Affiliated Faculty and Staff File, 1960-86 | University of Illinois Archives

The Russian and East European Center coordinates courses and research in the humanities and social sciences dealing with Slavic Europe. Originally called the "Center for Russian Language and Area Studies", it was established in 1960 when it began offering undergraduate majors and minors and graduate minors (both Masters and Ph.D.).¹ Work on the anthropology, history, economics, politics, of Russia, in addition to language and literature courses, formed the content of the program. In 1961, the Trustees authorized the granting of a graduate "Certificate in Russian Language and Area Studies", which recognized the successful completion of a sequence of graduate courses offered by this interdisciplinary program.² Since this time, the offerings of the Center have remained stable.³ The Center broadened its scope in 1968 to include Slavic language nations other than Russia; at that time the name was changed to the "Russian and East European Center."⁴ It sponsors courses in the language, literature, culture, economics and history of Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia and other East European nations.

1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 50th Report, May 17, 1960, p. 1278; Undergraduate Study Catalog, 1960-61, p. 253.

2. Board of Trustees Transactions, 51st Report, May 17, 1961, p. 485.

3. Undergraduate Programs, 1975-77, pp. 325-26; Graduate Programs, 1976-78, p. 126.

4. "Annual Report for Academic 1968-69" of the Russian and East European Center, June 27, 1969, p. 18.