A nationally-renowned University resource center known for giving students grants and scholarships to broaden their knowledge on Canada closed this summer due to money constraints.
The Center for Canadian Studies ceased operations June 30 because of a complete reduction of funding from the state’s budget, making the center impossible to continue operating, then Interim Provost Mark Gromko said in an e-mail June 29. The center primarily relied on this money and could not receive enough funds from outside, private entities.
According to an e-mail sent by President Carol Cartwright June 3, she announced the University was expecting a $6 to $10 million budget deficit, noting the possibility of programs’shy; being eliminated, which includes the center.
The Canadian Studies minor, scholarships offered to students and history classes revolving around Canada will still be offered according to College of Arts and Sciences Dean Simon Morgan-Russell.
‘I don’t think anybody really wants to cut anything, but we are in a position to make ends meet,’ Morgan-Russell said.
The center not only served the University in terms of class information and resources for research on Canada, but also created an external relationship with the community, Morgan-Russell said.
The center hosted a variety of programs including conferences, conventions and meals centered around a continuing relationship between the United States and Canada; which involved University faculty, students and the community.
‘For me, it was difficult to have the center close because it was the nerve center of Canadian Studies for outreach and the academic program,’ Assistant Professor in History Rebecca Mancuso said.
Morgan-Russell said there is still a possibility for the center to open again, but would take significant donations from private donors which seems unlikely at this time.
To maintain the program’s longevity, Mancuso has now become the coordinator of the University’s Canadian Studies minor. She will coordinate with history professors teaching courses on Canada as well as advise students. Mancuso said even with the center gone, students and community members can still gain access to information on Canada on campus, but not as much as they once could with the center closed.
‘It’s detriment for students to not have that office to go to anymore, but all the classes will still be offered,’ she said.
Editor’s note: For more information on Canadian Studies and classes offered, contact Rebecca Mancuso at 372-7424.
