Sections

City: Next pres. should keep up relations with Ann Arbor

Students choose to attend the University for reasons other than academics, city officials said at the last of nine presidential search forums held by the Board of Regents.

The vibrant Ann Arbor community attracts students to the University, Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid B. Sheldon told the regents at Friday's forum.

"I personally have always used the term symbiotic to describe town-gown relations. The town and the gown should thrive because of each other," said Sheldon, one of eight speakers who gave advice about qualities in a successor to James J. Duderstadt.

She said the regents should look for candidates who have academic leadership experience within a larger community.

"The city becomes more successful because of the resources and personnel of the University, and the University becomes more successful and attractive to the highest caliber student and staff if there is a successful, vibrant, supportive host community that maintains an excellent quality of life," Sheldon said.

Grace Shackman, chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, and county administrator Robert Guenzel mirrored Sheldon's comments during the forum at the Gerald R. Ford Library on North Campus.

Shackman asked the regents to select a president who will encourage community service programs for University students in Washtenaw County. She said the county could help students receive real-world experiences in such areas as public health, urban planning and education.

"We need to institute the partnership and facilitate the University's operational relationships with the public and private sectors in the county," Shackman said.

Regent Shirley McFee (R-Battle Creek) agreed that the University and the local community should maintain good relations.

"They are extremely important, not just for the University, but for the community," she said. "I think the relationship between Ann Arbor and the University has been more cooperative than confrontational."

Guenzel said the regents should also stress the involvement of local businesses "to ensure the long-term, sustainable development of our communities, balancing economic efficiency and environmental integrity to ensure the quality of life our mutual constituents have come to expect."

Chetley Zarko, a 1993 University alum, did not stress town-gown relations, but rather the balance between research and teaching at the University.

"What has happened is that we have sacrificed quality teaching for quality research," he said, citing large lecture classes and administrative bureaucracy.

"Our next president should strive for ... a balance between education and research," Zarko said.