1996-09-25; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 14
Mt. Pleasant,  MI 48859
77 years cf serving the community
WEDNESDAY
September 25,1996
16 pages
©1996 CM LIFE
University chooses alternate funding route
,i'~l M   tne intended annual $806,000 expendi-     for capital project funds from the state     pay for the expansion project.)" By tak
» a««*«1_ __ fund     must pay for 25 percent of the total cost.     ing $25 out of the technology fee th
■»™iwrsitv   was   able   to   keep   tuitioi
mi CMU is no longer planning to
use students technology funding
to support library expansion
By Jeremy Russ
LIFE Staff Writer	
A CMU official reaffirmed Tuesday
the student technology funds will no
longer be spent on the proposed library
expansion project and the university is
looking at other funding alternatives.
Monday Kim Ellertson, vice president
of Business and Finance, told the
Student Government Association that
the technology fee would be used strict
ly for technology.
A day after his meeting with SGA, Ellertson
said, "I agreed that the
university would use all
tech revenue, which
were estimated to be
about $3,225,000 to
supplement other
sources of funding for in i phtqom
technology needs, and ELLERTSON
they will not be used to fund the debt
service reserve for a possible library
expansion project."
After public attention was called to
the intended annual $806,000 expenditure in student technology funds to fund
the library expansion project, Lisa Diaz,
SGA president and East Lansing senior,
asked Kim Ellertson, vice president of
Business   and   Finance,   to   meet   with
SGA.
Ellertson explained to SGA that the
university decided to set aside 25 percent of the funds generated by the technology fee each year to finance the university's $12.5 million contribution to
the library expansion project. This decision was made after CMU received
word that universities receiving funds
for capital project funds from the state
must pay for 25 percent of the total cost.
Ellertson said CMU decided to use
$25 of the tech fee for the library expansion project, "that we weren't even sure
we would get, but we had committed to
the governor, that if he would give us
the $50 million, we would raise 25 percent of the money," Ellertson said.
"The bottom line is $800,000 that students pay this university will go into
the debt service reserve for that library.
If that technology fee had only been
$75, then probably your tuition would
have been about 1 percent greater (to
pay for the expansion project.)" By taking $25 out of the technology fee the
university was able to keep tuition
down and still pay for the project.
At their meeting late last week, Diaz
suggested the use of capital budget
funds to be used in place of technology
fee funds, Ellertson said.
He said the university anticipates
generating more revenue than expenses. It is this revenue that is used in the
formation of the capital budget.
Under this proposal, about $800,000
of the $1.8 million located in the capital
See FUNDING Page 16
City
redrafts
drinking
ordinance
By Len Padilla
I IFF Staff Writer
Those under the age of 21 convicted of buying or drinking
alcohol in Mount Pleasant may
soon face stiffer penalties.
A few years ago the State of
Michigan decriminalized the
purchase and consumption of
alcohol for those under 21 years
of age. Recently the law was
reversed.
At Monday's Mount Pleasant
City Commission meeting, commissioners set a public hearing
for Oct. 14 to discuss the ordinance.
"We need to have our ordinance in compliance with state
law," said Paul Preston, Mount
Pleasant city manager.
Sue Jeffers, Mount Pleasant
city attorney, redrafted the
city's ordinance to conform to
the new state statute.
According to the proposed
ordinance, a person less than 21
years old cannot purchase, consume or possess alcoholic liquor.
However, there are stipulations for those under 21 to be in
possession of alcohol.
These  stipulations  are when
one serves alcohol at a licensed
establishment for a living, in a
course offered by an accredited
post     secondary     educational
institution with the supervision
of a faculty  member,  drinking
sacramental wine in connection
with a religious service or while
working    undercover    for    the
state police.
The ordinance also states if a
retail   establishment   serves   or
sells to a minor, it shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor punishable by
jail and haVe its license revoked.
If someone without a retail
license is convicted of selling to
a   minor  they  can   be  charged
with a misdemeanor and fined
$1,000   and   may   also   be   sentenced   for   up   to   60   days   in
prison.
A person under 21 convicted
of using false identification can
also be charged with a misdemeanor.
In other business, the commission approved a resort liquor
license for a future Applebee's
Restaurant to be built at 1221
E. Pickard St.
STUDENTS
BRANCH
OUT
International
student enrollment
increases 34 percent
By Amy Jo Johnson
UFE Staff Writer	
Even though the total enrollment of students at CMU only rose by
162 students this year, the enrollment of international students
made a substantial jump.
International student enrollment increased from 253 students in
the 1995-96 academic school year to 340 students in the 1996-97
school year, according to the Office of the Registrar. Total enrollment
increased from 16,435 to 16,597.
"We have dramatically improved programs and services for international students," said Chris Viers, associate director for the Office
of International Education.
Viers said the increase in enrollment is a result of a cooperative
effort from the Office of International Education and the College of
Graduate Studies to provide better services to international students.
In October 1995, Provost Richard Davenport established a committee to develop an integrative university admissions plan for international graduate and undergraduate students, Viers said.
The International Enrollment Goals Committee made a recommendation to Davenport to set a goal of increasing international student enrollment to 4 percent of the total student enrollment at CMU
by the 1999-2000 academic school year, up from 2 percent this year.
Viers said the goal report was submitted two weeks ago. It also
included a list of current activities for international students and two
lists of proposed activities the committee would like to include.
One list of proposed activities could be completed with no additional resources while the other would require additional resources,
Viers said.
"We have a comprehensive recruitment and retention program in
See INCREASE Page 11
WMHW-FM 91.5 will be in front of the UC today, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.,
registering people to vote. The registration is sponsored by "Rock
the Vote" and 91.5. SGA will also be at the UC tomorrow and
Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
CMU political parties
advise students to vote
in presidential election
"*" "—s*5—» debates in an effort to spark stu
dent interest and participation.
.» ;_  fKo hicrcres
(above) Doug Valek
(bottom left), professor of
Biology, shows his Biology
558 class the effects of
Dutch Elm Disease by
pulling a piece of bark off
an elm tree Monday outside of Warriner Hall. Valek
said the disease is
transmitted by beetles that
burrow into the bark, (left)
Valek and his students look
for acorns in a sugar maple.
By Annie Haitian
LIFE Staff Writer	
One thing campus
Republicans and Democrats can
agree on is students need to vote
in   the   upcoming   presidential
election.
Traditionally, the lowest voter
turnout is in the 18 to 30-year-
old age bracket, said Michael
Fischer, president of University
Democrats* and Farmington
Hills senior.
Voter turn out is something
both campus parties are trying
to change. As Nov. 5 draws near,
both groups will be passing out
fliers and participating in issue
ni niLcic^v _..«. —
1 think apathy is the biggest
problem," Fischer said.
University Democrats will
host a Democratic Party rally
some time in October and will be
making phone calls to perspective voters the night of the election.
College Republicans'
President Mike McComas
agreed students need to be motivated, so his organization is participating in a voter registration
drive,  setting up tables in  *he
See VOTE Page 11