CELEBRATING OUR ONE-HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
GOVERNMENT
In Lansing, Schlissel lobbies for state funds WILLIAM LYNCH/Daily
LSA sophomores Nicole Khamis and Danielle Rabie debate with LSA freshman Jordan Katz at the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) symposium about #UMDivest at North Quad on Tuesday.
SAFE launches campaign to encourage divestment Revival of #UMDivest initiative calls for examination of ‘U’ investments By EMILY MIILLER Daily Staff Writer
Students Allied for Freedom and Equality — the University chapter of the activist group Stu-
dents for Justice in Palestine — read a new divestment resolution Tuesday during the Divestment and Sanctions Symposium. Organizers intend to bring before the Central Student Government. The resolution calls for CSG to support the creation of a committee through the University’s Board of Regents to examine the ethics of the University’s investments, specifically in companies that allegedly facilitate the violations of Palestinian human rights.
The resolution calls on the regents to divest University endowment holdings from Caterpillar Inc., The Boeing Company, G4S and the United Technologies Corporation. SAFE advocated for a similar divestment resolution last March that failed to pass in CSG. The vote brought hundreds of individuals both supporting and opposing the divestment resolution to the Michigan Union during the CSG vote.
Trip comes after Snyder recommends 2 percent increase for higher education By GENEVIEVE HUMMER Daily Staff Reporter
LSA senior Sami Shalabi, a member of SAFE, said the group is trying to approach the resolution differently this year. “We’re mainly steering towards focusing on the companies that are socially irresponsible,” Shalabi said. “We’re trying to take the emotion out of it and present facts.” Following the reading, there was an opportunity for those in attendance to provide their input See DIVEST, Page 3A
University President Mark Schlissel spent Tuesday afternoon in Lansing meeting with members of the state Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Higher Education. Schlissel and several other state university leaders, including the chancellors of the University’s Flint and Dearborn campuses, addressed Gov. Rick Snyder’s higher education budget recommendation during the meeting, with a focus on his proposed funding to higher education. Schlissel voiced appreciation for Snyder’s proposed 2 percent increase in higher education funding and the state’s contin-
ACADEMICS
ANN ARBOR
Platform aims to shift basis for class grades University prof. establishes system to increase student risk-taking By CARLY NOAH Daily Staff Reporter
When Education Prof. Barry Fishman walks into one of his classes, he uses a program called GradeCraft in which students begin with a grade of 0 percent and have the ability to build up their grade as high as they desire. This is a far cry from typical first-day-of-class speeches, Fishman, who is also a professor in the School of Information, explained. Most professors tend to tell their students that they begin class with an A+ and the grade is theirs to lose. “It’s incredibly problematic because once someone says that, all you can do is lose points,” Fishman said. “So say you do a fabulous job on your first paper and get a 99 percent. While that’s great, you don’t have 100 percent anymore and you never will again.”
GradeCraft, an online learning platform created at the University and designed to complement sites such as CTools and Canvas, presents a potential solution to this problem by making grades something to win. According to Fishman, there are two types of learning environments that involve gaming and the classroom: what he calls “gamification” and having a “gameful classroom.” Gamification is taking an existing system and giving it game-like features to force people into doing specific tasks. Fishman does not support this method of teaching, and compared it to the advertising incentive methods used by airline companies. “Maybe you don’t love Delta Air Lines but you’ve got a lot of frequent flyer miles so you’re going to fly Delta,” Fishman explained. “They’ve got you because you’re kind of trapped in their points system.” He called this method ineffective because it does not allow for people to take the course of action they actually desire. In contrast to gamification, the See GRADES, Page 3A
ued interest in the University’s work. In the first budget of Snyder’s term, colleges and universities saw a 15 percent cut to higher education funding. Though Snyder has increased funding levels incrementally each year, the cuts came during a time when higher education funding already faced a declining trend. University President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman frequently made similar trips to Lansing to emphasize the importance of state funding. Schlissel noted that Michigan residents support higher education as “a pathway to prosperity,” a belief he observed while traveling around the state last summer before beginning his term as University president. During Tuesday’s meeting, he said he was impressed by the state’s beauty, history and focus on the future. He added that residents’ pride in state universities and colleges was apparent over the course of the trip, durSee FUNDS, Page 3A
LSA senior announces run for seat on Council Ackerman to face incumbent member in August’s Ward 3 Democratic primary By EMMA KERR Daily News Editor
Sndyer promotes career and technical education Governor’s plan includes renewed emphasis on community c ollege By EMMA KINERY Daily Staff Reporter
Following statewide elections in which higher education was a point of debate, this article is the second in a series examining the changing landscape of higher
education funding in Michigan, and what those changes mean for four-year universities. When Gov. Rick Snyder delivered his State of the State address in January, he discussed career technical training programs, associate’s degrees, dual enrollment and other higher education pathways. “One of our goals is to be number one in skilled trade training,” Snyder announced in the address. However, while he made a point to emphasize these pro-
grams in the address, the governor did not mention any of the state’s four-year colleges and universities. Snyder’s focus on options beyond four-year universities isn’t new. Over his tenure, among other initiatives, the governor has introduced a new apprenticeship program in the state. As part of the GOP agenda, this legislative session has featured bills to increase dual enrollment opportunities for high school students. See HIGHER ED, Page 3A
In a city where the City Council wards split Ann Arbor’s student population five ways, LSA senior Zachary Ackerman declared his candidacy Tuesday for a seat on the Ann Arbor City Council. Ackerman, a Democrat and Ann Arbor native, will run in Ward 3 for a seat currently held by Councilmember Stephen Kunselman (D–Ward 3). In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Ackerman said by age 15 he had already found a passion for local government and was inspired by his experience shadowing Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor (D), then a city councilmember. Ackerman said his interest in civic engagement played a key role in moving him toward running for city council. Now 21 years old, Ackerman See COUNCIL, Page 3A
The Statement A look at how, why and where ‘U’ students get their local grub
» INSIDE
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 15 LO: -7
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM The revival of American Idol MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS
INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 74 ©2015 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A
SUDOKU..................... 3A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A T H E S TAT E M E N T. . . . . . . . . .1 B