Series of fireside chats begins

University administrators chatted with students yesterday afternoon in front of the fireplace in the Vandenberg room at the Michigan League to discuss a variety of issues affecting the University.

University President Lee Bollinger and Maureen Hartford, the vice president for student affairs, met with members of the Michigan Student Assembly and other students who were selected at random by the Office of the Registrar.

North Campus concerns, affirmative action and the importance of forming ties with faculty were topics of discussion during the hour-long dialogue.

MSA President Mike Nagrant said the fireside chats helped to bridge to the gap between students and University administrators.

"It gave Bollinger the opportunity to receive feedback from the students and the opportunity for students to comment on how they think the president is doing and how the University is running," Nagrant said.

SARA STILLMAN/Daily University President Lee Bollinger met with student leaders in the Vandenberg room of the Michigan League yesterday to discuss a number of issues affecting the University community. Bollinger said this is the first in a series of fireside chats.

In response to students' concerns about the isolation of North Campus, Bollinger said he would like to see more recreational development on North Campus, including the establishment of ethnic restaurants. He said his goals for improving the North Campus area are to increase community interaction and bring it livelihood.

"What you have to do is think about turning North Campus into its own community so that people want to go there," Bollinger said. "That's what a University is - it's that intermixing. We need something like that on North Campus."

Students addressed the issues of racial segregation on campus and whether or not University administrators are making efforts to unify students from various backgrounds.

Hartford said the administration recognizes racial separation on campus and has made attempts to fight it.

"It is very clear that our students segregate and the fight we have is that they're comfortable in that segregation," Hartford said.

Hartford used the recent creation of a University course; Psychology 404: Social Psychology in Community Settings, as an example of administrative efforts to teach about diversity. Prospective resident advisers are now required to take the course. Hartford also said she believes that "community service pulls people from all backgrounds together."

Bollinger and the students also discussed the two lawsuits filed against the University that target the use of race as a factor in the admissions process. Bollinger described the lawsuits as "one of the most important issues of our time." He said he continually makes efforts to "build public support" of the University's admissions policies.

"I will do the best I can to defend the University's policies and to articulate the base of these policies," Bollinger said. While he admits to being vocal about the issue, he said he has to be careful to not appear to "propagandize" it.

Students said they were surprised by students' lack of involvement in the lawsuits. Bollinger commended MSA for their interest in the suits. The assembly sponsored a series of events last semester to educate students about affirmative action.

"I think the things MSA is doing are extremely valid," Bollinger said. "The more of that we do, the better off we'll be." Bollinger also said that the faculty is leading an internal committee to support the University's admissions policies.

Bollinger also posed questions to students. He asked students if "life opportunities after you graduate are rich and full or, do you feel like what's ahead is difficult and problematic?"

Bollinger's question prompted discussion about the importance of mentors, academic advising and the lack of access students have to specific University programs.

MSA proposed the idea of the fireside chats to the Student Affairs Office last semester. The proposal was then presented to Bollinger, who quickly supported the idea.

"I'm always looking for new ways to interact with the community," Bollinger said. "This seems like a good thing to try."

Trent Thompson, co-chair of the MSA's student Regent Taskforce, said he was impressed with Bollinger's efforts to connect with students.

"I was amazed because the president walked the walk," said Thompson, an LSA junior. "He said he wanted to be the student's president, and he did it."

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