ACTION ALERT on Title VI and Fulbright-Hays Funding

13-Jun-2011 TO: AIEA Colleagues
FROM: Miriam A. Kazanjian, Coalition for International Education
RE: Update and Action Alert on HEA-Title VI/Fulbright-Hays Funding
DATE: June 10, 2011

This memo provides a summary of the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI/Fulbright-Hays program cuts for FY 2011, and outlines action steps and information for our advocacy efforts to restore funding in the FY 2012 appropriations.

[Please note that the Fulbright programs referenced here are those administered by the U.S. Department of Education and not the State Department's Fulbright program. Jurisdiction over these two programs come under different Congressional committees.]

FY 2011 Program Cuts

Please find attached a document that provides 1) A short summary of each of the 14 Title VI/Fulbright-Hays programs with hyperlinks; and 2) A list of Title VI/Fulbright FY 2011 funding cuts, program by program, as we understand them at this time. Please note the following:

1) Except for one program--the Institute for International Public Policy, which is on a separate budget line--the cuts are much greater than the overall reduction of 40%, ranging from 47% to 100%. This is due, in part, to the fact that U.S. Department of Education held competitions and obligated funds for three programs (FLAS Fellowships, Fulbright Group Projects Abroad and Fulbright Seminars Abroad) before the final FY 2011 Continuing Resolution (CR) was enacted, thus leaving a very small amount available for the remaining programs. As we know, the Title VI/Fulbright-Hays cut in the final FY 2011 CR was not anticipated.

2) No further new competitions are being held for FY 2011. This policy eliminates all FY 2011 funding under the American Overseas Research Centers (AORC), Fulbright Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA), and Fulbright Faculty Research Abroad (FRA), since they were up for competition this year.

3) One program with non-competing continuation grants was completely defunded, Technological Innovation and Cooperation for Foreign Information Access (TICFIA).

The cuts to these small programs are obviously devastating. We need to work together to do all we can to restore funding in FY
2012.


ACTION NEEDED ON FY 2012

As most are aware, the Congressional FY 2012 budget process will be as difficult, if not more so, than the FY 2011 appropriations process. We are doing our best to encourage Congress to restore funding for Title VI/Fulbright to their FY 2010 levels, which in this political climate will be a steep challenge.

1) MEETINGS WITH CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES AND LETTERS OF SUPPORT. If you are a current or past Title VI/Fulbright grantee, the Coalition is encouraging campuses to set up targeted meetings with your Congressional delegations, in consultation with your federal relations officers. If your campus has multiple Title VI centers/programs, it would be a good idea to team up on your visits. Many Congressional Members are new and need to be briefed by grantees on what the programs do, how they serve the national interest, what will be lost with the FY11 cuts, and what will be lost if the programs are ZEROED. If you are not a current grantee, letters of support nevertheless are needed.

Letters and meetings are timely now. The House Subcommittee on Labor/HHS/ED Appropriations is scheduled to mark up its FY 2012 bill on July 26, with full committee markup in early August.  The subcommittee is setting priorities now. The comparable Senate subcommittee will continue to hold hearings in the next couple of weeks, but are beginning to set priorities as well.

2) ADVOCACY MATERIALS. Attached are two additional documents for your use, as follows:

a) Committee lists. The first document contains spreadsheets of House and Senate Subcommittees on Labor/HHS/ED Appropriations as well as the full Appropriations Committees. Check to see if your state has a Member(s) on these committees, and either write or ask for a meeting.

If you have no Members on the Appropriations Committees, letters to your Congressperson and two Senators are important. Urge that they contact the Labor/HHS/ED subcommittee chairmen in the respective chambers requesting that Title VI/Fulbright funding be restored to FY 2010 levels.

b) Title VI and Fulbright-Hays Talking Points. This document provides generic talking points, some of which you may want to incorporate into letters. Please note that the following language is what the Coalition is requesting the Congress to do:

"We understand the tremendous pressures on the federal budget and the difficult decisions Congress faces on spending. However, we are deeply concerned over the severe and disproportionate $50 million or 40% cut under the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution to HEA-Title VI/Fulbright-Hays programs, the U.S. Department of Education's premier international education programs.

"We strongly urge that Congress safeguard these programs by restoring funding in the FY 2012 appropriations to the FY 2010 level of $125.881 million, which includes $108.4 million for Title VI-A&B; $15.6 million for Fulbright-Hays 102(b)(6); and $1.9 million for the Title VI-C, Institute for International Public Policy.

In your letters, feel free to use this lead in, followed by information about the impact of your current Title VI/Fulbright grant, or one that you might have had in the past, or just general support for the programs. Anecdotal stories demonstrating impact are effective, as well as what will be lost if these cuts continue into FY 2012. Remember that personal letters are more effective than form letters.

Also please keep in mind that some in Congress and the Administration think other federal agencies or the universities themselves should sustain Title VI programs. Include in your letters what will be lost without Title VI funds. For example, state governments and foundations will not fund these activities on the steady basis required to meet ongoing national capacity needs, which is a federal role, and in this case a Department of Education role.

3) THIRD PARTY VALIDATORS. Seek third parties who have benefited from Title VI/Fulbright programs and are willing to write to your Congressional delegation urging restoration of funding, such as former students and outreach recipients. Letters should be 1-2 pages, flagging the program, expressing concern over the disproportionate cuts, stating the dollar restoration paragraph noted above, and providing one or two examples of how they have benefited from the programs.

The National Humanities Alliance has kindly posted on its website Title VI issue and action pages, including a form letter with optional add-in information, which anybody can use to send a letter to your Representative and two Senators:
http://www.congressweb.com/cweb2/index.cfm/siteid/NHA/action/TakeAction.Background/LetterGroupID/12

4) ARTICLES AND BLOGS. Below is a list of articles, blogs and Facebook pages that have emerged thus far.

5) FEEDBACK. Finally, please keep me posted on the following: a) What contacts are made with Congressional offices and outcomes, and b) Impact of the FY11 cuts on your campus.  I am happy to help with letters. Let me know your questions, and many thanks for your cooperation.

Kind regards,
Miriam A. Kazanjian, Consultant
Coalition for International Education
E-mail makazanjian@earthlink.net
http://www.usglobalcompetence.org

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Title VI/FH Articles and Blogs As of 6-9-11

America's Global Future on the Chopping Block
http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2011/06/09/americas-global-future-on-the-chopping-block/

Tongue Tied: How Budget Cuts to International Education Will Hurt the U.S
http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/06/02/the-ramifications-of-cutting-international-education-programs/

International-Education Programs Should Be Continued
http://chronicle.com/article/article-content/127734/

In Next U.S. Budget, Outlook for International-Education Programs Is Gloomy
http://chronicle.com/article/In-Next-US-Budget-Outlook/127743/

Foreign-Language Programs Stung by Budget Cuts
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/06/01/33language.h30.html?tkn=PMPFia%2F9LW%2BuX06jP%2FaviFcq6z5s82vo%2BNGy&cmp=clp-edweek

Big Cuts to International Programs
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/04/15/international_education_takes_hit_in_2011_budget

Language and International-Studies Programs Face 'Devastating' Cuts Under Budget Deal
http://chronicle.com/article/Language-and/127122/

Straight Talk on the Arab Spring (Sen. John McCain interview,see 3rd to last paragraph on Title VI cuts)
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/05/25/straight_talk_on_the_arab_spring?page=full

Running on Empty: International Education Funding Gets Deep Cuts
http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/1685/running-on-empty_international-education-funding-g

Fulbright-Hays: The Newest Victim of Education Cuts
http://ridingthirdrail.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/fulbright-hays-the-newest-victim-of-education-cuts/

Tomahawk Missiles Instead of Fulbright Scholars
http://atlanticreview.org/archives/1478-Tomahawk-Missiles-Instead-of-Fulbright-Scholars.html

Fulbright Hays 2011 is Cancelled. Do Something.
http://grazu.com/?p=792

U international programs face large cut from feds
http://www.mndaily.com/2011/05/04/u-international-programs-face-large-cut-feds

Cuts threaten fellowships, foreign language tutorials
http://www.today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/PRN-cuts-threaten-fellowships-foreign-202310.aspx

Government Budget Cuts May Kill Language Programs
http://cornelldailysun.com/section/news/content/2011/04/25/government-budget-cuts-may-kill-language-programs

The Fight for Title VI
http://today.duke.edu/2011/05/titlevi

America's International-Education Programs Need a 21st-Century Makeover
http://chronicle.com/article/Americas/127413/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Congressional GOP Gets One Right
http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubid.4435/pub_detail.asp


FACEBOOK:

'Save Fulbright-Hays Program'
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Save-Fulbright-Hays-Programs/219331454753009

'Save Title VI'
https://www.facebook.com/savetitlevi

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