Korean Language and Literature
The Vision
The University of California, Riverside, seeks to establish
an endowed chair in Korean Language and Literature to
be housed in the Department of Comparative Literature
and Foreign Languages in the College of Humanities,
Arts, and Social Sciences. The chairholder, a distinguished
faculty member, would work with faculty from the many
departments and programs that contribute to the Interdisciplinary
Asian Studies Committee, thus complementing existing
strengths on campus. UC Riverside continues to benefit
from the expertise of Professor Ed Chang, in the Ethnic
Studies Department and Professor Sang-Hee Lee in Anthropology.
The Department of Comparative Literature seeks an endowed
professorship to establish and run a program dedicated
to Korean Language and Literature. This addition of
a new permanent faculty member in this area would complement
existing faculty expertise in Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese,
and Southeast Asian languages. Korean literature expertise
would contribute both to a new BA degree in Asian Literatures
and Cultures, and to the existing Ph.D. Program in Comparative
Literature.
What is an Endowed Chair?
An endowed chair is a mark of distinction in universities
across the nation, and an opportunity to give a gift
that will last in perpetuity. Your gift provides the
means to engage world-renowned faculty in studies that
shape and transform the lives of students and the community.
Because the endowment creates a fund in perpetuity,
the Chair becomes associated with a permanent area of
study at the University and an honored part of its history.
Support on Campus
The Department of Comparative Literature and Foreign
Languages includes faculty in Asian, Classical, European,
and Slavic languages and literatures, and provides a
strong infrastructure for the growth of Korean studies
on the Riverside campus. With our growing Korean-American
student population, demand for Korean language instruction
is strong. Currently, UCR offers two years of Korean
language courses and all are very well enrolled. The
new position would expand these offerings and allow
students to get a BA in Asian Literature with an emphasis
in Korean.
France Cordova, UCR Chancellor, and Patricia O’Brien, Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, are committed to the establishment of an endowed professorship in Korean Language and Literature. They are prepared to allocate a state supported faculty position worth $2.5 million if it can be enhanced by a privately raised endowment of at least $500,000.
Your Involvement:
The optimum level for a fully endowed chair at all University
of California campuses is $1,000,000, but an initial
endowment of $500,000 would establish the endowed chair
in perpetuity and would provide an opportunity to honor
the position with a naming opportunity.
For information on establishing an endowed professorship
in Korean Language and Literature in the College of
Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, or about any
aspect of charitable giving, please contact Virginia Davis,
Assistant Dean for Development, at 951-827-4365 or ginny.davis@ucr.edu.
