[Aaus-list] AAUS-list, the role of institutions, and individual responsibility

[Chernetsky, Vitaly A]

Dear Colleagues,

The latest e-mail exchange on the list forces me to re-send the message below. Please re-read it carefully.

Also, please be constructive in your contributions. This list is a public face of our association that is archived online. Please refrain from sending messages that vent your personal frustrations and do not make a productive scholarly contribution. Also, please think twice before sending knee-jerk responses to messages with which you disagree. If there is even a single additional posting to the list today that veers into the direction of flame wars and getting personal, the list will go into full-moderation lockdown and WILL STAY IN THIS MODE FOR AS LONG AS NECESSARY. 

Sincerely,

Vitaly Chernetsky
AAUS President and AAUS-list moderator

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Vitaly Chernetsky
Associate Professor
Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
University of Kansas
2140 Wescoe Hall, 1445 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045-7594
(785) 864-2359
vchernetsky at ku.edu
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From: Chernetsky, Vitaly A
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 11:17 AM
To: aaus-list at ukrainianstudies.org
Subject: AAUS-list, the role of institutions, and individual responsibility

Dear Colleagues,

I opened my e-mail this morning to find a long thread of discussions on the AAUS-list about what we as experts should do, the strategies for doing it, critical remarks, and emotional statements. The recent months have been challenging for all of us, who in addition to our full-time work duties have been devoting considerable time and energy to helping Ukraine in the current challenging times and doing our best to help disseminate accurate information and responsible commentary on the events in and around Ukraine. Not to mention that we also have family responsibilities and loved ones to care for.

Needless to say, the present situation makes all of us emotionally exhausted, indeed traumatized. For many of us, sound sleep in the past few weeks has been a luxury or even a distant memory. I strongly and respectfully urge you not no act out, venting your frustrations about the current events, on the fellow list members. We are stronger together, and together we can make more of a difference. Now is not the time for in-fighting and self-cannibalization. If emotions fare up ONE MORE TIME, I will switch the list into the EMERGENCY 100%-MODERATED MODE and will keep it in this mode AS LONG AS NECESSARY.

I also would like to emphasize that this list is associated with the American Association for Ukrainian Studies, and if any one of you feels that another member is behaving in an inappropriate manner, there is a PROPER PROCEDURE for censure. Section B4 of the AAUS bylaws specifies:

"The Executive Board may, upon approval of a two-thirds majority of the membership by secret ballot, remove from the
membership of the AAUS any person or organization that is shown to have harmed the AAUS—its purpose and principles—
through that person or organization’s actions or inaction. Members so removed may be reinstated only upon application
to the Executive Committee and approval by secret ballot of two-thirds of the membership."

Moving to the core proposal made by Alexander Motyl this morning, compiling a joint list between the AAUS, CAUS, HURI, CIUS, and NTSh is a very welcome idea. On the AAUS side, this task can be undertaken by our Communications Committee. The list of the current members of the AAUS Executive Board and Committees can be found at the appropriate section of our website: http://ukrainianstudies.org/members.php

Colleagues who would like to volunteer your information for such list, please direct your e-mail submissions to the AAUS Communications Committee members and NOT to the entire list.

I thank Marta Baziuk of the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium for bringing up the efforts of Motria Poshyvanyk Cahill building a similar list. Cooperation between such projects is very important.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Vitaly Chernetsky
AAUS President and AAUS-list moderator

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Vitaly Chernetsky
Associate Professor
Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
University of Kansas
2140 Wescoe Hall, 1445 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045-7594
(785) 864-2359
vchernetsky at ku.edu
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