house resolution no.133
Reps. Cherry, Sneller, Stone, Sowerby, Neeley and Hammoud offered the following resolution:
Whereas, Article VIII, Section 4 of the Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963 provides that the Legislature must appropriate funding to maintain public universities, including the University of Michigan. The state constitution also establishes a Board of Regents that is responsible for supervising University of Michigan institutions and controlling expenditures; and
Whereas, The University of Michigan consists of three separate campuses: Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint. While each campus has its own history and has received separate state funding in the past, all three campuses form the University of Michigan system and are controlled and supervised by the same Board of Regents under the state constitution; and
Whereas, While the Board of Regents claims to have the same obligations, responsibilities, and missions at each institution, students attending the Flint and Dearborn campuses experience profound inequity compared to students at the Ann Arbor campus. Disparities in funding have led to infrastructure issues at Dearborn and Flint facilities and a lack of medical and legal services that are currently available for students attending the Ann Arbor campus. In addition, students attending the Dearborn and Flint campuses lack other opportunities available to Ann Arbor students, including the Go Blue Guarantee, which guarantees free tuition to students from low-income families; and
Whereas, Furthermore, there remain pay disparities among faculty. Lecturers in Dearborn and Flint make $7,000 to $10,000 less than their counterparts in Ann Arbor. Lecturers, who do the majority of teaching in Dearborn and Flint, need a professional wage in order to provide students with the energy and resources that they deserve; and
Whereas, The students within the University of Michigan system, regardless of campus, should have access to equal resources and opportunities, as required by the state constitution; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we reaffirm that the University of Michigan includes the satellite campuses of Dearborn and Flint; and be it further
Resolved, That we reaffirm that the Board of Regents has an obligation under the Michigan Constitution to provide students at each campus with equitable resources and opportunities; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the University of Michigan Board of Regents.