1997-01-29; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 54
Mt. Pleasant,   MI 48859
©1997 CM LIFE
77 years of serving the community
WEDNESDAY
January 29, 1997
18 pages
Dixon plans move to New York
By Liz Wish aw
Lit-E Assistant News Fditor	
The interim dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences will not be applying for a
dean's position as part of CMU's academic reorganization.
Instead Barbara Dixon, interim dean of
Arts and Sciences, has accepted the position of provost and vice president of
Academic Affairs at the State University
of New York at Genesco. She will start
July 1.
Dixon said she was notified by SUNY
Geneseo in early January of her position.
She said she accepted the job Thursday
and notified Provost Richard Davenport
verbally that day.
On Sunday, Davenport said he was not
aware of Dixon's job offer. However, on
Tuesday    he    said    he    could    not    have
Assistant to
Plachta will
start in Feb.
By Dorothy Nelson
: ir F. bta-> Alston: News ■   : : --	
The former president of Hudsons and
Central alumnus will soon join CMU's administration as a special assistant to University
President Leonard Plachta.
Dennis Toffolo. who will retire on Feb. 15
after 27 years as president of the department
store division of Dayton Hudson Corp., will
begin working for the university in February.
According to Plachta. Toffolo will assist in
representing the university in the metropolitan Detroit area.
Toffolo will bo based in
CMU's regional office m
Troy, and will aid in the university's fund-raising
■ffurts. as well as with
admission and placement
services and alumni relations. Plachta said.
"His  experiences  fit   in   so
nice   in    one   of   my    major
goals — to enhance relations
in    the   metropolitan    Detroit
Interim dean of Arts and Sciences accepts provost
position at the State University of New York
released the information earlier because
"nothing had been finalized."
Davenport also said he had hoped
Dixon would have applied for the dean of
the College of Communication and Fine
Arts position.
After more than 2(5 years at CMU.
Dixon saiti she has decided to make the
move.
"I started as a rookie instructor and
worked my way through the ranks,"
Dixon said.
Dixon said her decision was made to
advance her career and accepting another
dean's position at CMU would have been
DIXON
emotional  investment  made in  2G and
half years at the university can be hard
she said.
Davenport said, "I am very pleased for
her-. She is very deserving of this level of
position. Her- experience at CMU has prepared her" tor- the job."
At   SUNY  Geneseo,   Dixon
will  oversee
21 academic departments, the dean of the
College Office,
Libraries. Comput ing
and Information
Technology,    Sponsored
and     Institutional     Research     and     the
Educational Opportunity Program.
"The president has given me things to
address. . . closer coordinat ion of program
planning and resource allocation," Dixon
said. "I'll be fine tuning some things."
Dixon said after working at the institution for some time, she can then decide
which changes need to bo made.
SUNY-Gen<seo President Christopher
Dahl said he is looking forward to working with Dixon, who will report directly to
S<:?e MOVING Page 2
TOFFOLO
and    service
area." Plachta said.
Plachta added Toftola's familiarity with the
Detroit area will reinforce the university's
presence in that part of the state.
"He knows his way around the area and his
awareness will help open the doors to connections." Plachta continued. "1 am very pleased
with the arrangement."
Toffolo said he is proud to be able to work
with the university under this new capacity.
"I've tried to maintain close contact with
the university. I really value my academic-
education here — it's a personal thing,"
Toffolo said. "I think the job tails in line with
my experiences."
See ASSISTANT Page 2
LIFE Phnto/Erin Rosta
ASIAN HERITAGE
CELEBRATION
(above)Students learn to make kites in celebration of Asian Heritage Week at the Bovee
University CenterTerrace Room Tuesday night.
Tristan Low, Malaysia sophomore, taught the
workshop. He has been making kites since he
was six years old.
(left)Donald Beere, professor of psychology
and director of clinical training, demonstrated
T'ai Ji, a "slow and graceful" movement exercise, Monday in the Bovee University Center.
LIFE Photo/Sabrina Burton
44 faculty
members
plan early
retirement
■ Eligible members
may retire because of
last's years agreement
By Jeremy Russ
LIFE Staff Writer	
Several faculty members are
taking advantage of the early
retirement program offered by
CMU as result of last year's faculty contract agreement.
Jon Darrow, assistant vice
provost and director of Faculty
Personnel Services, said so far
44 university faculty members,
who meet eligibility requirements, have responded to the
university's early retirement
program.
Darrow said the number
changes daily.
He said the move to offer early
retirement was made to save the
university money and bring in
new instructors.
Less experienced instructors
generally have lower salaries,
therefore saving the university
money, Darrow said.
"It's not bad to offer early
retirement and hire less experienced (faculty)," he said. "It's a
way for the university to acquire
some new blood."
Darrow said he has not been
notified of any faculty concerns
and said faculty have generally
met early retirement with
excitement.
This is not the first time CMU
has offered an early retirement
option to faculty members,
Darrow said. This is the third
retirement program this decade
that was negotiated into the faculty's contract.
In    order    to    retire,    faculty
members       must       meet       the
requirements    listed    in    their
1996-1999 contract:
•At least 10 years of service at
CMU and at least the age of 60.
•At least 15 years of service at
CMU and at the age of 55-59.
•At least 30 years of service at
t'MU at any age.
Darrow said early retirement
is never forced upon a faculty
member and the choice is completely made by the faculty.
A faculty member who is eligible for retirement must submit
an application for early retirement. The application then gen-
See EARLY Page 2
Engler proposes education, environmental initiatives during address
(AP) — Gov. John Engler
vowed Tuesday to get tough on
schools that don't teach kids, drivers who endanger others and
students who attack teachers or'
bring thugs to school.
He used his seventh annual
State of the State address to propose 35 initiatives he said would
protect the environment, create
bettor-trained workers and allow
Michigan to keep more of its tax
dollars to spend on roads.
"We must forge ahead so every
child can attend a high quality
school, so every child is protected
from violence and abuse, so everv
worker- has the skills to compete
anil succeed, and so every faintly
is safe in their neighborhoods,"
Engler- said in his speech to the
joint   House and Senate.
In his nearly hour' long
adilress, Engler said he wanted
to:
•Have the state take over
school districts where more than
SO percent of the students fail
the state proficiency test or the
dropout rate is higher than 25
percent.
• Allow schools to immediately
expel any student who assaults a
teacher-.
• Double the number of areas,
from six to 12, for a pilot project
to help we I fan' recipients get
help with transportation, child
care and other- services so they
can get a job.
•Take away the license plates
— and eventually the cars — of
drivers who drive after' they have
lost their drivers" licenses.
•Give $:?() million to schools
that set up programs to train
students for' local jobs.
•Set up special review teams
to investigate fatal child abuse
cases and review bow well state
caseworkers   and   probate  courts
do in finding permanent homes
for foster children.
•Create a Governor's
Commission on Genetic Privacy
and Progress to recommend
ways to protect the privacy of
genetic records, prevent discrimination and find the best use for
genet ic informal ion.
•Put more money into roads
and bridges by stopping frivolous
lawsuits, cutting stall' transportation Maff through retirement anil attrition anil lotting
tin- state keep more of the money
it now sends to the federal government  for roads.
• Give schools access to students' juvenile records and disciplinary records from other
schools, and let schools honor
other schools' student suspensions and expulsions.
The Small Business
Association of Michigan welcomed Engler's remarks on education reform and the need for
more job training.
Too many of the people small
businesses interview are poorly
educated and inadequately
trained, association President
and Chief Executive Officer Gary
Woodburv said.
IN SID E
Classified
Crossword
Et cetera
Sports
Voices
16-17
17
12-13
10-11
4-5
A-Senate discusses on-campus issues
By Liz Wishaw
! IF f   Assistant New:
Ld.t
I
To reach C Ml 11 I-
I'hone   774-3493
I.-M«nl   CMI.lH-.wcmuvm.csv.i mich.edi
J-'.ix number <S17)774-7H0S
Central Michigan I -11 -1 -. Online
Internet .uldr.-.s
http://www.cml iie. em ich.edu
ssues regarding, the Indian
Tuition Waiver and the stance the
.university is taking on it were
addressed Tuesday at the Academic
Senate meeting.
Provost Richard Davenport spoke on
the issue regarding the Indian Tuition
Waiver Program during the administration report.
"What we  need   to  be  saying   to  stu
dents   is.   .   .   we   support  (the   waiver)
through the next semester," Davenport
said.
He said the university can't go
beyond this stance at this time because
of politics within the State Legislature
"'We    believe    the    programs    will    be
restored.    Right   now    they   are    being
funded,   but   the   law   itself (regarding
the   waiver)    has    been    put    on    hold.
I )avenport said.
Davenport said those types of questions an- being addressed in Congress
at this time and the universities in the
state should let the legislators in
Lansing settle that  problem.
"As a group collectively, we can have
more influence with the governor if we
hang together." Davenport said.
Rodney Kirk, professor of" sociology,
anthropology and social work, asked
for a resolution to be added regarding
the Indian Tuition Waiver.
The resolution states, "The Academic
Senate lauds the administration for its
actions to continue the American
Tuition Waiver- Given the historic and
significant relationship between CMU
and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian
Tribe, the Senate urges and would sup
port an administrative effort to
restore the Tuition Waiver- heyon
projected semester."
Davenport said Representat i\ <
McBryde, R Mount Pleasant, is
portive of the Indian Tuition Waiver.
In other business, Mary Senter, associate professor of sociology, presented
the survey, "Students' Experience with
1 hvorsitv."
lelp
the
Jim
sup-
See A-SENATE Page
7
Undergraduates' satisfaction with
CMU academic services
African
Americans
European
American
I lispanic.
Am. Indian.
Asian Am.
Source CMU
Students'
Experience
with Diversity
questionnaire
LIFE Graphic/Jeff Haywood
mmmmmmmmmm