Spring Break
IMES short on faculty, contemporary courses
by Matthew Brock
News | 10/23/07
Posted online at 9:46 PM EST on 10/22/07
/ Last updated at 6:58 PM EST on 10/22/07
Students majoring in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies have expressed frustration with the department's shortage of full-time professors and lack of courses focusing on contemporary issues in the Middle East.
Since the retirement of Prof. Yitzhak Nakash (IMES), the IMES program has had only two full-time professors, Avigdor Levy, the program's chair, and Joseph Lumbard. Compounding the shortage, Lumbard said he plans to go on sabbatical next semester.
Levy said the interdisciplinary program within the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department has never had three full-time professors due to leaves of absences and sabbaticals. He acknowledged that the small size of the IMES program exacerbates the problem.
There are currently 30 declared IMES majors at the University in addition to a number of undeclared students, according to Noa Balf '09, the Undergraduate Departmental Representative for the program. The department's two professors serve as advisers for all 30 undergrads and six graduate students.
"We don't have enough faculty to help students who are interested in doing an honors thesis, [since] that requires a full year of tutorship and guidance by a professor," Levy said.
The IMES program was almost forced to prevent students from researching theses this year, and in the future, some students may be left out, Lumbard said.
Students are also frustrated that the professors specialize in the Ottoman Empire and early Islam and Islamic theory instead of contemporary issues, Balf explained.
"Many students are interested in the Israeli-Arab conflict and the modern Middle East," Balf said.
Levy, however, maintained that there are too few courses in classical Islam, a core requirement for the IMES major. Lumbard added that the uneven course distribution simply reflects the program's shortage of courses in general.
Balf is currently circulating a letter among IMES students requesting that the administration hire an additional professor. So far 20 or 21 students have signed the letter, Balf wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.
Since the retirement of Prof. Yitzhak Nakash (IMES), the IMES program has had only two full-time professors, Avigdor Levy, the program's chair, and Joseph Lumbard. Compounding the shortage, Lumbard said he plans to go on sabbatical next semester.
Levy said the interdisciplinary program within the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department has never had three full-time professors due to leaves of absences and sabbaticals. He acknowledged that the small size of the IMES program exacerbates the problem.
There are currently 30 declared IMES majors at the University in addition to a number of undeclared students, according to Noa Balf '09, the Undergraduate Departmental Representative for the program. The department's two professors serve as advisers for all 30 undergrads and six graduate students.
"We don't have enough faculty to help students who are interested in doing an honors thesis, [since] that requires a full year of tutorship and guidance by a professor," Levy said.
The IMES program was almost forced to prevent students from researching theses this year, and in the future, some students may be left out, Lumbard said.
Students are also frustrated that the professors specialize in the Ottoman Empire and early Islam and Islamic theory instead of contemporary issues, Balf explained.
"Many students are interested in the Israeli-Arab conflict and the modern Middle East," Balf said.
Levy, however, maintained that there are too few courses in classical Islam, a core requirement for the IMES major. Lumbard added that the uneven course distribution simply reflects the program's shortage of courses in general.
Balf is currently circulating a letter among IMES students requesting that the administration hire an additional professor. So far 20 or 21 students have signed the letter, Balf wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.
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