[Tlc] U.Mich.Good News

[justinm at ucr.edu]

FYI. Good news sent from Bonnie Brereton and Linda Lim:

Dear Friends,
 
Most of you know that the Center for Southeast Asian Studies
unexpectedly did not receive a National Resource Center grant
for 2006-10, though we did receive the FLAS award for 7
academic year and 3 summer fellowships per year, amounting to
$201,000 per year. 
 
I am happy to report that this situation has changed. The U.S.
Department of Education, our granting agency, has now given us
four full years of NRC funding at the level of $229,500 a
year. This sum is to be spent on language and area
instruction, library, office staff, programming and outreach
activities.
 
I would like to thank Mark Tessler, Director of the
International Institute, for his unstinting moral and
financial support, and institutional leadership, during our
difficult past six months, and Nancy Florida, Chair of the
Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, for her role in
ensuring that all levels of all our four languages continue to
be taught.  Thanks are also due to the Center staff,
especially Cindy Middleton and Charley Sullivan, for their
heroic efforts in maintaining Center programming at close to
"normal" levels, and continuing to take new initiatives,
despite staff reductions.  The Center's Executive Committee
and various individual faculty throughout the University have
also been extremely helpful.
 
Center programming this year--including our new
multidisciplinary undergraduate course, launched this
semester, and a full slate of distinguished visitors and
performances--would not have been possible without financial
support from many different University units, including the
International Institute, LS&A, Rackham, President Coleman's
Multi-Disciplinary Team Teaching Initiative, LS&A Citizenship
Theme Year, Islamic Studies Initiative, Departments of
Anthropology, Asian Languages and Cultures, History and Art
History, Center for World Performance Studies, Women's Studies
Program, Institute for Research on Women and Gender, the
School of Music, Theater and Dance, Arts on Earth, Institute
for Humanities, etc. (I'm sure I'm missing some!) which
various Center faculty helped us to secure.  In addition, our
development efforts are bringing in a much appreciated stream
of annual gifts from donors including our faculty, alumni and
many of you.
 
Thank you for your support and, especially, for your
participation and interest in the Center's ever-expanding
activities.  I look forward to welcoming you all to our events
this year.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have
any questions or suggestions for what we might do to improve
our educational activities and programming, to develop and
expand interest in and knowledge of Southeast Asia and
Southeast Asian Studies.
 
With thanks and best wishes for the New Year,
 
Linda Lim
Professor and Director, Center for Southeast Asian Studies
University of Michigan

______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu