To: President Timothy Wolfe, President, U of Missouri and Board of Curators

Save the University of Missouri Press

We, the undersigned, call on President Wolfe to

• rescind his decision to shut down the Press and stop the layoffs of the current staff

• guarantee that the citizens of Missouri and the University of Missouri continue to be served by the University of Missouri Press and that the Press continue to publish a broad range of important literary, scholarly, peer-reviewed, and Missouri-based books

• guarantee that the Press continue to publish print books as it expands its already substantial list of digital editions and explores other opportunities presented by new media

• follow the industry standard and establish an independent Advisory Board of alums, scholars, and editing professionals that would raise funds and oversee the direction of the Press

• hire an experienced director for the Press so that it does not have to continue, as it has for the last three years, under “temporary” leadership

• guarantee that the Press continue to train student interns but not use them to replace trained professionals

Why is this important?

The new president of the University of Missouri announced he is closing the university's press, which has been publishing scholarly and general readership books for 54 years. Signing this petition is a way to support scholarship, writing, art, books, authors, public education, intellectual pursuits, and of course, the ten people who work at the Press.