Update on the HUC situation: Save HUC and it's role

You might remember our previous updates on Hebrew Union College and the social media campaign being organized at savehuc.com. Well, some big announcements were made yesterday.

Yesterday, by a vote of 43-5, the Board of Directors of Hebrew Union College decided not to close any of the campuses.

This is a huge win for Judaism between the coasts.

Sources in Cincinnati have named savehuc.com as an important factor in the letter writing campaign that shifted the momentum in the struggle.

A recent article from Cincinnati magazine even called out the site:

With every campus under scrutiny, supporters in all three cities rallied to defend their turf. Students, alumni, and others wrote letters and made phone calls. There were Facebook and Twitter campaigns and a Web site, savehuc.com. Ellenson, the school’s president, received more than 10,000 letters and e-mails from supporters. “I was actually quite pleased how vital people thought HUC was to the life of Reform Judaism in the communities in which we serve,” Ellenson says.

I just want to assess how it was that savehuc.com attracted over 10,000 visitors.
First, how much would a traditional media campaign to reach that many people have cost?

Postage alone would have been $4000.

How much was the savehuc.com campaign? Less than $20.

By using an easy to remember domain name that forwarded to a free wordpress blog, the whole thing probably took all of half an hour to set up. The facebook cause that attracted several hundred people grew organically and directed people back to the site. Additionally, by using Twitter, and connecting with Rabbis and Jewish organizations around the country, the message spread even further.

Word of mouth seems to have played a big part, as a demographic that is not traditionally associated with facebook wrote a fair number of comments on savehuc.com's posts.

Clearly, this issue resonated with a large number of people, who felt compelled to take action. In this case, it seems as though that action had its desired effect.

We'll keep you updated, but for now, I know a lot of people who are breathing a sigh of relief.

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HUC Saved?

The news coming out of the Cincinnati Enquirer is that all four HUC campuses will remain open. What is going on here?

You may remember our previous stories about HUC's financial predicament.

The article in the Cincinnati Enquirersays that the board decided late yesterday, to keep all campuses open.

I'm not sure how they are planning on paying for everything, cuz if the financial situation is that bad, the money has to come from somewhere.

In either case, SaveHUC.com has a bit more updated information. It will be interesting to see where this goes. Read More......

Update on HUC

The Board of HUC has met and issued a statement. It seems pretty vague, and might just be a stall tactic, but it is clear that the online efforts, centered around www.savehuc.com made some degree of impact.

The statement, below, came after campaigns were launched on behalf of all three US campuses. Its probably a good sign that New York started to sweat a bit..

This battle is far from over, and it is important that people keep writing letters, and if they can, donating to HUC.

See the full transcript below.
The Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion met in New York on Monday, May 4th, 2009. There was a discussion of many constructive approaches to resolving HUC-JIR’s financial issues. The Board decided that the restructuring plan would proceed on three principles:

· Financial sustainability

· Academic integrity of programs and excellence of faculty and students

· Service to the Reform Movement, Klal Yisrael, Israel, and world Jewry

The Board has charged the administration to devise a plan that will attain financial sustainability and enhance our academic excellence while preserving our presence in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and New York. The model being developed includes innovative strategies for learning and teaching, increased use of technology, a firm commitment to the Klau Library and American Jewish Archives, and an evolving vision of education that will meet the needs of the 21st century. Significant financial restructuring will establish a sustainable, balanced budget, ensuring the future of the College-Institute.

The Board and administration have been heartened by the outpouring of thousands of expressions of support and concern by alumni, Reform congregants, and the larger community. The College-Institute is grateful for this groundswell of support.

On June 23rd, 2009, the administration will bring its recommendations to the Board of Governors.

The College-Institute affirms its commitment to strengthening and fulfilling its mission of training and sustaining Jewish professionals throughout their careers of service to Reform Judaism and Klal Yisrael – the Jewish people worldwide.

Rabbi David Ellenson, President Barbara Friedman, Chair,
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Pre-Shabbat Roundup: WILD, Save HUC, and a weekend in New York

Just in time for Shabbat, it's the round up. What is going on, you might ask? Look no further.

WILD, the biannual music and merriment festival on Washington University's Brooking Quadrangle is upon us again, with music from The Black Keys, the Cool Kids, and B.O.B. starting at 6PM

If you have a Wash U ID laying around, show up and get down!

An quick update on Save HUC, the site has surpassed 2,200 views, with new letters posted. It seems as though a member of the board even noticed, you can find his comments on the main page.

This tale of online activism is building momentum, we'll be interested to see where it goes.

In regards to the New York campus of HUC, Zuz and I will be there this weekend for another round of the Skills Summit, presented by the Professional Leadership Project. It should be a good time, and definitely will give me the chance to catch up with some friends and family.

There is a lot happening, so be sure to let us know if you have a story we should cover. Hit us up at thestloujew@gmail.com
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Save HUC jumps into Social Media

The St. Lou Jew has been closely monitoring the internet buzz about Hebrew Union College via Google News and Google Blog Search. The campaign has now moved into Social Media territory with a Facebook group and a Twitter account.

Join the Facebook group here and be sure to follow @savehuc on Twitter. While you are there, don't forget to follow us (@thestloujew) too! Read More......