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Updated: 5:00 p.m. EDT -- 21 October 2002 | ||
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Regent candidates discuss tuition, health care issues at forumNine of 10 candidates vying for two open seats on the Board of
Regents in the Nov. 5 election participated in the forum sponsored
by the Senate Assembly and the Senate Advisory Committee on University
Affairs (SACUA). The candidates answered two questions from the
Senate: What is your vision for the future of the University? and,
If the University loses the affirmative action cases at the U.S.
Supreme Court level, what do you think should happen next and why?
They also fielded questions from the audience at Hale Auditorium,
ranging from the role of the regents to family issues, such as health
care and childcare. The forum will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Oct. 23 on UMTV, Channel 22. In addition, the forum is available as a Webstream archive on the Internet at http://umtv-live.rs.itd.umich.edu/sacua/forum101402.ram. Ismael Ahmed
"My reasons for running for regent include my interest in ensuring diversity on campus and finding ways to increase diversity. We need to try to make going to school more affordable and assure the people who work everyday at U-M get a fair shake. "The University should be an inclusive place where we can
nurture free thought. This can be done by supporting students, faculty
and staff and the diversity of their needs. The University should
not only be a beacon of learning, it should also build models and
partnerships that can confront a community's problems, whether they
be here in Michigan or across the world. We must do this in a way
that preserves and builds on the reputation that this University
and its faculty have already earned. "Generally speaking, I support efforts to improve the lot of working people, and that includes people wo work here on campus. The right to have day care, tuition reimbursement and prescription drugs are important rights I support. I also support the right of people to organize to ensure they achieve these things." David Arndt "It is a pleasure and honor to work here, and I have never been surrounded by so many intelligent people. I would like to be able to use my experience working in the construction industry to bring common sense to the future of new buildings and the operation of buildings in the University. "I support the $10 an hour minimum wage on campus. It would be an excellent idea. Education is key, but are we really preparing students how to live a life effectively, happily and productively? Or, are we just giving them a degree that says University of Michigan on it and sending them on their way? "Hopefully in 50 years there will not be a need for affirmative action, but today we do need it. I invite the University and partners in the Big Ten to focus on how they can eliminate affirmative action. If we can build nuclear bombs, we can figure out how to educate all of our children in our country and the rest of the world so they can all go to U-M and afford it. "I don't think we are here to represent just the people who elect us, but also the silent majority of the people that just do not vote or speak. There needs to be an environment that promotes open communication with people. "U-M has already taken the role of environmental stewardship seriously, and I think is the forerunner in the Big Ten. I would like to increase the awareness of faculty and staff and students to their own computer use, water use and electrical use throughout the University. It could be reduced greatly." Susan Fawcett Rick Gualdoni
“My vision is for educating our youth and making them better prepared for the business and working world. The primary purpose of any University is to educate. Research and development is an integral part of that, but we should focus on education and eliminate courses that are not necessary to promote a life most Americans appreciate. "(The regents) do represent the people of Michigan, so we must make sure the University does not go off and do its own thing. It is a supporting role, as well, but we shouldn't forget we are elected members of the people who vote. "The 13th amendment of the Constitution does guarantee diversity and members of my party believe in the Constitution. I will bring those philosophies to the board. We are running for office to represent people, so we want to reach out to them. One thing about being elected board members is we are elected outside of the University. I won't just take the spoon-fed agenda from the administration. I will bring my own ideas and be accessible to the people however we can effectively communicate. "I would think that the affirmative action issue could be addressed. The Constitution already grants equal protection under the law. So I think we should just get back to what has worked in the past. I would work to make sure Michigan employees have a great health care plan." William W. Hall
"Over the past several years, spending at the University has spiraled out of control," Hall said in his platform statement. "The board is responsible and must act decisively to eliminate waste, downsize or cancel programs that are not meeting their goals, and refocus resources on those educational programs which do, or can, provide the most benefit. Soaking students, parents and taxpayers for more funds year after year hurts the people U-M was created to serve. The era of free and easy funding from the state has ended with the downturn of the economy, and U-M must act responsibly without yet another bailout. "U-M's heavy reliance on state tax dollars has hurt its independence and handicapped its ability to pursue its educational mission. The Board of Regents must act to decrease reliance on tax dollars by focusing on increasing U-M's private endowment and other non-tuition sources of revenue. "Most of the finest educational institutions in the United States are private because only private institutions have the discipline and experience derived from operating in the market without state assistance given regardless of whether the institution provides the educational services people want. "The role of the Board of Regents is to set policy for U-M,
hire excellent administrators to implement it and get out of the
way so they can do their job. Unfortunately, the board has a history
of expending its efforts, and U-M funds, fighting lawsuits and public
relations battles it cannot win and that do little to advance the
educational mission of the University."
"I believe the University is an invaluable institution of higher learning and a jewel in the state. I will continue to use my experience from eight years as a regent to make sure a U-M education is both affordable and superior. "My priorities include making sure that the Life Sciences Initiative (LSI) achieves its objectives and attracts the best and brightest here to work on the frontier of society. Affordability remains important. I was the only regent to vote against the 7.9 percent increase in in-state tuition. I recognize that costs go up, but we can do more to keep costs in check. I believe tuition increases should be a last resort, and if unavoidable, the rate of increase should be reasonable. "My first priority to this institution is continuing academic excellence, maintaining U-M as a world-class institution. We need to focus on growing and improving the departments we have, while adding the programs that make sense. The LSI is a tremendous opportunity for all of us. And I see other projects like that in the future. "The challenge to the University will continue to be creating a student body that reflects the community it serves while maintaining academic standards. I believe the University needs to maintain flexibility in admissions in order to have a student body that is representative of the entire community it serves. "Family issues lend themselves to quality of life and the ability to recruit and maintain the best and brightest faculty, staff and administrators that we have here. Unfortunately, all of them cost money and that has to be factored into the overall budget. We have to look at these things on a case-by-case basis and make determinations where we can afford them and how we can best utilize benefits for our faculty, staff and administrators." Matt Petering
"I will always keep the fundamental meaning and purpose of the University in mind. I love the University of Michigan and want it to be the best it can be. I am very concerned that the University is losing sight of its mission to provide low-cost education for the residents of Michigan. Michigan residents are no longer getting their money's worth from the University. We need someone on the board that recognizes this situation is intolerable. I want the University to be a place that provides high-quality, low-cost education to the residents of Michigan. "If we lose the (affirmative action) lawsuits, I think we should change the policies. I do not support the current undergraduate admissions policy, because it unfairly gives students from certain groups a greater opportunity to earn admission points than students who are not from these groups. I believe applicants should be judged by the content of their character and their excellence as individuals, not by their membership status in certain groups. "The Board has basically endorsed everything the administration has wanted, including the recent 7.9 percent tuition increase. This situation is not good for the University. Tuition increases and wasteful spending will continue unless we separate the University's legislative branch, the Board of Regents, from its executive branch, the University administration. We need checks and balances on power at the University. "It is extremely important that we maintain adequate health care for employees of the University. This situation is getting out of hand with health care costs. If costs continue to rise, I feel it is the regents' job to go outside the University and lobby for national health insurance. It is a crisis situation, and that is causing tuition at the University to also be a crisis." Andrew Richner
"I have always felt a special responsibility and obligation to do what I could to support the University. I believe I have something to offer the University in return for what has been given to me. "I have fought for higher education and am proud of the fact that since I have been in the Legislature, we have increased funding every year for our colleges and universities in the state. Times are going to be a little tough and revenues are declining at the state level, but I think I am the best advocate for the University when it comes to state appropriations. I understand the process and have the relationships necessary to represent the University and the interests of higher education. "I am very sensitive to the fact that tuition rates continue to increase. The No. 1 priority is to keep tuition rates down and to do what we can to bring in more state appropriations to make sure future generations have the same opportunities that I have had to attend this great institution. The University could implement various strategies to control costs and administrative overhead, and improve operational efficiencies to keep tuition affordable. "The University is an institution that needs to change with the times. The great thing about the University is there are so many opportunities for students to explore what they want to explore. The policymakers should make sure that they are responsive to the needs and interests of the students here. I would like the Board of Regents to do what it can to rein in tuition increases. At some point, it becomes unaffordable to working families. There has to be more focus paid to tuition increases." Greg Stephens
"I believe the working families of Michigan need a stronger representation on the board. I can bring a unique insight to the board that is lacking. Traditionally, the board has been comprised of attorneys and CEOs, and therefore, the working-class perspective may sometimes be overlooked. I am a working-class person and have represented working-class families my entire career. I want to make sure our state's most prestigious university remains accessible to working families. "The vision I have for the University is of continued greatness. The LSI has to be brought forward, and the regents must keep the Life Sciences Corridor between our universities open to collaboration so that precious funds will not be wasted on duplicate issues. This initiative means too much to the University community and the state of Michigan to be guided by petty jealousies between the universities. Nick Waun
"If I could write up an application for this University, there is only one question I would want to know from the students who wanted to come here: Do you want to learn? I don't care what color or race you are, and I don't care where you are or what you have done. The only way to do that is to get rid of selective admissions. That is one of the reasons I support online classes. Another priority of mine is to build U-M charter schools. "The University needs to find constitutional ways to promote charter schools and develop minority areas. We can encourage minority interest in the University, and by increasing enrollment, it will facilitate more minority students. "I believe in the tradition of avoiding microman- aging the University. None of the regents have a first-hand perspective of how the policies they make affect the University community. If I am elected, every issue, from parking to housing, will have informed input. I am a strong believer in an open-door policy. "If I could change one thing, I would change funding for under-funded programs that deserve more funding. I do support low-cost childcare and tuition reimbursement. I come from a family with a very strong labor background. The only things I oppose are administrative perks, things like $400,000 salaries and presidential gift clauses. "It is time for the University to catch up with all other
major universities and have students on the governing board." More stories
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