The Sarmatian Review
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THE SARMATIAN REVIEW Vol. XXX, No. 2 April 2010 Benedictine Labors Christopher Zakrzewski, professor of Latin at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy in Barry’s Bay, Ontario, Canada and author of a new translation of Adam Mickiewicz’s Pan Tadeusz. Winner of the 2010 Sarmatian Review Literary Prize. 1488 THE SARMATIAN REVIEW April 2010 The Sarmatian Review (ISSN 1059- In this issue: universities have skyrocketed, often 5872) is a triannual publication of the Polish Devolution in Academia. 1488 over fifty times higher than those Institute of Houston. The journal deals with of untenured instructors. In the first Polish, Central, and Eastern European affairs, Sarmatian Review Data . 1489 and it explores their implications for the United Sarmatian Review LiteraryAward. 1491 decade of the twenty-first century, States. We specialize in the translation of Adam Mickiewicz, Pan Tadeusz, over twenty universities paid their documents. Sarmatian Review is indexed in the Book 3, translated by Christopher A. presidents over one million dollars. American Bibliography of Slavic and East European Studies, EBSCO, and P.A.I.S. Zakrzewski . ..1491 Even in comparison to full International Database. Since September 1997, Barbara Fedyszak-Radziejowska, professors who often retire without files in PDF format are available at the Central “People’s Poland” in the Third Polish achieving a six-digit salary figure, and Eastern European Online Library Republic. 1500 (www.ceeol.com). top administrators are paid Brian Domitrovic, The Maid and the Subscription price is $21.00 per year for exorbitant salaries. In the “good old individuals, $28.00 for institutions and Messerschmidt (review) . 1502 libraries ($28.00 for individuals, $35.00 for BoÏena Karwowska, Polish Literature days” any professor could become libraries overseas, air mail). The views expressed from 1918 to 2000 (review). .1504 dean or president of his/her by authors of articles do not necessarily represent university through election by his those of the Editors or of the Polish Institute of Joanna Rostropowicz Clark, The Houston. Articles are subject to editing. Church and the Communist Power— colleagues. There used to be a Unsolicited manuscripts and other materials are IPN Bulletin no. 45 (review) . 1506 faculty vote for such positions. not returned unless accompanied by a self- BOOKS . 1508 addressed and stamped envelope. Please submit Presidents were scholars and not your contribution electronically and, if Antoni Chołoniewski, The Spirit of fundraisers or lawyers. Today the requested, send a printout by air mail. Polish History (excerpts)—SR partial selection of university presidents is Submissions and Letters to the Editor can be e- reprint series . 1510 shrouded in mystery. The mailed to <[email protected]>, with the Poetry, Letters . .1513, 1514 accompanying mailing return address. Other committee in charge is often letters and subscription queries should be appointed by the retiring president. emailed to <[email protected]>. Our Take Subscription checks should be mailed to There is no faculty vote. The Sarmatian Review, P. O. Box Devolution in Academia While exorbitant bonuses and 79119, Houston, Texas 77279–9119. Something momentous is happening salaries at financial institutions have The Sarmatian Review retains the copyright for in the nation’s colleges and recently become the subject of all materials included in print and online issues. universities while few pay attention. Copies for personal or educational use are scrutiny, academic salaries have not. permitted by section 107 and 108 of the U.S. According to John Curtis, director of Yet a disquieting disparity exists Copyright Law. Permission to redistribute, research and public policy at the between the salary of a university republish, or use SR materials in advertising or promotion must be submitted in writing to the American Association of University president and that of a full professor, Editor. Professors, in 2009 68 percent of not to speak of untenured Editor: Ewa Thompson (Rice University). faculty jobs nationwide were part- Associate Editors: Tamara Trojanowska instructors. Is this disproportionate (University of Toronto), Bogdan Czaykowski, time or contract, rather than tenure- apportionment of rewards related to 1932–2007 (University of British Columbia). track positions that have traditionally the devolution of standards in Editorial Advisory Committee: George Gasyna been the backbone of academia (University of Illinois-Urbana), Janusz A. education? Frustration among the Ihnatowicz (University of Saint Thomas- (Jeannie Kever, “Job-hunting with a teaching staff at colleges and Houston), BoÏena Karwowska (University of PhD isn’t what it used to be,” Houston universities is high, and tenure British Columbia), Joseph A. Kotarba (University of Houston), Alex Kurczaba Chronicle, 15 October 2009). Non- becomes a matter of life and (University of Illinois-Chicago), Marcus D. tenure-track instructors make about death—literally, as the recent tragic Leuchter, 1909–2008 (Holocaust Museum $20,000 a year, estimates Anne Houston),Witold J. Lukaszewski (Sam Houston example of Dr. Amy Bishop at the State University), Theresa Kurk McGinley Heath-Welch, an adjunct at University of Alabama has shown. (North Harris College-Houston), Michael J. Kingwood College in Texas. She At the same time, education seems MikoÊ (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), knows whereof she speaks: she is one Jan Rybicki (Kraków Pedagogical University), to be relinquishing its previously Dariusz Skórczewski (Catholic University of of the untenured instructors. held obligation of providing a Lublin), Piotr Wilczek (University of Warsaw). A cleaning maid makes $80–$100 modicum of scientific knowledge, Copy Editor: Cyndy Brown Web Pages: Lisa Spiro (Rice University), Kern per day. Subtract holidays, sick acquainting students with historical Vijayvargiya (Rice University). leaves, vacations, and cleaning facts, and teaching them the Web Address: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~sarmatia. supplies, and you end up with what appreciation of artistic Alternate Web Address: Central and East many instructors with doctorates get achievements of past centuries. Can European Online Library (www.ceeol.com), at our colleges and universities. a discussion be launched while Periodicals—United States— under While this is going on, the salaries those who profit from the system are Sarmatian Review. of top administrative officials at in charge? April 2010 SARMATIAN REVIEW 1489 Sarmatian Review Data Estimated growth of Polish GDP until 2015 Estimated Polish GDP per person in 2015 compared to average EU GDP per person: 64.5 percent, instead of 79 percent as estimated earlier. Reason for lowering the estimate: worldwide economic crisis in 2009. Estimated drop in GDP per person in the Lower Silesia voivodship (województwo dolnoÊlàskie); 1 percent, from 55.9 percent to 54.9 percent of EU average. Estimated growth of GDP per person in the Mazovian voivodship: it will become equal to EU average. Source: Anna CieÊlak, “Polska przez lata b∏dzie odczuwała skutki kryzysu,” Rzeczpospolita, 2 January 2010 (accessed 2 January 2010). In the meantime, real wages of Polish teachers since 1 September 2009 Teacher with a master’s degree (including courses in pedagogy) in his/her first year of teaching: 1906 zloties per month (ca. 680 dollars). Teacher with a master’s degree and with a special diploma testifying to his/her highest level of teaching profi- ciency: 2616 zloties (ca. 930 dollars). Teacher with college education in his/her first year of teaching: 1274 zloties (ca . 450 dollars per month). Teacher with college education and with a special diploma testifying to his/her highest level of teaching profi- ciency: 1689 zloties (ca. 600 dollars). Source: Renata Majewska, “Przepisy ÊciÊle okreÊlajà minimalne stawki,” Rzeczpospolita, 6 January 2010. Gas, Gazprom, and Poland Amount of gas Poland consumes per year: 13 billion cubic meters. Amount of gas Poland produces per year: 4.5 billion cubic meters, or 34.6 percent of the gas it needs. Amount of gas Poland agreed to import from Russia per year, until 2037: 10.3 billion cubic meters ( the pay- ment of estimated 80–350 million dollars Gazprom owes Poland for transit fees has been waived by Polish negotiators). Persons in the Polish government responsible for negotiations with Russians: Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak. Source: Bronisław Wildstein, “Gazowa racja stanu,” Rzeczpospolita, 7 January 2010 (accessed 7 January 2010); a subsequent issue of Rzeczpospolita supplied information about waiving transit fees. So who was the biggest producer of natural gas in 2009? United States natural gas output between January-October 2009, or in a ten-month period: 18.3 trillion cubic feet (over 1 trillion cubic meters), an increase of 3.9 percent from a year earlier. Russia’s natural gas output in the same period: 462 billion cubic meters, a decrease of 17 percent from a year earlier. Percentage of Russian gas obtained from state-run company Gazprom: 80 percent. Probability of Russian gas taking over 10 percent of U.S. market (as planned by Gazprom by 2020): virtually zero. Deliveries of gas to Europe from Norway and Qatar: 21.1 billion and 4 billion cubic meters, respectively. Imports from the former Soviet Union and Nigeria to Europe: 32.6 billion and 2.1 billion cubic meters, respec- tively. Results: supply of gas in Europe outstripped demand in 2009. Source: Stephen Bierman (Moscow), “US overtakes Russia as biggest