Dalai Lama’s $100,000 gift, planned visit to FIU lead Religious Studies Endowment Campaign

The campaign’s goal is to raise $5 million to preserve the study of world religions at FIU. His Holiness’ generous pledge last month was essential to this initiative.

In response to the strong support for religious studies at FIU including members of the community, impassioned pleas by students and faculty/staff and the unprecedented offer from H.H. the Dalai Lama, the FIU Board of Trustees (BOT) voted on June 12 against eliminating the religious studies bachelor’s degree at this time in order to allow time for private funding to support the programs in the Religious Studies Department.

In making the decision, BOT members acknowledged the significance of the study of comparative religion for FIU graduates in today’s world, as well as the achievements of the current religious studies faculty and their students.

The department, which offers master’s and bachelor’s degrees in religious studies, was slated to become a program with a continuing master’s degree and extensive undergraduate course offerings within the university’s new School of International and Public Affairs. This was proposed as part of the university’s $19.6 million in budget cuts this year (with the total rising to $53.3 million by 2011-’12) due to decreased state funding and the economic downturn.

In order to sustain the future study of world religions at FIU, the Department of Religious Studies, the College of Arts & Sciences and FIU’s Office of Advancement have announced a Religious Studies Endowment Campaign, starting with the Dalai Lama’s $100,000 gift. The goal of the endowment campaign is $5 million.

There will be a number of ways to participate including a widespread online campaign. You can join His Holiness in support of religious studies at FIU by clicking here.