[Vision2020] Universities, university presses, and Titanic folly

[Jeff Harkins]

Thanks Ron for clarifying the situation.  I can validate that your comments 
are correct.

The press published approximately 41 books over 30 years - none was a 
fiscal success.  In addition to losing money each year, the Press received 
an operating subsidy - in some years totalling $60,000.  The only surprise 
to me was how long it took to make a decision - the Press has been under 
scrutiny for over 6 years.

And it will not be the only cuts we experience in the near term - the UI as 
we all know will be scarred for a long time - we must all do our best to 
protect the "core" of the place - once we figure out what that is!!


At 12:11 PM 2/24/2004, you wrote:
>I have to make a correction. The UI Press has never made a profit. They ran
>up almost an $800,000 deficit by 2001. That was written off, and the press
>was given a chance to start over on a "break even" basis.  They were
>$382,000 in the hole by December 03.  Ivar had some good ideas, but it was
>"too little, too late".
>
>One may argue that a university press is a good thing to subsidize in
>comparision to athletics, community education, 4H, or any of many things the
>university does for the state.  In fact, most university presses are heavily
>subsidized. For obvious reasons, the university is not in a postion to
>continue to subsidize many of the wonderful things it now does.  The Press
>may be only the first of these to go.
>
>**********************************************
>Ron Force          Moscow ID 83844
>rforce@moscow.com
>**********************************************
>
>_____________________________________________________
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ