Czech Opportunity Fund

Czech Opportunity Fund

Spearheaded and driven by Prof. Edith W. Clowes' Bohemistic interests, the Czech Opportunity Fund aims to create a private endowment fund sufficient to hire a half-time lecturer in Czech language for the Slavic Department. While the Slavic Department recognizes the Czech heritage in the state of Kansas, enrollments in Czech, when offered in the past, have not risen sufficiently to warrant the expenditure of state funding for its regular offering. Private funding for the position will allow the line to be independent of state budgetary considerations and thus contribute to the enrichment of the KU Slavic Department's language offerings. We encourage donors who are interested in seeing Czech language added to the already rich language curriculum available in the Department-- Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Ukrainian--to donate to this fund. Both small and large donations are welcomed. The fundraising target for the line is a half million dollars. Substantial donations covering half or more of the target may be named for an appropriate designee.

You may give online by using the buttons below. Online giving is secure, quick and simple. Click the area you would like to support and you will be redirected to the website of KU Endowment, the non- profit fundraising organization that supports KU.

If you prefer to mail your check, to ensure that your donation is credited to the Slavic Department, please make your check out to "KUEA- Slavic Department" and write "for Slavic Department programs" in the memo portion of your check or specify this in an accompanying letter. Send your donation c/o Chair, Dept. of Slavic Languages and Literatures; University of Kansas, 1445 Jayhawk Blvd., Rm. 2133; Lawrence, KS 66045-7590.

It is possible to name scholarship funds to honor individuals. If you wish to establish a fund, please call Professor William J. Comer (Chair) at 785-864-2348 or e-mail at wjcomer@ku.edu or the Department Administrative Associate at 785-864-3313, and we will help you work with the KU Endowment Association.

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In Memoriam

Reed Rankin ✝ 12/29/2019

The faculty and students in the Department Slavic Languages and Literatures are deeply saddened that one our undergraduate majors, Reed Rankin, passed away last week (12/29) in Fredonia, Kansas. Reed was a beloved student in the department and is fondly remembered by his peers and professors. He began studying Russian as a Freshman and stayed with a challenging but rewarding language for three and a half years, tackling introductory, intermediate, advanced levels, and even continuing his studies into his senior year with Russian for the Professions. We know that he was planning further study in Moscow in the next academic year, prior to matriculation at KU School of Law.

A thoughtful student, Reed often contributed insight and posed challenging questions in class. ​​ Reed’s dedication to the study of Russian language, culture, and history was tremendous and fueled by infectious curiosity. He showed great acumen in translating from Russian into English, always finding English-language equivalents for Russian cultural concepts through skillful use of one-liners from American films. We also treasured his ability to speak in fluid Russian about rural, farm life in Kansas, and the effects that natural phenomena, like floods, on a farming community. He was a pleasure to know and teach, and will be remembered for his kind and polite demeanor. Our thoughts are with Reed’s family at this time

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Why KU Slavic?
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KU’s Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies program is one of only 12 federally-funded national resource centers in the US
Only doctoral program in Slavic Languages and Literatures between the Mississippi and the West Coast
100% of graduate students in the Slavic program had funding in academic year 2012-13
KU's Libraries house over 500,000 volumes of Slavic books and electronic editions
Two of the department’s last four doctoral candidates have won a Fulbright grants to conduct dissertation research abroad