Jun 1, 2009 7:15 pm US/Eastern
FIU Board On Religious Studies Program's Future
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
The Miami Archbishop, local rabbis, and even the Dalai Lama have all sent letters to the President of Florida International University fighting to keep the Religious Studies program open. Budget cuts have put it in jeopardy.
Monday, for the first time, program leaders heard from the Board of Trustees.
The Board's decision on the budget will make or break entire programs of study at the University. Board Chairman David Parker spoke of the difficult position the Board finds itself in. "We do have a challenge, this is a budget crisis."
The proposal to do away with the Religious Studies Program compelled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to offer a $100-thousand donation. He has also informally accepted an invitation to visit FIU in the fall to raise money for the program.
Religious Studies student Jeremy Paulovkin is thrilled. He told
CBS4 Reporter Natalia Zea, "I think it's great for the Department. It shows we're worth saving."
Parker is impressed too. He says, "I think the Dalai Lama's offer is remarkable."
But neither the Dalai Lama nor a student petition with more than 1,000 signatures will likely be enough to save Religious Studies here. Parker says money, not spiritual figureheads will take the program off the chopping block. "If the Dalai Lama's support can be a rallying point for more outside funding for the Department, that would be terrific. But we'll see. It's impressive, but it has to be more than that."
The key to the program's survival may be raising $4-million within one year to start an endowment. That could prove to be a daunting task for a small department.
But the program's supporters were happy to learn that the Board has no plans to cut the Religious Studies master's degree, though it would merge into a different department.
In the end, though, Paulovkin believes once half the faculty is sent packing, Religious Studies will fall apart. "They're going to be laid off; that's the only way you let go of tenured faculty. That's what they're doing; that's where the savings are. The Department is growing; the faculty is doing well, so this is uncalled for."
June 12th is the big day for the FIU Religious Studies program. That's when program leaders will find out whether the Board of Trustees plans to continue to fund it.
To learn more about all the FIU budget cuts,
click here.
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