SAS closes two depts., saves Rel. Studies

and jorie green The Religious Studies Department -- with a little help from a lot of its friends -- has survived the threat of closing and will remain a School of Arts and Sciences department, instead of becoming an interdepartmental program. "The school no longer anticipates closing the department of Religious Studies," Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson said at a University Trustees meeting in June. "We plan to develop that area and strengthen it." But the pinch of School and Arts and Sciences cutbacks is still being felt by the Regional Sciences and American Civilization departments -- which unlike Religious Studies were disbanded effective June 30. Last September, SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens announced that in an effort to "streamline" education, she would disband the Religious Studies, American Civilization and Regional Science departments, and combine the Astronomy and Physics departments. But a special task force -- the University's Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility "made a recommendation to Dean Stevens and she accepted it," according to Lazerson, who said he also approved of the idea. The task force also suggested several changes in the department, to take effect this fall. Religious Studies Department Chairperson Ann Matter said in June that she and others in the department -- which contains only six faculty members and a handful of majors -- were "very pleased" at the news. "The dean had said all along that the study of religion was very important, but she said the best way to do it was with a program rather than a department," Matter said. "A department is really the best way, which is what I've been saying all along." Matter had been fighting the proposed cut since it was announced. She said then that Stevens' plan was a "mistake." Steven's recommendation for the cut came after a year and a half review of all 28 SAS departments, and was necessary, Stevens said, to save the school money and use resources more effectively. Several University officials -- both within the department and outside of it -- rallied to save the Religious Studies from being axed. In fact, 40 of 61 SAS faculty members voted against the cut proposal at a faculty meeting last October. But Matter said this week that she was at least happy that Stevens kept an "open mind" throughout the process. "She said that she would keep an open mind and this shows that she really did," Matter said after hearing the good news. Matter said the department will undergo a series of changes -- recommended by the task force -- starting in the fall. Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin and Christian Association Director Rev. Beverly Dale both applauded the decision to keep the department, saying that the academic study of religion complements religious observance at the respective centers. "First of all, it adds a tremendously important comparative dimension to religion in the community," Brochin said. "Second, it's the place where people can deal with literature and text and ideas and theology in an objective academic framework. "While the religious centers have the dimensions of that, they certainly don't have it to the degree of an academic department," he added. Dale said she was most worried about the fact that "we almost lost" the department, and suggested that people concentrate on "the secularization of this culture that would mean the study of religion could be discounted and trivialized to the point that it could be scuttled." The Religious Studies Department, whose origins at the University date back to 1791, has nearly 500 students enrolled in its classes each year. So far, Religious Studies is the only one of the three departments to be spared. The others were disbanded officially on June 30. The cut departments will be transformed into inter-departmental "programs," SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens said last September. But Department of Regional Science Chairperson Stephen Gale said he has not heard anything from SAS about the future of Regional Science as a program. "The only thing they've done is measured our offices to give them away to someone else," he said. Department of American Civilization Undergraduate Chairperson Melvyn Hammarberg said he would still prefer a department for Am. Civ. over a program. "A department has many more powers than a program," he said. "In terms of directing, [a program] does not have its own curriculum, its support staff and its faculty." Gale said only two of the six professors in his department have found positions in other departments. "The silly argument was that we'd all do better in other departments," he said. "But the fact is that no one has invited us."