1977-08-29; Central Michigan Life

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Volume 59 No. 1
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Monday, Aug. 29,1977
'Tempered optimism'
marks campus mood
By JAMES REINDL
UFE Editor in Chief
Optimism is the byword
dusting across campus with the
late August breezes as another
year opens for CMU.
However, it is cautious optimism, tempered by the ill wind
of a budget crisis narrowly
averted. It is cautious optimism
because CMU faculty begin
teaching today without a new
contract while negotiations
continue.
And it is cautious optimism
because CMU officials have
realized the University planning
process needs vast improvements to help the institution live within its means,
according to President Harold
Abel.
Other factors also make for
cautious optimism campus wide.
While plans for an ice arena
have been shelved temporarily,
Central has received the state
legislature's approval for final
planning for a new industrial
education building.
In addition, the University
and the Young Socialist Alliance
(YSA) have dropped their suits
against each other. Quietly
accomplished during the
summer, this action ended a feud
which began Oct. 20 with the
arrest of three YSA members in
Warriner Hall.
And Dean of Students James
Hill is continuing the
reorganization of the Office of
Student Affairs to make himself
more accessible to students.
Optimism is prevalent not
PMSlM Mtt.top level- atJDMWm
Administration but also at the
deans' level. They feel the
crunch of less money to work
with and the pressure from
faculty to get more but as
Adelyn Dougherty, dean of the
School of Arts and Sciences said:
"We won't let the budget get in
the way."
Abel has said a balanced
budget will be presented to
CMU's Board of Trustees at its
September meeting. However,
prior to last week, . the
University faced a potential
$400,000 deficit, according to
Arthur Ellis, vice president for
Public Affairs (See related
story, page 2).
Abel has termed the budget
adequate. "We made a balanced
budget without doing any
surgery," he said. ,
Abel said he personally is
optimistic toward the new year
for a number of reasons.
"I think we have a very strong
Administration— people who
know their job' and who I'
t
"I feel that we have some problems in the
University, but if we didn't I probably wouldn't
have a Job. "—President Harold Abel
given the autonomy to do it," he
said.
A projected stable enrollment
for this year while other schools
continue to decline, and a larger-
than-bargained-for state appropriation have added to his
optimism, he said.
Even with a 10.5 per cent
increase more than last year's
$21.7 million state appropriation, the legislature is
not fully backing, financially, its
formula funding plan for higher
education, This makes Central's
increase not the bright spot it
seems, Abel said.
"Even if the state can move
up, unless we can get to 100 per
cent, I think they (budget
problems) are going to be
chronic in terms of the money
the state provides us," he said.
Balancing the school's budget
without terminating faculty
members has helped ease a
potential trouble spot. "We
don't see job security as a
problem," Abel said.
A major note of caution in
Abel's optimism is the present
negotiations between the
Faculty Association and CMU.
"We haven't got a faculty
contract and I kind of wish it
was resolved. On the other hand,
it is moving along... but I think
it.—»y;,I»jM&i*.iMiat^^^
either we or the faculty would
wish," he said.
The prospect of taking a
budget to the Board of Trustees
without knowing the final
faculty settlement has not
dimmed Ellis's optimism.
"I have never considered that
to be an insurmountable task to
build leeway into the budget for
a settlement," he said.
Personal optimism does not
always translate into
professional optimism as in the
case of Director of Public Safety
John C.McAuliffe. While he said
he is excited about the beginning of a new year, he assumes
heavy campus destruction will
continue this year.
He said he believes much of
campus destruction' is alcohol
related and that there is no
clear-cut means to end it.
In general, though, Abel said
he believes the quality of
students at CMU is improving,
as well as the quality of life on
camt
Problems and challenges still
await the University in the new
year.
Dorm overcrowding again will
face students living on campus,
but Abel sees this as somewhat
of a positive note in that it
shows more students want to
live in CMU housing.
Across campus, departments
and schools face the challenge of
selecting and designing courses
for the University Program
(UP), CMU's proposal for
general education. The UP is
scheduled for implementation in
the 1977-78 school year.
This also is a year, according
to Abel, to open communication
lines between the Administration and faculty.
Provost John Cantelon attempted this last year with
three faculty seminars and has
said he intends to continue the
same format this year.
For Abel, now entering his
third year as president, communication breakdowns have
translated into leadership
problems.
"I think I haven't offered as
much visible leadership to the
faculty as they would like. I wish
I had a better direct line of
communication," he said.
The major issue facing CMU
.J.j|*M*!*»****_*_i^
establishing priorities lor the
institution's long-range goals,
while coping with the day-to-day
problems of university life, Abel
said.
"I feel that we have some
problems in the University, but
if we didn't, I probably wouldn't
have a job."
,->•- »
With the influx of returning students for the fall semester, the serenity of the library pond as depicted
here will be lost for a few months. The flood of students who returned to campus last week have now filled
the various sidewalks and pathways enroute to their first classes of the new school year (LIFE photo by
Peter Luke).
b?*_*_S_TO_:_«r:«_Wft-:**W-.^^
Will gap narrow?
Administration credibility iow
A special "keep off the grass"sign seed seems to have been
added to the lawn surrounding Tate Hail, where more than 60 of
% the signs have sprouted since the lawn was sodded as part of the
/summer campus renovations (LIFE photo by Jeff Ellsworth).
by TONY BEARING
LIFE News Editor
It has been a long time since
the Administration and the
Faculty Association (FA) .have
been seen holding hands.
And while there are many
reasons for a parting of ways
between the two during the past
few years, it appears a major
reason is the Administration's
loss of credibility.
The existence of an Administration credibility gap is no
well-guarded secret.
In fact, both President Harold
Abel and former FA president
Ronald Johnstone would admit
the situation now has
deteriorated to the point that
xwhen the Administration makes
a statement, the FA assumes
that statement is a tactic and it
is not being told the whole truth.
During the two years Abel has
led the Administration, Johnstone, now on sabbatical,
provided leadership for the FA
as its president-elect and then as
president. The two have some
interesting ideas concerning the
. Administration's credibility, or
rather its lack of such.
"For there to be that loss of
credibility, the Administration
had to work at it," Johnstone
says. ''They had,to make a lot of
mistakes."
Johnstone says the mistakes
have amounted to repeatedly
dealing with the FA in a less-
than-candid manner on important issues - issues such as
the budget.
"The budget is tight; we have
had to pull in our belt," Abel
says. "I think the FA may have
the feeling we are trying to
protect funds, but in tight times,
compression is greater. There
simply isn't any extra money."
Johnstone is not so sure and
calls recent budgets a
"snowjob."
"The faculty wants to believe
in the Administration, but fewer
are believing every year," he
says. "Every year extra money
seems to be found (later in the
academic year.)"
Johnstone pointed to an
Administrative Professional
(AP) salary increase late in
October and the proposed ice
arena as examples last year of
"extra money."
That AP salary increase was
another issue which crippled the
Administration's credibility.
The Administration agreed on
a salary for its APs and after
reaching a salary agreement
with the FA through collective
baf gaining, it gave the APs an
additional pay increase to keep
the groups equitable. ■ ^,
The Administration did not do
anything technically wrong; bti|'
the FA was left with the feeling
it had helped the APs bargain
for a salary increase.
"The AP salary raise did
heighten mistrust," Abel con-
ceeds. "We will certainly avoid
making any. two-part salary
adjustments in the future."
There were other incidents
last year which weakened the
Administration's credibility.
A group of anti-FA faculty
members brought a recer-
tification vote against the FA. If
the FA had lost that vote, it
would have ceased to exist.
During the pre-election campaign, Abel made clear his
desire that the FA lose.
"I don't think collective
bargaining has gained for the
faculty," Abel says of the incident. "I had an obligation to
make my feelings known. I don't
see how I could have created
mistrust because I made my
position very clear."
"I couldn't believe it,"
Johnstone recalls. "We cannot
have confidence in an Administration that opposes our
existence. His involvement
distressed me, and it distressed
a lot of faculty members."
Case histories aside, the big
question now is what can anyone
do to remedy this question of
credibility.
"The lack of credibility is nonproductive," Abel says. "We
must find a way to convince the
faculty of the Administration's
credibility.
"My effort will be to point out
to the rest of the University that
(See "Credibility-" page 7)
We/come back
A new school year is dawning for the University community,
bringing with it new changes, challenges and issues. A new
year, however, has not solved some old problems, such as
budget crunch and dorm overcrowding.
The staff of CM LIFE welcomes back the University community with a five-section back-to-school issue featuring
various aspects of University, community and athletic life.
Inside the Around Town section are various tips on details
of where and how to enjoy yourself in Mount Pleasant.
LIFE Sports will feature an all-sports preview and a look at
the new coaches for Chippewa teams. •
Today's LIFE also will fill in the details of happenings in and
around the University during the summer, as well as offering
previews Of what campus organizations have planned for the
year.
Included in this section are an interview with Provost John
E. Cantelon, one year after he assumed his duties; a look at the
current CMU budget picture; and a quiz to test your
knowledge of Central. . - ,
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