[KS] Save Dept of EAS at University of Toronto

[Hana Kim]

(apology for cross-posting)
On behalf of the East Asian Library Team at the University of Toronto...

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

        I think by now you will have heard the shocking news of a very unsettling situation at the University of Toronto.  The Dean of Arts and Science plans to dismantle the core Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto, and submerge it into a new school of Language and Literature where all other foreign language courses will also reside. English and French departments will remain intact in this restructuring. All other East Asian courses will be dispersed into various general departmental disciplines.  The Dean of Arts and Science plans to push ahead with this decision very soon.

         The Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto has been a distinct multi-disciplinary but integrated administrative unit with a history going back  more than 70 years. Its integrated program of East Asian studies is well established, vibrant, and very successful. Its enrolment has more than 1,000 major, minor and specialized students and is still growing. The decision to eliminate this successful department with a strong core program of studies in the biggest university in Canada at a time when Canada's political, economic and cultural relations with East Asia are expanding and strengthening is truly regrettable and very unsettling. This course of action bodes an ominous future for East Asian studies and will undoubtedly have dire consequences for the university and Canada. It may cast an even longer and wider dark shadow on the broadening development and growth of East Asian studies in the academic arena of North America.

        We need your help immediately to reverse and prevent this ill-conceived decision from going forward.  Please sign the petition and also write to the President Or Vice President of the University of Toronto with a copy to the Dean of the University to oppose the dissolution of the Department of East Asian Studies. Please also ask your faculty to write to oppose this disastrous course of action that may negatively affect the future of East Asian studies in North America. Many thanks for your help and support.

Please sign the petition, add comments if you wish.

Save the East Asian Studies Program at the University of Toronto
 http://www.petitiononline.com/saveeas/petition.html

Please also write to:

Dr. David Naylor is the President of the University
Mailing Address:
david.naylor at utoronto.ca<mailto:david.naylor at utoronto.ca>,  or president at utoronto.ca<mailto:president at utoronto.ca>
Office of the President
University of Toronto
27 King's College Circle, Room 206
Toronto ON Canada
M5S 1A1

Professor Cheryl Misak is the UofT Vice-President and Provost
Mailing Address
 provost at utoronto.ca <mailto:provost at utoronto.ca>   or  cheryl.misak at utoronto.ca<mailto:cheryl.misak at utoronto.ca>
University of Toronto
Simcoe Hall, Room 225
27 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario  M5S 1A1

Professor Meric Gertler is the Dean of Arts and Science,
Mailing Address:
officeofthedean.artsci at utoronto.ca<mailto:officeofthedean.artsci at utoronto.ca>  or  meric.gertler at utoronto.ca<mailto:meric.gertler at utoronto.ca>

University of Toronto

Faculty of Arts & Science

100 St. George Street

Toronto, ON CANADA M5S 3G3


You can also find more information about this decision and developing situation by following these links:

 Letter from the Dean Regarding Plans for East Asian Studies Department
http://noschooloflal.blogspot.com/2010/07/letter-from-dean-regarding-plans-for.html


Response from Prof. Thomas Keirstead, East Asian Studies Department:
http://noschooloflal.blogspot.com/2010/07/response-from-prof-thomas-keirstead.html

Memorandum from Vice-Dean Baker to Graduate Students: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=140492929295640&topic=130

Collective Opposition Letter to Dean Gertler from the East Asian Studies Graduate Students Union: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=140492929295640&topic=134

The Varsity article about the A&S changes:
http://thevarsity.ca/articles/31644


Blogs and Websites:

 (Blog) Students Against the School of Languages & Literature at UofT
http://noschooloflal.blogspot.com/p/protest.html

(Blog) Save East Asian Studies at U of T
http://saveeastasianstudies.wordpress.com/

(Facebook) Save the East Asian Studies Program at the University of Toronto
http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=122802167763519&start=10&hash=d154280f5d877ef37ab6ff2ff4b87877#!/group.php?gid=140492929295640&ref=share

Sincerely,

Anna U   anna.u at utoronto.ca<mailto:anna.u at utoronto.ca>
Hana Kim  hn.kim at utoronto.ca<mailto:hn.kim at utoronto.ca>
Fabiano Takashi Rocha   fabiano.rocha at utoronto.ca<mailto:fabiano.rocha at utoronto.ca>
Lucy Gan  lucy.gan at utoronto.ca<mailto:Lucy.gan at utoronto.ca>
Stephen Qiao  Stephen.qiao at utoront.ca<mailto:Stephen.qiao at utoront.ca>

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anna Liang U
Director
Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library
University of Toronto Libraries
Tel 416.978.7690
Fax 416.978.0863
anna.u at utoronto.ca<mailto:anna.u at utoronto.ca>
...
Hana Kim, Korea Studies Librarian
Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library
University of Toronto Libraries
130 St. George Street, 8th Floor, Room 8049
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5S 1A5
Tel.   (416)  978 1570 (7th Fl.)
Fax.  (416)  978 0863
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