how to think critically, dissect, and analyze situations. Communicating effectively both in writing and in speech is another essential skill we emphasize. We also stress that possessing these skills is necessary but not sufficient; students also need to develop the moral courage to speak up when they believe something is wrong. Take some of the great mistakes over the last decade— the BP oil disaster, the Penn State sex scandal, the presumption of WMDs in Iraq—in each instance, individuals knew that something wasn’t right or
that misstatements were being made, but nobody spoke up and it led to disaster. In teaching the importance of ethics, integrity, and character, we hope that our graduates will go out into the world with the discernment to make judgments for themselves and the moral courage to act on them by speaking up even when it’s unpopular to do so. Graduates of art-focused schools rack up the most debt. Should students choose a more marketable career option?
ONE EXPERIENCE TWO DEGREES List College Offers Dual-Degree Programs in Conjunction with Columbia University and Barnard College Our distinctive program enables you to combine the intimate experience of the Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies— one of the most renowned Jewish studies colleges in the world—with the secular experience of a liberal arts education at Columbia University or Barnard College. Upon graduation, you will be poised to take your place as a global citizen and emerging leader in the Jewish community and beyond.
List College. Why not have it all?
The Jewish Theological Seminary Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education The Graduate School H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music The Rabbinical School
3080 BROADWAY • NEW YORK, NY 10027
(212) 678-8832 • www.jtsa.edu/list
reform judaism
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As I said, students should follow their passion, but they also need to think practically. A great way to do this is a double major, with one major in the arts and a second in a more commercially attractive field. So be a music major, for example, but also study business or economics or biology. At Washington College, we’ve put more resources into career counseling and services, helping students map out their years with externships and summer internships, and connecting them with devoted alumni, so they become highly competitive on the job market. It’s paying off: More than 90% of the students in our last two graduating classes who were seeking work have found jobs. I also think it is wrong for schools to burden families and students with more debt than they can manage. To help our students graduate with as little debt as possible, we provide generous financial aid packages wherever possible and advise families about state and federal funding sources. Our track record is extremely good; over the past decade, only one student has defaulted on a loan. Since becoming president in 2010, you’ve taken significant steps to make Washington College an inviting place for Jewish students. What prompted you to expand the Jewish presence on campus?
My aim has been to make the college a more inviting and welcoming place for all students regardless of background, ethnicity, or religious tradition. Perhaps, though, it was a little easier for me, given my own Jewish background, to move quickly in rolling out programs that would attract Jewish students. And even before I arrived on campus, a number of Jewish alums who knew I was Jewish urged me to make the college more welcoming to Jewish students than it was in the in the 1950s and 60s, when there were very few Jews and those who were on campus felt isolated. We talked about starting a Hillel House, and within a very short period of time we were able to raise the money. It opened in spring 2012 and has been a great success. Also, a dynamic young faculty member took the lead on developing our study abroad program in Israel—and our students got to hear the
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