Faculty vote in favor of American Studies changeover
At their May 21 meeting, the faculty voted to replace the current American Studies department with an interdisciplinary program in American Studies, a change suggested by the Brandeis 2020 Committee that will take effect July 1.The motion that Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe presented at the faculty meeting stated that "effective July 1, 2010, the existing undergraduate major in American Studies be administered by a new interdisciplinary program in American Studies for a period of seven years. In academic year 2016-2017, a review will be conducted by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee on the question of the program's continuance."
The agenda for the faculty meeting, a copy of which was obtained by the Justice, explains that the Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities deemed that closing a department does not require a faculty vote but that a faculty vote is necessary to establish a program to replace that department.
The Brandeis 2020 Committee, which was established last January to implement academic changes that would help improve the financial situation of the University, initially recommended transforming the American Studies department into an interdisciplinary program in its final report, released in February. Provost Marty Krauss accepted this recommendation in March. The first motion to change the major was approved at the April 15 faculty meeting.
Prof. Joyce Antler, the chair of the American Studies department, said in an interview with the Justice that the transition from a department to an interdisciplinary program would not alter the American Studies curriculum in any way.
"There are no changes being made to the curriculum. Nothing is going to change except in terms of growth," she said, explaining that professors would continue operating in their current offices and junior professors would ultimately be tenured in American Studies.
Antler explained that the transformation into an interdisciplinary program entailed that as American Studies faculty retired, they would not be replaced with new American Studies faculty and that the major would grow "by drawing on expertise throughout the University."
Antler also said that, in an effort to enhance the major, the faculty would add "affiliates," which Antler said are faculty members from other departments that can make valuable contributions to American Studies.
She said that this year, the American Studies faculty included Profs. James Mandrell (ROMS), Aliyyah Abdur-Rahman (ENG), Arthur Holmberg (THA) and Carmen Sirianni (SOC).
"We looked to people to fill in gaps where we didn't have faculty," Antler said, further explaining that she envisioned the addition of 15 to 20 affiliates within the next two years.
At the April 15 faculty meeting, Antler said in a statement to the faculty that the American Studies faculty was in no way protesting this recommendation but that they wished they had been incorporated into the discussion about transforming the department into a program.
"We understand that all the parties in the complete B2020 process acted according to their beliefs about Brandeis' best interests . But for those of us on the other side of that table, these procedures never allowed us to communicate our ideas about alternative structures; curriculum possibilities; the timing of the transition; and more," the statement read.
Antler said that she did not believe this change would affect the number of students interested in the major.
"I don't think the students will see any difference or think about American Studies differently. Students don't care if a major is a program or a department," she said.
The American Studies faculty recently revised the core requirements for American Studies majors, eliminating the "Foundations of American Civilization" class (AMST 10a) and incorporating the content of that course into AMST 100a and 100b, changes that Antler said the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee approved in the middle of the spring semester. However, Antler emphasized, "It would be wrong to tie together the changing of the status to the changing of the curriculum," explaining that these changes were unrelated to the recommendation from the 2020 Committee and were merely designed to give students a broader option of courses.
Jennifer Abidor '11, an American Studies major, said in a phone interview with the Justice that she thinks this change will ultimately diminish the value of the major itself.
"American Studies is interdisciplinary because it represents all facets of American society, but having it as a department defines it as a unique program. I think that transforming it into a program detracts from American Studies as a legitimate course of study, which it definitely is," said Abidor.
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