This morning we attended the last chapel of the semester (chapels are held every Monday and Thursday morning for staff and students), and although there was a feeling of relief as the semester comes to a close, concerns were shared about the financial situation of the DCU. Currently the university is $5,000-$7,000 in debt, and certain basic needs such as electricity have not been paid for in some time. Thus, the powers that be have threatened to shut off the gas to the university on Monday. No one knows if it will really happen, apparently non-payment of utilities is a common problem throughout the country, and in some cases much threatening takes place, but little action. Salaries of the national professors and staff here also have only been paid through October.
About finances at DCU: from what I’ve gathered from the bits and pieces I’ve heard is that when communism fell in 1991, Ukraine and its neighboring countries in the Former Soviet Union had the world’s attention, and money flowed in freely from the West. DCU was founded, new buildings were built, and students came from all across the country. Slowly, though, funds from the West have diminished, as have numbers of students, partly because now there are many Christian universities to choose from, and partly because being a pastor or a missionary, the professions which the students here are studying for, generally do not provide enough income to support oneself in Ukraine. That’s a whole other complex situation (lack of monetary support for pastors and missionaries) and at this point I don’t know enough to speak intelligently on the subject. So many students choose to go to a trade school or national university where they learn a profession with which they can support themselves. Can’t really blame them for that.
Thus, DCU is exploring ways of becoming financially self-sufficient. To raise funds, our English department offers Saturday classes to the public for a good price. For the past two years DCU also has offered the public two-week intensive English classes in June and July, taught by English teachers and volunteers who come from the states for service trips. I have agreed to coordinate this summer’s English intensive classes, so by the way, if anyone is interested in seeing the sights of Eastern Europe and stopping by DCU to teach/help teach English for a couple weeks, please let me know.
Dave’s job here is tied to financial issues as well – he is exploring options for teaching students a trade to earn a living by once they graduate, and possibly establishing a similar project for the university to use to support itself. These options include a garden, greenhouse, woodshop or various other projects that all need some experimentation. Having been here for so little time, there is really so much we have yet to understand about this complex situation, but there is a general overview. We can only hope that our work here will help facilitate growth and change. Please keep DCU in your thoughts and prayers, especially during the holiday season.
Laura
