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College of Letters and Science Faculty Document No. 722
December 15, 2005
Center for Jewish Studies
Certificate Program in Jewish Studies
Annual Report
2004-2005
- Committee Structure and Function
The Center for Jewish Studies (CJS) Faculty Advisory Board governs the certificate in Jewish Studies. The members of the board in 2004-2005 were:
- Ellen Amster (History)
- Jay Beder (Mathematics)
- Fred Eckman (FLL)
- Bruce Fetter (History)
- Chava Frankfort-Nachmias (Sociology and CJS Director)
- Shale Horowitz (Political Science)
- Tasha Oren (English & Film Studies)
- Janet Padway (Library)
- Charles Schuster (Associate Dean of Humanities, L&S).
The advisory board met once during the year, October 19, 2004; Charles Schuster was elected as the board's chair.
- Major Issues
The board focused on general issues pertaining to CJS, including the Certificate in Jewish Studies, the strategic plan, and programming for the Center. Discussions pertaining specifically to the certificate focused on curriculum and faculty. It was argued that the certificate needed to be revised to reflect current changes in the field of Jewish studies and that requirements needed to be reassessed, especially the language requirements. In addition, students need to be informed regularly about courses being offered that meet the certificate requirements.
- Recommendations
The Certificate in Jewish Studies will be assessed during 2005-2006 in the context of CJS's overall strategic plan. This includes the development of a major or a major track in the interdisciplinary study of modern Jewish studies. The long term vision of the Center involves hiring faculty and developing more courses, including core courses that are offered regularly. The certificate either will be maintained or will be offered instead as a minor. Revisions to the certificate and/or development of a minor will follow the development of the new major/track. In addition, the need to add a Yiddish instructor, find instructors to teach courses that have not been offered for a long time, and plan new courses was emphasized.
- Final Action
The Center obtained a grant from the Bader Foundation that includes funding to develop new courses. Also, negotiations with FLL continued in an attempt to devise an appropriate structure to develop the new major/track and the certificate (or minor) in Jewish Studies. History 280/281 and Political Science 371 were added to the list of approved courses for the certificate.
In 2005-2006, the discussion about the major and the certificate program will continue. A formal request to establish a curricular area for Jewish Studies has been submitted; approval of that curricular area will help in the development of new courses for the Jewish Studies Certificate program.
- Programs
CJS engaged in a number of public service activities, outreach events, and lectureships all designed to engage students, faculty, and the community. The CJS "Lunch and Learn" series brought in Shale Horowitz (Political Science), Ellen Amster (History), Tasha Oren (English & Film Studies), and Chava Frankfort-Nachmias (Sociology & CJS). Other outreach activities included two series of four-week classes taught by Professor Robert Holmstedt (FLL) and Timothy Crain (FLL). The following speakers also were brought in for public lectures: Dr. Mark Raider (11/10/04), Dr. Uziel Rebhun (2/7/05), and Aaron Lansky (4/17/05).
- Status of Program
There is a growing interest in the Certificate in Jewish Studies. In 2004-2005, 2 students graduated and 5 were enrolled. (None were enrolled in 2003-2004). Two new courses were proposed:
- Hebr St 103/104 First/Second Semester Yiddish
- Hebr St 499 Ad Hoc: Survey of Modern Jewish Thought
- Effectiveness of Committee and Future Plans
Overall, the faculty advisory board was effective, playing a critical role in planning for the future of the certificate. For 2005-2006, as the Center begins to offer its own courses, develop a new major, and revise the certificate, a curriculum committee will be formed. We are expecting that this committee will prove to be very effective and will free the advisory board to focus more on other issues important to the Center.
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