1985-11-18; Central Michigan Life

              li
n LIFE
VoL 60 No. SS
C1965 CM UFE
Mount .Pleasant. Michigan -48859
12-page*
Monday, November 18,1965
CMU,1 MMI officials withdraw
• It
nd sale
by RANDY LOVELY
LIFE Managing Editor
Citing time restraints, Interim
President Arthur Ellis announced
Friday officials have withdrawn a
bond proposal to fund construction of a polymer technology
center near Michigan Molecular
Institute in Midland.
Representatives from Central
and MMI met Thursday night and
decided to postpone the bond
proposal. Ellis said.
A special meeting of CMlTs
Board of Trustee! scheduled for
Thursday was canceled following
the announcement. The meeting
was slated to allow trustees to
approve the bond proposal and
meet a Dec. 1 deadline to
authorize tale of the bonds.
"There just isn't enough time to
deal with all the questions." Ellis
said Friday.
Representatives from the two
institutions, facing the Thursday's
meeting,  were  unable  la deter
mine how to pay ofT the building
cost.
There was one problem — how
do we handle the debt service."
Ella said.
The bond sale to construct the
$4 million facility would result in
a $580,000 annual debt to be paid
off in 10 years, Ellis said.
He said the two sides were
unable to determine "where to get
the money* because "we must
make assumptions about the
future."
CMU received $700,000 in state
appropriations for MMI. but
future funding is not guaranteed,
Ellis said.
MMI Director John Hoffman
could not be reached for comment.
Former Interim Director Robert
Hefner said the bond sale was
withdrawn until "we get the best
assurance that funding from the
state is solid."
As part of the affiliation agreement between CMU and MMI.
Central      hopes      to      receive
Affiliation budget compiled;
reflects research, academics
by RANDY LOVELY
LIFE Managing Editor
After months of negotiation, ofTicials from Central and Michigan
Molecular Institute have compiled an "agreed upon budget." Interim
President Arthur Ellis said Friday.
CMU and MMI administrators have met regularly since the
beginning of the school year to compile a 1985-86 budget for the
Midland facility. The parties "formally agreed on the budget Friday
morning," Douglas Friedrich. dean of Graduate Studies, said.
The budget is expected to be presented for approval at CMU's Board
of Trustees' Dec. G meeting. Interim President Arthur Ellis said
Friday he does not anticipate problems in receiving budget approval.
The budget is good for the University and MMI." Friedrich said
The total budget is $2 5 million and includes $700,000 in state
appropriations received by CMU this summer
The remainder of MMI's funds are derived from private donations
and foundation support
Friedrich said the two institutions have been working for two
months to determine how the state money would be budgeted
MMI will receive $400,000 for operational expenses and $300,000
will be used to develop academic programs. Friedrich said
The budget will cover only three-fourths of the fiscal year si net-
approval haa was delayed past the start of the July 1 fiscal year.
Ofthe $300,000 appropriation, the $225,000 covered in the budget
wf II "evtay at CMU to develop a polymer pre—nee related to MMI." he
CMU will use $115,000 of the $225,000 to develop academic
programs on campus. Friedrich said.
The University will use the funds to hire faculty and purchase
equipment to aide in polymer research -education, he said.
The remaining $110,000 will help develop a masters and doctoral
program in polymer science, he said.
Under the affiliation agreement with MMI, Central will grant a
master's degree while a doctoral degree in polymer science will be
awarded under an affiliation with Michigan Technological University
in Houghton.
Friedrich said the $110,000 probably will be available to an
Academic Senate ad-hoc committee to make recommendations on
funding priorities
"I think it's crucial that appropriate faculty come up with allocation
requests." he said.
MMI Director  John   Hoffman could not be reached for comment.
Problems in developing a workable budget occurred when MMI, as a
private institution, had difficulty formulating a budget acceptable for
approval by CMU, a public university. Provost John Cantelon said
Under state guidelines. Central is required to develop a detailed,
line-ilem budget each year — a practice MMI has not had to deal witii
as a private organization
There were anticipated problrms." Cantelon said
MMI changed the beginning of its fiscal year to July 1 to be in
accordance with CMU, he said
Cantelon said additional problems existed in reflecting research and
academic eactiviUea in lhe budget, when the two factors are clowly
related for the polymer research Institute.
Merger plagued with problems
'Thi*  is   the fir>t in a   \erie\ af
articles   (ituil\:in^   the  affiliation
hetteeen    ('.Ml'   timi   .\ticktfitin
Molecular Institute <-f Mutlarul >
by RANDY LOVELY
LIFE Managing Editor
The continuing saga of events
emerging from the affiliation
agreement lietween Central and
MMI could Ik- classified as a sojp
opera -- "Things Seldom Work
Out As Planned "
The drama l»-gan in May l'JH4
when Central's Board of Trustees
approved the merger to develop a
degree in polymer science
research Since that time, the
affiliation has been tested,
problems have arisen and most
would agree "things seldom work
out as planned "
Difficulties in the affiliation
have run the gamut with
problems involving state funding
approval. academic degree
granting and organization of a
bond sale for construction of an
addition to the Midland facility
The first priority Central
officials faced once the agreement
was made was to ensure state
funding for the affiliation. Provost
John Cantelon said
"We were committed to secure
funds for them, hut we ran  into
the problem of the gubernatorial
veto," he said
(iuv James Blanchard vetoed a
line-item request in Central's
iys4-*S.-> budget for $f>00.0OO The
reason for the veto was the
governor did not want to support
any university expansion until he
received a report from the Governor's Commission on the Future of
Higher Kducation. Cantelon said
The commission
released its report in
December H)84
While the final
report did not refer
directly to the
CMU MMI merger,
thr correspondence
did recommend action
which directly-
affected    the    affiliation   agreement    The
committee   suggested
the   state   not   allow
universities       lo       implement
additional  doctoral degrees  since
demand was decreasing. Cantelon
said.
Under the affiliation document.
"The Hoard of Trustees of Central
Michigan University agrees that it
will immediately take steps lo
develop an accredited doctoral
level degree in polymer science,
said degree to be awarded in
conjunction      with      Michigan
Molecular Institute, and such
other educational institutions as
shall be agreed upon by the Board
of Trustees of Central Michigan
University."
Working with a consortium
agreement with Michigan
Technological University in
Houghton. Central officials
resolved this problem. Under the
present agreement, students may
acquire a master's
degree in polymer
science from Central
and a doctoral degree
from MTU, froth in
affiliation with MMI
One difficulty
resolved, the University still had not
cemented stale
funding for lhe
project. But that
problem was eliminated this summer
when the governor approved
S"(H) 0OO in >tate appropriations
tor MMI
Although Interim President
Arthur Kllis i> optimistic the
I'niversity will receive additional
funding in future years, he recognizes state appropriations a -e an
uncertain process
"This is the most important
issue for the campus to be
Concerned about." he said
"We want to assure that what
might go wrong, if anything,
would not impact in a detrimental
way on programs on campus"
Both F.llis and Cantelon recognize then- is no guarantee the
affiliation will receive the
proposed $1 .OaO.OOO in state funds
during the next three years
Despite problems, officials still
believe the affiliation is beneficial
to the University
"The reputation of the I'niversity will increase." Cantelon said,
adding the merger will help
Central recruit students and
faculty and also strengthen the
University's development in
science and technology.
There is no such thing as a
human institution without
problems." he added
"Anytime you have an organization that affiliates with some
other kind of organization, you're
(round to have problems." MMI
Director John Hoffman said
"All of us are doing everything
reasonable and possible to make
the affiliation work." said Robert
Hefner, former MMI director and
current member of the Board of
Directors
"The problems are only going to
l>e settled in the natural course of
events," he said, adding, "We'll
deal with them as we have to."
LIFE-line      )
News Brief
The work of Edce Joppich and Sister Edith Kenny will be on
display beginning today until Dec 6 in the Creative Arts
•Gallery in the lower level ofthe Bovee University Center
Inside
Academic Senate will form
a t.ask force on Experiential
Learning
page 3
Weather
Periods of rain north and
rain likely south Monday.
Breezy with highs mid 50*
north to mid 60s south. Rain
southwerst Monday night and
good chance of rain southeast
each with few possibte
i thunder* howcr*.
Index
l.IFE-w-ire page2
Profile page3
Comment page4
Bloom County page 4
Entertainment page 6
Sports page 8
Chippewa Corner page9
Classifieds page 11
Spotlife page 12
Placement Notices page 12
Police Reports page 12
Paving project vote
set by commission
by ROGER MORGEN.STERN
LIFE StafT Writer
With a series of public hearings and informational sessions
complete, a proposed $4 million gravel street paving project is
scheduled to be voted on by the Mount Pleasant City Commission
tonight.
The project, if approved, will result in the paving of 10 miles of
gravel residential streets throughout the city. The city will fund 55
percent ofthe project, or $2 2 million. The 1,000 affected property
owners will pick up the remaining 45 percent.
The city provided opportunities for property owners to ask questions
and voice their concerns about the paving project.
A series of informal sessions were conducted Oct. 8, 9 and 10 at the
Veterans Memorial Library* 208 E. Illinois, to give property owners a
chance to talk to city staff about the project and to find out how much
the project will -cost.
In addition to the informal sessions, four formal public hearings
were  conduct-rd  to  give  property  owners  another  chance to  ask
>Sc« "Paving-—page 2
$1,050,000 in state aid during the
next three year*.
Douglas Friedrich, dean of
Graduate Studies, said administrators were concerned "the
University might get locked in" to
funding MMI.
Postponing the bond issue gives
the institutions "breathing room"
to work with the affiliation, Friedrich said.
He said MMI and Central now
will look into scaling down the
building project or finding other
revenue .sources to help complete
the project.
Hefner, a member of the MMI
Board of Directors, said, Tha
single biggest problem facing MMI
is going ahead and again pursuing
a bond issue."
"Without that (polymer
technology center* we dont have a
complete and competitive
program," he said.
Hefner  said   if the  delay   in
constructing the center "persists
18m -Bond"—page 1
What a bargain
Searching for a winter hat for hia 7-month-old son Craig.
Bruce Torgerson of Weidman unnotkeably placed Craig on
a bargain table at tha sporting good swap in tha Finch
Fieldhouse Saturday. Tha swap which displayed 600 to 800
Hems was sponsored by the Sigma Pi fraternity as a part of
its fund raising activities to raise money for re-carpeting
the fraternity house.
60 students face
class withdrawal
by CHERYL JACK.SON
LIFE Staff Writer
Approximately 60 students owe the University more than $30,000,
and could face withdrawal if the bills remain unpaid
Jane Johnson, Accounts Ri-ceivabte Office manager, said the
University is attempting to contact the debtors by telephone lo let
them know "we have mtiated the paperwork to have them withdrawn
from school "
Johnson said because her office may not be able to reach everyone
who may be faced with involuntary' withdrawal, she encourages
anyone with a past due balance to contact the Accounts Receivable
Office immediately.
The bills originally were due Oct. 20.
Johnson said she is not sure when students will be withdrawn from
classes liecause the withdrawl process involves several University
offices
Paperwork for withdrawal of some students should be sent out
sometime next week However, by the time they get through the mail,
the notices may not be received until the week after.
Johnson said some students could have payment deferred through
loans by the University in hardship cases.
"There may be a few cases yet where it could be done." she said.
"Many people have applied for an extension from the University."
About 300 students have applied for extensions. Johnson said
The amount owed to the University is typical for this time of the
year. Johnson said.
Even if students are withdrawn from the University, they still are
reponsible for their financial obligations to the University, Johnson
said
Students who are withdrawn and do not clear their debts with CMU
may not be able to register for future classes here. They also will be
unable to obtain transcripts from Central, she said.
When withdrawn, students also are evicted from University
housing.
Johnson said there are several reasons students may have failed to
balance their accounts.
"Part of thst may be they have a job and they've been saving
paychecks to make the payment," she said.
Another reason may be students are expecting financial aid that
was awarded late, Johnson added.