1974-03-22; Central Michigan Life

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Volume 55 No. 68
Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Friday, March 22, 1974
A ffirmative Action under attack
Preferential employment
byDAVERINEHART
LIFE Staff Writer
Purts of  CMU's   Affirmative
oplaii, a method which seeks to
. the hiring  of  women   and
ferity persons, have come under
,recently by members of the
jninistrative-Professional Council
j members of Academic Senate.
{""preferential    employment"
'm when two equal or nearly
ill candidates, one   of  them   a
Jile male, the other a woman or
jiity person are applying for the
•". The initial  Affirmative
pspian states: "Circumstances
lijrise in which minority persdns
occurs, consideration will be given to
how many women on the. job market
qualify   for   thatv position.   For
example,, if 10 per cent  of those i
looking for  a job  in a  field  are
women, and five per cent of the work
force' is   female  then   women  are'
under-represented, according to -
Affirmative Action guidelines.-
When final candidates are being
considered   for' appointment,   consideration will be given not only to.,
their credentials, but to-their sex
and race, according to the plan.
"   Staff exempt from clause  ■
President    William    B.    Boyd
University structure.
"Preferential employment
seemed to work a distinctly unfair
disadvantage for staff,*'. Boyd said.
"No outsider ; will be given
preference over people within the
University."
The preferential- employment
clause only will be set aside for staff,"
or illegal?
strict interpretation of the equal
opportunity clause required in .all
contracts involving the government
would render anyv type of
• preferential employment illegal. The
clause1 states: "The contractor will
not discriminate' against any employe or applicant for employment
because  of race,   creed,   color   or
News Analysis
[women are significantly under- _ announced Monday the preferential
tsented in certain categories of
Ijersity employment; when
Willie for employment,
kference will be given to women or
jioriiy persons."
"Significantly under-
(resented" seems to be the key
\ to preferential employment.
Ekenfive per cent of a department's
yes are female and an opening
empolyment clause will not apply
when staff people building careers
within the University are .competing
for positions. ,   , .
"Faculty members can stay in
their department's and still build
careers," Boyd told Academic
Senate, but in many .cases, staff
people can accomplish careers "only
by accepting transfers" within the
however. "If there were no
preference, all our fine words would
come to naught/' fcoyd said.
4, Federal guidelines; origmatihg
from an Executive Order issued by.
President Lyndon Johnson in 1965,
state.: "Affirmative Action requires
the employer to make additional'
efforts to recruit, employ and
promote qualified members of
groups formerly excluded." ,
Both sides of argument
No place in the guidelines does
it state the employer shall or should *
extend preferential employment. A
f.?*l
"^HMjgfc.
national origin." A less strict interpretation could mean only groups
; formerly discriminated against a,re
protected. from employer
discrimination. ' „ "
Conceivably, however, the equal
protection from discrimination
extends to all employes, including
white males, and not only women
and. minority persons.
Preferential employment can be
argued for on the basis of one phrase
contained in the guidlines: "(The
ejnployer should) base decisions on
employment so as to further the
principle "of equal employment
opportunity."    .*
It caii be argued from this
passage the intent is to extend
preferential "employment to
eliminate the effects of years of
discrimination against women and
minority persons.
i The rest Of the document makes
it clear, however, this refers to the
recruitment and compensation
procedures, where inequities
already exist. It is the intent of
Affirmative Action, as defined in the
guidelines, to eliminate the
recruitment procedures traditionally
aimed at white males and replace
them with procedures aimed at all
potential employes. Inequities in
pay,   fringe   benefits,   and  . other
compensations also are to be
,. eliminated. '
Michigan State University
(MSU) has not gone to preferential
employment, yet figures indicate
their Affirmative Action program
has been effective. An Affirmative
Action program was instituted at
MSU in 1970. Between Jan. 1, 1972
and April 1, 1973, MSU hired 1,523
new non-academic employes, 194 of
which were .women and minority
persons. According to Robert
Perrin, vice president for university
relations and head of MSU's Affirmative Action Program.
Studies of the availability of
workers for employment showed 3.7
per cent of the work force in the
Lansing-East Lansing area was
black, 0.5 per cent Oriental and -1.8
per cent Spanish-speaking. (Federal
guidelines define minorities as black,
Asian American and Spanish surnamed.) ,
MSU model
MSU hiring figures show 9.3 per
cent of their total hirees were black,
0.9 per cent Oriental and 2.5 per cent
Spanish-speaking. A majority of the
total hirees, .75.4 per  cent,  were
women. Ofthe women hired, 9.5 per
cent   were   black,   1.1   per   cent
5 Oriental and 2.6 per'cent Spanish-
' speaking. All percentages of women
• hired exceed Availability figures.
"As I'Understand it, Affirmative
Action means the University will
take an active role in trying to meet
the historical lack of women and
minorities in its ranks," Perrin said.
When questioned whether
MSU's hiring practices are considered "npn-discriminatbry" or
"preferential employment," Perrin
commented, '   "Certainly      not
preferential employment, because I
think that's basically illegal. I would
see that as hiring son\edne who may
not be equally qualified."
< Preferential employment v
When the plan first came out, i-
Boyd said, "Affirmative Action does,
under stipulated conditions, mean*
preferential employment. I am
confident we can act affirmatively
without in any way deterring the
quality of the' University even in the'
short run and in the long run, we will
improve the University as a result of
acting affirmatively."
■ Commenting yesterday, Boyd
said, "I am sure that its legality still
is arguable. .I've regarded myself
always as what Agnew would call a
radiclib. I'm squeamish ideologically
about preferential employment. I
would live much more comfortably
with equal opportunity, but I firmly
am committed to the preferential
employment approach, because I am
convinced that mere equal opportunity will not correct' the
problem."
"We've had discrimination here,
not necessarily willful, but we've-
got to turn it around—not just quit,-
but turn it around," Boyd said. "I
would not pres,s it so far as to jump
any great qualification gap. Most of
the conversation has been about the-
loss of quality, I'm not sure that's
true.
"A lot of people are going to be
"profoundly influenced by a Supreme
Court decision on Affirmative Action
programs," Boyd said.
A test case involving the
University of Washington Law
School was argued before the United
States Supreme Court two weeks
ago. No ruling has been issued.
.iiimbii  iirim-—ffl8*" i
for post
House fellow
CM LIFE PHOTO BY GEORGE  BENISEK
UlYMPICS EVALUATION-These seven "special" visitors arrived on campus Wednesday'to evaluate
Central as a choice for the host of the 1975 International Special Olympics. They began touring Central
Wednesday and will meet with the on-campus Special Olympic committee today. Results of the groups decision
pill be made public in mid-April.       .»■..• ' ' •
chase results in police charges
r four speeding Shepherd men
by DAVE TAL AG A
,     UPE Staff Writer
[; four Shepherd men were cited
Xfe oh charges ranging from
%g a police officer to eluding
8 following a high- speed chase
• ended when the car the four
'were riding in  went  out  of
pol, became airborne and flip-
£« Crawford Road, one-half mile
| of the Deerfield intersection
* Mt Pleasant.
across CMU's campus before the car
went out of control.
The chase began at approximately 2:18 a.m, Wednesday
when city police noticed a vehicle
traveling south «n Mission Road at a
high rate of spged. Police pursued
the car south on Mission and then'
west on High Street.  -
The car reversed directions and
police followed ,the vehicle east on
Mt. Pleasant' police, Isabella
"County Sheriff's officers and
Michigan State Police from the Mt.
Pleasant post assisted at -the accident scene. CMU's Department of
Public Safety handled the broken
window complaint at Robinson
Hall. '       *
by IDA WEINBERG
LIFE Staff Writer
Leslie H. Cochran,-professor of
Industrial Education and Technology
and associate dean of Fine and
Applied Arts, applied last semester
for a position as a fellow to White
House staff members, cabinet
members or the vice president of the
U.S. ■'.*■',    '■'■:.   '    . •       ,
Cochran" applied to the Com-
mission on White House Fellows in
Washington D.C. and was notified
Monday at the Midwest Regional
Panel of the President's .Commission
on White House Fellows, he was one
of 72 finalists of more than 14,000
applicants.      v /
White % House fellowship applications are accepted from people
23 to 36 years old from all occupations. " >
According to a brochure printed'
by the White House Commission a
fellowship offers an opportunity for
"outstanding young Americans"  to
Sophmore residency issue
* a "
STks' E^^S^TJ^. maybe decided Monday
re&30a.m. Wednesday. Driver
{«r. Thomas Swindlehurst, 29,
[Aarged by city police with
*» driving and eluding police
1»» cited by Isabella County
™»deputies for violation of the
'speed law.
I?*indlehurst and ■ two
fjtws, Frank A. Martinez, 16,
fuee Bohannon, 19, were in
?'*• Michigan Community
Pj yesterday   with   injuries
Street. The car then drove across
campus, down sidewalks, lawns and
over shrubs to Washington Street by
Powers Music Building.     * ,-,
Near Powers the'vehicle hit a*
heavy chain by a parking lot. The
force of impact tossed a piece of the
chain across Washington Street and
brdke a window at the entrance to |
Robinson Hall.
'    Police pursued the vehicle down
Horjkins Court and around a camptf s
mon is the owner of the    ^^rough CMU's motor pool,
parking lot, then w«st oij* Preston
Avenue where the car raff the stop
sign at the railroad crossing.
The. vehicle'-turned south on
Crawford Road, sped past the Cabin
Tavern\and ran,the stop'sign at the
Broomfield intersection at 100 m.p.h.
The pursuit continued down
Crawford Road until the vehicle hi$ a
fcut and went out of control.
Sheriffs officers. reported the
vehicle* went 289 feet ■'down  the
-xcess of 100 miles f*  -^^^2^1^^
>   across    laW» <*fed    before coming to rest upside down in
trough parking lota .and .* a neasb,y field.^
!*nnon and another
'?». Richard Fairchild, 18,
{It8<l by Sheriffs officers for
dji>nk and disorderly at the
j*1 the. accident. */• .
*rtinez was charged with
o an officer when he
"y struck state police troopers
^Mo.his aid following the
four local police agencies
oived in the chase in which
r* excess of 100 miles per
' Although the sophomore
residency question may be decided
a,t the President's Council meeting
Monday, an administration-official
;said it may be "quite.some time"
before room, and board rates will be
released- for next semester. .!
Roger.   Sanders,    executive
assistant to the. vice. president of
'Business and Finance* said the
Business Department still was
studying a room and board-increase
for next semester. He added day to
* day,changes hi supply costs were one
of the causes of the delay.
■    A   room * and   board   increase
would have to be .approved by the
Board of Trustees, probably at its
April 17 meeting.
When the President's Council
decides  whether  to, approve   the
■ sophomore residency "rule for next
• semester,'   no  tfurther    action
reportedly is needed. Their decision
is final.
The Lifestyles Committee,
comprised of six administrators and
.one' student, sent its recommendation on the sophomore
residency rule for next semester to
the President's Council before spring
break. The Council has not met yet
to 'approve
however*.
the > recommendation*
experience first-hand the workings of
the   federal   government   at   the
executive level and to increase their „
participation in national affairs.
' Cochran, 35 and in higher
education at Central, attended the
Midwest " Regional Panel of
President's Commission on - White
House Fellows Monday in Chicago
for the third level of screenings.
Mondays screening included per-,
sonal interviews.
Since applying, Cochran has
gone through, extensive screening
and has been investigated by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation. "I*
had to write.a month by month list of
every place I have lived and worked
since birth," he said.  >
Governing experience
The purpose of the program is
to give, fellows "experience in the
process Of governing the nation as
well as a sense of personal involvement in the leadership of
society," according to the brochure.
The program Would make all 17 or 18
fellows, the ""'potential leaders ofthe
country," full time civil service
employes, ;
"It's an educational project,"
Cochran said. The fellows go on
trips, both home and abroad,
devoted to educational experiences
that prepare, thain for internal affairs in their particular field of interest.'
. Cochran, if selected,' would meet
with people in .higher, education in
the different areas and countries to
which he would travel. -
He said "there's little time for
sight seeing. It's not really a,fun and
games thing. One of trie fellows from
last year said many times he had"
worked 12 to 14 hours a day."
Cochran said he became interested in this fellowship program
through the Office of Instructional
Research, which was one of more
than 5,000 offices across the United
States sent'such materials.
- "The mere fact of being selected'
is certain recognition," he Said. "It is
a prestigious type of involvement for
one year."       v ,
Return to Central     i
After completing their year as a
fellow, most' participants' move
. upward in positions they had at time
of application ojr move to different
positions. Cochran plans to stay at
Central.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's
CMU for me. The things that have
happened to me here have been so
exciting that if selected I. would not
consider not returning to Central,"
Cochran said.
"We have an extremely forward
and progressive administration and I
couldn't find a more interesting place
to work," he continued. "I'm not
interested Jn working somewhere
else for a title." '>
Cochran stressed, he has a
committment to people here and said
Lesllo H. Cochran
he isn't interested in getting out of
the classroom. He still teaches some
classes.
Regional competition is taking
place in ll^major cities in the United
States and the finalists will meet in
Washington May 17 through 19 for
final screening, when the field will be
narrowed to 30. The President then
will announce the names of the.
fellows on May 20.
If Selected as a fellow, Cochran
will move to Washington D.C. on ^a
leave of absence and beginning in
early September will be assigned as
assistant to a-White House. Staff
member,. the vice president of a
cabinet official.
By, the end of the' year, as a
typical fellow, he will have written
speeches, attended conferences,,
supervised staff work, reviewed
proposed legislation, answered
congressional inquiries, chaired
meetings, drafted reports, conducted briefings, and probably
spearheaded one' or more projects.
Throughout the year, emphasis
is placed.on education and linking
theory and practice with analysis
and action. The, fellow will attend
educational, meetings two or three
times a week.
The fellowship program was
started by the late President Lyndon
B. Johnson in 1964. In its 10th year it
has been highly praised by President
Richard M, Nixon.
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