The administration presented a series of sweeping curricular reforms at a special faculty meeting Thursday. Among the reforms are the elimination of linguistics and Greek and the reduction of at least five departments including Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and physics, as well as the addition of about 15 faculty positions to strengthen existing departments and create new programs.The meeting came on the heels of Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe's proposal to eliminate the classics department as part of a restructuring of the School of Arts and Sciences. That proposal met opposition throughout much of the University.

Jaffe reversed that recommendation at the meeting, instead suggesting only the teaching of Ancient Greek be cut.

Prof. Ana Olga Koloski-Ostrow, the chair of the classical studies department, thanked Jaffe for removing his initial intention of cutting parts of that department. Koloski-Ostrow also said that cutting Greek would greatly damage classical studies because Ancient Greek "is the heart of the department and to cut it is to cut our heart."

Linguistics chair Prof. Ray Jackendoff agreed, adding that, contrary to Jaffe's promise of informing departments of their respective changes, Jackendoff did not hear about the decision to eliminate Linguistics until the faculty meeting.

"Now programs are being introduced and the faculty was told that it would cost nothing and it does cost something and these costs are coming from the departments that are regarded as old and boring as opposed to the new and popular ones," Jackendoff said.

Several students, including Union President Mark Schlangel '05 and Director of Academic Affairs Alan Tannenwald '05, were also present at the meeting.

"About Ph.D. stipends, I am asking that student input be valued and be integrated," Schlangel said. "I wonder what trend will be in future and whether our university will be adept at accommodating itself to the times."

Citing a list of "underfunded priorities," including competitive faculty salaries and Ph.D. stipends, Jaffe defined specific areas of the curriculum to serve as "potential candidates for cutbacks or consolidation to free the resources to do the things we need to do."

According to Jaffe, the primary financial reason for his proposal is the $3.5 million per year addition to the University's budget.

"I'm not talking about changing who we are, but about changing the way we are going in the direction we are headed," Jaffe said.



Curriculum additions

Jaffe said that faculty additions are necessary to "diversify" the curriculum, to enhance interdepartmental programs and to decrease dependence on adjunct professors.

In a slide show presentation at the faculty meeting, Jaffe prioritized the curricular additions into the following categories: those that would diversify the curriculum, those that would enhance interdepartmental programs and those that would "remedy excessive adjunct dependence."

In the first category, Jaffe stressed developing Arabic studies, as well as creating courses in East Asian literature and culture, East Asian economics, Korean language, Latin American economics, Urban politics and African, Afro-American and Black-Atlantic literature.

According to Jaffe, the administration has already created positions for Classical Islam and South Asian literature.

Under the second category, Jaffe emphasized the improvement of interdepartmental opportunities such as breadth in Arabic courses, legal studies and business as well the creation of such programs as the history of medicine, digital media, education, bioinformatics and mass spectroscopy.

"All [these proposals] have the attribute of moving us to more intellectually exciting and areas that are important in terms of what students want to do as undergraduates at Brandeis," Jaffe said.

Among the initiatives stressed under the third category, Jaffe pointed to the improvement Arabic course offerings, theater history and criticism, education and legal studies.

According to Jaffe, there are approximately 300 professors in the University's core faculty. In addition to providing for the existing positions, Jaffe said that the University must find room for about 15 more.

Jaffe also proposed to create Master's tracks in English literature, teaching and "cultural production," which is an interdepartmental program including anthropology, fine arts, history and English. He suggested further developing the joint women's studies program and the creation of a professional science Master's degree program.



Academic cuts

To balance the budgetary impact of those additions, Jaffe proposed "phasing out" the linguistics major and the teaching of Ancient Greek, in addition to "narrowing" the Near Eastern and Judaic studies and physics departments.

His plan also calls for the elimination of the music composition Ph.D. program and a "restructuring" of the social science Ph.D. programs.

Prof. Eric Chasalow (MUS) said that the Music department's prestigious reputation, complemented by the talents of its students, makes him especially upset about the proposed removal of the composition Ph.D. program.

"The dean has taken on the essential and difficult job of maintaining and improving Brandeis' reputation for academic excellence in the decades ahead," Chasalow said. "To his credit, the dean insists that it is all a work in progress. Of major concern though, is that the plan has among its chief suggestions the termination of our graduate program in music composition, one of Brandeis' most prestigious and successful graduate programs."

Jaffe said the net effect of the changes would be comprised of 10 fewer full-time faculty and 24 fewer Ph.D. stipends.

"All [these proposals] have the attribute of moving us to more intellectually exciting and areas that are important in terms of what students want to do as undergraduates at Brandeis," Jaffe said.

Jaffe's slideshow presentation said he would identify the most financially burdensome elements of the curriculum and discuss possible changes with each department.

"I did collect self-assessment and other data identifying important needs that are not being met, and I have been trying to collate what's in them and integrate the process that Jehuda [Reinharz] and [Provost] Marty [Krauss] have indicated," Jaffe said. "Where I'm at, based on where we are in that process, there are not going to be the resources within the school of arts and sciences to fund them."

Reinharz took credit for the decision to restructure the curriculum in a way unlike "we have done in the past."



Themes

Jaffe cited six themes guiding his proposals. They included that the University should accept that it will be "thinner/narrower within given areas than our larger and richer competitors...given as who we are with our financial base;" that the University must "prepare for an increasingly competitive environment;" and that it should be "structurally capable of changing and doing new things that we have not done before."

Prof. Peter Conrad (SOC), the chair of the health, science and social policy program, agreed with Jaffe, adding that though reform inspires opposition, it is critical nonetheless.

"A change in the University is always different," Conrad said. "If you go to any department you'll see they say, 'we don't need this faculty' or 'we don't need these resources.' There will always be some resistance and it's not clear what the right answer is."

Jaffe also said the University will need to "diversify" its curriculum and faculty, build and use stronger external connections, and offer students adequate resources to prepare for the outside world. Jaffe stressed that his proposal will not tamper with the University's mission.



Brandeis faculty and students respond

The Brandeis community's responses to Jaffe's proposal varied.

Prof. Marc Brettler (NEJS) said he was hopeful about the outcome of Jaffe's proposal but questioned its advertisement as an initiative not challenging the University's mission.

"I am very happy to hear this [process] is the 'beginning of a beginning,' " Brettler said. "What [Jaffe] missed in his slide show is what a liberal education is, and what it should have that I and so many others in the faculty feel is important, and why that isn't as central a part of [Jaffe's] slides."

Prof. Jessie Ann Owens (MUS), a former dean of arts and sciences, agreed with Brettler, adding that closing the Ph.D. program in music composition would be a great loss to the University because of its prestige.

"The founders of the University had a clear vision for the creative arts as one of the four schools of the University and a distinctive view of education in the arts as both the study of art and the creation and performance of art," Owens said. "To close the Ph.D. program in composition goes against this historic vision and would harm the undergraduate curriculum as well."

Prof. Michael Rosbash (BIO) complimented Jaffe on his initiative and said that because action had to be taken, it was important for Jaffe to step up. Rosbash added that though his own salary does not come from Brandeis, he realizes that the Brandeis faculty is underpaid.

"I was in favor of change and that things shouldn't be the same tomorrow as they are today...and Dean Jaffe did a good thing by stirring the pot," Rosbash said. "I am also in favor of improving the salary of the Brandeis faculty, who is woefully underpaid. As Jaffe indicated, this money must come from somewhere, hence a modest reduction over time of the faculty."

Last Sunday, Jaffe addressed the Union Senate, where he met mixed responses to his proposals.

"I wish there was a way for certain departments, such as the East Asian one, to grow on this campus and still keep others," Jonathan Cohen '06 said. "But I still understand the constraints on the budget of the arts and sciences."

Class of 2005 Senator Mitchel Balsam disagreed, saying that certain departments must be eliminated to enable the University's progress.

"I think [Brandeis] should do away with the classics department," Balsam said. "Who takes classics courses anyway?