1998-12-07; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 81, Number 41
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
I year* of serving the community
Monday
December 7, 1998
14 pages
CMU now ranks last in overall student funding
By Renee Lutz
LIFE News Editor
The presentation and passage of a proposal to increase per-student state funding was one of the agenda items at
Friday's Board of Trustees open session
meetings.
Recent statistics show CMU placed
just above Grand Valley State University
in terms of per-student funding.
However, a recent move by GVSU to
raise its tuition by 18 percent from last
fall — giving itself a boost and passing by
CMU— leaves CMU at the very bottom
of the per-student funding list.
University President Leonard Plachta
addressed the issue to board members
Friday during the morning finance com
mittee meeting.
"(GVSU) will move up dramatically in
the rank, leaving us at the bottom,"
Plachta said. "(Yet) we hammer over and
over again (to request funding from the
state legislature)."
But even though CMUs funding has
been low in years past, Plachta said the
university manages to prevail overall.
"I think it's a tremendous statement
here of how the university has been able
to survive, and grow and prosper,**
Plachta said.
Kim Ellertson, vice president for
Business and Finance, proposed in the
1999-2000 Operating Budget request
that student funding should be focused
upon. Ellertson said in his request to the
board that since CMU has the fifth highest head count of students in terms of
state universities, it should rank higher
in terms of per-student funding from the
state.
"CMU students get only 63 percent of
the support the average student in the
state receives,** Ellertson said in the
request.
The current state appropriation per
student for CMU is $4,296. Ellertsons
proposal — which includes reaching
$5,598 in per-student funding — was
unanimously approved by the board at
its open session meeting later that afternoon.
See FUNDING Page 2	
Vision statement objectives stalled
By Liz Wishaw
LIFE Editor
CMUs Board of Trustees decided to
defer any action in passing the objectives to the vision statement at its
Friday meeting, after several complaints were voiced by. academic personnel.
The 21 objectives of the three key
elements in the vision statement
were presented to the board Friday
for approval. Several board members,
the president and provost felt uncomfortable  moving forward with these
objectives after faculty members had
expressed their concerns over a few
of them.
Trustee Roger Kesseler said during
the morning committee meeting that
Academic Senate and Student
Government members felt disenfranchised from the input process of creating the objectives.
"I just think, in all fairness, we
should allow at least 30 days,"
Kesseler  said   about   any  additional
See STALLED Page 2
Smith
Board
changing at
new year
By Joy Mygrants
LIFE Assistant News Editor and
Liz Wishaw
LIFE Editor
The composition ofCMlfs
Board of Trustees will be
changing next year, as two
board members leave and
another vacancy is appointed
Trustee Sid Smith said
after the board's meeting
Friday that he would not be
asking the governor to
reappoint him when his
term ends Dec. 31.
"I've been here eight years, long enough,"
Smith said. "I love Central, what it's doing
and where it's going."
Smith said one of the reasons he is not-
seeking   reappointment   to   the   board   is
because   he   has   other  volunteer  work  he
wants to do.
Smith said although he will no longer be a
trustee, he will continue as a member of
CMU's Development Board, "the fund-rais-
Se~ BOARD page 14
Award
named after
Plachta
By Joy Mygrants
LIFE Assistant News Editor
For his leadership, University President
Leonard Plachta became the first recipient
of the Leonard E. Plachta Spirit of the
Future award at the Board of Trustees
meeting Friday afternoon.
Jim Goenner, director of Charter Schools,
said Arthur Ellis, state superintendent of
public instruction, presented Plachta with
the award on Wednesday.
The award "recognizes outstanding leadership in charter schools," Goenner said.
"Plachta has been a leader in leadership."
Plachta said Sunday night he was pleasantly surprised at receiving the award.
MI was impressed and really pleased to
receive the award and have it carry my
name," Plachta said.
The award, which is sponsored by the
Michigan   Association   of   Public   School
See AWARD Page 2	
Classified
9
Crossword
9
Et cetera
8
Sports
6-7
Voices
4-5
To noch CM LIFE
Phone: <517) 774-3493
E-Mail CMLIFEecmuvm.c»v.cntich.edu
Fax number: ($17) 774-7803
Central Michigan UFE Online
Internet address http://www.cm life.cmich.edu
Downtown bustle!
UFE Photos By  Bill Schumann
LEFT:  Michael Korman of Bladwin plays his violin
Saturday for the passing crowd during the Dickens
Christmas Festival, held in downtown Mount
Pleasant.
ABOVE   Joey Simpson, 10, of Mount Pleasant
gives Santa a hug after sharing his Christmas
wishes.
The downtown business area took on a festive glow Friday and Saturday nights as hundreds
turned out for the events.
The seventh annual Dickens9 Christinas
took place each night as spectators flocked to
Main and Broadway to celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas.
Despite the intermittent rain showers, area
choirs, including several of CMU's own, lined the
streets to sing the praises of the holiday season
and put spectators in the holiday spirit.
Horse-drawn carriages and hay riders
made trips around the downtown streets, and
Santa Claus offered well wishes to parents and
children.
Pell Grants drop in funding amount, student use
By Anthony Judnich
UFE Staff \A*iter
Federal Pell Grants are not paying
students' bills as much as they used to.
According to the most recent data from
the Education Resources Institute and
The Institute for Higher Education
Policy, the maximum Pell Grant award of
$3,000 covered 34 percent of public
school costs in the 1996-97 school year.
Ten years previously, the maximum Pell
Grants for the 1976-77 school year paid
for 72 percent of college costs.
"The students who are eligible for Pell
Grants are our highest need students
and they are eligible for other grants,"
said Terry Viau, CMIFs director of
Scholarships and Financial Aid.
"There are other types of need-based
money (available)."
The average Pell Grant award in 1976-
77 paid for 39 percent of those attending
a public four-year school. In comparison,
the average award for 1996-97 paid for
only 22 percent of the costs of public
schools. Also, since the 1976-77 school
year, college costs rose 49 percent and
family incomes increased only 10 percent
during the same time.
Viau said the grants are a major source
of federal funding for low-income students. The institutes study reported that
78 percent of students from upper
income households go to college, but only
49 percent from low-income families
attend an institution of higher education.
Viau said certain factors determine
the neediest students and who will
receive Pell Grants.
"Financial need is based on family
income, assets, the size of the family and
the number of family members in
school," Viau said. "There are other factors involved (besides income levels). It's
not a simple question."
Patti Brandt, Saginaw senior, is a commuter student who relies on Pell Grants
to help pay for school. She said she
thinks the grants should match up with
the times.
"(The Pell Grant) should increase with
inflation, as tuition goes up, plus books
and fees," Brandt said.
Currently, Brandt makes up what the
grant doesn't pay for with student loans
and a scholarship she received from her
former school, Delta College at
University Center.
The Pell Grant covered everything at
Delta," Brandt said.'
Dave Gieche, Freeland freshman, also
said the grant amounts should increase.
Gieche works and relies on an academic
scholarship besides the Pell Grant.
"Without financial aid, it's hard to stay
in  college,"   Gieche  said.   "I  work   at
Burger King right now. I had to get a job
there because of how high the room and
board and everything is, plus the tuition
here.
"They need to raise (Pell Grant
amounts) .... tuition is going to go up
and room and board is going to go up,"
Gieche said.
Mark Reed, Ludington junior, said he's
pleased with his Pell Grant.
"It fully pays my tuition, with money
left over," said Reed. "Actually, it coven
the student loans that I take out. I dont
know where Td be without a Pell Grant.
I wouldnt be able to afford to go to college," he said.
Reed, who commutes to CMU from
Ludington twice a week, said the Pell
Grant covers what he expects it to
"T dont expect Uncle Sara to cover my
See GRAMTPage 14