Hey Kaibigans! This is a message about the Asian American classes @ CSUF:

Hey everyone, DO NOT LET THE LENGTH OF THIS DESCRIPTION SCARE YOU OFF. I’m reaching out to you because I need your help, and I know you can give up 5 minutes of your time for something important to me.

You don’t have to be a student, or be Asian American to help out. You just have to believe in the importance of ethnic studies.

Here’s the breakdown.
The University is trying to cut down our Asian American Studies (ASAM) program from 5 Full-Time Equivalent Faculty (FTEF) to 4. Other departments are faced with cuts too, but theirs are to their part-time faculty; ASAM don’t have part-time faculty to cut. If you’re interested in the full story, go here: http://bit.ly/xqebI

What this means:
To be able to keep the amazing professors we have, they’ll have to teach classes for other departments. This reduces the capacity of the program.

Why Asian American Studies?
Professors are required to give back to the community and conduct research on top of teaching to get tenure. They are also required to teach a certain number of students each semester. The college gives money to each department to hire part-time faculty so the FTEF can conduct their research while reaching their quota. Our money was taken away from us by the college to use for other departments, and now we’re threatened with more cuts.

What can I do?
ENROLL IN ASAM CLASSES!
Especially during Titan I (July7-27), because those are the initial numbers that the college counts. You’ve gone through K-12 learning about history, but none of it really pertained to you. Here you are in college, with the opportunity to learn about the history and experiences of your own ethnic people. Take advantage of the opportunity!

WRITE AN EMAIL!
We want to let the university know that we will not be shut down. Because students will be gone during the summer when the cuts happen, we want to collect 500 letters for 5.0 Faculty in 5 days! All you have to do is copy the template below, sign it, and email it back to titanASAM@yahoo.com. ANYONE CAN DO THIS, IT TAKES 1 MINUTE.

Can I do more?
Why, yes, you can. If you have 10-15 minutes to spare, invite everyone you think would be able to help out with this event. Then, instead of just sending in the template, write your own email.

Some suggestions of things you can talk about:
-Name, Major, and year @ CSUF
-Make a specific request to keep 5 Full-Time Equivalent Faculty in our ASAM program budget
-Which ASAM classes you have taken, when, and with whom?
-With which ASAM faculty have you interacted – how and why?
-How satisfied were you with the classes and/or faculty?
-What did you take away /learn from the classes and/or faculty
-How did the classes and/or faculty help to build your critical thinking and leadership skills?

You can also take classes! Most ASAM classes fulfill two different GE requirements! For more information on classes, check out the website at http://hss.fullerton.edu/asian-american/.

If you have any other questions, feel free to msg me, or contact any of the ASAM professors.

HELP US KEEP OUR ASAM PROGRAM STRONG. SHOW THE UNIVERSITY THAT WE WILL NOT BE MARGINALIZED!

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[Sample Letter]

Dear CSUF Decision-Maker:
The five Asian American Studies (ASAM) faculty at Cal State Fullerton serve not only students in their respective classes at CSUF, but also Asian American and Pacific Islander-related student organizations, student leaders, undocumented students, and indirectly, our families and friends. Their outreach into the community is a model for how we can learn to serve our communities and society as a whole.
My experience in my ASAM course(s) or with ASAM professors has benefited me tremendously. As a result of my experiences with ASAM Studies at CSUF, I have gained greater insight into social diversity, social inequities, and social justice, as well as valuable critical-thinking skills to prepare me to deal with these issues in our society. Overall, I am more satisfied with my CSUF education because of my ASAM experience.

Therefore, I urge you to keep 5.0 Full-time Equivalent Faculty in the ASAM Program budget. CSUF is well-known for its commitment to serving its students and the AAPI community. By keeping 5.0 FTEF in the ASAM program, CSUF will show that it continues to be committed to both students and the AAPI community.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Name
Major
Year in school