The Time Slots Holding Stern Back
Another class registration season is upon us and with it comes the decision-making process. Should I take this class or that one, with which professor and at what time? There is even a document circulating school chats with insider course details and reviews to aid students in their schedule-building decisions. Everyone wants that perfect schedule, but every semester there is a decision that many Stern students shouldn’t have to make, but do: Torah or Madda?
Stern’s schedule is broken up into time slots. Unlike Yeshiva College, there is no designated timeframe for Judaics versus general studies; in any given time slot both may be offered. Oftentimes, this forces students to decide between a Judaic and a general study course, a decision that limits the depth and extent to which Stern students can succeed in their Torah study.
The strides made at Stern College to enable and advance Torah study on a serious level are revolutionary and deserve to be celebrated. As a beneficiary of all the Torah opportunities that Stern has to offer, including challenging courses, a morning shiur and frequent TAC programming, I am so thankful. In a conversation with one of my seminary teachers, she reflected on how when she attended Stern, there wasn’t even a beit midrash in the school building. We have that and so much more.
In the upcoming spring semester, there are over 70 Judaics classes for students to choose from, which offers variety that many students enjoy, perhaps an upside to Stern’s Judaics program. Stern offers over 30 advanced Judaics courses, with dedicated educators, and students can even join GPATS if it fits in their schedule. But this is precisely the problem; even disregarding other potential roadblocks, Torah scholarship at Stern can only advance as far as a student’s particular schedule can accommodate it.
The recent announcement of the new Pava Center for Women’s Torah Scholarship is another exciting initiative to enhance women’s Torah at Stern. I applaud the Pava family and thank them for their investment in the Stern community’s pursuit of deeper Talmud Torah and avodat Hashem (and I am only slightly jealous that it didn’t exist when I was entering Stern). The Pava Center is sure to increase Torah scholarship amongst its cohort, but if YU wants to advance women’s Torah study on an institutional level then they need to address the underlying scheduling issue.
The rigid time slot schedule is holding YU back. No matter the initiative, the dollars donated or the shiurim offered, as long as women have to decide between a class for their major or general education requirement and a serious Judaics class, women’s Torah scholarship will not reach its fullest potential.
Redesigning a schedule where there was a distinction between when Judaics are and when general studies are would enable more students to take the course requirements they need without sacrificing the phenomenal Judaics they were promised. It would also create a more unified Torah learning community.
Overhauling the schedule would be a logistical nightmare. Professors would have less flexibility in making their schedules, teaching at both campuses would be difficult and students would need to be on board. The question becomes: Is YU willing to battle that nightmare in the name of delivering fully on their Torah U’madda mission or not?
