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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Dear Members:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";background:white'>In late March, the U.S. Senate approved an<span class=apple-converted-space><b> </b></span>amendment<span class=apple-converted-space> </span>offered by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013, which would severely restrict National Science Foundation funding for research in political science. In response, the Executive Committee of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies has issued the following statement of concern: </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:blue'><a href="http://aseees.org/new/coburn-amendment.php">http://aseees.org/new/coburn-amendment.php</a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>This amendment is part and parcel of the federal funding crisis that we face in US higher education that Laura Adams described in the lead article of the NewsNet March issue: <span style='color:blue'><a href="http://www.aseees.org/newsnet/2013-03.pdf">http://www.aseees.org/newsnet/2013-03.pdf</a> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>ASEEES has been working diligently to advocate for our field and international education more generally. In order to be more strategic and proactive, ASEEES has established an Ad Hoc Advocacy Committee, chaired by current Vice President/President Elect Steve Hanson (College of William and Mary). We thank the following members for serving on the committee: Laura Adams (Harvard U), Henry Hale (George Washington U), and David Patton (American Councils/NCEEER). If you have suggestions or concerns, please contact Laura Adams at <<span style='color:blue'><a href="mailto:ladams@fas.harvard.edu">ladams@fas.harvard.edu</a></span>>, who will serve as the point of contact for the committee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>We know that many of our affiliate organizations, institutional members, and individual members are also doing the heavy lift of the advocacy work. Dan Davidson, President of American Councils, was recently invited to <span style='background:white'>makes an<span class=apple-converted-space> </span></span><a href="http://aseees.org/Advocacy/Davidson_Testimony_House3-14-13.pdf"><span style='color:windowtext;background:white;text-decoration:none'>oral statement before the US House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Committee on Appropriations</span></a><span style='background:white'>: </span><span style='color:blue'><a href="http://aseees.org/Advocacy/Davidson_Testimony_House3-14-13.pdf">http://aseees.org/Advocacy/Davidson_Testimony_House3-14-13.pdf</a></span> This is a critical time for all of us to be advocates for our field. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>For ASEEES advocacy work, please see <span style='color:blue'><a href="http://aseees.org/new/advocacy.php">http://aseees.org/new/advocacy.php</a></span> If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";background:white'>And our thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by the Boston Marathon explosions and our many colleagues in the Boston area.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Lynda Park, Executive Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>203C Bellefield Hall <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>University of Pittsburgh<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Pittsburgh, PA 15260-6424 USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>+1 (412) 648-9788 (direct), +1 (412) 648-9911 (main)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>+1 (412) 648-9815 (fax)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><a href="http://www.aseees.org/">www.aseees.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#C00000'><a href="http://www.aseees.org/support.html"><span style='color:#C00000'>Support ASEEES</span></a> – Ask Me about Planned Giving</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Association-for-Slavic-East-European-and-Eurasian-Studies/141362775903086">Find us on Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=2585509">Join us on LinkedIn</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/aseeestudies">Follow us on Twitter</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>