MSA votes to denounce state budget

The Michigan Student Assembly passed a resolution last night in support of amending Gov. John Engler's proposed funding increase for higher education.

If approved, Engler's budget, which he brought before the state Legislature this past Thursday, will raise the amount of funding that Michigan higher education institutions will receive to a rate far below inflation. It could virtually decrease the amount of state money allocated for higher education.

As a result, Michigan colleges and universities could experience a 5.5- to 8-percent tuition increase. The University's in-state students could pay about $560 more in tuition and out-of-state students could suffer an $1,800 increase.

The University's tuition is already the fastest growing of all of the public universities in the Big Ten.

LSA Rep. Bram Elias, co-chair of the Student Regent Task Force, said students have to voice their opposition to Engler's proposal if they want to keep tuition down.

"We're not going to go along with it," said Elias, an LSA junior. "Students can't afford for the University to be underfunded by the state. This bad decision by the governor will take money from students. If the Legislature doesn't fix it, our tuition goes up for no good reason."

MSA will not support Engler's proposal unless it is amended to give more financial support to higher education.

SNRE sophomore Sara Deneweth said MSA must address Engler's budget proposal because it is an issue that is of concern to students.

"I think it's really great MSA is finally dealing with issues that affect students like higher education funding," said Deneweth, who also worked with Elias on MSA's higher education funding resolution.

At last night's meeting, the assembly also voted to retract $850 of community service funding for Law Students in Defense of Affirmative Action. The assembly still will allocate $1,000 to the group. MSA decided to reallocate the $850 to a group seeking to test students for the Hepatitis B virus.

But the assembly voted against taking the $850 from Law Students for Affirmative Action and allocating it to the Minority Bone Marrow Coalition.

Rackham Rep. Mike Pniewski said he was in favor of moving the money from the law student groups because students have expressed interest in supporting community service organizations.

"When students voted for community service funding, they wanted their $1 to go to things that serve others rather than towards activism," Pniewski said.

MSA Vice President Olga Savic said community service includes both actual service and activism.

"I think the definition we use for community service at the University of Michigan is broad. And it's broad for a good reason," Savic said.

"Within the service committee there's a lot of doubt about how to define service. The consensus that they're able to come to is that it includes actual service, service through learning and activism."

The assembly also discussed the upcoming MSA president, vice president and representative elections, which are scheduled to be held March 18 and 19.

Education senior Rajeshri Gandhi was appointed election director. Election packets for candidates can be obtained in the MSA office and in the Administration Office of Pierpont Commons on North Campus.

The packets are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 27.

02-18-98