Protect the Slavic/Russian program at FSU
An open letter to Florida State University President T.K. Wetherell, Provost Lawrence G. Abele, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Joseph Travis, and to the wider administrative, academic, student and cultural communities
RE:The proposed elimination of the Slavic/Russian program in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at Florida State University
DATE: 14 April 2009
On 13 April 2009, the Slavic/Russian program of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at Florida State University appeared on a list of twenty-one academic programs proposed for closure over the next three years. The list was circulated as part of a draft budget document sent by FSU administrators to the Board of Trustees. The budget proposal is contingent upon the final decision of the Board and the next budgetary session of the state legislature.
The inclusion of Slavic/Russian on this list came as a shock to members of the Department and the College of Arts and Sciences, including the Department Chair and the Dean. Enrollments in Russian language and culture courses have shown steady growth. The university has bolstered its own research profile by citing the Slavic faculty's achievements, among them Fulbright, Mellon, ACLS, and American Councils fellowships and grants, and scholarly monographs with the University of Toronto Press, Moscow State University Press, and Palgrave (forthcoming). Two of its three faculty members have received University Teaching Awards.
Our recent graduates are currently employed in the State Department, Defense Language Institute and Department of Defense. Others are enrolled in doctoral programs in Slavic at the University of Toronto and Harvard, and master's programs in International Affairs at Georgetown and History at Indiana. On the very day the proposal to eliminate our program was made public, a faculty member (Romanchuk) was giving an invited talk at a symposium at Harvard.
The elimination of Slavic is proposed as a cost-saving measure. However, because the Slavic Division operates under the umbrella of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, its operating costs are minimal. It does not have separate staff support or require separate facilities or materials for daily operations. Moreover, in conditions that demand that academic programs produce assessable outcomes using minimal resources, the Slavic Division has been a genuine success. As no rationale for eliminating the Slavic Division was provided in the budget proposal document, we can only assume that student and faculty achievements and actual cost benefits were overlooked when the program was listed among those slated for elimination.
Finally, Russian is designated a critical language by the US Department of State, yet FSU administrators have proposed that this is the time to eliminate the study of Russian. The losses that would result from the proposed elimination outweigh any conceivable gain.
In signing this document, we strongly urge the university administration to remove Slavic from the list of academic programs proposed for elimination at FSU. Thank you for your time and consideration.
An open letter to Florida State University President T.K. Wetherell, Provost Lawrence G. Abele, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Joseph Travis, and to the wider administrative, academic, student and cultural communities
RE:The proposed elimination of the Slavic/Russian program in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at Florida State University
DATE: 14 April 2009
On 13 April 2009, the Slavic/Russian program of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at Florida State University appeared on a list of twenty-one academic programs proposed for closure over the next three years. The list was circulated as part of a draft budget document sent by FSU administrators to the Board of Trustees. The budget proposal is contingent upon the final decision of the Board and the next budgetary session of the state legislature.
The inclusion of Slavic/Russian on this list came as a shock to members of the Department and the College of Arts and Sciences, including the Department Chair and the Dean. Enrollments in Russian language and culture courses have shown steady growth. The university has bolstered its own research profile by citing the Slavic faculty's achievements, among them Fulbright, Mellon, ACLS, and American Councils fellowships and grants, and scholarly monographs with the University of Toronto Press, Moscow State University Press, and Palgrave (forthcoming). Two of its three faculty members have received University Teaching Awards.
Our recent graduates are currently employed in the State Department, Defense Language Institute and Department of Defense. Others are enrolled in doctoral programs in Slavic at the University of Toronto and Harvard, and master's programs in International Affairs at Georgetown and History at Indiana. On the very day the proposal to eliminate our program was made public, a faculty member (Romanchuk) was giving an invited talk at a symposium at Harvard.
The elimination of Slavic is proposed as a cost-saving measure. However, because the Slavic Division operates under the umbrella of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, its operating costs are minimal. It does not have separate staff support or require separate facilities or materials for daily operations. Moreover, in conditions that demand that academic programs produce assessable outcomes using minimal resources, the Slavic Division has been a genuine success. As no rationale for eliminating the Slavic Division was provided in the budget proposal document, we can only assume that student and faculty achievements and actual cost benefits were overlooked when the program was listed among those slated for elimination.
Finally, Russian is designated a critical language by the US Department of State, yet FSU administrators have proposed that this is the time to eliminate the study of Russian. The losses that would result from the proposed elimination outweigh any conceivable gain.
In signing this document, we strongly urge the university administration to remove Slavic from the list of academic programs proposed for elimination at FSU. Thank you for your time and consideration.
We, the undersigned, strongly urge the Florida State University administration to remove Slavic from the list of academic programs proposed for elimination at FSU.
On 13 April 2009, the Slavic/Russian program of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at Florida State University appeared on a list of twenty-one academic programs proposed for closure over the next three years. The list was circulated as part of a draft budget document sent by FSU administrators to the Board of Trustees. The budget proposal is contingent upon the final decision of the Board and the next budgetary session of the state legislature.
The inclusion of Slavic/Russian on this list came as a shock to members of the Department and the College of Arts and Sciences, including the Department Chair and the Dean. Enrollments in Russian language and culture courses have shown steady growth. The university has bolstered its own research profile by citing the Slavic faculty's achievements, among them Fulbright, Mellon, ACLS, and American Councils fellowships and grants, and scholarly monographs with the University of Toronto Press, Moscow State University Press, and Palgrave (forthcoming). Two of its three faculty members have received University Teaching Awards.
Our recent graduates are currently employed in the State Department, Defense Language Institute and Department of Defense. Others are enrolled in doctoral programs in Slavic at the University of Toronto and Harvard, and master's programs in International Affairs at Georgetown and History at Indiana. On the very day the proposal to eliminate our program was made public, a faculty member (Romanchuk) was giving an invited talk at a symposium at Harvard.
The elimination of Slavic is proposed as a cost-saving measure. However, because the Slavic Division operates under the umbrella of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, its operating costs are minimal. It does not have separate staff support or require separate facilities or materials for daily operations. Moreover, in conditions that demand that academic programs produce assessable outcomes using minimal resources, the Slavic Division has been a genuine success. As no rationale for eliminating the Slavic Division was provided in the budget proposal document, we can only assume that student and faculty achievements and actual cost benefits were overlooked when the program was listed among those slated for elimination.
Finally, Russian is designated a critical language by the US Department of State, yet FSU administrators have proposed that this is the time to eliminate the study of Russian. The losses that would result from the proposed elimination outweigh any conceivable gain.
In signing this document, we strongly urge the university administration to remove Slavic from the list of academic programs proposed for elimination at FSU. Thank you for your time and consideration.
It is very important to learn russian language for now, cuz Russia is a perspective field of different work, inventions, it has great culture and people!
Don`t close this program.. Because Russian language is the most geographically widespread language in Europe and Asia and it is spoken by around 278 million people.. And this is very beautiful language!
save this program, please!
Please, save the Slavic/Rusian program!!!
Don't close this wonderful program!!
Although I am of Ukrainian origin, I believe that the study of languages is important and invaluable to furthering peace in the world. Please keep the Slavic/Russian studies on at Florida State University.
Save this program. There are other areas that could be cut, if needed, not this one. Thank you.
I teach German at a Pennsylvania high school. I sponsor a Russian Language Club at the high school. It is extremely popular. I teach a Russian and a German language class at a local church camp and both classes are full.
Have we all forgotten the Cold War? It was because two superpowers did not understand each other that it came to such a mess for so long. Russia remains a giant force and potential partner to the U.S. Let's not blow this one.
I strongly urge the administration of FSU and the state legislature to retain and support Russian/Slavic studies at the University. FSU has a vibrant and thriving program headed by accomplished scholars in positions of leadership. It's loss would represent a degradation of the University's mission and would be detrimental to Slavic studies nationally at a time when international relations demand a well-grounded and sophisticated engagment with the languages and cultures of the Russian Federation and Eastern Europe.
I strongly urge FSU to reconsider the elimination of this program. The FSU Slavic faculty have an international reputation and with Russia's resurgent prominence on the international scene, Russian and other Slavic languages have a new relevance for students today.
I am a graduate student in international affairs, I am concentrating on Eastern Europe. I would not have chose FSU for graduate school if it did not offer a Slavik language
Please, save the department!
closing the slavic department would be a great disservice to not only to fsu students, but to famu and tcc students as well.
It would be an injustice to not only the current and future students of FSU but also to the United States if you get rid of this program. We need people who can understand and relate to what is going on in our world and with other world powers. America cannot possibly do that in the future without those who have a deep care and knowledge of the language and culture of other places. Please do not make the mistake of removing this program, as keeping it will benefit more than just the students at FSU.
This department is vital to our national defense in the future and should not be considered for closure in the future. It is critical that we be able to communicate with others in the world who don't speak English and understand their views.
Senior Lecturer in Russian Politics and Society. Now we need more experts on Russia, not fewer
At a time when eastern Europe is gaining in importance on the global stage, a time when all nations are becoming increasingly dependent on each other, the study of foreign languages is absolutely critical. State universities are the perfect launching point for careers in linguistics that are absolutely vital to American governmental and business interests. FSU should not make the mistake of eliminating its contribution to this field.
Slavic and Russian programs are very effective way to improve the dialogue between USA and Russia.
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Definitely not a waste of time. Save the department!
It seems completely misguided to close the Slavic Department just months after it organized such a wonderful symposium on Russian nationalism with speakers from across the country. Is success to be punished?
Russian is one of the most influential world languages. Studying Russian prepares people to be able to read current developements in Russia.
In this ever changing and uncertain world, qualified Russian linguists will most definitely be called upon in times of future crisis. FSU should reconsider their decision, as our world requires the skills acquired through the Slavic/Russian program. Thank you for your sincere consideration in reversing your decision.
