Alyssa Grinberg, the former senior assistant director and admissions and outreach representative at the International Honors Program with the School for International Training in Vermont, has been selected to fill the position of Justice Brandeis Semester manager, according to Assistant Dean of Academic Services and Director of Study Abroad J. Scott Van Der Meid. Van Der Meid said that after the conclusion of the interview process for the position, which included meetings with several constituent groups including faculty and students, "[Grinberg] was the strongest candidate."

Grinberg began work yesterday, and Van Der Meid said that her first week at Brandeis would consist of an orientation during which she will meet with the JBS committee, Student Union President Andy Hogan '11 and the student representatives from the JBS committee.

She will also meet with some of the "key players" from the faculty and administrative JBS committee, such as co-chairs of the faculty JBS committee Profs. Tim Hickey (COSI) and Sacha Nelson (BIOL), Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Elaine Wong and Director of the Hiatt Career Center Joe Dupont in order to get the "lay of the land, understand the players," Van Der Meid said.

Grinberg was unavailable for comment by press time.

The Brandeis employment Web site lists the responsibilities of the JBS manager, which include "managing the logistics of the program, including developing publicity, the application process, budget monitoring, logistical arrangements for students and faculty, and the implementation of the program evaluation rubric."

Dupont said that the JBS manager would be responsible for creating deadlines for students to apply to any approved JBS programs for summer 2010.

Dupont said, however, that the JBS committee anticipates having both an early and regular application deadline.

He added that he expected at least a minimal list of frequently asked questions about the JBS programs to be up on the JBS Web site by the end of this week, a sentiment echoed by both Wong and Van Der Meid.

Van Der Meid said that Grinberg is very qualified to handle the task of marketing the JBS programs and disseminating information about them to students and other groups because "one of her roles at the International Honors Progam was actually in charge in marketing and external relations, so this is her background."

When asked what he was looking for Grinberg to accomplish, Hogan said, "Ultimately, it's an experiential academic program, so the manager will be in charge of making sure everything works well . and also making sure that the faculty needs of having information of how to run and how to propose JBSs and students need on logistics and what they will get out of the JBS will be met."

Wong said that 10 proposals for JBS programs in summer 2010 are still in the approval process.

The proposals would be reviewed "first by the JBS selection committee, and then they need final approval by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, and then [Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe] is also addressing other matters having to do with all the funding and all that," said Wong.

Wong added that at least some approved programs would be posted on the Web site very soon, although not before next week, because the UCC meeting is not until Thursday.

Dupont, a co-chair of the JBS committee, said that the committee is very excited about the proposals that have been submitted, but it is not a foregone conclusion that all 10 proposals will be approved.

Dupont said that, moving forward, the JBS committee has several responsibilities including "ensuring that we have really dynamic programs that are attractive to students and . engaging the student body and [working] with the Student Union and others to make sure that we are marketing these properly and building enthusiasm for them."

Dupont said that outreach included everything from posting things on the JBS Web site to appearing before classes and the Student Union. "It's not going to be one thing; it's going to be a combination of things," said Dupont.

Wong said that the JBS committee wants to ensure that the program is a success.

"Once the proposals are all offered it will be up to the students to really decide, in a way, how many of them will be run this summer. If only two students apply to a program, we won't run it," she said.

Wong added that the JBS committee has said all along it would like to see a minimum of eight students in any given JBS and that some can accommodate as many as 25.