[Vision2020] university of idaho press

[Nancy Chaney]

Dear Visionaries,

I agree with Bob and Joan that closure of UI Press would be a tremendous
loss to the University, our community, and the region. Yesterday, I
emailed a letter, pasted below, asking President Michael to preserve the
Press. I encourage those of you who are so inclined to do the same, with
CCs to President (appointed) White tim.white@orst.edu Provost Pitcher
bpitcher@uidaho.edu  and Vice Provost Morris ljmorris@uidaho.edu  These
are financially challenging times at UI, but some things are too central
to the core mission of the institution to let go.

Nancy Chaney

Mr. Gary Michael, Interim President
University of Idaho
gmichael@uidaho.edu 

February 23, 2004

Dear President Michael:

Thank you for your dedication to making the hard choices on behalf of
our worthy institution. Yours can not have been an easy task, and I am
sure that you are as pained as any of us by the healing that still must
take place among faculty, staff, students, and this community. I
recently learned that the University of Idaho Press may be among the
programs imperiled by budgetary cuts and that a creative proposal to
preserve it has come before you. Although I have not been privy to
details of that proposal, as an alumnus and former UI employee, I am in
a position to attest to the value of the Press and to the experience,
good judgment, and skill of its director, Ivar Nelson, who presented
that proposal.

For more than thirty years, UI Press has given the University and the
State of Idaho reasons to be proud. It brings recognition to local
authors and to interesting and entertaining subjects of regional import
that might not otherwise receive such quality exposure. It brings
distinction to our institution and the region when widely-respected
authors-some of them our own faculty and alumni-make conscious decisions
to sign with UI Press. Published works may highlight important and
fascinating but previously obscure knowledge. Others help market the
institution, the region and the people here through publications broadly
accessible to the general readership.

The Press' no-cost proposal to partner with UW will secure its financial
footing, while allowing it to continue to serve UI faculty, students,
staff, and alumni. With UW attending to marketing, billing,
distribution, inventory, fulfillment, and some publicity functions, the
reduced staff of UI Press could focus on manageable publishing projects,
and thereby continue its mission.

The University of Idaho emphasizes the worth of effective communication
and dissemination of new ideas. As a community, we celebrate diversity
of cultures, landscapes, natural resources, and disciplinary interests.
UI Press expands recognition of this fine institution and the
generations and region supporting it. It is an asset that we dare not
lose! I encourage you to allow the Press to continue to benefit all of
us. Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

Nancy Chaney
M.S. Environmental Science, 2002  

ECC:
Dr. Timothy White, President (appointed)
Dr. Brian Pitcher, Provost
Dr. Linda Morris, Interim Associate Vice Provost 

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]
On Behalf Of bookpeople
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 8:11 AM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] university of idaho press