ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Daily investigation finds University Housing lacked concern and protocols for ResStaff safety 21 current, former resident staff members allege mishandling of employee concerns
TATE LAFRENIER & LOLA YANG Focal Point Reporters
Content Warning: mentions of sexual assault, sexual harassment On Sept. 8, 2020, over 100 residential advisors –– University housing staff members consisting of student employees –– at the University of Michigan voted to strike, frustrated by hazardous pandemic-induced working conditions. The University reached a deal with residential staff members two
weeks later. As part of this agreement, the University agreed to provide ResStaff with updated data on COVID-19 cases in residence halls and daily communication regarding case numbers as well. They also promised the formation of the Residential Experience Council (REC), a biweekly forum for residential staff members to voice their concerns to University Housing administrators. A Michigan Daily investigation into University Housing policies found that University Housing has reneged on its commitment to ensure residential staff members’ safety after the
Fall 2020 strike. In August and September 2021, University Housing did not hold any REC meetings according to an email obtained by The Daily sent on Oct. 19, in which Director of Residence Education Jasmine Clay scheduled the first REC meeting two months into the semester. Clay wrote that meeting frequency will be reduced from biweekly to monthly. In addition, the email also included a guideline that regulated residential staff members’ behavior during REC meetings. According to the email, REC meetings will not be used to discuss “personnel matters
Design by Erin Shi
regarding specific supervisors of (residential staff members). Building representatives should follow the designated Department communication route to share personnel feedback,” Clay wrote. For residential staff members, the “designated Department communication route” is their hall director, an in-dorm supervisor who directly oversees everyday work. Circumventing hall directors and reporting directly to their supervisors is heavily discouraged by University Housing, according to interviews with 21 current and former residential staff members. These staff members allege this prevents some safety concerns from reaching University Housing administrators. In an email statement to The Daily, Amir Baghdadchi, Senior Associate Director of University Housing, commented on University Housing’s reporting processes. “ResStaff can always find a first resource in their direct supervisor, who typically lives in the same building alongside their ResStaff, present and available to talk,” Baghdadchi said. “In addition, one of the strengths of our student staff program is that each member is part of a larger cohort of fellow ResStaff, including more experienced RAs, and some of the most valuable support comes from that community.” A Daily investigation found University Housing failed to properly respond to numerous undisclosed safety concerns brought by residential staff members between 2018 and 2021. Before the strike in Fall 2020, residential staff members were prohibited from speaking to the media, according to Letter of Appointment (LOA) documents obtained by The Daily. “ResStaff may not communicate publicly (including to the news media, in social media, or other public communication venues) about professional matters internal to University Housing without authorization from a supervisor,” the policy stated. Current LOA documents, also obtained by The Daily, do not outline forbidden actions such as engagement with the media. The LOA from 2019-2020 was 12 pages long; the updated LOA for 2021-2022 is only one page
long. Despite the policy change, numerous residential staff members allege that hall directors continue to discourage interviews with the media. They fear that the vagueness of their current contracts would allow the University to easily terminate their employment. Baghdadchi wrote in an email to The Daily that residential staff members are free to engage with the media. “Student staff have always been free to express their personal points of view as students to the media,” Baghdadchi wrote. “To ensure accuracy, factual questions about Michigan Housing are handled by professional staff.” Baghdadchi also wrote that he acknowledges the difficulty of residential staff work and shared the support provided to these staff members by the University. “Resident advisors and diversity peer educators, known as ResStaff, have some of the toughest and most critical student jobs on campus, and we know that for them to support residents, they need strong support from Housing,” Baghdadchi wrote. Former residential staff member Isra Elshafei also spoke of the difficulty of residential staff work. “It was a constant feeling of being a pawn in their system. We were being stripped of being a student,” Elshafei said. “We were no longer a student, we were just an RA.” The Daily spoke with a former residential staff member, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of professional repercussions. In this
‘I didn’t trust being in the dorms’ article, she will be referred to as Alice. Bagdadchi declined to comment on Alice’s experiences. “The University does not comment on personnel matters,” Bagdadchi wrote.
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Students, faculty reflect on Schlissel’s termination, hopeful for future healing
In the days after the U-M President’s firing, campus community reacts to impact on ‘U’ ANNA FIFELSKI Daily Staff Reporter
In the days following former University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel’s termination, students, faculty and staff have voiced their opinions on the impact that Schlissel’s departure, and the introduction of interim President Mary Sue Coleman, will have on the University. While some have taken to social media to join the conversation — making memes about the contents of his emails as well as critiquing his vernacular and his Pizza House order — others have released statements condemning Schlissel’s actions and warning the community to be mindful of the “memes, jokes, and comments” surrounding the situation. Business sophomore Faith Richardson said the emails gave insights about Schlissel’s character in addition to his relationship with a subordinate. “(The emails) gave you a strange insight into former President Schlissel and just little things about (his life),” Richardson said. “Like ‘You only tip 10% to Pizza House’, or, we’re all worried about COVID and he’s out here being like, ‘Oh, when can we go to Paris’ or whatever.” LSA sophomore Keara Broome said she was happy to hear about Schlissel’s termination because she didn’t support his handling of the GEO strike, his COVID-19 policies, and other University issues. However, Broome said she was uncomfortable with the nature of how Schlissel was dismissed. “As funny as it is to see the memes about it and to see everybody posting on Yik Yak about it, it’s awful. Like, I can’t forget that this is super gross and exploitative,” Broome said. “Obviously, power imbalances and sexual misconduct from those in authority is not some kind of crazy surprise. But then this just kind of piles on to the University’s stack of issues.” Richardson said she was surprised by the announcement of Schlissel’s firing but is looking forward to the healing impact that it may have for the survivors of sexual assault from the University.
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“I almost see this as a win for Jon Vaughn,” Richardson said. “He has been protesting outside of Schlissel’s house. I mean, it’s obviously not the outcome anyone was expecting. I don’t think this is the end of the fight. In a way, it was like a small win for (the people) who have been so frustrated with the administration and even the Board of Regents to just kind of be like, ‘Okay, something right happened for once.’” In an email to The Michigan Daily, Art and Design professor Rebekah Modrak wrote she is looking forward to a permanent replacement for Schlissel. Modrak also wrote she is specifically hoping for a president who is humble, kind and ethical in addition to someone who takes action when they hear about violations and who appoints critical co-leaders. “There’s an army of administrators who ensure that reports of violations are suppressed or obstructed,” Modrak wrote. “The culture of this university, from the Regents through the upper administrative levels, is one that is autocratic and discourages dissent. It’s completely against academic principles involving criticality and the search for truth. I’ve asked critical questions in meetings and had my hand slapped as a public warning to me and to other members of the committee not to get out of line. Schlissel’s departure will have no impact on them.” Looking ahead, Modrak wrote she expects little to change in terms of the University’s handling of sexual misconduct, despite the terms of Schlissel’s dismissal. University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald told The Daily in an email that the University’s updated sexual misconduct policies prohibit teacher-learner and supervisor-supervisee relationships. “The university is going to extraordinary measures to put critical protections in place on top of earlier protections,” Fitzgerald wrote. “We continue to work with the nationally recognized consulting firm of Guidepost Solutions on additional measures.”
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TESS CROWLEY/Daily
Over 1,000 Anderson survivors reach $490 million settlement with the University of Michigan 98% of claimants approve agreement following the 15 months of mediation
RONI KANE & GEORGE WEYKAMP Daily News Editors
Survivors of the late doctor Robert Anderson will be receiving a $490 million settlement from the University of Michigan, according to attorney Jamie White on Wednesday morning. The settlement agreement, which White said was reached Tuesday night, comes after over 15 months of mediation between Anderson survivors and the University.
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The mediation – which initially began in Oct. 2020 – represents 1,050 survivors who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Anderson. It is not related to the class-action suit that was filed on behalf of all Anderson survivors in May 2021. Since then, over 950 survivors – possibly the largest number in history – have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Anderson. White, who represents
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78 of the survivors, told The Michigan Daily the settlement still needs to be approved by a judge and the survivors themselves. He said while no amount of money can compensate the victims for what they endured, the University taking some accountability in this case is a promising sign. “It’s always difficult to put a value on what is fair and what is not fair when it comes to having your childhood taken away,” White said. “Based on my conversations with my clients, even prior to
yesterday, (I think) that this is going to be acceptable to them.” According to a U-M press release obtained by The Daily, the settlement – pending approval from the Board of Regents – will provide $460 million to the 1,050 victims and the remaining $30 million will be reserved for any future claimants who participate before July 31, 2023. The settlement has approval from 98% of the claimants.
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