Recommendation on student space; three groups to be relocated

ANN ARBOR—University of Michigan President Lee C. Bollinger announced that he is accepting the recommendation of a panel that student organizations on campus should be assigned space—and that assignment should be periodically reviewed and reassessed—according to a consistent process which is uniform across the campus and “viewpoint neutral.”

The panel was convened to resolve issues raised by a protest in
In a letter to students in the affected organizations, Bollinger said: “Consistent with the principles of fairness and access expressed in the panel’s recommendations, I have decided that it is not appropriate to continue any special tenancy in the tower space for Michigamua, Phoenix and Vulcan. But I also believe it would run afoul of these same principles if those groups, who have relied on their special tenancy for many years, were not allowed a stable transition.

“Therefore, we have made arrangements for those three groups to have transitional office and meeting space in another location for a period of two years. If they choose to apply for office and meeting space after this transitional period, they will do so as part of the general process of student space allocation.”

Bollinger said the tower space is in need of renovation to conform to safety standards and regulations regarding access for the disabled. A decision about what to do with the space will be made after considering the cost of these renovations and other issues. “If we decide that it should be student space, it will be assigned through the student-run process for the assignment of other space in the Michigan Union,” he said.

The panel made several additional recommendations to ensure that the University’s policies for allocation of space are fairly and consistently applied across the campus. Its report also emphasized that all organizations that use University space “be made aware of the importance of respectful engagement with diverse perspectives.” The panel’s report can be found on the Web at http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/BG/spacerep.html.

Bollinger said he has asked Royster Harper, U-M interim vice president for student affairs, to take the lead in implementing the panel’s recommendations over the upcoming academic year.

Lee C. Bollingerletter to students in the affected organizationshttp://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/BG/spacerep.html