarding class sizes increases. He reiterated that if the problem is addressed through layoffs, class sizes would increase on average 8% in elementary grades, 15% at the middle school level, and 18% at the high schools.

As a parent, he said, he has observed that larger class sizes have the following effects: there is an increase in the likelihood that one difficult student in the class changes the class atmosphere; assignments cannot be as involved since the teacher has more students to evaluate; teachers can be less proactive about offering guidance; teachers are unable to be as reactive in answering questions; and teachers are less able to work creatively with every set of parents or guardians.

“I just hope from the bottom of my heart,” Nelson said, “that we figure out a way to do this without saying that the solution is layoffs.” He added, however, “If we have to, of course, we will. We have a mandate to balance the budget.”

Stead commented on the political climate, and the community’s responsibility in solving the funding crisis. Saying that the stress on staff caused by these layoffs is unacceptable, Stead named the long history of inadequate state education funding as the cause of the current “turmoil.” She then argued that private giving should be encouraged as a way to counter the state’s inadequacies and move the district down a sustainable funding path. Speaking to those being laid off, she asked, “Please bear with us – hopefully, we will get to a good spot.”

Mexicotte then confirmed that there were no further comments or questions, thanked Roberts for speaking to this, and also for his work on this difficult issue, and made the following motion:

“WHEREAS, the largest portion of the Ann Arbor Public Schools’ expenditures are used to pay for employment of its teaching staff, and

WHEREAS, the Ann Arbor Public Schools, for economic reasons, must reduce its teaching staff to reduce costs.

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that:

1.   The teachers listed on Attachment A shall be given notice that the Board of Trustees has laid off said teachers effective June 30, 2010.

2.   The Administration is hereby directed to give teachers listed on Attachment A, a copy of this Resolution and a copy of the Teachers Tenure Act, which includes Article VI, Right to Appeal.

3.   All resolutions and parts of resolutions insofar as they conflict with the provisions of this resolution be and the same are hereby rescinded.”

Vice president Irene Patalan seconded the motion. There was no further discussion.

Outcome: The motion to lay off 191 probationary teachers carried unanimously.

Elementary Sexual Education Materials

Roberts began by describing the district’s sexual health education advisory committee (SHEAC) as a collaborative effort between staff and parents. He explained that the committee’s charge was to seek out and review instructional materials to be used in sex education throughout the district, and commended their work, calling it “outstanding.”

Margy Long and Debby Salem, two parents on the SHEAC, came to the podium, and briefly commented on the recommendations, which had been outlined in a memo included in the board’s agenda packet. The recommendations all concern materials to be used in the elementary grades. They include letters and “resource sheets” to be sent to parents, six videos, and a set of lesson plans addressing “life/body changes, puberty, the male and female reproductive systems, human reproduction, personal hygiene, healthy habits, media messages, and postponing sexual intercourse.”

Long mentioned that many of the materials they were recommending had been used in the past, and that the SHEAC’s attempts to find appropriate updated materials were unsuccessful. “Frankly,” Long said, “we have looked country-wide, and it seems many, many schools use these particular videos.” Salem pointed out that the materials are currently in the district’s administrative offices if any member of the public would like to review them. She also reiterated, “Our goal is to keep looking … some of them are very dated.”

Simone Lightfoot asked how a community member could suggest materials to the committee for review, and Amy Osinski, board secretary, confirmed that suggestions could be sent to the SHEAC via the board office.

Nelson thanked the SHEAC members, pointing out the importance of being sure the district’s young people were well-informed about this “matter of life and death.” He asked Long and Salem to say a bit about the composition of the SHEAC, “so we can know … who we are appreciating.”

Long answered that by law, the SHEAC must be 50% parents, which it is. The nine committee members also include a physician, a member of the local clergy, and community health specialists. She also pointed out the goals and objectives of the sexual health education program in middle and high schools were included in the board’s agenda packet because the SHEAC “wanted to get any feedback [the board] might have.”

Patalan stated her appreciation of the SHEAC’s work, saying “It really can be a life-changing piece of our students’ education … You really leave no stone unturned … You want to make sure our kids have the best information, and I really do appreciate that.”

With the brief commendation that “your work is great,” Mexicotte asked Osinski to open the public hearing. Osinski stated that no one had signed up to speak before the meeting, but opened the floor to “anyone here who would like to speak” to the SHEAC’s recommendations. There were no speakers.

Mexicotte encouraged the community to take a look at materials at the board office before the second public hearing on these recommendations, to take place on April 28.

Outcome: This was a first briefing item. Approval of proposed materials will be up for a vote of the board after a second public hearing at the April 28 regular board meeting.

Open Seat on the Board

In reviewing the upcoming board agenda, Mexicotte reminded the public that the board will hold interviews for a candidate to fill its vacancy on May 6. Information on how to apply is on the district’s website.

Minutes Approval

Mexicotte asked for the board’s approval of the minutes of the executive session held on April 14. The motion to approve was made by Stead and seconded by Nelson.

Outcome: The minutes of the April 14 executive session were unanimously approved.

Items from the Board

There were no association reports, and no public commentary at Wednesday’s meeting, but board secretary Nelson did offer two items.

First, Nelson praised the Neutral Zone for their recent “Wine, Word, and Song” fundraiser, which included music and poetry performances by members of the Ann Arbor youth poetry slam team. Nelson mentioned the “wonderful partnership” between the AAPS and the Neutral Zone, and called the performances “absolutely fabulous.”

Secondly, Nelson invited the public to view the exhibit of student art currently on display at the downtown library at 343 S. Fifth Ave. He listed the many AAPS schools who have student work included in the exhibit, and encouraged the community to “make a special trip downtown, or stop in when you’re nearby” to see the “absolutely wonderful art” produced by AAPS students.

The 40-minute meeting was adjourned by president Deb Mexicotte.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Irene Patalan, secretary Glenn Nelson, treasurer Christine Stead, trustee Susan Baskett, and trustee Simone Lightfoot. Also present as a non-voting member was Todd Roberts, superintendent of AAPS.

Absent: None

Next regular meeting: April 28, 2010, 7 p.m., at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 4th floor board room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]