President's Report Fall '98

Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy

MAIN INDEX:

NEWS

EVENTS

RESOURCES

MEMBERSHIP

HOME

President's Report

Bina Gupta
University of Missouri-Columbia
October 1998

SACP Web Site * Bhubaneswar Conference * Business Meeting * 1999 Dues Increase * Membership Drive * Panel on Recent Publications * Membership Directory Update * Contact Address

-- See December UPDATE RE: Dues Increase, Membership Drive

I am pleased to tell you about a number of great things which are happening within the Society. The following is news of the Society's current and planned activities; a report of some decisions recently reached by myself, the Board of Directors and the other officers of the SACP; and a call for participation from all Society members in what promises to be a very exciting year.

SACP Web Site

http://www.umaine.edu/sacp/

As of August 10th, 1998 the first Web site for the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy went live at the URL above, using server space provided by the University of Missouri-Columbia.

This site will serve a number of functions for the Society. In the first instance, it is a great repository for public relations materials, prospective member information, Society conference announcements, and the like. It gives us a constant public face to present to the international Internet community, something which has not been possible before now. It also promises to be a valuable resource for those who are already SACP members, containing, e.g., announcements, our developing SACP Online Member Directory (see below), international conference announcements and calls for papers, internal news, and so on.

Member contributions to and suggestions for the SACP Web site are always welcome. Send your thoughts to dallen@maine.edu or to guptab@missouri.edu.

Bhubaneswar Conference

I am happy to report that plans for the International Meeting of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy are going well. It will be held in Bhubaneswar, Orissa (rather than in Delhi), India, January 4-7, 1999. (Note that a reception will not be held on the evening of the 3rd, as once planned.)

The Department of Philosophy at Utkal University will be our host. They have generously agreed to defray part of the cost of holding the conference at their institution. Funds at our disposal will be limited, so any available free boarding and lodging will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Several members have expressed an interest in attending this event.

When making your travel arrangements, remember that the winter holiday (December through early January) is the busiest time to travel to India so seats can be very difficult to procure. I have talked with Mr. B. C. Chandel (referred to as "Mr. B.C.") of AA to Z Travel and requested that he block some seats for us. Please contact him right away for all your travel needs. He can be reached at (800) 562-3731. Bear in mind that as Visa processes can be time-consuming, you should apply to the Indian Embassy immediately. It is my understanding that the tourist Visas are easier to secure than the business Visas.

Additional information about conference themes and submission guidelines can be found in the conference announcement here. For more information about the conference region, our host university, or the planned conference program, or for a conference registration form, see the other conference pages at http://www.umaine.edu/sacp/IM99/. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Business Meeting

During the May business meeting of the SACP in Chicago, several decisions were made concerning the way the Society conducts its business. Among the items discussed:

Officer Elections

1) It was agreed that the time had arrived for officer elections, as several positions had become vacant. Ballots were distributed to the membership in July to determine the new Secretary-Treasurer and three Board Members of the SACP. Election results are available at http://www.umaine.edu/sacp/announce/election.html.

Society Funds

2) It was determined that on general principles, the Society's budget should be made available to each incoming President and that some money should be allotted each year for use by the President and Program Chair for conducting the business of the Society, including travel to conferences on such business.

3) It was also decided that since the SACP has no secretary, any President requiring secretarial help should be allotted funds from which to pay for it, and that he or she should be free to make reasonable use of such funds for this purpose, depending upon their availability and within prescribed limits.

If the Society is to enter into a phase of renewed activity and growth, some adjustments in the status quo will need to be considered to facilitate that process-- such as paying for certain project services.

1999Membership Dues Increase-- see UPDATE on this item.

During the SACP Conference at Jiminy Peak, a resolution was passed by nearly unanimous vote to increase annual Society dues on a graduated scale in accordance with the following criteria: (a) salary less than $30,000-- regular dues $20; (b) salary less than $50,000-- regular dues $30; and (c) salary over $50,000-- regular dues $40. Regular (non-overseas, non-institutional) individual subscription to Philosophy East and West is an additional $26 with membership; subscriptions without membership remain $31 a year. Student dues will remain $8.00; honorary membership and membership for developing countries will remain free.

The SACP Board of Directors believe that this increase should be implemented, due to the escalating costs of postage, printing, member correspondence, and identifying and contacting potential new members, as well as the need for the Society to have some reserves to plan for its triannual conferences. The new rates will go into effect January 1, 1999.

Declared salary information will remain private; we assume honorable reporting and will not attempt verify reported incomes. Any questions, suggestions, or comments about this issue are welcome.

November Membership Drive-- see UPDATE on this item.

One means for increasing our available funds is to engage in an international membership drive aimed at both professionals and students in philosophy, religion, Asian Studies, and similar fields. November 1st will mark the beginning of a month-long campaign to locate prospective members and encourage them to join the Society.

You can help!

A membership form is available online at http://www.umaine.edu/sacp/forms/apply.html. Please print and distribute freely to students and colleagues. Pass along the URL of the Society's Web site-- it includes information for prospective members about the Society's purpose and activities.

Other suggestions for generating funds for the Society's activities are welcome. Send your thoughts to guptab@missouri.edu.

Panel on Recent Publications

In an effort to recognize quality publications, the SACP will from time to time sponsor panels at the American Philosophical Association, Association of Asian Studies, and American Association of Religion meetings concerning books published in the last three years in the field of Asian and Comparative philosophy.

Authors who wish their books to be considered for such a panel should send me a copy of the book, along with the names of possible reviewers. Members of the Society are also invited to recommend books for this purpose. I will work with Program Committee Chair B. David Burke on this project.

Membership Directory Update

We are continuing our project to update the master SACP member directory database and its online cousin (http://www.umaine.edu/sacp/contact.html). Know that a member's contact information is only published on the Society Web site with explicit permission from that person; all other information remains in the private, non-networked database from which we create our member mailing lists.

All members are encouraged to update their contact information if they have not recently done so; a form for this purpose is available at http://www.umaine.edu/sacp/forms/update.html. You can also send an email message with your full name, office address, office phone, office fax, email address, and current research interests to dallen@maine.edu. You may optionally also include your home mailing address and telephone number.

If you have any questions, or would like to share your thoughts on other matters of Society interest, please feel free to get in touch with me at the address provided below.

Sincerely,

Bina Gupta
President, SACP

Contact Address: