President’s Message sional programs. “This is a very important achievement for the institution,” Reardon pointed out. He suggested that approval of the new Ph.D. programs signals that the long resistance to Portland State’s development is “at least significantly beginning to ebb and wane within the system.” Portland State is attracting record numbers of international students—about 1,600 are enrolled this year—and Reardon pointed out that PSU is trying to create strong ties to institutions outside the United States “in ways that go beyond our traditional approach to international programming.” He cited international recognition of Portland as a center for sustainability and environmental responsibility, professional development programs in China and Vietnam, successful alumni gatherings in the Middle East, and enthusiastic alumni in Thailand, Japan, and Korea. “One of the things we need to make very clear is that we are an increasingly international institution,” Reardon said. “The more success we have internationally, the more we are elevating Portland and the region as a global and international location. That, I think, is a contribution that will produce a great deal of interest in what we do and be of great benefit to the region and institution.” Reardon . . . continued from page 1 We have just enjoyed the President’s Annual Luncheon for Retired Faculty and Staff, which also provides the occasion for our annual RAPS Awards presentations. Invitations to the luncheon go to all retired folks, not just RAPS members, and it’s an opportunity to socialize and get reacquainted. I wish to acknowledge the Office of the President and its personnel for their continuing support of this event. I’ve been associated with PSU for 30 years, and I’ve observed some of the social infrastructure decline (e.g., the faculty women’s association, potlucks, Ferdinand). This luncheon tradition is very important, I think, to the vitality and health of PSU. So our appreciation goes to Michael Reardon, interim president, who again was called out of retirement to serve the University, and Rod Diman, who has served in many roles for many decades. Behind the scenes are Terri Meaney and Amy Ross. The Elections Committee slate of nominees has been accepted and elected by you for the coming year. President-elect is Larry Sawyer, who has served as secretary for many years, dutifully recording our monthly programs and the RAPS’ Board meetings (and the monthly state Board of Higher Education meetings). Joan Shireman, of the Graduate School of Social Work, is your new secretary. Our new member-at-large is Dawn White, retired director of International Faculty Services. Robert Vogelsang (aka “Vogie”) is re-elected as treasurer. And your incoming president is Marge Terdal, who has provided a great program this past year. Several members are interested in forming a RAPS Writers Response Group, wherein members read something they have written, and it’s discussed like a book club, providing feedback and incentive. If this appeals to you, please contact Colin Dunkeld at colinkeld@gmail.com. As your president, this has been a great year. —BobTufts May program: Ice cream and radicals Ice cream and radicals are on the agenda of the fifth edition of RAPS’ 2007-08 Speakers Series on May 15. The program features a talk by Michael Munk on “Portland’s Radical Past,” and it is also RAPS’ annual ice cream social. The social begins at 1:00 p.m. in the Astoria Room, University Place, 310 SW Lincoln St., followed by Munk’s talk at 1:30. Munk is the author of The Portland Red Guide, published in 2007 by Portland State’s Ooligan Press. The book presents a different account of Portland’s history—not the story of the winners of struggles over land, lumber, and profits honored on our streets, buildings, and monuments—but of the “losers.” Munk tells the stories of these Portland radicals and refers to specific places in Portland that one can visit today. Munk was born in Prague in 1934 and escaped the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, fleeing with his family to the United States in 1939 (his father was Frank Munk, a political science professor at Portland State). He is a graduate of Lincoln High School and Reed College, and holds a master’s in political science from UO and a Ph.D. in politics from NYU. Munk taught political science for more than 25 years at SUNY Stony Brook, Roosevelt University in Chicago, and Rutgers University before moving back to Portland. —2—
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