Robert L Ehriich, Jr.
Governor
Michael S. Steele
Lt. Governor
MHEC
Creating
a state
of
John J . Oliver, Jr.
Chairman
achievement
January 20, 2004
Dr. Clayton D. Mote, Jr.
President
University o f Maryland, College Park
1101 Main Administration Building
College Park M D 20742-5025
^
P
Dear Dr-.-M'ote:
The Maryland Higher Education Commission has reviewed a proposal receive
University o f Maryland, College Park to offer a Master o f Arts in Jewish Stud
Baccalaureate Certificate in Jewish Studies. I am pleased to inform you that
been approved. This decision was based on an analysis o f the proposals in co
Maryland Higher Education Commission's
and the
The programs demonstrate
potential for success, an essential factor in making this decision.
For purposes o f providing enrollment and degree data to the Commission,
HEGIS code o f 0399-01 and a CIP code o f 05.0205 for the Jewish Studies degree
programs. Should the programs require any substanfial changes in the future,
Commission apprised. 1 wish you continued success.
Sincerely,
Calvin W. Burnett
Acting Secretary o f Higher Education
CWB:mjk
Dr. Gertrude Eaton, U S M
Dr. Lynn M . Gangone, M I C U A
MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION
839 Bestgate Rd. • Suite 400 • Annapolis, M D 21401-3013
T 410.260.4500 • 800.974.0203 • F 410.260.3200 • TTY for the Deaf 800.735.2258 • www.mhec.state.md.us
February 18, 2004
1S07
University of
Baltimore
Maryland,
!85n
University of Maryland,
College Park
1366
Towson Univereity
Dr. C. D . Mote, Jr.
President
University of Maryland, College Park
1101 Main Administration Building
College Park, M D 20742
University of
Eastern Shore
Dear Dan:
1865
Bowie State University
Maryland
Frostburg State University
1900
Coppin State College
This is to officially inform you that the Board of Regents, meeti
Executive Session on Friday, February 13, 2004 at the University of
approved U M C P ' s new program request:
1925
Salisbury University
1925
University of Baltimore
Master of Arts and Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Jewish Stud
The Committee on Education Policy, meeting on January 2 1 , 2004,
recommended Board approval.
University of Maryland
Center for Environmental
Science
Sincerely,
Universrty of Maryland
University College
1966
University of Maryland,
Baltimore County
W i l l i a m E. Kirwan
Chancellor
1985
University of Maryland
Biotectinology Institute
Cc:
Irwin Goldstein
Katie Ryan
i-•>
3300
MetzerotI
Road
I
Adelphi,
MD
20783
i
TEL
301-445-1901
I
FAX
301-445-1931
I
www
uimd
edu
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
PROGRAM/CURRICULUM PROPOSAL
DIRECTIONS: Provide one form with original approval signatures in lines 1 - 4 for each proposed
action. Keep this form to one-page in length. Forms and appropriate attachments should be
submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs, who will assign a Log Number to each proposal.
Additional copies may be required at a later time.
DATE SUBMITTED___
PCC LOG NO.
03009
COLLEGE/SCHOOL_ARHU__
DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM_JWST_
PROPOSED ACTION (A separate form for each) ADD__X___ DELETE______ CHANGE_____
DESCRIPTION (Provide a succinct account of the proposed action. Additional detail may be provided
in an attachment. Provide old and new sample programs for curriculum changes.)
Add a Graduate Program in Jewish Studies
JUSTIFICATION/REASONS/RESOURCES (Explain the reason for the proposed action. Identify the
source of new resources that may be required. Attach additional material if needed.)
See attached
APPROVAL SIGNATURES
DATE
1. Department Committee Chair_____________________________________________________
_ ____________
2. Department Chair______________________________________________________________
_____________
3. College/School PCC Chair_______________________________________________________
_ ____________
4. Dean________________________________________________________________________
_____________
5. Dean of the Graduate School (if required)________________________________________________________
6. Chair, Senate PCC______________________________________________________________
_____________
7. Chair of Senate________________________________________________________________
_____________
8. Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost____________________________________________________
VPAAP Rev. 2/2/98
Proposal For
New Instructional Program
University of Maryland at College Park, Maryland
Graduate Program in Jewish Studies
College of Arts and Humanities
James F. Harris, Dean
MA Degree to be offered, beginning 2004
1
I. Overview and Rationale.
A. The Masters in Jewish Studies is designed to offer students broad, interdisciplinary
graduate-level training in Jewish Studies, as well as in-depth focus on some aspect of the
Jewish experience, an experience which has ranged from antiquity to the present in many
different geographical and cultural contexts. Students will also take courses in cognate
disciplines in order to set Jewish Studies in a broader cultural and disciplinary context.
The program draws on the strengths of the Jewish Studies Program at Maryland,
especially Jewish History of all periods, Bible, Jewish Literature and cultural studies
(especially in the ancient and modern periods), Yiddish, Philosophy, Religious Studies,
and Israel studies. The extremely strong, and still growing, library collection (rivaled, in
the mid-Atlantic region only by the Library of Congress), and our proximity to the
National Archives, the Library of Congress, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and
other museums make the University a prime location for the further development of
Jewish Studies.
The Jewish Studies faculty at the University of Maryland has discerned a need for an MA
in Jewish Studies. Over the years, most members have been contacted by prospective
students, including our own undergraduate majors, interested in such a degree, but we
have had to turn them away. We have designed this proposed program with a number of
constituencies in mind: 1) undergraduates at the University of Maryland—Jewish
Studies majors, those pursuing a Citation in Jewish Studies, and others among the
hundreds of students who take our undergraduate courses each year—who are interested
in pursuing an MA in Jewish Studies as further preparation for careers in education,
communal service, or the rabbinate or other clergy, or simply for sake of learning; 2)
students from all over the country who would like to pursue an MA in Jewish Studies in
preparation for Ph.D. work in one or another field within Jewish Studies; 3) residents of
Maryland who are interested in pursuing an MA for personal enrichment; and 4) and
most importantly, residents of Maryland (or elsewhere) who are already working in
Jewish education and communal service for whom a graduate degree would lead to
professional advancement. There is, in fact, a substantial demand for educators,
librarians, and museum curators with training in the history, literature, and culture of the
Jews and a working familiarity with its fundamental texts and practices. Thus, although
we propose this program as a free-standing graduate program, upon its approval we
would like to create joint MA programs with the College of Education and with the
College of Information Studies, parallel to, for example, the existing, and very
successful, HILS Program which offers an MA in History and an MA in Library Science
at the same time.
Among our peer institutions, UCLA has a graduate field in Jewish history (as does
Maryland at present). Michigan offers an MA in Jewish Studies, while Berkeley offers
the PhD. In terms of both size (eight full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty, nine
affiliate faculty, and three full-time, visiting faculty) and quality, Maryland’s program is
comparable to those two peer programs, and among the best in the country.
2
Locally, there is, to our knowledge, only one graduate program in Jewish Studies in the
Baltimore-Washington area that can fill these needs: the graduate program of the
Baltimore Hebrew University. The size and long-term existence of that program
confirms that there is indeed a demand for graduate-level Jewish Studies. At the
moment, about 25 students are enrolled in the M.A. in Jewish Studies at the Baltimore
Hebrew University, another 25 are enrolled in an M.A. in Jewish Education, 12 in an
M.A. in Jewish Communal Service, and 3 students are enrolled in a joint program with
the University of Maryland School of Social Work in which students receive an M.A. in
Jewish Studies at BHU and an M.S.W. at UMAB. Yet these programs have historically
drawn students only from Baltimore, leaving Washington and its suburbs, with a large
population of Jewish professionals, under-served. Another program, closer to home, is
the Cooperative Graduate Program in Education/Judaic Studies at George Washington
University. This program offers an Education degree, not an MA in Jewish Studies. The
Jewish Studies component of that program is largely offered through adjunct faculty. We
believe strongly that the MA program proposed here, taught at the premier public
university in Maryland by a most distinguished Jewish Studies faculty, will differ
qualitatively from the program at either GW or Baltimore Hebrew University.
Simultaneously with the submission of this application, we are proposing a Graduate
Certificate program in Jewish Studies for students enrolled in other graduate programs at
the University. Members of the Jewish Studies faculty, all of whom have tenure homes
in one or another department, know well from their experience in those departments that
a surprising number of graduate students have expressed interest in Jewish Studies
alongside their studies in history, philosophy, or literature. Students are already studying,
for example, Biblical literature, literature of the Holocaust, Jews in American cinema, or
Jewish ethnicity and nationalism in Europe. A certificate program will allow these
students to obtain a Certificate in Jewish Studies while pursuing their Ph.D.s in the
Departments of History, English, Philosophy, or Women’s Studies. Such a certificate
will help these students get academic jobs.
We must emphasize that we do not have to request any resources at all from the
University of Maryland for this program. Fortunately, the Jewish Studies Program has a
large endowment, with income that enables us to support additional staff (adjunct
faculty), financial aid for students, or other needs of the program.
B. We estimate that within five years of the inception of the program we will be serving
about eleven students of whom six will be enrolled in the program full time. We expect
the Certificate program to grow to another six to twelve students. In addition, students
in the Departments of History, English, Philosophy, and Women’s Studies may also take
our courses without pursuing the Certificate.
II. Curriculum
A. Catalog description
3
The Masters in Jewish Studies offers training in the general field of Jewish Studies
combined with focus on an area of specialization. Students can pursue either a thesis
option or a non-thesis option. In all, students take 30 credits towards their degree, with at
most 6 credits from courses at the 400-level. Up to 6 credits at the 600-level or above
may be transferred from another institution. Up to 12 credits earned as an Advanced
Special Student at the University may be applied to the program.
The Program:
All students take JWST 600: General Seminar in Jewish Studies (3 credits), which
introduces students to the fields, methods, and problems of Jewish Studies as a cluster of
disciplines. This course is taught on rotation by members of the Jewish Studies faculty,
with participation from other members according to their areas of expertise. A principal
requirement of JWST 600 is successful completion of an examination covering the areas
of Jewish Studies discussed in the Seminar.
Students must take at least one course each in the general areas of Jewish History, Jewish
Thought or Religion, and Jewish Literature (9 credits total). To satisfy this distribution
requirement, students will normally take JWST 648, Readings in Jewish History; JWST
658, Readings in Jewish Thought; and JWST 678, Readings in Jewish Literature. In
addition, students must take two courses (6 credits) from outside Jewish Studies in the
discipline(s) related to the student’s area of specialization.
Students must also take 12 credits of Jewish Studies in an area of specialization,
developed in consultation with an advisor. Students may demonstrate their expertise in
their specialization either by writing an MA thesis (MA Thesis Research: 6 credits) to
defend before an examining committee or through coursework. In the latter case, students
must prepare a dossier of 2 major research papers or their equivalent to be evaluated by
an examining committee. Potential areas of specialization include, but are not restricted
to Jewish History, Jewish Literature, Bible, Jewish Philosophy, and Jewish Religion.
Hebrew Prerequisite: As a prerequisite for admission, students must have achieved the
proficiency-level corresponding to four semesters of university-level Hebrew, and must
achieve the level of six semesters of university-level Hebrew by the time they have
completed the program. Courses in Hebrew language will not count toward the 30
credits needed for the degree. Students will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge of
modern academic Hebrew by examination, or through a research project making
extensive use of Hebrew-language materials.
Course of Study:
For all students:
• JWST 600: General Seminar in Jewish Studies (3 credits).
• Distribution requirements: JWST 648, Readings in Jewish History; JWST 658,
Readings in Jewish Thought; and JWST 678, Readings in Jewish Literature (9 credits).
4
• Disciplinary requirements: Two courses in the discipline(s) corresponding to the
student’s field of specialization (6 credits).
Thesis option:
• Two courses in Jewish Studies in the student’s field of specialization, chosen in
consultation with the advisor (6 credits).
• JWST 799: Masters Thesis Research (6 credits).
Non-thesis option:
• Four courses in Jewish Studies the student’s field of specialization, chosen in
consultation with the advisor (12 credits).
B. New Courses.
JWST 600: General Seminar in Jewish Studies
JWST 619: Readings in Jewish Studies; repeatable if topic varies. This number is
designed to create joint 400-level/600-level courses. That is, students can take a course
offered at the 400 level (for example, JWST 453, The Philosophy of Spinoza) as a 600level course, with the instructor providing extra, more sophisticated reading, and a more
substantial paper assignment. This number will also provide for the possibility of
students taking independent study courses.
JWST 648: Readings in Jewish History; repeatable if topic varies. This course will deal
with new scholarly approaches to important issues in Jewish history in different periods.
Examples of courses offered under this rubric include:
The Modernization of the Jews
The Jewish Community in Early Modern and Modern
Europe
Assimilation or Ethnicity: The Jews in America
Jews in the Greco-Roman World
Jews and the City
The Dilemmas of Ethnic and National Identity: The Case of the Jews
JWST 658: Readings in Jewish Literatures; repeatable if topic varies. This course will
deal with scholarly approaches to different Jewish literatures, including the Bible,
medieval Jewish poetry, and modern literature written in Hebrew, Yiddish, or English.
Examples of courses taught under this rubric include:
Representing the Holocaust
Problems in Modern Hebrew Literature
The Contemporary Israeli Novel
Language
and Politics in Modern Jewish Literature
Reading Biblical Narrative
5
JWST 678: Readings in Jewish Thought; repeatable if topic varies. This course will deal
with scholarly approaches to issues in Jewish Religion, Jewish Thought, and Jewish
Philosophy. Examples of courses taught under this rubric include:
The Philosophy of Maimonides
Problems in Modern Jewish Thought
Gender and the Making of Modern Judaism
Messianic and Sectarian Movements
in Judaism
JWST 799: Masters Thesis Research (1-6 credits)
C. Special Requirements for Admission
All students who want to enroll in this program must have a B.A. degree and submit GRE
scores. As a prerequisite, students must demonstrate Hebrew language proficiency
corresponding to four semesters of university-level study. Normally students will have
demonstrated some background in academic Jewish Studies.
D. Certificate in Jewish Studies
The Certificate in Jewish Studies will allow students enrolled in another M.A. or Ph.D.
program at the University of Maryland, College Park, to gain a level of expertise in the
culture, texts, and history of the Jews to supplement their disciplinary training. Normally
students who seek a certificate would be graduate students in such departments as
History, Philosophy, English, American Studies, Women’s Studies, Germanic Studies,
Spanish and Portuguese, French and Italian, Classics, Sociology, Anthropology, and
Government and Politics. These students, many of whom would be writing a Masters
Thesis or a Doctoral Dissertation on some aspect of Jewish culture, would benefit from
training in Jewish Studies. Such a certificate would also enhance their position on the
job market because it would prepare them to teach a course in their discipline on the
Jews.
To complete a Certificate in Jewish Studies, students must take four (4) graduate level
courses in Jewish Studies. At least six of the 12 credits must be in a different discipline
than the student’s home department. All students must take JWST 600, General Seminar
in Jewish Studies, plus at least two other graduate readings or research courses at the
600-800 level. Only one 400-level lecture course can count toward the certificate.
Students must work with an advisor to determine which courses best suit the needs of
that particular student. .
III. Faculty and Organization
This M.A. program will be administered by the Jewish Studies Program, an
interdisciplinary academic unit that already oversees an undergraduate major in Jewish
Studies. The Jewish Studies Program consists of nine core faculty members, plus two
6
visiting faculty on soft money from Jewish Studies endowment funds. These faculty
work together to provide a coherent program in Jewish Studies. Core faculty in Jewish
Studies all have their tenure homes in one or another department in the College of Arts
and Humanities, but the Dean recognizes that these positions are permanently earmarked
for Jewish Studies. Three of these faculty members have joint appointments with Jewish
Studies (49% Jewish Studies and 51% in a home department). The other six faculty
members have 100% appointments in their home departments. In both cases, virtually all
of the courses they teach are in Jewish Studies and these courses are cross-listed in
Jewish Studies and in their home departments. In addition, the Jewish Studies Program
has affiliate faculty members who have teaching and research interests in the field of
Jewish Studies. In the case of some affiliate faculty, their courses are a regular
component of our offerings
Jewish Studies Faculty:
Professor Adele Berlin, Robert H. Smith Professor of Jewish Studies
Department of English and Jewish Studies Program
Field: Hebrew Bible
Professor Marsha Rozenblit, Harvey M. Meyerhoff Professor of Jewish History
Department of History
Field: Modern Jewish History
Associate Professor Bernard Cooperman, Louis H. Kaplan Chair in Jewish
History
Department of History
Field: Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History
Associate Professor Hayim Lapin
Department of History and Jewish Studies Program
Field: Ancient Jewish History and Rabbinics
Associate Professor Charles Manekin
Department of Philosophy
Field: Medieval Jewish Philosophy
Assistant Professor Sheila Jelen
Department of English and Jewish Studies Program
Field: Modern Hebrew Literature, Modern Jewish Literatures
Assistant Professor Eric Zakim
Department of Asian and East European Languages and Literatures in the School
of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Field: Hebrew and Israeli Culture
7
Instructors: Nili Levy, Einat Gonen
Department of Asian and East European Languages and Literatures in the School
of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Field: Hebrew Language
Visiting Faculty:
Visiting Assistant Professor Miriam Isaacs
Jewish Studies Program and Germanic Studies
Field: Yiddish and Eastern European Jewish Literature and Culture
Visiting Assistant Professor Maxine L. Grossman
Jewish Studies and Women’s Studies
Ancient Jewish sectarianism; Gender; Religious Studies
Affiliate Faculty:
Charles Butterworth, Professor, Department of Government and Politics
Field: Islamic Political Thought; Middle East Politics and Culture
Nathan Fox, Professor, Department of Human Development
Field: Childhood development, including Israel studies.
James F. Harris, Professor, Department of History and Dean, Arts and Humanities
Field: German History; Antisemitism
Jeffrey Herf, Professor, Department of History
Field: German History; Holocaust
Kenneth Holum, Professor, Department of History
Ancient History; Palestine in Antiquity
Harold Brodsky, Associate Professor, Department of Geography
Geography of the Bible
Judith Freidenberg, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology
Ethnography of Jews in Latin America
Regina Igel, Associate Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Jewish Literature and Culture in Brazil
Gabriele Strauch, Associate Professor, Department of Germanic Studies, and
Associate Dean
Medieval German Literature; Medieval Yiddish
The faculty of the Jewish Studies program possesses the scholarly stature and
administrative experience necessary to provide academic direction and oversight for the
program. Upon approval of this MA program, Jewish Studies will appoint one of its
8
faculty as Director of Graduate Study who will oversee the day-to-day running of the
program.
IV. Off-Campus Programs
Our expectation is that the program will be run entirely on the College Park campus.
V. Other Issues
There will be no need for cooperative arrangements with other institutions or
organizations.
VI. Commitment to Diversity.
Jewish Studies is for the most part a diaspora discipline. Although it focuses on the
history and culture of one particular ethnic group, by definition students study Jewish
history, literature, thought, and culture in multiple geographical contexts on five
continents over the better part of three thousand years. For one thousand of those years
and more, Jews were Christian Europe’s most consistent and visible internal other, and in
modern times the history and culture of Jews in Europe marked the history of ethnic
stigma, the limits of the modern liberal state, the development of racial theory, and the
perpetration of mass genocide. The research interests of our faculty, our course offerings,
and our conferences and other programming demonstrate our commitment to
contextualized study. Indeed, Jewish Studies has helped fund Arabic instruction at the
University for several years.
If our undergraduate major and the students in its constituent courses are any indication,
Jewish Studies classes attract a diverse student body. We intend and hope that the MA
program will be equally appealing to a diverse student body. Naturally the Jewish
Studies program will make all efforts to recruit and retain such a diverse student body.
VII. Required Physical Resources.
A. Library and Information Resources
For many years the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Studies at UMCP
has worked very hard to help build a large collection of Jewish Studies books and other
materials at the University of Maryland Libraries. Through special endowments
earmarked for theses purposes, the Center has provided monies to the library for the
purchase, cataloguing, and preservation of Jewish books. Each year, for example, the
Center provides the Libraries with $14,000 to participate in “Jerusalem Books,” a
purchasing agreement with Israeli publishers that allows us to buy all important books
published in Israel. In addition, various Jewish Studies endowments have allowed the
library to purchase large estates of Jewish books. As a result, the University of Maryland
library now has the largest collection of Judaica in the mid-Atlantic region (apart from
the Library of Congress of course). In addition to financial help to build the collection,
the Meyerhoff Center provides $25,000 each year from these endowment funds to help
9
pay the salary of the Hebrew cataloguer. The Libraries and the Center are currently
engaged in a major fund raising campaign to provide further funds for the acquisition and
conservation of Jewish books. As a result of these efforts, the collection is now
sufficient to sustain a graduate program. We will not ask for further state resources in
this area. See attached Collections Assessment prepared by Yelena Luckert, the Jewish
Studies Collection Management Librarian for further details.
B. Additional Facilities
We will require no additional facilities at all to operate this MA Program. We have
sufficient faculty and they all have office space. We need no laboratory space, no special
classrooms, no extra services of any kind.
C. Impact on Existing Facilities
No impact on existing facilities. All faculty are already teaching and using existing
office and classroom space.
VIII. Resource Needs and Sources
A. Courses
The Masters program involves the following new courses (see section II.B. for a
description of these courses):
•
•
•
•
•
•
JWST 600, General Seminar in Jewish Studies
JWST 619, Readings in Jewish Studies
JWST 648, Readings in Jewish History
JWST 658, Readings in Jewish Thought
JWST 678, Readings in Jewish Literature
JWST 799, MA Thesis Research
JWST 600 will be offered yearly and is the one course offered that may conflict regularly
with the regular disciplinary teaching of our faculty. JWST 619 is specifically designed
to allow for independent study or course sharing. JWST 648, 658, and 678 may be
covered either as earmarked graduate courses or offered through course sharing. The
staffing concerns are discussed in some detail in Section VIII.B. below.
Our experience at the undergraduate level, where we have 35 majors but over 600
students in our courses each semester, suggests that student demand for such courses will
be larger than the actual size of the program. We assume that graduate courses will
attract about ten students per semester even before the number of enrolled MA students
has grown to its projected size. (As noted, we plan to respond to some of that demand
through the creation of a Graduate Certificate program. In addition, most graduate
courses would fulfill requirements in existing programs.)
10
With these new courses in place we believe we can fully support the MA program
proposed, and that students can complete the program in a timely manner. Students will
complete the program at different rates. Some, including full-time students who also need
to complete their Hebrew requirement, may take one to two semesters longer. For
professionals and other taking classes on a part-time basis, completion time may be
several years. However, some students who already meet the language requirements may
want to complete the program within one year. Such students will require 8 graduate
level courses over two semesters (the remaining two courses are to be taken from outside
Jewish Studies). These courses may include independent study; indeed we encourage
students to work closely with faculty through independent study.
Within our existing teaching load, qualified students should be able to complete the
program within one year. We illustrate this through the following sample three-year
program of course offerings at the 400-level or above. The 600-level offerings reflect
our commitment to teach this requirement core on an annual basis. The 400-level
offerings reflect our actual offerings from 2000/2001 to 2002/2003, adjusted to include
recent additions to the faculty and to exclude one-time offerings by visiting faculty. (A
full list of recent offerings at the 400- to 700-level is attached to this proposal.) Although
any of the 400-level courses might profitably be offered on a course-sharing basis,
courses marked with an asterix (*) are suitable for students who have not yet completed
their Hebrew requirements.
Year 1
Fall
JWST 600: General Seminar
JWST 658: Readings in Jewish Thought
*JWST 419G: Geography of the Bible
JWST 419J: Cassical Jewish Texts
*JWST 419K: Advanced Readings in the
Holocaust (History)
*JWST 419S: Ancient Jewish Sectarianism
Year 2
Fall
JWST 600: General Seminar
JWST 648: Readings in Jewish History
*JWST 419G: Geography of the Bible
JWST 466: Readings in Medieval Hebrew
*JWST 419J: Women and Jewish
Literature
Spring
JWST 648: Readings in Jewish History
JWST 678: Readings in Jewish Literature
*JWST 419Y: Jews in Early Modern
Europe
JWST 469: Readings in Rabbinic Hebrew:
Magical Texts
*JWST 419T: Culture of the Arab Israeli
Conflict
Spring
JWST 658: Readings in Jewish Thought
JWST 678: Readings in Jewish Literature
JWST 419P: Modern Hebrew Literature
*JWST 419T: Images of Gender in Yiddish
Literature
*JWST 419W: Jewish Society and Culture
in the Middle Ages
*JWST 419X: Judaism and the
Construction of Gender
11
Year 3
Fall
JWST 600: General Seminar
JWST 678: Readings in Jewish Literature
*JWST 419G: Geography of the Bible
JWST 419Y: Readings in Modern Hebrew
Literature
*JWST 452: The Golden Age of Jewish
Philosophy
JWST 468: Readings in the Hebrew Bible:
Wisdom Literature
Spring
JWST 648: Readings in Jewish History
JWST 658: Readings in Jewish Thought
JWST 419A: Modern Israeli Novel
*JWST 419I: Representing the Holocaust
*JWST 419X: Judaism and the
Construction of Gender
*JWST 419Z: Masterpieces of Yiddish
Literature
JWST 468: Readings in the Hebrew Bible:
Dead Sea Scrolls
These sample offerings suggest that students should have no difficulty finding courses.
Taking Year 1 as an example, and assuming that starred 400-level courses were also
offered at the 600-level (with appropriate requirement adjustments), full-time MA
students could complete the program in one academic year by enrolling as follows:
Requirement Core:
Fall
JWST 600: General Seminar
JWST 658: Readings in Jewish Thought
Spring
JWST 648: Readings in Jewish History
JWST 678: Readings in Jewish Literature
Concentration:
Thesis option: Thesis research plus one course in each semester
Non-thesis option: Two of the following in each semester.
Fall
Spring
JWST 799: Masters Thesis Research
JWST 799: Masters Thesis Research
JWST 619G: Geography of the Bible
JWST 619Y: Jews in Early Modern Europe
JWST 619K: Advanced Readings in the
JWST 619T: Culture of the Arab Israeli
Holocaust (History)
Conflict
JWST 619S: Ancient Jewish Sectarianism
JWST 619A: Independent Study
JWST 619B: Independent Study
Supporting courses:
Fall
One course outside JWST
Spring
One course outside JWST
For students taking longer than two semesters, ability to find the necessary courses to
complete the program will that much easier. Three of the courses making up the
requirement core (JWST 648, 658, 678) are repeatable if content differs (as we expect it
will as different faculty members offer them), and a regular cycle of courses suitable for
course sharing is offered each semester.
B. Faculty, Staff, TAs
12
No new faculty, staff, or teaching assistants would be necessary to cover the new
responsibilities.
C. Existing Faculty and Staff
Existing faculty and staff can handle all of the teaching, advising, and administrative
duties. To some extent the creation of an MA program will allow for the coordination of
ongoing graduate teaching. Faculty already teach occasional graduate courses to satisfy
students in the Departments of History, English, and Philosophy. For example, in the
academic year 2002-2003, Prof. Rozenblit taught a seminar on “Jews and German
Culture: The Dilemmas of Ethnic and National Identity” and Prof. Jelen taught a course
on “Representing the Holocaust.” The only structural reallocation will be the assignment
of “Director of Graduate Studies” to a faculty member. The Director of Graduate Study
could receive a modest stipend from the Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Studies.
In order for this MA program to work students must be able to take the requisite number
of courses. Our ability to provide students with sufficient courses to complete the
program efficiently was of primary concern in the planning of this proposal. We believe
we can do this within existing faculty and staff resources. It is clear that our faculty
cannot offer courses to cover every field or every potential concentration. On the other
hand, students may, and in many respects are encouraged to, make up part of their
required number and distribution of courses through independent study and/or through
Masters Thesis Research (for thesis option students). We are, however, committed to
offering at least eight courses (twenty-four credits) per year. This number represents the
minimum that graduate students with their language requirements filled need in order to
complete the program within one academic year. (An additional two courses (six credits)
are taken from outside Jewish Studies.) The four courses making up the requirement core
(JWST 600, 648, 658, and 678) will be offered annually. Additional courses will be
offered as sections of 619 or 719. (See the sample three year program in section VIII.A.
above.)
The requisite number of courses can be met within existing resources through the
following mechanisms:
Earmarked courses (i): JWST 600. We intend to offer JWST 600, General
•
Seminar, once yearly. This is the one truly new course that we are offering,
and the only one that does not fit neatly into another academic unit or
program. In some years, therefore, we may need to provide funds to the
tenure-home departments of our faculty to allow a Jewish Studies faculty
member to teach the seminar. We have allocated up to $15,000 per annum to
cover expenses for this course and the other distribution requirements.
Earmarked courses (ii): JWST 648, 658, 678. We will offer one section each
•
of JWST 648, 658, and 678 each year. Since the 2001-2002 academic year we
have been offering graduate courses at the rate of one to two per year and
cross-listed with another unit (see attachment). Each of the courses offered in
13
•
the last several years could easily be taught as one of the core required
courses. The enrollment in graduate courses has varied depending on how
integrally the course fit within existing programs in other units, but in general
there have been at least a few seats available (open seats have ranged from
zero to eight). Under present staffing, we can continue offering this same
number of graduate courses without reorganizing our current teaching and
without providing additional funds for replacement instruction. This leaves an
additional one to two courses of the requirement core to cover. At least
initially we can address this shortfall through course sharing (see below).
Again, however, we have allocated up to $15,000 per annum for adjunct
instruction to “buy out” faculty so that they may provide graduate-level
instruction for the program.
Course sharing. By course sharing we mean allowing MA-students to register
for an MA-level course that meets in the same time and place as a 400-level
course. Students registered for the 600-level course will have appropriate
reading and research requirements. We intend to apply course sharing in two
ways. (1) Sharing enough appropriate 400-level classes to make sure that at
least one section of the MA core required courses is offered each year. (2)
Offering at least two sections of JWST 619 shared with a 400-level course.
Historical enrollments in 400-level classes give us confidence that we can
meet the needs of a modest MA program through course sharing within
existing faculty resources. Including projected offerings for Spring 2004, we
offer an average of about six 400-level courses per semester (see attachment).
The 42 courses or sections offered between Fall 2000 and Fall 2003 offered
1244 seats or 30 (29.6) per section, and had 548 seats open or 17 (16.6) seats
per section. Even allowing for 20 percent growth in enrollments in those
sections in the next few years (16 (15.6) per section, up from 13) the number
of open seats is substantial (14 per section). This allows ample room for
graduate students either at the 400-level (students may count up to six credit
hours towards the MA) or through course sharing. In fact, we believe that
should the MA program grow much faster than projected—large enough to
warrant additional earmarked courses—we could reduce our existing 400level course offerings by one to two sections per year without endangering our
undergraduate program in order to free faculty to teach earmarked sections of
required JWST graduate courses.
The only remaining faculty and staffing issue is the reallocation of resources to appoint a
Director of Graduate Study. The Graduate Director may receive a modest honorarium
and we have budgeted for this in our financial plan. Possible course reduction will have
to be worked out with the tenure-home department but we expect that if course
reductions become necessary they will be covered by the funds set aside for course buyouts.
D. Sources for Physical Resources
14
No monies needed for additional physical resources.
E. Other Required Resources
None.
F. Tables 1 and 2
Overview: The MA program in Jewish Studies proposed here makes modest demands on
resources and requires no new outlay of State funds. Jewish Studies already has sufficient
classroom and administrative space to house this program. The MA program will require
no additional expenditure in electronic equipment or library facilities beyond the
commitment it has already made to the Libraries to help maintain and build the fine
Judaica collection. The three new costs to be expected include the hiring of adjunct
faculty directly or our reimbursing departments for releasing our faculty from their
normal teaching obligations to teach a course for the MA program when and if necessary
(for planning purposes we have assumed this to be $15,000 per annum), a stipend for a
Director of Graduate Study ($5,000), and an advertising budget (assumed to be about
$1,000). Together these total $21,000.
The projected size of the program is also quite modest. We expect a program of some
eleven students by year five of the program’s existence. Of these, we expect about half to
be part-time students; the rest full-time. Most students will be registered at the State of
Maryland tuition resident rate. Based on these projections, income to the University
should meet expenses by year two. For the first year, the Meyerhoff Center has
reallocated $14,000 to make up the difference between projected income and expenses.
Moreover, the Meyerhoff Center has undertaken to underwrite the regular expenses of
the program, estimated at $18,000 per annum. In addition the Center will use some of its
endowed funds earmarked for scholarships to attract and retain excellent students for the
program.
15
Table 1
Resources
Resource Categories
Year 1
Year 2
1. Reallocated Funds
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
0
0
0
0
2 Tuition Revenue
a) # Full-Time Students
1
3
3
4
6
b) # Part-Time Students
1
2
3
4
5
c) # In-State Credit Hrs:
24
72
78
84
90
d) In-State Revenue (@
$320/Credit Hour)
$7,680
$23,040
$24,960
$26,880
$28,800
e) # Out-of-State Credit
Hours
0
0
0
18
60
$9,108
$30,360
f) Out-of-State Revenue
(@ $506/Credit Hour):
g) Total Tuition
Revenue:
$7,680
$23,040
$24,960
$35,988
$59,160
$23,040
$24,960
$35,988
$59,160
3. Grants and Contracts
4. Other Sources:
Endowment (see
explanatory note)
$14,000
Total:
$21,680
Explanatory Notes:
1. Tuition revenue. We assume only one new part-time student each year. For simplicity
“part-time” is taken to mean 6 credits per year (completion of program over 5 years). All
part-time credits are treated as billed at the Maryland-resident rate. In the case of fulltime students we have assumed that that in most cases students will take 18 credits per
year: one new student each in years 1 through 3; two new students in years 4 and 5. (Note
that each new enrollee at 18 credits/year takes 12 credits in their second year.) We’ve
also assumed that a smaller number of students (among whom we have in mind Maryland
undergraduates in particular, who might wish to take one extra year to complete an MA
degree) might enroll at 30 credits per year: one in year 1; one each in years 2 through 4;
and two in year 5. In years where we’ve assumed more than one new enrollee at the fulltime level we’ve allowed for one of those new enrollees at the non-Maryland resident
16
rate in the table. (Note that even if all credits were taken at the in-state tuition rate the
projected revenue at years 4 and 5 would still be $32,640 and $48,000 respectively. This
amount would more than adequately cover the projected expenses in Table 2. Tuition per
credit hour is based on the University’s online Schedule of Classes
(www.testudo.umd.edu/ScheduleOfClasses.html, accessed July 10, 2003).
2. Reallocated Funds. The Meyerhoff Center has committed resources from endowment
income to make up for the projected shortfall between resources and expenditure in year
1. In addition the Meyerhoff Center will cover administrative costs for the program, up to
$21,000. Additional funds for graduate scholarships may be made available as well.
17
Table 2
Expenditures
Year 1
1) Faculty (adjuncts)
2) Administrative Staff
(Stipend for
Graduate
Director)
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$5000
$5000
$5000
$5000
$5000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$21,000
$21,000
$21,000
$21,000
$21,000
3) Support Staff
4) Equipment
5) Library
6) New or Renovated
Space
7) Other Expenses:
Publicity
8) Total
Explanatory Note: The expense assumed for adjuncts may be high, particularly in the
early years of the program. Nevertheless, even at the modest growth of the program
assumed in Table 1, projected income to the University will more than match expenses
by year two. In any case, the Meyerhoff Center has undertaken to cover the basic costs of
adjunct instruction, stipend for graduate director, and publicity.
18
Attachments
1. Upper-Level and Graduate Seats Offered and Open, F2000–S2004.
2. Letters of Support from Chairs of Units with Shared Faculty:
Philosophy (Attached)
English (Pending)
History (Pending)
School of Languages Literatures and Cultures (Pending)
1. Upper-Level and Graduate Seats Offered and Open, F2000–S2004.
Semester/Course Cross List
Seats offered Seats open
Spring 04 (proj.)
JWST419C
CMLT498A/GERM44
30
9C
JWST419I
ENGL379J
30
JWST419M
AMST429T
30
JWST419T
HEBR498C
30
JWST419X
WMST498B
30
JWST419Z
GERM349Z
30
JWST468
15
JWST719L
HIST719T
12
Fall 03
JWST419G
JWST419J
JWST419K
JWST419L
JWST419Y
JWST453
JWST468
Spring 03
JWST419A
JWST419C
JWST419D
JWST419E
JWST419F
JWST419I
JWST419X
GEOG498B
WMST498J/HEBR
498Y
HEBR 498C
HIST419D
PHIL424
CMLT498A/GERM44
9C
HIST419A
WMST488E
HEBR419I
WMST498B
40
35
17
13
30
35
35
4
15
0
2
19
0
5
20
35
20
27
30
35
35
20
40
0
10
29
2
5
19
JWST419Y
JWST419Z
JWST468
Fall 02
JWST419G
JWST419Y
JWST452
JWST468
JWST493
JWST719F
JWST719G
Spring 02
JWST419P
JWST419T
JWST419W
JWST419X
JWST451
JWST719E
Fall 2001
JWST419G
JWST419Q
JWST419R
JWST466
Spring 01
JWST419J
JWST419M
JWST419N
JWST419O
JWST419Y
JWST451
JWST469
Fall 2000
JWST419G
JWST419J
35
35
20
18
28
15
40
35
30
15
30
15
12
25
29
8
0
15
8
0
35
35
25
26
15
25
30
12
4
2
0
10
GEOG498A
WMST498C
40
35
35
20
25
12
26
5
ENGL379
35
35
35
30
40
30
20
10
18
20
20
19
0
13
40
15
24
7
GERM349Z
GEOG498B
PHIL417
WMST493
HIST798
ENGL749B
WMST498M/GERM4
49D
HIST418
WMST498B
PHIL433
HIST619G
HIST419J
HIST419C
PHIL433
HIST419R
GEOG498A
20
JWST419K
JWST493
HIST418
WMST493
15
30
1
4
21
PROPOSAL FOR
A NEW PROGRAM SUBMITTED BY A
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND INSTITUTION
IN ACCORD WITH SECTION 11-206.1 OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND
University of Maryland, College Park
Master of Arts in Jewish Studies
and
Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Jewish Studies
HEGIS: 0399.01
CIP: 38.0206
Jewish Studies Program
Unit Offering the Program
Professor Hayim Lapin, Director
Contact Person
Master of Arts, Post Baccalaureate Certificate
Degree to be Awarded
Fall, 2004
Proposed Initiation Date
__________________________________
Signature of President or Designee
____________________________
Date Received by the Commission
__________________________
Date
Master of Arts in Jewish Studies
Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Jewish Studies
A.
Mission: Describe how the program relates to the institution's approved mission.
The mission statement of the University of Maryland, College Park states that “the
University advances knowledge, provides outstanding and innovative instruction, and nourishes a
climate of intellectual growth in a broad range of academic disciplines and interdisciplinary
fields.”
In accordance with this mission, the University already offers a bachelor’s degree program
in Jewish Studies. The proposed M.A. program is designed to offer students broad,
interdisciplinary graduate-level training in the field. (The Post Baccalaureate Certificate is a
reduced version of the master’s program and is similarly designed.) In addition to courses
designated as Jewish Studies, students will also take courses in cognate disciplines in order to set
Jewish Studies in a broader cultural and disciplinary context. The Program draws on the strengths
of the existing Jewish Studies faculty at Maryland, who are known as outstanding scholars,
especially in Jewish History of all periods, Bible, Jewish Literature and Cultural Studies
(especially in the ancient and modern periods), Yiddish, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Israel
studies. The extremely strong, and still growing, library collection (rivaled in the mid-Atlantic
region only by the Library of Congress), and our proximity to the National Archives, the Library of
Congress, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and other museums make the University a prime
location for the further development of Jewish Studies.
B.
Characteristics of the Proposed Program:
1.
State the educational objectives of the proposed program.
See above for the objectives vis-a-vis content. One specific outcomes objective is to train
scholars who will go on to enter a doctoral program in Jewish Studies at another institution. In
addition, we are responding to what is a substantial demand for educators, librarians, and museum
curators with training in the history, literature, and culture of the Jewish people and a working
familiarity with its fundamental texts and practices.
2.
Provide a brief narrative addressing curricular design and program
characteristics.
The Master’s program in Jewish Studies offers training in the general field of Jewish
Studies combined with focus on an area of specialization. Students can pursue either a thesis
option or a non-thesis option. In all, students take 30 credits towards their degree, with at most 6
credits from courses at the 400-level. Up to 6 credits at the 600-level or above may be transferred
from another institution. Up to 12 credits earned as an Advanced Special Student at the University
may be applied to the program.
1
The Program:
All students take JWST 600: General Seminar in Jewish Studies (3 credits), which
introduces students to the fields, methods, and problems of Jewish Studies as a cluster of
disciplines. This course is taught on rotation by members of the Jewish Studies faculty, with
participation from other members according to their areas of expertise. A principal requirement of
JWST 600 is successful completion of an examination covering the areas of Jewish Studies
discussed in the Seminar.
Students must take at least one course each in the general areas of Jewish History, Jewish
Thought or Religion, and Jewish Literature (9 credits total). To satisfy this distribution
requirement, students will normally take JWST 648, Readings in Jewish History; JWST 658,
Readings in Jewish Thought; and JWST 678, Readings in Jewish Literature. In addition, students
must take two courses (6 credits) from outside Jewish Studies in the discipline(s) related to the
student’s area of specialization.
Students must also take 12 credits of Jewish Studies in an area of specialization,
developed in consultation with an advisor. Students may demonstrate their expertise in their
specialization either by writing an MA thesis (MA Thesis Research: 6 credits) to defend before an
examining committee or through coursework. In the latter case, students must prepare a dossier of
2 major research papers or their equivalent to be evaluated by an examining committee. Potential
areas of specialization include, but are not restricted to, Jewish History, Jewish Literature, Bible,
Jewish Philosophy, and Jewish Religion.
Hebrew Prerequisite:
As a prerequisite for admission, students must have achieved the proficiency-level
corresponding to four semesters of university-level Hebrew, and must achieve the level of six
semesters of university-level Hebrew by the time they have completed the program. Courses in
Hebrew language will not count toward the 30 credits needed for the degree. Students will be
asked to demonstrate their knowledge of modern academic Hebrew by examination, or through a
research project making extensive use of Hebrew-language materials.
Program Courses:
JWST 600: General Seminar in Jewish Studies
JWST 619: Readings in Jewish Studies
JWST 648: Readings in Jewish History
JWST 658: Readings in Jewish Literatures
JWST 678: Readings in Jewish Thought
JWST 799: Masters Thesis Research (1-6 credits)
2
The Certificate Program:
To complete a Certificate in Jewish Studies, students must take four (4) graduate level
courses in Jewish Studies. If the student is simultaneously enrolled in another graduate program at
the University, then at least six of the 12 credits must be in a different discipline than the student’s
home department. All students must take JWST 600, General Seminar in Jewish Studies, plus at
least two other graduate readings or research courses at the 600-800 level. Only one 400-level
lecture course can count toward the certificate. Students must work with an advisor to determine
which courses best suit the needs of that particular student.
3.
Program Faculty.
The program has been designed and will be staffed by regular members of the University of
Maryland, College Park faculty. Members of the Jewish Studies program are outstanding scholars
and educators and generally hold tenured or tenure track positions in such departments as English,
History, and Philosophy.
4.
Describe the student audience to be served by the program.
The potential audience is varied. It includes 1) undergraduates at the University of
Maryland—Jewish Studies majors, those pursuing a Citation in Jewish Studies, and others among
the hundreds of students who take our undergraduate courses each year—who are interested in
pursuing an M.A. in Jewish Studies as further preparation for careers in education, communal
service, or the rabbinate or other clergy, or simply for the sake of learning; 2) students from all
over the country who would like to pursue an M.A. in Jewish Studies in preparation for Ph.D.
work in one or another field within Jewish Studies; 3) residents of Maryland who are interested in
pursuing an M.A. for personal enrichment; and 4) and most importantly, residents of Maryland (or
elsewhere) who are already working in Jewish education and communal service for whom a
graduate degree would lead to professional advancement.
Certificate students may be students enrolled in other graduate programs at the University
who want to develop additional expertise in Jewish Studies, or may be students in categories 3)
and 4) above who are interested in a less extensive version of the master’s program.
5.
How will this program enhance students’ technology fluency?
Students entering the program will have completed an undergraduate degree in a field that
is strongly dependent on information technology both as a tool for writing and a tool for research.
Their skills will be tested and honed in the courses needed for the master’s degree or certificate.
6.
The president assures that institutional library resources meet new program needs.
7.
The president assures that institutional facilities meet new program needs.
3
C.
Finance:
In accordance with Section 11 206.1 programs developed under this provision can be
implemented within existing resources of the campus. In submitting this program proposal the
institution's president certifies that no new general funds will be required for implementation of the
program.
Briefly describe the source(s) of funding that will support the proposed program.
Identify the costs and revenue sources including a narrative rationale for each resource
requirement;
Most of the required courses for this program are already taught by program faculty,
generally cross listed with courses in their specific disciplines. A modest amount of funding will
be required to cover occasional adjunct faculty members and to support program administration.
After the initial years, this amount will be more than made up through student tuition revenues. In
the initial years, and as required thereafter, the program costs will be underwritten from the
program’s endowment, which resides in the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Center for Jewish
Studies at UMCP.
4
Table 1
Resources
Resource Categories
Year 1
Year 2
1. Reallocated Funds
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
0
0
0
0
2 Tuition Revenue
a) # Full-Time Students
1
3
3
4
6
b) # Part-Time Students
1
2
3
4
5
c) # In-State Credit Hrs:
24
72
78
84
90
d) In-State Revenue (@
$320/Credit Hour)
$7,680
$23,040
$24,960
$26,880
$28,800
e) # Out-of-State Credit
Hours
0
0
0
18
60
$9,108
$30,360
f) Out-of-State Revenue
(@ $506/Credit Hour):
g) Total Tuition Revenue:
$7,680
$23,040
$24,960
$35,988
$59,160
$23,040
$24,960
$35,988
$59,160
3. Grants and Contracts
4. Other Sources:
Endowment (see
explanatory note)
$14,000
Total:
$21,680
Explanatory Notes:
1. Tuition revenue. We are using conservative projections of student numbers.
2. Reallocated Funds. The Meyerhoff Center has committed resources from endowment income to
make up for the projected shortfall between resources and expenditure in year 1. In addition the
Meyerhoff Center will cover administrative costs for the program, up to $21,000.
5
Table 2
Expenditures
Year 1
1) Faculty (adjuncts)
2) Administrative Staff
(Stipend for Graduate
Director)
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$5000
$5000
$5000
$5000
$5000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$21,000
$21,000
$21,000
$21,000
$21,000
3) Support Staff
4) Equipment
5) Library
6) New or Renovated
Space
7) Other Expenses:
Publicity
8) Total
6