advertising Slavic department, was: enrollments query

[George Kalbouss]

Dear Genevra,

        No, if the other Slavic/Russian Departments won't do this, they will
commit suicide in the process.  I've always had the attitude that we
are clinging to a cliffside and about to fall off,  the minute we start
climbing onto solid ground, we slide off again.  This situation never
stops, so we have to keep going.

        With regard to which worked, they all did, but to varying extents.
The Legislative,  Half-Time Football game, Newspaper entry efforts are
basically for Deans, Provosts, etc., to know that we are around, have
connections, and are appreciated outside the university. In other
words, we have connections, and they don't know what they are.  This
helped in our war to preserve the department, and we are even better
connected now thanks to our efforts to save ourselves.

        The posters, ads, etc., are preliminary steps to get people to take
our courses.  Now that Russian Culture, the Vampire Course, the other
Slavic/EE Culture courses are off and running (Russian culture has been
going strong for 30 years), we don't need to advertise as much, word of
mouth, etc. then takes over.  The key is to deliver a great course, and
we do that.  But, we can backslide.   Turnover in a University is four
years-- so if you haven't maintained your momentum over four years, you
have to start over again. On the plus side,  I'm absolutely amazed at
how the academic advisers in our university know everything about our
courses.

        The Immigration course, by the way, is a smash, it's getting great
publicity in the legislature, and I got a $20,000 grant to create an
Immigration History Road Show for the Bicentennial.  I'm putting the
finishing touches on it now, we then get actors, and go on the road in
March 2003.

        Regarding the Language Camp,  Honors programs, Dobro Slovo (forgot to
mention that), Career Sessions, etc., this is to build community
amongst the committed ones.  The more they know each other, the better
off the major program is.

        Again, back to the other Slavic Departments:  we all do the best we
can.  We all know some colleagues -- not you and I -- who tend to be
introverted and prefer books to people.  They obviously did not sign
onto academics to be promoters and enthusiasts.   If our field was
English or History, there wouldn't be any problem.  But our field is
not,  that part is sad.  We have to do everything, while our colleagues
in other departments do not.  What we having going for us is
spectacular subject matter, and the others do not, and we need to let
the general student population know this.

        Take care,

George

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