[asiacouncil] Vote Needed - Financial Support for China Program Professor

Fri Mar 15 07:50:44 EDT 2019

Dear Colleagues,

I have not decided how to vote yet.  Before I can vote, I need some questions answered.

  1.  What are we giving up by doing this?  How much do we typically spend on a workshop?  The implication behind my first question is, "would voting "yes" entail giving up one or more workshops?  Even if the answer to this question is "yes", it might be worth it -- the years that we can do workshops are numbered because we are running out of money, but the years of study abroad are not numbered.  However, if a workshop normally costs more than US$ 850 then we will only be able to fund this spring's workshop anyway.  In that case, I would vote to give the China program any money that we do not need for this spring's workshop and other current commitments (but in that case, we might have less than the requested US$ 1000 to give).
  2.  Would voting "yes" interfere with what we have already committed ourselves to?  Specifically, would voting "yes" interfere with our being able to support the conference that we are committed to help with next year?  I suspect that the answer to this question is "no" but I would like to hear the "no" before I vote in favor of this recommendation.
  3.  Are we setting a precedent that we may someday regret?  If so, is there a way to set this up that prevents such a precedent?  Perhaps it could be made very clear that this is a one time only special situation?

I want to support the China program; however, I need to know the full implications of that support before I can vote "yes."

Respectfully,

Jonathan

________________________________
From: asiacouncil-bounces at lighthouse.valdosta.edu <asiacouncil-bounces at lighthouse.valdosta.edu> on behalf of Flor Culpa-Bondal <flor.culpabondal at gcsu.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 15, 2019 5:49:38 AM
To: Eric Spears
Cc: asiacouncil at lighthouse.valdosta.edu
Subject: Re: [asiacouncil] Vote Needed - Financial Support for China Program Professor

Good morning!  I vote to support this recommendation.  The China program is a long-time running Asia Council program and I would hate for it to be jeopardized.  Liam is an active member of the of the council and deserves its support.  Thanks!

Flor A. Culpa-Bondal, PhD, RN
Associate Professor
School of Nursing
College of Health Sciences
Georgia College and State University
(478) 845-0232<tel:(478)%20845-0232>
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"...there's a force of love and logic in the world, a force of love and logic behind the universe. And I believe in the poetic genius of a creator who would choose to express such unfathomable power as a child born in "straw poverty"... ~ Bono

On Mar 14, 2019, at 11:06 PM, Eric Spears <spears_eric at columbusstate.edu<mailto:spears_eric at columbusstate.edu>> wrote:

Dear Fellow Council Members,

Bao Gang has requested that the Asia Council help support the travel expenses of Liam Madden to China this summer.  The program’s student enrollment is lower than expected.  In order to keep the number of courses offered for students at the advertised cost, Bao Gang is requesting that funds from the Asia Council faculty development grant be used to pay toward Liam’s airfare.  In addition, and if a faculty member is taken out of this summer’s program, it is likely more students will withdraw from the program once they learn their preferred courses are not available.  A lack of student retention would also jeopardize the program budget.

This expenditure would also be seen as faculty development.  Liam can learn how Bao Gang operates the program.  Liam would then be able to be a director of a future Asia Council program.   I spoke with our treasurer, Salli Vargas, and confirmed there are funds in the agency account that can be used toward this cause.  She recommends putting $1,000 toward the $1,200 airfare.  There would remain $7,000 in the account to be used toward faculty development workshops, including the one this spring at Perimeter’s campus.

In the spirit of transparency and collegiality, could you please send me your vote by no later than Monday?  Bao Gang needs to determine what to do with the program.

Many thanks,

Eric K. Spears, Ph
Mildred Miller Fort Foundation Eminent Scholar & Chair of Global Engagement
Associate Professor of Geography

Columbus State University
4225 University Avenue
Columbus, GA 31907, USA

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