Chicago Flame: February 19, 2002

Budget Cuts Should Not Get in the Way of New Asian Center

By Wen Chen and Rena Patel
Guest Opinion

On behalf of the Asian American Coalition Committee, we disagree with the Feb. 5 feature editorial against the coming establishment of the Asian-American resource and cultural center.

The main issue is money. The editorial mentions Asian-American students have been pushing for a center for 10 years unsuccessfully. During those 10 years, the University of Illinois at Chicago administration has always been saying a tight budget is the central reason that prevents the establishment of such a center - every single year, through good economic times and bad.

We agree the recent budget cuts are troubling for UIC, and a smaller start would be appropriate. However, no, we are not pushing for immediate construction of a new building to house the center, which already greatly cuts down on initial costs of the center.

Our focus, instead of being on space for the center, is rather on staffing the center and hiring the center's director, as these actions are most important. The director also would serve as a UIC faculty member who will teach classes.

The existing cultural centers only get a programming budget of $20,000. This amount has not increased a penny since it was first allocated two decades ago.

However, each center's own private fund-raising supports most of the programming for these centers. The Rafael Cintron Ortiz Latino Cultural Center raises about three to four times its allocated amount. In other words, these units are fairly self-sufficient and occupy a speck in the university's multimillion dollar budget.

Interim Provost Charlotte Tate herself has reassured students and faculty members, saying she has some funds set aside for this center. Since spring she has been anticipating development of such a center. Having it does not mean that our favorite professors are going to get a pink slip.

If you recall, part of last year's tuition increase was meant to support the development of the Asian American Studies program; it is specifically listed in the "Benefits to UIC" document produced to substantiate a tuition increase.

Yet this year the search in history for an Asian-American was pulled back and postponed for the 2002-03 academic year. We are already waiting. Faculty is already being trimmed.

Tell me, if UIC has raised tuition to try to diversify our education, why is it not becoming a reality?

In spring 1999, Interim Provost Elizabeth Hoffman had extended her support for the center, but she left that summer and the movement to create this center halted and had to be re-established. The movement took many steps backward.

UIC is in a similar position today with our interim provost leaving. This circumstance, compounded with casual dismissal of the center due to seemingly ever-present budget issues, might just seal the fate for the center.

We have been through 10 years of waiting already. A better time might never arrive. If a center had already been established at UIC, would anyone dream of shutting it down along with other cultural centers for budget reasons?

Members of the Asian American Coalition Committee recognize the reality of the budget cuts and we are, and have been, negotiating with administrators. We are meeting the Tate again Feb. 28 with various options.

We cannot compromise UIC's ideals for the sake of budget cuts. UIC as an educational institution has a responsibility to provide its students with the best education possible. Some of the best education we have received has been outside of the UIC classrooms.