[aaus-list] [Fwd: Proposed elimination of the Slavic/Russian program at Florida State University]

[znayenko at andromeda.rutgers.edu]

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Proposed elimination of the Slavic/Russian program at Florida
State University
From:    "Serguei A. Oushakine" <oushakin at Princeton.EDU>
Date:    Thu, April 16, 2009 10:38 am
To:      "Serguei A. Oushakine" <oushakin at Princeton.EDU>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------


From: Lisa Wakamiya [mailto:lwakamiya at fsu.edu]

Dear Colleagues,

We are writing to inform you of the very real possibility that the
Slavic/Russian program at Florida State University (Tallahassee) may be
closed. In response to the budget crisis in Florida, FSU's
administration  has published a list of 21 programs that could be
closed, among them Slavic (with focus on Russian language and culture)
and German. If our legislature does not allocate sufficient funds, there
is a good chance that these programs will disappear from the university.

Slavic at FSU has a small but active faculty (recipients of prestigious
national fellowships and campus teaching awards), an MA program with a
good history of placement, and a healthy and growing undergraduate
program. We can only assume that our student and faculty achievements
were overlooked when the program was listed among those marked for
elimination.

Please take the time to make phone calls or write any letters of support
you can offer. The addresses of the university administrators are:
Professor Joseph Travis, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences:
Joseph
Travis <jtravis at fsu.edu>
Professor Lawrence G. Abele, Provost and Executive Vice President for
Academic Affairs: "Lawrence G. Abele" <labele at fsu.edu>

Please urge our Provost and Dean to find other ways to absorb whatever
budget cuts the university may have to face and keep the Slavic/Russian
program.

We have also posted an on-line petition at
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/31/protect-the-slavicrussian-program-at-f
su
Please sign this petition electronically and include your professional
information in the comments field.

The members of the legislature listed at the very end of this e-mail are
key contacts for the Florida Legislature's imminent budget
deliberations. Very well-placed sources indicate that higher education
supporters' calls and e-mails are having an impact. Those sources
further indicate that it is imperative that contacts focus now on the
five legislators listed below.  Please call or write to urge that new
funding sources be developed to support higher education and avoid
devastating cuts.

Thank you for your help with this urgent matter!

Sincerely,
Robert Romanchuk, Coordinator, Associate Professor
Nina Efimov, Associate Professor
Lisa Wakamiya, Assistant Professor


House:

*Dean Cannon  1- 407- 623-5740  or 1- 850- 488-2742 (Talla.)
Representative Dean Cannon
Room 422, CAP
402 S. Monroe
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1300
Dean.cannon at myfloridahouse.gov

Anitere Flores  1- 305 - 227-7626 or 1-850- 488-2831 (Talla.)
Representative Anitere Flores
Room 422, CAP
402 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1300
Anitere.flores at myfloridahouse.gov

Will Weatherford  1- 813 - 558-5115  or 1-850 - 488-5744 (Talla.)
Representative Will Weatherford
Room 223, CAP
402 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1300
Will.weatherford at myfloridahouse.gov

Senate:

Jeff Atwater    1-561-625-5101
Senator Jeff Atwater
Room 312, SOB
404 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1100
Atwater.jeff.web at flsenate.gov

JD Alexander  1-863-298-7677
Senator J. D. Alexander
Room 412 SOB
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1100
Alexander.jd.web at flsenate.gov