Proceedings of the Board of Regents (2003-2004)

December Meeting, 2003

DECEMBER MEETING, 2003
The University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
Thursday, December 18, 2003
The Regents convened at 2:15 p.m. in the Regents' Room. Present were President
Coleman and Regents Brandon, Deitch, Maynard, McGowan, Newman, Richner,
Taylor, and White. Also present were Provost Courant, Vice President Harper,
Executive Vice President Kelch, Vice President Krislov, Chancellor Little, Vice
President May, Chancellor Mestas, Vice President Rudgers, Executive Vice President
Slottow, Vice President and Secretary Tedesco, Vice President Ulaby, and Vice
President Wilbanks.
President Coleman called the meeting to order and announced that Public
Comments would be the first order of business.
Public Comments
The Regents heard comments from the following people, on the topics indicated:
Jim Mogensen, citizen, on the town-gown relationship; Daniel Rose, student and member
of the All-Campus Labor Council, on health benefits; David Boyle, alumnus, on the
Solomon Amendment; Cheryl McCreary, citizen and Council 25 Representative of
AFSCME Local 1583, on health benefits; Patrick Anderson, alumnus, on urban high
school academies; and Laura Rubin, president of the Huron River Watershed Council, on
the Miller's Creek Plan.
A five-minute break followed, and the meeting reconvened at 2:50 p.m.
Comments from President Coleman
President Coleman commented on the state's continuing budget crisis and the second
round of cuts to public higher education being made in the current fiscal year. She noted
that the continued cuts threaten academic quality, as well as the long-standing covenant
that exists among all of the state's public universities and state residents and that the
University needs to continue to speak out about the value that public higher education
contributes to the state.
President Coleman observed that the recent cuts in state funding to higher
education, comprising 15 percent ($250 million) in one calendar year, are
unprecedented. For all three University of Michigan campuses, this amounts to $60
million in reduced funding this current year, or $1,400 less per student on the Ann
Arbor campus. She commented that the effect of the funding drop is "an unarticulated
legislative policy that students and families will bear more of the burden of their
education."
President Coleman observed that in 1970, state appropriations made up 70 percent
of the University's general fund whereas they currently comprise less than 27 percent of
the general fund, and the balance must be paid by tuition. She said that higher
education does not have the ability to cut costs as businesses do, as it is an intrinsically

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