1994-03-28; Central Michigan Life

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mostly cloudy,
chanco of
flurries
Friends indeed
G/owp />e/ps pay for student surgery
Fog* 3
Mojo risin'
Blues guitarist finds life in music
Pag* 8
A STREAK
Gymnastics places 3rd at MAC meet
Page 10
Central
Michigan
Universities told
to keep close eye
on racial climate
By Christine Welch
l If-E Staff Writer
The U.S. Department of
Education has issued a new
policy of investigative guidelines on racial incidents and
harassment, putting more
responsibility on educational
institutions.
The policy, published March
10 in the Federal Register, clarifies what colleges and universities must do to prevent racial
harassment and what procedures must be taken when
investigating allegations of harassment.
Institutions not trying to prevent or eliminate racial hostility
can be held responsible for the
issuance of harassment investigations and charges even if the
act is performed by a student,
not a college official. These
institutions also might be held
responsible for violation of Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, which would place the
school at risk of losing federal
fund*. ^       , .
Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or
national origin in institutions
which receive federal funds.
The Office of Civil Rights
would have jurisdiction to
investigate complaints of racial
harassment allegedly occuring
in the operation of an institution receiving federal funds.
Angela Haddad, affirmative
action officer, said the policy's
goal is not to be controlling but
to be discrimination-free.
The policy states the investigative guidance is directed at
race discrimination and not at
the contents of speech and that
consideration will be given to
the First Amendment.
*<The Office of Civil Rights)
has always said <to) have policies. Now, if you don't have
them, you'll get in trouble,"
Haddad said.
Haddad said CMU has to
make sure its definition of racial
harassment follows the same
guidelines.
The policy states that racially
based conduct, or different
t reatment of students based on
race* By an institution's agents
<>v employees, violates Title VI.
According to the policy, different treatment is established if
»n ^€Wge^;vC^-emi>l«rye, acting
within the scope of his or her
. official duties, has treated a student differently on the basis of
race, color or national origin in
the context of an educational
See POLICY Page 2
DPS reports man
used bow, arrow to
threaten wife's life
A 24-year-old man threatened
to kill his wife in a dispute
involving money Saturday at
their Northwest Apartments
residence, according to a CMU
Department of Public Safety
report.
When the woman, 21,
repeatedly refused to give her
intoxicated husband money for
alcohol he nocked a broad head
arrow into his compound hunting
bow and pulled it to a full draw
while aiming at her chest 3 feet
away, the report stated.
-What do I have to do, kill you
to get my money?" he said,
according to the report.
She took her 3-year-old son,
who had been holding onto her
leg during the exchange, and ran
into another room while yelling
at her husband to leave, the
report stated.
The husband verbally
threatened her again and then
left, taking his bow, the arrow, a
case of beer and a compact disc,
according to the DPS report.
According to the report, the
wife told police her husband has a
serious drinking problem, and
that while he would most likely
stay with friends for a few days,
he would eventually come back.
DPS turned the incident over
to the Isabella County prosecut-
ing attorney's office and
requested a warrant for the husband's arrest on a felonious
assault charge.
FA members question dues payment
By Todd Fettig
l IFE Staff Writer
A monetary action taken in
February by Faculty Association
Treasurer Raymond Cox has
some FA service fee pay members
up in arms.
A Michigan Education Associa-
tion bill charged to FA was paid
by Cox, associate professor of
finance, through a payroll deduction, an authorized but seldom-
used procedure.
Service fee pay members are
people who belong to FA but do
not contribute to ME A.
According to Cox, FA received
an MEA report on Feb. 15 outlining who owed  money for MEA
Treasurer used payroll
deduction for MEA tab
membership. He said the administration told him to collect a list
of faculty members with outstanding dues by March 1.
Cox said a clause in the FA
contract allows for payroll deductions to pay dues.
Cox said the March 1 deadline
did not provide sufficient time to
prepare and mail letters to about
80 service fee pay members, give
the members reasonable
response time to mail back their
checks, process the checks and
prepare a list for the administration.
He estimated that FA members owed $25,000 to $30,000 at
that time and deducting the
necessary funds from the payroll
was the only way to meet the
deadline.
Cox also said the administration inadvertently told him the
due date was March 1, rather
than March 25.
The local FA is billed by the
MEA for all dues, whether they
are collected or not, he said.
"If I didn't collect from these
people, it would have bankrupt
the local FA," Cox said.
According to Robert Bromley,
professor of accounting, the FA
and the MEA violated the Jaw by
not providing fair notification of
the payroll deduction and
deducting money without allowing adequate time to respond.
By failing to consult with the
service fee pay members before
deducting   from    their   payroll.
See FA Page 12
LIFE Photo Jason Rowers
Leading the way
President of Students Serving Students with Disabilities. Erica Stark, Clinton Township junior, demonstrates to Yvonne Stehle, Bey City senior, some of the difficulties of being in a wheelchair Friday evening at
the "Dance and Empathy Training' organized by SSSD.
Negative, positive Proposal A
effects on students measured
By Brent Wehner
LIFE Staff Writer
LIFE
ON THE INSIDE
MORE NEWS
3
VOICES
4
POLICE
6
PLACEMENT
6
ETCETERA
a
CALENDAR
9
SPORTS
10
11
Notably missing from the vast media blitz leading to the passage of Proposal A was its effects on
college students. Now, in the neutral time between
its passage and inception, gauging its effects
depends on who is asked.
State Rep. Jim McBryde, R-Mount Pleasant,
said he feels the 0.2 percent reduction in income tax
and the cap on assessments will make a student's
first home more affordable. This also will help a
whole new group of people who had only been renting, McBryde said.
Under Proposal A, a 6-mill tax will go on all
property for school operations, retroactive to Jan. 1.
An additional 18-mill tax will go on commercial
property, for a total of 24 mills. Assessment
increases will be capped at 5 percent or the rate of
inflation, whichever is less.
"It will affect college students who plan to own a
home or plan a family,9 he said. "It will also help
when trying to get a job."
Larry Sych, assistant professor of political science, said it will affect the general student who will
be around for the next few years both negatively
and positively.
"They will be paying a higher sales tax on goods
they purchase, such as cars, clothing and stereos,"
he said. Hie passage of the proposal will raise the
state sales tax from 4 to 6 percent.
Sych said the small decrease in income tax could
help in the future.
"The reduction in property taxes for school taxes
makes a big difference in what you can afford," Sych
said.
He said he did not see the assessment cap as being
beneficial to college students who might be looking
to buy a house in the near future. He said it will help
existing homeowners, but is unsure as to how it will
help over time.
Lawrence Brunner, associate professor of economics, said Proposal A might not affect college
students.
"It is very difficult to predict revenue effects of
these things," Brunner said. "If it's revenue-
neutral, I don't see how it would affect college students."
Pat LaPine, legislative director of the Michigan
Collegiate Coalition, agreed with Brunner that it
should not hurt or help college students.
Students who rent homes could be affected but
not in a drastic way, he said.
Brigitte Bechtold, associate professor of economics, does not look forward to the outcomes of Proposal A.
She said when graduating college students are
ready to send their children off to school, in many
See PROPOSAL Page 2