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<p>Recent layoffs at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden have led to a significant loss in botanical capacity - see forwarded message below for more information about what these layoffs mean and to learn how you can help. You can also visit
<a href="http://www.bgci.org/usa/PCA/">http://www.bgci.org/usa/PCA/</a> to see the information packet and template letter referenced in the original message below.</p>
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<p><font face="times new roman">Andrea</font></p>
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<p>Andrea T. Kramer, Ph.D.<br>
Executive Director, U.S. Office<br>
Botanic Gardens Conservation International<br>
at Chicago Botanic Garden<br>
1000 Lake Cook Road<br>
Glencoe, IL 60022 USA<br>
<br>
Tel: 1-847-835-6971<br>
Fax: 1-847-835-5484<br>
E-mail: andrea.kramer@bgci.org<br>
Internet: <a href="http://www.bgci.org/usa">www.bgci.org/usa</a></p>
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<div class="PlainText"><font face="Arial" size="4"><font color="#99cc00">Plants</font>
<font color="#3366ff">for the</font> <font color="#800080">Planet</font></font></div>
<div class="PlainText"><font face="Arial" size="4"></font> </div>
<div class="PlainText">Have you <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><strong>pledged your support</strong></span> for plant conservation yet? Visit
<span style="COLOR: #0070c0"><a href="http://www.plantsfortheplanet.com/" target="_blank">www.plantsfortheplanet.com</a>
</span>now to <b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #92d050">sign</span></b><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #002060">
</span></b><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #0070c0">your</span></b><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #002060">
</span></b><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #7030a0">name</span></b>!</div>
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<p>From: Daisie Huang [<a href="mailto:daisieh@gmail.com">mailto:daisieh@gmail.com</a>]<br>
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 4:43 PM<br>
Subject: Changes at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden<br>
<br>
I'm a current doctoral student at RSA, working with Dr. Elizabeth Friar. I don't know if you've heard about the recent budget-related layoffs at Rancho, but recently, with little to no warning, the administration laid off seven people and are eliminating an
additional two positions that are currently vacant. Those people included Dr. Friar (since there is no tenure here, her immediate termination also ends her CGU faculty position), our librarian, all but one of the skilled propagators in the horticulture department,
and the head of the Education department. Since the position of curator and managing curator of the herbarium are both being vacated or have been vacated, those positions (referenced in the press release as "nonessential staff positions") are not being restaffed.
Dr. Friar's position was terminated without consultation of any of the faculty. Since she taught half of the core curriculum, the remaining faculty will have to scramble to make sure that the educations of the current students won't be compromised. Dr. Lucinda
McDade, our Director of Research, is obviously outraged about these changes and is going to work hard to make sure that there are written stipulations that this won't happen to any other faculty, either now or in the future, but it will be an uphill battle.<br>
<br>
Clearly, these changes will have huge ramifications for the graduate program at RSA, as well as the ability of RSA to continue its core research mission. I'm trying to start a letter-writing campaign to tell the Director and Board of Trustees that we're horrified
by the situation, that we feel changes need to be made to prevent this from happening again, and that we're in full support of Dr. McDade's efforts to institute these changes.<br>
<br>
If you're interested in sending letters to the Board of Trustees and the Executive Director, I've created a packet that contains a template letter and a list of addresses (see
<a href="http://www.bgci.org/usa/PCA/">http://www.bgci.org/usa/PCA/</a>). Please feel free to use the template or to write your own letters, but please also forward this information to anyone else you know who might be interested in helping us. There's a cover
letter explaining the situation in the packet as well.<br>
<br>
If you're in a leadership position at an organization that might be interested in taking a public stand on these issues, please contact me personally as well.<br>
<br>
Thanks for your time,<br>
<br>
Daisie Huang<br>
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This e-mail is for the addressee only. If received in error, please delete and notify us immediately. Any unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, distribution or reliance on it, is prohibited.<BR>
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BGCI is a registered charity and company, limited by guarantee, in England and Wales, and in the U.S. as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.<BR>
<BR>
Registered UK address: Descanso House, 199 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3BW, UK, Charity number: 1098834, Company Number: 04673175<BR>
<BR>
www.bgci.org<BR>
<BR>
Have you pledged your support for plant conservation? Visit www.plantsfortheplanet.com now to sign your name.<BR>
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