1996-11-18; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 37
Mt Pleasant,  MI 488.r>9
©199HCM LIFE
77 years of serving the community
MONDAY
November 18, 1996
16 pages
Administrators: Report needs further analysis
By Kristi L.G. Wyman
University administrators are
calling for further analysis of a
study that identifies areas of
undergraduate study which have
declined in recent decades.
Released Oct. 31, Ihe 88 page
Mackinac Center Report,
"Declining Standards at
Michigan Public Universities ~
takes a close look at 15 state universities       including CMU.
The author of* the report,
Thomas Bertonneau, is an
adjunct scholar with the
Mackinac- Center for Public
Policy and is included in a pool of
instructors tor OMlTs Extended
Degree Program in English.
The     Mackinac    Center     For
Public   Policy   in   Midland   published  the  report  and   is a  non
partisan research and education
al organiauilion
Bertonneau     writes     in     the
report   how   changes   in  curricula
and teaching methods affect aca
demic       achievement,       career
preparation and K 12 education.
The report focuses on four
major areas: general education,
English,   foreign   language   and
teacher- educat ion
Provost Richard Davenport
said he would not limit the
importance of the report t<> these
groups.
Chapter four of the report. The
Coreless, Canon less Curriculum,
states, "the core curriculum
tin' common experience of all
graduates and the basis of then
intellectual   competency has
ceased to exist in any meaningful
way.*1
The report states a memo from
CMU's        General        Education
Council dated Nov. 6, 1991, discusses the University Program,
stating, "Expectations (for the
Program) have only partially
been fulfilled in practice-"
In the same paragraph in the
report. Bertonneau writes,
"Conversations with CMU faculty indicate that little has
changed in the ne.nl> five years
since the memo was directed to
them and that, in some respects,
the situation has worsened.*'
Davenport said there are some
big questions that have to he
answered about the University
Program.
The   Provosl    said    they   don't
See STUDY   I Vine  11
See Pa^e 11 for additional story
on distribution of the Mackinac
c Tenter Report
University discredits research
methods of Mackinac Report
By Kristi L.G. Wyman
E Staff Writer
CMU's President and Provost said they disagree with the research used in the Mackinac
Center Report, "Declining Standards at Michigan
Public Universities."
"Nobody is taking the report lightly regardless
of inaccuracies," said Provost Richard
Davenport.
Davenport said the report is considered an
important document, but "not typically what we'd
consider a bona fide paper."
"It would be relatively easy to dismantle the
report on the basis of evidence," he said.
"It's more like an opinion piece," said President
Leonard Plachta.
However, Davenport said dismantling the
report is not the goal of the university.
Davenport said the majority of the report is
based on second level references and not what he
would consider hard evidence.
"I looked at official material supplied by CMU
departments, and if that's factual, then so is my
research," Bertonneau said.
The report lists the research material as course
syllabi of key courses and other official descriptions of the curriculum like catalogs and recent
course listings, textbooks, newspaper reports
about changes in curricula, communication with
faculty and students and empirical studies on the
academic competency achievements by graduates
of four-year programs at Michigan universities.
LIFE Photos/Ryan Wood
(right)A worker knocks
some shattered glass off
of the backboard to prepare
the backboard
to be changed
after Nate
Huffman shattered it from
a slam dunk
during men's
basketball
practice Friday
afternoon in
Rose Arena.
Bustin'
the
Boards
(above)Nate Huffman, Battle
Creek senior, shattered a
backboard Friday afternoon
during men's basketball practice in Rose Arena.
CMU's 11% student
default rate similar
to other colleges
By Jennifer Quimby
LIFE Staff Writer       	
The Perkins Loan is intended
for students with an exceptional
financial need, but more than 10
percent of CMU students choose
not to repay the money they borrowed on time.
Cindy Vautrin, manager of
Receivable Accounting and
Loans, said, "Currently, 11.05
percent of CMU's student borrowers default on their loan."
According to Vautrin, the
default rate at CMU is comparable to the other universities
around the state.
The Perkins Loan offers students to borrow up to $3,000
annually for a maximum total of
$15,000 for undergraduate study.
The Department of Education
regulates the Perkins Loan program and sets guidelines for
default rates, interest and repayment plans.
"If the default rate at CMU
reaches 15 percent, then CMU
must        consult with the
Department of Education on how
the university plans to reduce the*
number of defaulted student
loans," Vautrin said.
The Office of Financial Aid
sponsors a program for first time
borrowers to explain about loan
repayment and what it means to
default on a loan.
"We want students to understand the responsibility of having
a loan and that they must pay
this money back after they leave
school," said Judy Emmons,
assistant director of Scholarships
and Financial Aid.
"Our default rate is determined by the number of students
who entered repayment status
during each fiscal year," Vautrin
said.
"During the 1994 1995 fiscal
year, 344 borrowers entered
repayment and 34 were considered in default," Vautrin said.
Each   borrower   has   up  to   10
years to repay the loan after leaving school, depending on the
amount borrowed.
"Currently the grace period on
repayment on a Perkins Loan is 9
months with an interest rate of 5
percent," Vautrin said.
The procedure for collecting on
a defaulted loan is determined by
the Department of Education.
"We want students to
understand the responsibility of having a loan
and that they must pay
this money back after
they leave school/'
JUDY EMMONS
Assistant director of
Scholarships and Financial Aid
"Once a student becomes past
due on a loan, he or she will
receive a letter at 15, 30, 45 and
60 days," Vautrin said.
The borrower will then receive
a warning letter that their
account will be accelerated at 4
and 5 months.
"Accelerating a loan means a
loan is in default and everything
is due now, interest, collection
costs and the loan all must be
paid immediately," Vautrin said.
"If a student still has not made
a payment aftc»r a 6 month period, then the account is turned
over to a collection agency," she
said.
If the collection agencies can
not get the amount owed, then
the borrower may be taken to
court.
"The university exhausts every
possible means of collection
l>efore determining if litigation is
warranted," Vautrin said.
"Student borrowers do not realize defaulting on a student loan
can severely damage your credit
rating for the rest of your life,"
Emmons said.
Library
may
extend
hours
By Jeremy H. Dickman
Park Lihrarv w examining the
possibility   of expanding   opera
tional hours at the request of the
Studenl Government
Association
According to Thomas Moore,
dean of Park Lihrarv. SGA has
requested an increase in library
hours by making the closing
times later
The   plan   is  currently  on   hold
Three colleges voice opinions
on proposed reorganization
By Emily Gerkin
l IF r   Start Wnter
more  mlor-
LIFI   f   i       /Enk S    Scherb
Tricia Kubacki, Bad Axe senior, takes advantage of the quiet study
time in the Park Library Sunday afternoon.
until SGA presents further infbr
matron t<» lrbrar> administrators,
Moore said
"Right now, it*s jusl a friendly
discussion,*1 he said "Its really
up to< S< »A »to develop a proposal
and come hack with
mat ion," he added.
Proposed     changes     by    SGA
include   changing   closing   times
HOURS Page 2
Faculty members from CMU's three colleges
voted last week on the proposed changes under the
academic reorganization plan.
The vote took place to allow faculty members to
voice their opinions on the proposed changes to the
organization of their departments.
Provost Richard Davenport said he has been satisfied with the reorganization process so far and
has been pleased by the obedience of the IMIitl
procedures.
"The faculty has been turning out in good numbers and expressing their wishes," Davenport said.
"I am pleased with the progress."
In response to the ballot results, Davenport said
there is a two week objection period during which
fatuity groups or departments may object thtk
results.
According to a memo from John Dinse, chair of
the Academic Senate, the objection period is open
until 5 p.m. Dec. 2.
Any objections will bring the issue before the
Academic Senate. If there are no objections, the
issue goes straight forward to President Leonard
Plachta. Plachta will send the results and his recommendation to the Board of Trustees, Davenport
said.
However, combining the economic department
with the College of Business Administration does
not need a faculty objection to bring the issue
before the A-Senate, Davenport said, because the
two colleges (Arts and Sciences and Business
Administration) have disagreed on the issue.
All issues regarding the ballot results will be put
on the A-Senate agenda.
Daven|x>rt said he is urging the A-Senate to
move   in   a   "timely   fashion"   in   getting  the   final
See VOTE Page 2