2014 catalog

z aY t u n a c o l l e g e

Catalog 2014-2015

o ur Mi ssi o n Zaytuna College aims to educate and prepare morally committed professional, intellectual, and spiritual leaders who are grounded in the Islamic scholarly tradition and conversant with the cultural currents and critical ideas shaping modern society.

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In t he name of God , t he Be ne fi c e nt, the Me r c i ful

\ Catalog 2014-2015

G e ne r a l S tat e m e nt an d P u blic No tic e Zaytuna College is a private, nonprofit institution in Berkeley, California. It was granted institutional approval to operate by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, pursuant to the California Education Code and the California Code of Regulations. The bureau’s approval indicates that Zaytuna College complies with the minimum standards established under the law, and does not imply endorsement or recommendation.

Zaytuna College applied for eligibility from the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Following review, WASC determined that Zaytuna is eligible to proceed with an application for candidacy for accreditation. A determination of eligibility is a preliminary finding that the institution is potentially accreditable and can proceed within four years to be reviewed for candidacy status with the Accrediting Commission. (Questions about eligibility may be directed to Zaytuna or to WASC at www.wascsenior.org or at 510-748-9001.)

Zaytuna College has no pending petition in bankruptcy, is not operating as a debtor in possession, has not filed a petition within the preceding five years, and has not had a petition in bankruptcy filed against it within the preceding five years that resulted in reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C. Sec. 1101 et seq.).

Any questions a student has regarding this catalog that have not been satisfactorily answered by Zaytuna College can be directed to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) at 2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA, 95833 (toll-free telephone number: 888-370-7589; fax: 916-263-1897). A student or any member of the public can file a complaint about this institution with BPPE by calling the phone number listed above or by completing a complaint form on the bureau’s website, www.bppe.ca.gov.

Prospective students are encouraged to review this catalog prior to signing an enrollment agreement. They are also encouraged to review the School Performance Fact Sheet, which must be provided to them prior to signing an enrollment agreement. Prior to enrolling, students are required to receive a school catalog. Print or electronic versions of this catalog are available to any person at any time upon request.

Zaytuna College updates the catalog annually, and as required by changes in institution policies and procedures or in government rules and regulations.

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“Knowledge is the intimate friend of the believer.”

The Prophet Muhammad s

Table of Contents Ac a de m i c Ca len da r vi the C o lleg e 1 A Brief History Commencement 2014

Board of Trustees

Why the Name “Zaytuna”?

T he C ur r i c u lu m 7 A Muslim Liberal Arts Education

Program Outcomes Graduation Requirements Curriculum Overview Course Descriptions T he L ib r a ry 27 S UMMEr a r a b i c i n t en s i ve p ro g ram 29 Ac a de m i c A f fa i r s 31 Vice President of Academic Affairs Academic Affairs Committee

Dean of Faculty

Faculty Affairs Committee Assessment and Accreditation Enrollment Management

Faculty Mentors

Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

academic table of contents pol icies

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Zaytuna College: The tower of the administrative campus

Ac a de m i c a n d St u d en t A f fa i rs Po licie s 35 Purpose and Intent

Student Rights and Responsibilities The Honor Code Grades Grade Appeals Process Academic Integrity Academic Standing

Sanctions Policy Campus Policies and Etiquette (Adab) E nro l lm en t Manag em en t 51 Office of Admissions Office of Financial Aid Office of the Registrar Ca mp u s L i f e 63

Student Affairs

Dean of Student Services

Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning

Residential Life

Student Activities and Organizations Z ay t una C olleg e: Wh er e We A re 71 The San Francisco Bay Area The City of Berkeley The Zaytuna Campus G e ne r a l P oli c i es 73 D ir e ct ory 77 Faculty Administration

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Academic Calendar 2014-2015 Summer 2014 Memorial Day*

Instruction begins for Summer Arabic Intensive Ramadan begins

Independence Day*

Instruction ends for Summer Arabic Intensive

Graduation for Summer Arabic Intensive

Laylat al-Qadr (27th of Ramadan)*

Eid al-Fitr holidays*

May 26, 2014 June 9, 2014 June 28, 2014 (tentative) July 4, 2014 July 18, 2014 July 18, 2014 July 25, 2014 (tentative) July 28–29, 2014

Fall 2014 Move-in day August 16, 2014 Orientation begins August 17, 2014 Instruction begins for fall semester August 20, 2014 Labor Day*

September 1, 2014 Eid al-Adha holidays* October 3–10, 2014 (tentative) Veterans Day* November 11, 2014 Thanksgiving break (faculty and students) November 24–28, 2014 Thanksgiving holidays* November 27–28, 2014 Classes end

December 9, 2014 Reading week

December 10–16, 2014 Last day of instruction

December 16, 2014 Finals week

December 17–23, 2014 Fall semester ends

December 23, 2014 Christmas Day*

December 25, 2014 New Year’s Day*

January 1, 2015 Spring 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day* Instruction begins for spring semester Presidents’ Day* Spring recess Classes end Reading week Last day of instruction Finals week Spring semester ends Commencement day Move out of dorms Memorial Day*

January 19, 2015 January 20, 2015 February 16, 2015 March 16–27, 2015 May 8, 2015 May 11–15, 2015 May 15, 2015 May 18–22, 2015 May 22, 2015 May 24, 2015 May 25, 2015 May 25, 2015

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Academic Calendar 2015-2016 Summer 2015 Instruction begins for Summer Arabic Intensive Ramadan begins

Independence Day*

Laylat al-Qadr (27th of Ramadan)*

Instruction ends for Summer Arabic Intensive

Move out of dorms Eid al-Fitr holiday*

June 2, 2015 June 18, 2015 (tentative) July 4, 2015 July 15, 2015 (tentative) July 16, 2015 July 17, 2015 July 18, 2015 (tentative)

Fall 2015 Move-in Day Orientation begins Instruction begins for fall semester Labor Day* Eid al-Adha holidays* Veterans Day* Thanksgiving break (faculty and students) Thanksgiving holidays* Classes end Reading week Last day of instruction Finals week Fall semester ends Christmas Day* New Year’s Day*

August 15, 2015 August 16, 2015 August 19, 2015

September 7, 2015

September 21–25, 2015 (tentative) November 11, 2015 November 23–27, 2015 November 26–27, 2015

December 9, 2015

December 10–16, 2015

December 16, 2015

December 17–23, 2015

December 23, 2015

December 25, 2015

January 1, 2016

Spring 2016 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day* Instruction begins for spring semester Presidents’ Day* Spring recess Classes end Reading week Last day of instruction Finals week Spring semester ends Commencement day Move out of dorms Memorial Day*

*Academic and administrative holiday observed

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January 18, 2016 January 19, 2016 February 15, 2016 March 14–25, 2016 May 6, 2016 May 9–13, 2016 May 13, 2016 May 16–20, 2016 May 20, 2016 May 22, 2016 May 23, 2016 May 30, 2016

Zaytuna’s early years in Hayward, California

zaytuna C OL L E GE cata log 2013-2014 Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr the first guest lecture at Zaytuna College (2010) viidelivers i

t h e COLLEGE A Brief History of a dozen dedicated professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area, with the goal of establishing an accredited Muslim college.

Z ay t un a Co l l ege began in 1996 as Zaytuna Institute in Hayward, California, a community educational organization co-founded by Hamza Yusuf, now president of the college, and Hesham Alalusi, a noted San Francisco Bay Area philanthropist.

The College. In 2009, Zaytuna College was founded in Berkeley, California, by Hatem Bazian, Zaid Shakir, and Hamza Yusuf. Its mission called for grounding students in the Islamic scholarly tradition as well as in the cultural currents and critical ideas shaping modern society. The Summer Arabic Intensive, a two-month, residential language course, was its first academic program. Subsequently, the undergraduate program welcomed its inaugural freshman class in fall 2010.

A Living Tradition. The Institute established a worldwide reputation for helping revive Islam’s educational and intellectual legacy and for popularizing traditional learning among Western Muslims. For Zaytuna, “traditional learning” has always meant an educational methodology based on Islam’s primary sources (i.e., the Qur’ān and the Sunnah), as understood and explained by the collective wisdom of scholars connected through time by verified chains of transmitted knowledge.

In the ensuing years, Zaytuna College continued to refine its academic identity, rooting itself firmly in the classical liberal arts tradition aimed at equipping students with the tools of learning, critical thinking, and eloquent expression.

This time-tested relationship to knowledge guided Zaytuna’s educational initiatives, which included community classes; a series of traveling Minara (Arabic for “lighthouse”) seminars; and Seasons, an academic and devotional quarterly journal. In addition, a Contemporary Issues Series aimed to connect Islamic thought to broader public conversations in the West.

By 2014, it had secured two buildings for its permanent campus atop Berkeley’s famed Holy Hill, an academic neighborhood named for the host of religious colleges that have made their homes there.

Today, the College is in the midst of the accreditation process with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a preeminent accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Seminary Program. In 2004, noting the dearth of religious leaders with the requisite cultural literacy to tend to the spiritual and pastoral needs of American Muslims, Zaytuna launched a seminary program. Under the tutelage of Zaid Shakir, five students graduated in 2008.

Zaytuna Institute then went through a seismic transition, led by a Management Committee

Zaytuna College conferred its first undergraduate degrees on its initial cohort of students on May 18, 2014 (see pages 2-3).

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Commencing a Life of Learning and Service 4 The First-Ever Zaytuna College Commencement berkeley, california may 18, 2014

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“Now I Have Some Answers” “I came here at 18; I had habits to break, patterns to unlearn, beliefs to reconsider. I leave here at 22, and I still have habits to break, patterns to unlearn, and beliefs to reconsider. The difference is now I know what many of those habits, patterns, and beliefs are, whereas before, I may have been so ignorant of them that I could not even begin to get to the real work of rectifying them. The difference is now I have some answers, and I see for myself, as a spiritual and intellectual being, a world of possibilities… Thus, this ceremony is appropriately called a commencement, and finally I give myself permission to begin living a life of more meaning, purpose, and courage as my teachers taught me I should.” faatimah knight Graduating senior, speaking at the 2014 Commencement

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Board of Trustees Hatem Bazian B er ke l ey , C al i fo r ni a Hatem Bazian is a co-founder of Zaytuna College and also serves as a senior faculty member.

Dr. Mubasher Rana San Ramo n , Calif o rn ia Mubasher Rana is a physician and president of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America.

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Adnan Durrani Sta mfo rd , C o n n ec t i c u t Adnan Durrani is the CEO of American Halal Co., Inc. (owner of Saffron Road Foods) and also serves as vice chair of the Board of Visitors at Columbia University’s School of Engineering.

Syed Mubeen Saifullah San Ramo n , Calif o rn ia Syed Mubeen Saifullah is secretary of the Board of Trustees. He is also the director of customer relations and business development at Neustar, Inc. Ş

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Zaid Shakir Oak ley , Calif o rn ia Zaid Shakir is a co-founder of Zaytuna College and also serves as a senior faculty member.

Dr. Suhail Obaji Memp h i s, T en n ess e e Suhail Obaji is a co-founder of Family Cancer Center, a private medical practice that includes nine physicians and eleven offices in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

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Dr. Aisha Subhani Fo rt Lau derdale, Flo rida Aisha Subhani is a physician in emergency medicine and also manages the Deen Intensive and Rihla programs.

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Pervez Qureshi Pl ea s an to n , C al i f or ni a Pervez Qureshi is chairman of the Board of Trustees. He has held executive and technical roles at various technology companies, and most recently served as president and CEO of Epicor Corporation.

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Hamza Yusuf San Ramo n , Calif o rn ia Hamza Yusuf is president and a co-founder of Zaytuna College and also serves as a senior faculty member.

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Why the Name “Zaytuna”?

God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The likeness of divine light is as of a niche with a lamp inside; the lamp is in a glass; the glass is as if a shining star, lit from a blessed olive tree, neither of the East nor of the West, its oil nearly luminous even without fire touching it. Light upon light: God guides whomever God will to divine light; and God gives people examples. And God is cognizant of everything. (24:35)

T h e p r o c e s s o f curing olives has long been used as a metaphor for the maturing of the human heart. Olives (zaytūnah) are second only to figs in Ragnar Berg’s table of purifying foods. Unlike other fruits, olives must be treated by human hands in order to become palatable food. Olive oil is one of the most ancient of all oils and has been used for millennia

by Mediterranean people to light lamps, treat skin, and nourish bodies.

God swears an oath by the olive, saying, “By the fig and the olive, and Mount Sinai, and this secure city, We have made man in the finest order” (Qur’ān 95:1-4). The Prophet Muhammad s said, “Anoint yourselves with olive oil because it comes from a blessed tree.” In his book on the qualities of the Prophet s , Imam al-Tirmidhī mentions that it was reported that the Prophet s used so much olive oil that his shawl was often saturated with it.

One of the greatest universities in the history of Islam, Jāmi¢at al-Zaytūnah in Tunis, provided intellectual and spiritual oil that illuminated Africa for over a thousand years. Ibn ‘Arafah, Imam al-Māzarī, and countless other great scholars taught there, preserving the knowledge and sciences of Islam. Taking its name from this venerable tradition, Zaytuna College seeks to revive the tradition of sound Islamic teaching institutions.

The olive tree has an extraordinary root system that can extend over twenty feet, enabling it to draw water from deep within the earth and produce olives for hundreds of years. The olive tree is considered a blessed tree by all three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Adherents of these religions have traditionally used its wood to make prayer beads, and there are numerous references to the olive in their sacred texts. In the Torah, in the book of Deuteronomy, the Prophet Moses e describes Palestine as a “good land, a land of olives.” The Book of Genesis says that, after the Flood, a dove brought an olive branch to the Prophet Noah e as a sign that land was near. According to the Psalms, a man’s children are like “the slips of olive trees.” The Prophet Jesus e also made references to the olive tree. The Qur’ān says:

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The Zaytuna College Seal

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The greatest, truest, and only permanent good bestowed upon humanity is that of true knowledge. From such knowledge, all other goods flow, even faith.

And this is why, at Zaytuna College, we have adorned our seal with the prayer Qul Rabbi zidnÏ ‘ilman (“Say: O Lord, increase me in knowledge”).

For it is our knowledge of the world alone that enables us to discern a creator; hence true knowledge will always lead to true faith. The greatest Qur’¥nic commandment is “Know that there is no god but the One True God.” It is knowledge alone—and most importantly, knowledge of God— that differentiates us from beasts, making us unique among God’s glorious creation. th e q u r’ ® ni c q u otat ion is fr om s ƒ rat >® h ® , ve r se 1 1 4 .

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t h e CU R R I CULU M A Muslim Liberal Arts Education In curriculum design, clarity and intentionality are the most vital elements in the development of program outcomes. At Zaytuna College, these outcomes have been identified with the Arabic term adab, of which the contemporary Muslim philosopher Naquib al-Attas has written, “The fundamental element inherent in the concept of education in Islam is the inculcation of adab (ta’dīb).” The term contains a complex set of meanings that includes decency, comportment, decorum, etiquette, manners, morals, propriety, and humaneness. As an acronym, ADAB reminds us not just of the end of education—a human being with adab—but also of the means to it: acquire tools for lifelong learning (Arabic language, memorization, and the qualitative and quantitative disciplines of the classical liberal arts); demonstrate grounding in both the Islamic and the Western scholarly traditions; analyze subjects in relation to each other and with attention to contemporary relevance; and build on theoretical knowledge through moral commitment and service to the community and society.

involvement with an active community of believers. As our students pursue their studies, they are integrated into the life of the surrounding Muslim community. They deliver lectures and sermons; they lead and participate in religious gatherings; they provide counsel, especially for the youth of the community; and they are exposed to the full range of daily trials and triumphs that characterize modern society.

Students will find the Zaytuna curriculum to “No man was be holistic, with educated unless he its emphasis on universal was acquainted principles and with the themes, rather than fragmented masterpieces of his into isolated tradition.” subjects and disciplines. In a Ş seminal essay on liberal education, the poet and scholar Mark van Doren tells us, “The student who can begin early in his life to think of things as connected, even if he revises his view with every succeeding year, has begun the life of learning.” This spirit captures an essential aspect of study at Zaytuna College: the holistic curriculum reflects the interdependence of disciplines. For example, the study of astronomy raises issues of theology; the study of political science is not divorced from personal ethics; the rise and fall of civilizations is contextualized through a study of world religions; and grammar, logic, and rhetoric constantly inform the interpretive possibilities of a text.

With these ends in mind, we have developed a unique curriculum for a bachelor’s degree program, relying on varied pedagogical approaches, from selective memorization to critical analysis. The curriculum emphasizes key foundational texts; an in-depth examination of critical methodological issues; a command of the Arabic language; a familiarity with the most important Islamic sciences; and grounding in law, history, philosophy, science, astronomy, literature, ethics, and politics.

Our educational philosophy also reflects our belief that the ability of a student to become part of a living intellectual and spiritual tradition is enhanced by an ongoing

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contributive role that Islam can play in the modern world, as well as the faith’s shared history with the West. A look at the historic timeline of the greatest books of Western civilization shows a significant gap between the years 400 (Augustine) and 1200 (Aquinas).

Although much of this period is known as the Dark Ages, Muslim intellectual life began to flourish after the seventh century and contributed to, in the terminology of Marshall Hodgson, “the Great Western Transmutation,” ushering in the era of modernity. As historian Dimitri Gutas points out, “One can justly claim that the study of post-classical Greek secular writings can hardly proceed “At Zaytuna, our without the students engage the evidence of Arabic, which shared traditions of in this context Islam and the West, becomes the studying Aristotle and second classical language, even Avicenna,Galen and before Latin.”

In his introduction to the 1952 publication of Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins points out that it was considered self-evident, until recently, that “No man was educated unless he was acquainted with the masterpieces of his tradition.” The Zaytuna curriculum takes this claim to heart, but grapples with an added challenge. As a Muslim liberal arts college in the West, Zaytuna aims to provide its students a foundation in the intellectual heritage of not one but two major world civilizations: the Western and the Islamic. These civilizations share not only common roots but also common aims: to think deeply and systematically about the world (creation), to ponder its ultimate cause and purpose (Creator), and to live ethically in the course of our individual and collective lives (spirituality and politics).

As an emerging college, Zaytuna’s aim and ambition are to fully participate in a renewal of the teachings embedded in the Islamic religious tradition so students can grasp their relevance to the present world. In the words of Hutchins, “If we can secure a real university in this country and a real program of general education upon which its work can rest, it may be that the character of our civilization may slowly change.”

Ghazali, side by side.”

A true liberal arts education, Ş by definition, equips students with the tools of learning, critical thinking, and eloquent expression. These are the disciplines that comprise the qualitative aspect of the trivium—grammar, logic, and rhetoric—in a classical liberal arts education. At Zaytuna College, students receive five years of Arabic, three semesters of logic, and three semesters of rhetoric; in addition, they apply these tools in classes across the curriculum. With a one-year Arabic language prerequisite for matriculation, Zaytuna places more emphasis on the Arabic language than does any other undergraduate program in the nation.

The idea of a Zaytuna education can be expressed in several ways, but at its core is an aspiration that students undergo a personal transformation that leads to an abiding concern for the wider community. As God’s creation, we are all interconnected, and through our diverse cultural histories, we discover our shared humanity and dream of a common future. Because our problems are, at their root, both spiritual and philosophical, the Islamic intellectual legacy can benefit the broader societal discourse.

As a Muslim educational community, Zaytuna acknowledges the overarching objectives of Muslim law: the preservation of religion,

Zaytuna College students will begin to understand, through practice, learning, and the free exchange of ideas, the valuable and

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life, intellect, family, private property, and human dignity. These objectives provide the foundation for learning, character, and service that is integral to the mission of the College.

Zaytuna’s academic and extracurricular programs are designed to foster and develop the moral, intellectual, and spiritual qualities necessary for cultivating balanced individuals who cherish and desire to realize these objectives. Zaytuna offers eight courses in law and three in theology, both Islamic and comparative, toward its Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic Law and Theology.

reconciliation of our common heritage, and for keeping God and revelation at the center of the conversation. A future of health and healing, we affirm, will be built on the intellectual and spiritual achievements of the past. Our vision, educational philosophy, and curriculum are designed with this in mind.

Many great American scholars and thinkers have lamented the decline of the liberal arts in the West and committed themselves to a revival of liberal education. Their vision endures today in religious and secular institutions such as Thomas Aquinas College, St. John’s College, Columbia University, Shimer College, Williams College, and Bard College. Zaytuna is the first Muslim college to join the movement.

Zaytuna College also aims to prepare its graduates for lives of service and leadership.

Students are challenged to grow in intellectual curiosity and to become caring, responsible human beings, committed to the stewardship of creation, especially of the weak and vulnerable.

Accordingly, the College emphasizes the universal nature of Islamic values. It is our hope that Muslims of all backgrounds, as well as students and faculty of other faiths and perspectives, will find a welcoming community at the College.

The decline of traditional Islamic education has resulted in a similar erosion of understanding of grammar, rhetoric, and logic, as well as the fundamental skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, among Muslims. A Muslim liberal arts college with a well-designed curriculum can help integrate the study of Arabic and Islam into the Western canon. Such an effort by Zaytuna and others may go a long way toward infusing faith into civil society, thereby enhancing the commonweal.

Our goal is to make Zaytuna a place where Muslim tradition comes alive. “Tradition,” as van Doren reminds us, “is most dangerous, and most troublesome, when it is forgotten.

It gives strength as well as takes it. It brings life as well as threatens it. It is life fighting to maintain itself in time. For there is the curious fact that tradition is never so healthy as when it is being fought. We deny its authority, but in doing so we use its clearest terms; and end, if we are original, in enriching it so that it may have strength for future wars. It is orthodoxy at its best, thriving on heresies which it digests into nobler problems.”

At the end of the day, it is our graduates who can effect change. For the ultimate end of a liberal arts education, at Zaytuna College or elsewhere, is the formation of a healthy human being—body and mind, heart and soul. The fragmentation of human knowledge into disparate disciplines that no longer recognize their relationship to each other or to the whole leads to an alienation from oneself. It is our humble aspiration that a journey through the Zaytuna curriculum may become a journey of self-discovery for our students, a reconciliation with the living and nonliving beings around us, towards knowledge of the divine.

At Zaytuna, students engage the shared traditions of Islam and the West, studying Aristotle and Avicenna, Galen and Ghazali, side by side. Zaytuna is a place for the renewal and

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Program Outcomes

Successful admission of our students into graduate study is one important affirmation of Zaytuna’s undergraduate program. The curriculum is designed to provide strong preparation for the pursuit of advanced degrees, particularly in law, the humanities, and the social sciences. Students interested in graduate studies that require competency in Arabic and grounding in the Islamic intellectual tradition depart Zaytuna with an outstanding advantage. Students interested in law, social work, religious studies, counseling, chaplaincy, and interfaith leadership find themselves welcome in graduate programs in these fields.

The overall outcomes of the Zaytuna College undergraduate program can be expressed through the acronym A DA B .

• Acquire tools for lifelong learning (Arabic language, memorization, and the qualitative and quantitative disciplines of the classical liberal arts) • Demonstrate grounding in both the Islamic and the Western scholarly traditions • Analyze subjects in relation to each other and with attention to contemporary relevance • Build on theoretical knowledge through moral commitment and service to the community and society

A liberal arts education also prepares students for professions in fields such as medicine, engineering, technology, and business, although additional studies may be required to fulfill specialized prerequisites in some areas.

A rigorous liberal arts education is generally recognized as an excellent asset for graduates, regardless of the specific career path they pursue.

Ultimately, these outcomes are measured by the lives and careers of our graduates after they leave Zaytuna. Students who successfully complete the program are expected to demonstrate abilities in research, reasoning, and communication.

As students, they are expected to demonstrate civic virtues through an active life in a well-knit student community and through a purposeful experiential learning program. Students are encouraged to live by a high standard of adab, or humaneness, in their personal and professional endeavors. Adab encompasses the ability to relate fairly and compassionately to others; to work in a spirit of collaboration for the common good; and to embody virtues such as temperance, patience, and humility.

Self-Assessment in the Islamic Tradition ¢Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph after the death of the Prophet Muhammad s, is reported to have said, “Take account of yourselves before you are taken into account.”

Islamic literature is replete with exhortations toward personal, intellectual, and spiritual excellence and striving toward these qualities.

In Islam, submission to God is the first step, but beyond that, Muslims are encouraged to develop true faith and to always strive to be better, learn more, and correct their own faults. Muslims are also urged to avoid complacency, and never to think they have done enough or have done well enough. At Zaytuna College, we urge faculty, students, and staff to constantly strive toward selfassessment and self-improvement.

In the courses relating to Islamic law and theology, graduates are grounded in theology, jurisprudence, scripture, and the Islamic intellectual and religious tradition, broadly defined. At a practical level, they are able to properly recite the Qur’ān, having memorized certain portions of it. Most importantly, they are able to read original classical Arabic texts with comprehension.

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Graduation Requirements Students need a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 to graduate from Zaytuna College and must have achieved a passing grade/evaluation in all the requirements listed here.

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Completion of coursework

Official record

Notes

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Transcript

No more than one class per semester may be taken on a pass/fail basis.

Experiential learning

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Requirements include discussion with Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning; reflection paper.

Senior thesis

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Transcript

Requirements include advisor evaluation, approval, and comments; 3540 pages (~8,000-10,000 words) in English, or 15-20 pages (~4,000-5,000 words) in Arabic.

Recitation of the Qur’ān (tajwīd)

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Requirements include assessment by tajwīd instructor Text: Al-Jazariyyah

Memorization of the Qur’ān (h. ifz. )

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Requirements include assessment by tajwīd instructor for Juz’ 30; alBaqarah 255; 285-286; Āl-i ¢Imrān 190-200; al-Kahf 1-10; 101-110; Yā-Sīn; al-Wāqi ¢ah; al-Hashr 18-24

Total units to graduate

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Curriculum Overview All courses are three units, except where indicated. Classes not listed in the table are tajwīd (one unit), memorization (one unit), experiential learning (three units), and the fiqh enrichment section for female students (optional).

Fall semester

Spring semester

Ye ar ONE

Year t wo

Year three

• Arabic Grammar 1 (5 units) • Islamic Law 1: Purification and Prayer • Freshman Seminar • Creedal Theology • Formal Logic

• Arabic Grammar and Texts 1 (4 units) • Qur’ānic Sciences • Rise and Fall of Civilizations • Mathematics (4 units with lab) • Logic in the Islamic Tradition

• Arabic Text Study 1 • Islamic History • The Soul & the Cosmos • Islamic Legal Philosophy • Economics • Senior Thesis: Research Methods Seminar (1 unit)

• Arabic Grammar 2 (5 units) • Islamic Law 2: Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage • Introduction to the Qur’ān • Rhetoric • Prophetic Biography

• Arabic Grammar and Texts 2 (4 units) • Prophetic Tradition • Material Logic • History of Science • Astronomy (4 units with lab)

• Arabic Text Study 2 • History of the United States • Natural Theology • Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence • Philosophy • Senior Thesis: Research (1 unit)

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Year four • Ethics • Islamic Law: Family • Islamic Law: Inheritance • Comparative Theology • Arabic Rhetoric and Literature • Senior Thesis: Writing (1 unit)

• Politics • Islamic Law: Commercial • Constitutional Law • Contemporary Muslim Thought • Seminar in Advanced Arabic • Senior Thesis: Completion (1 unit)

Recitation and Memorization Zaytuna College expects all graduates to have attained proficiency in the recitation of the Qur’ān and to have memorized a sufficient amount for fulfilling basic religious obligations, living a balanced spiritual life, and leading ritual services in the community.

The program is designed for students who have no prior training in Arabic. Students are first oriented to the rules of elocution in the Summer Arabic Intensive program.

The College offers instruction in the basic rules of tajwīd, following the classical text of al-Jazariyyah during the academic year.

Students should be able to complete the requirement for both recitation (tajwīd) and memorization (ĥifż) within the first two years of study, leaving the last two years to concentrate on the senior thesis, and if applicable, experiential learning. The tajwīd instructors offer ongoing guidance, support, and structure for the timely completion of the recitation and memorization requirements.

The Academic Support Center also provides advice and tutors to help with memorization, if requested. Please see page 11 for the specific memorization requirements.

The Senior Thesis Two aspects of education at Zaytuna are relevant to the senior thesis. One is a transmission of knowledge from the past, including the inculcation of skills to access Arabic texts and the acquisition of the tools of reasoning and communication. The other is that students are asked to creatively engage material in discussions and seminars built around great ideas, ethical dilemmas, and methodological impasses. A healthy tension between these two aspects is woven through the curriculum and the classes. The way students experience this dichotomy is perhaps best explained by the German verbs lernen and studieren, the former indicating a didactic and

authoritative approach, and the latter a more engaged, egalitarian, and critical one.

Both come together in the senior thesis, where students are expected to combine the sum of their learning in a creative yet disciplined piece of writing. The faculty assess the senior thesis based on three criteria: 1. Reasoning: the presentation of a

focused thesis or series of questions, arguments that align with that focus, and reasoning that is valid and based on sound evidence 2. Writing: clear and simple prose that is well structured, of compelling diction and style, and free of mechanical errors 3. Research: use of relevant and credible sources, with accurate citation

Students begin work on the thesis in the junior year with a seminar in research methods. By the end of the seminar, students are expected to have a working title, bibliography, and project proposal. Students may ask any faculty member to serve as their advisor for the thesis. If no faculty members are available or willing to work on the thesis, students should seek advice from their designated faculty mentor and may be supervised by the mentor, the Dean of Faculty, or the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

By February 15 of the junior year, students must submit a form, obtained from the Office of Enrollment Management, which includes the following: 1. Working title of the thesis 2. Working bibliography 3. A thesis summary of no more than 500 words 4. Signature of advisor

Students use the spring semester of the junior year and fall semester of the senior year for research and writing. The final senior thesis must be submitted, in print and electronic

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form, to the advisor and the Office of Enrollment Management by March 15 in the semester of graduation. In addition, students who are enrolled in the Honors program must present their thesis at a public symposium, organized before the end of the spring semester of the senior year. Students not part of the Honors program are also encouraged to present their thesis at this symposium.

The thesis may be written in English or Arabic.

The English thesis should be thirty-five to forty pages (roughly 8,000 to 10,000 words in 12-point font, double-spaced), and the Arabic thesis should be fifteen to twenty pages (or 4,000 to 5,000 words). A thesis may be partially composed of an original translation. A standard thesis focuses on research and analysis. Creative essays are normally not acceptable as final theses, but alternative options for format and content may be designed in consultation with the thesis advisor.

The final thesis submission should include the following: 1. Title page 2. Abstract of no more than 250 words that includes the thesis statement, method, and significance of the project 3. Table of contents, acknowledgments, other front matter 4. Chapters, which usually follow a standard order (i.e., introduction,

background information, proofs and arguments in favor of the thesis, fair presentation and refutation of opposing points of view, and conclusion)

Additional guidelines with more details are provided in the Research Methods seminar.

Senior theses are assessed by a group of faculty, using a common rubric for assessment and evaluation. Grades for a senior

thesis are “distinguished,” “satisfactory,” or “unsatisfactory,” and are noted on the final transcript. If a student receives “unsatisfactory” on the thesis, he will be permitted to graduate if all other graduation requirements have been met, but with the unsatisfactory grade noted on the transcript.

To receive a distinguished grade, the thesis needs to be nominated for distinction by the advisor and reviewed by the Dean of Faculty and Vice President of Academic Affairs or by two alternate members of the faculty designated by the Dean and Vice President. A majority vote of the thesis review committee is necessary to be awarded a distinction.

Experiential Learning Experiential learning through civic engagement is integral to the Zaytuna College undergraduate program. Students gain realworld experience by engaging with the broader community through service or civic projects. Students are expected to connect these experiences to what they learn inside the classroom and to their efforts toward spiritual and moral growth. Every Zaytuna student must perform a minimum of fifty hours of community service or civic engagement, which is approved and evaluated by the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning.

Active reflection, prompted by short writing assignments and guided discussions, enriches the meaning of the service experience and encourages students to think systematically and creatively about the complex issues related to their chosen community projects. Through their reflections, students begin to understand the wider community, acquire empathy for others, discover solutions to problems around them, and examine their own perspectives in relation to those of others.

Through written and oral assignments, students demonstrate that they can communicate

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the valuable lessons learned through their experiences, including how these lessons relate to their courses and how service is essential to building healthier communities. Successful completion of the service and reflection requirements earns students three credits toward a Bachelor’s degree.

Honors Program Zaytuna College offers an Honors program through which the student completes an additional set of requirements beyond those articulated for the Bachelor of Arts degree.

Acceptance into the Honors program requires a GPA of 3.65 at the end of the first year, with no outstanding incomplete grades, along with fulfilling the memorization requirements in the freshman classes in Islamic law. Students who have formally enrolled in the program must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA through the completion of the academic program, and must uphold a record of conduct without reprimand or formal sanction. The Honors program Memorization Requirements Ta jwīd

Matn al-Jazariyyah

Qur ’ān

Juz’ 29; Yūsuf; al-Kahf

Hadīth

Al-Arba‘īn al-Nawawiyyah; Matn al-Bayqūniyyah

Fi qh

Murshid al-Mu’īn (Mālikī students); al-Zubad (‘ibādāt section, Shāfi‘ī students); Kifāyat al-Ghulām (H . anafī students)

Us. ūl

Al-Waraqāt (verse)

‘Aq ī da h Tasawwuf Mantiq Sī r a h

consists of an extensive memorization component, as shown in the table below, and a presentation of the senior thesis in a formal symposium. The College offers weekly sessions for students in the Honors program to study the texts that are being memorized. These sessions—called “Living Links” to emphasize the importance of enduring chains of transmission from teacher to student in the Islamic tradition—are open as enrichment activities to students not enrolled in the Honors program. The sessions are designed for completion over a threeyear cycle to facilitate the timely progress of students enrolling in their sophomore year.

Course Descriptions Courses are listed according to year and semester of study.

If a student has any special interests or circumstances that warrant the awarding of credit beyond the courses listed, he may inquire about options to enroll in an independent study course by contacting the Dean of Faculty. However, an independent study course may not be used to make up for a regular course that a student has failed or dropped because of an inability to meet the course requirements.

Freshman: Fall Semester Arabic Grammar 1 Based on a comprehensive grammar text designed for students who are familiar with the structure of the English language, the first year of Arabic at Zaytuna covers all the fundamental aspects of Arabic grammar. In order to promote the acquisition of accurate reading skills, this course places heavy emphasis on vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, types of sentences, declension, pronouns, case endings, and the various forms of verbs.

Matn Jawharat al-Tawh.īd Matn Murshid al-Mu¢īn and al-Zubad (relevant sections) Matn al-Sullam Matn Qurrat al-Abs. ār

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Islamic Law 1: Purification and Prayer This course introduces two of the five pillars of Islam: the declaration of faith (shahādah) and ritual prayer (śalāh). The latter includes a study of ritual purification (ţahārah). The course introduces relevant Islamic theological concepts and covers topics that include the meaning of jurisprudence (fiqh), the rulings related to ritual prayer, the etiquette of supplication, and the spiritual dimensions of worship. Students can choose to enroll in a course based upon one of the following Sunni schools of jurisprudence: Hanafī, Mālikī, or Shāfi¢ī. Students aspiring to join the Honors program are also required to study and memorize a classical text (matn) to serve as a memory peg for the jurisprudence of their respective school in their first year.

Creedal Theology This course introduces students to Islamic creedal theology and its dialectical tradition, with a focus on normative Sunni theology.

Students learn about the historical schisms that led to the inherited theological diversity still extant among Muslims, the rational and antirational tendencies that marked the struggle for determining orthodoxy, and the teachings of surviving schools of thought on various issues in theology. Beginning with the Qur’ān and branching out into classical manuals, students examine the nature of divinity, prophethood, eschatology, revelation, indiscernible realities, destiny, free will, and theodicy.

Freshman Seminar The word seminar comes from the Latin seminarium, for “seed plot.” This course provides the groundwork for growth in reading and academic writing abilities and for developing an understanding of the purpose and meaning of a liberal arts education. It emphasizes qualitative literacy—through the study of grammar, logic, and rhetoric—as the foundation of classical education, both Islamic and Western. Students develop the strategies of critical and syntopical reading as tools for lifelong learning. Readings across the curriculum and in various genres (e.g., nonfiction, essays, fiction, and lyric poetry) provide seeds of ideas and serve as points of departure for writing essays. Through discussions of readings and writing assignments, students develop the abilities to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize ideas and texts. Students draft and revise essays that argue a thesis in a focused, clear, organized, and well-developed manner and learn to cite their sources according to accepted academic standards. Effective use of dictionaries and a personal reference library is emphasized to aid students in expanding their vocabulary and research.

Formal Logic This course is a comprehensive introduction to Aristotle’s formal logic through readings of core primary texts from his Organon, including “Categories,” “On Interpretation,” and “Prior Analytics,” as well as texts from Thomas Aquinas’s commentaries. Formal logic is socalled because it deals with the form, as opposed to the matter, or content, of arguments.

Formal logic allows terms to be represented by symbols, thereby revealing the pure form of the different varieties of the Aristotelian syllogism. The course is divided into three parts, each developing core logical principles and the acts of the intellect to which they respectively belong: (1) the concept, which is thought by the act of simple apprehension; (2) the proposition, which is thought by the intellect’s combination of concepts; and (3) the syllogism, which constitutes the intellect’s act of demonstrative reasoning. The course provides a complete set of concepts, rules, and methods by which students can recognize and construct sound arguments. Special emphasis is placed on identifying and studying the implications of the metaphysical foundations of Aristotelian formal logic.

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Mark Delp teaches Formal Logic to Zaytuna College freshmen

and technical meanings of key words and concepts associated with the three pillars; the legal rulings relating to obligatory alms, fasting, and the pilgrimage; and the integrals of the three pillars, including sunan, additional enhancers, undesirable descriptions, invalidators, modes of redress for imperfections, and their supererogatory forms (śadaqah and ¢umrah).

Freshman: Spring Semester Arabic Grammar 2 This course continues the acquisition of grammar skills, using the same text as in Arabic Grammar 1. Students learn how to conjugate verbs with weak radicals and how to work with quadriliteral verbs and with cardinal and ordinal numbers. They also learn advanced rules associated with gender, declension, particles, and exceptions, and are introduced to the rules of versification. Vocabulary acquisition remains at the heart of the course, with the primary objective of developing upper-intermediate reading skills going into the sophomore year.

-n Introduction to the Qur’a Students in this course engage in an introductory reading of the entire Qur’ān and are required to read one part ( juz’) of the Qur’ān for every class, in Arabic and in translation. Class discussions focus on the major themes of the Qur’ān, its overall structure, and the order of its chapters. Fine points of language, style, and interpretation are explored. The primary learning objectives of the course are to familiarize students with the content, arrangement, and vocabulary of the Qur’ān.

Islamic Law 2: Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage This course introduces three of the five pillars of Islam: obligatory alms (zakat), fasting (śawm), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). Students learn the linguistic

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A Holistic Approach to Course Scheduling Zaytuna College seeks to offer a holistic approach to life and learning. Like our curriculum, our course scheduling encourages students to dedicate time not only for study but also for other essential activities that keep them healthy and allow for personal wellbeing and growth. Classes are scheduled for the early part of the day, when the mind is rested and fresh, and we seek to limit the number of classes a student has to attend in one day.

In the 2014–2015 academic year, classes will begin at 7:00 AM and end early in the afternoon.

Rhetoric Rhetoric represents the culmination of the trivium sequence at Zaytuna College. Students are introduced to persuasive communication, using the methods developed in classical rhetoric. Readings range from ancient texts, such as Socrates’ Apology, to seminal works in American history, such as the Federalist Papers and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. Emphasis is placed on the Aristotelian canons of invention, arrangement, style, and delivery. In addition to analysis and exercises in the imitation of texts and speeches, students learn to apply their skills in oral presentations, debates, and prose.

Prophetic Biography This course acquaints students with the Prophet Muhammad’s life, struggles, and moral character. The life of the Prophet s is the model for all Muslims, and their highest purpose is to follow his example. In this course, students rely on selections of historical sources and foundational texts to study the

After classes, students will have ample time to eat, pray, rest, study, access academic and personal support services, and partake in student activities. The American maxim “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” also rings true in the Islamic tradition. Muslim students have traditionally begun their activities shortly after the dawn prayer so they can take advantage of the special blessings of the early morning; this schedule also allows for large blocks of time for study, prayer, meals, and leisure activities.

authenticated narratives about the Prophet s and establish his normative biography. The course also examines and evaluates writings external to the Islamic tradition, some of which treat the sīrah in an impartial light and others of which treat it with hostility.

Sophomore: Fall Semester Arabic Grammar and Texts 1 The second year of Arabic is designed to cement the acquisition of the rules for proper reading. Students in this course study Arabic grammar, as presented in the Ājurrūmiyyah, a classical Arabic grammar text. Students also begin the practice of reading intermediatelevel texts and selections from scriptural sources.

- nic Sciences Qur’a This course examines the sciences associated with the study of the Qur’ān, known in Arabic as ‘ulūm al-Qur’ān. Topics covered include revelation, collection, and arrangement;

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transmission and variant readings; language and vocabulary; interpretation and abrogation; and virtues and inimitability.

Students focus on concepts embedded in the classical Islamic tradition and engage with key contemporary reference works. The course revolves around the seminal Itqān fī ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān, by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Students also read the first part of Imam al-Ghazali’s Jawāhir al-Qur’ān. In addition, students engage with contemporary works to demonstrate familiarity with Western historical approaches to the Qur’ān and to critically respond to the challenges they present.

The Rise and Fall of Civilizations This course acquaints students with the structure and patterns in the dynamics of civilizations.

The focus is on the ancient empires of the Middle East and the Mediterranean, especially on examining their economic, social, political, and cultural systems and comparing their similarities and dissimilarities as they rise and fall. The course covers theories of both Western and early Islamic scholars about the rise, expansion, and decline of civilizations. A Qur’ānic perspective about the trajectories of civilizations is also presented.

Mathematics This course examines the historical development of mathematics, as well as numbers and number systems and their use in computations. It also covers the basics of abstract treatment of balancing computational problems through the use of algebraic theory and examines the power of deductive reasoning through geometric proofs that follow the Euclidean school. Finally, the course includes a lab component in which students observe, photograph, and analyze geometric ratios and proportions in the world of nature and architecture.

Logic in the Islamic Tradition This course exposes students to logic in the Qur’ān and in classical Islamic literature.

Students read Imam Abhari’s Īsāghūjī, an elementary text on logic in Arabic, as well as Imam al-Ghazali’s al-Qisţās al-Mustaqīm (The Just Balance), a polemical work that outlines key patterns of argument in the Qur’ān. The course also examines the use of logic in natural theology through a reading of Imam Sanusi’s Umm al-Barāhīn, a primer on the demonstrative arguments used by Muslim theologians to prove the existence and attributes of God. Students also are introduced to some of the criticism of formal logic as a discipline within the Muslim tradition.

Sophomore: Spring Semester Arabic Grammar and Texts 2 Building on Arabic Grammar and Texts 1, this course continues with the second half of the Ājurrūmiyyah and completes a review of all the basic elements of Arabic grammar. Students graduate to reading progressively more advanced texts in various genres of Arabic religious literature. The chapter Yūsuf in the Qur’ān is a significant focus of study in this course.

Prophetic Tradition This course is an introduction to the study of the prophetic tradition and its sciences.

Topics covered include the history of hadith compilation; hadith structure and content; major hadith canons; criteria for hadith authentication; nomenclature; and the importance and practical uses of hadith in law, theology, and ethics, and as historical and rhetorical resources. The course also introduces Western criticism directed at hadith sciences and Muslim responses to this criticism. Students are expected to study, decipher, and memorize al-Manżūmah al-Bayqūniyyah (the didactic poem

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of Imam al-Bayquni) and hadith from Imam al-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith collection. They also encounter excerpts from original Arabic hadith canons.

Material Logic Building upon Formal Logic, Material Logic considers arguments from the standpoint of their matter, or content, rather than their form alone. The first part of the course introduces the student to the Latin scholastic development of Aristotle’s theory of knowledge, which traces the genesis of concepts in the human intellect through the process of abstraction.

By studying the various stages of abstraction, the student learns the nature of the special cognitive powers (e.g., imagination, memory, and sense perception), which are indispensable to the intellect’s gradual perfection as the seat of human wisdom. The second part of the course covers Aristotle’s theory of the first principles of human reasoning, as well as the role necessity and contingency play, respectively, in demonstrative and dialectical arguments. This part also explores the reasons why modern and contemporary logicians have rejected both syllogism, as the essential form of demonstrative knowledge, and essentialism, which constitutes the traditional metaphysical foundation of scholastic logic. Finally, the third part involves study of dialectical reasoning and its fallacies, thereby introducing the student to the logical nature of everyday arguments found in, for example, political discourse.

method and become acquainted with the key transitions in the shift from pre-modern to modern scientific inquiry.

Astronomy This course is a survey of astronomy from the pre-modern era to the Hubble telescope.

It focuses on humanity’s fascination with the stars throughout history and on astronomy’s relationship to our spiritual nature. The course covers classical Muslim cosmology, Qur’ānic emphasis on the heavens, and our contemplation thereof. Students study practical calendar calculation, moon sighting, and prayer-time determination based upon the sun’s daily movement. By the end of the course, students understand the moon’s orbit and the nature of the lunar calendar, and are able to calculate prayer times according to the traditional methods in books of classical jurisprudence. The course also includes a lab component in which students observe, chart, and calculate prayer times, follow the lunar cycle, and identify constellations in the night sky.

Junior: Fall Semester Arabic Text Study 1 The focus in the third year of Arabic is on the reading of texts at an advanced level.

Students read selections from the modern period, including the poetry of Nizar Qabbani and Mahmoud Darwish, and selections from various genres of modern literature, including the novel, drama, literary criticism, autobiography, letters, politics, and voices of women.

History of Science This course provides a firm grounding in the conceptual history of natural science by introducing students to theoretical models Co l l een es, episodes Vice Pr esid Ac ad e m iHistory c and S tud e nt A ffai r s that can be applied to Key certain of ent of Islamic scientific history. Students begin to understand This course focuses on the methods employed “... Inprocess the caseof of he who in keeps his promise and these episodes as part of a general contemporary historical research about is conscientious, surely God Muslim loves the societies. conscientious.” knowledge accretion, rather than as chance It presents the dominant Qur’an, “power-centric” 3:76 events. Students then examine the central role model of Islamic history and of religion in the development of the scientific examines critiques of that model. Students THE C URRICULUM

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Youssef Ismail confers with a student in his Astronomy class

learn to differentiate between the study of the history of Islam as a socio-political phenomenon and the study of the Muslim peoples. They also learn the unique qualities of the Muslim community (ummah) through a brief study of the spiritual history of Islam. The course further examines the groundbreaking methodological work of Ibn Khaldun, the father of modern historiography, and its significance for subsequent historical studies.

relationship to the cosmos. Students study the evolution of Sufism, from the inception of Islam until its consolidation as an orthodox religious science, and the contribution it made in providing the theological and intellectual frameworks governing Muslim reflection on reality. The course covers both traditional Muslim and modern scientific explanations of human consciousness. Students are also familiarized with the different genres of Sufi literature.

The Soul and the Cosmos This course examines the normative Muslim view of the nature of the human soul and its

Islamic Legal Philosophy This course introduces a number of universal legal maxims that facilitate the process of legal

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response (fatwa), as well as the stated interests and aims of Islamic law. Students review the standards for responding to sound legal arguments and evaluate contemporary fatwas.

They learn how maxims and universals were formed and how they are typically applied to new developments, as well as the conditions that regulate or restrict their applicability. They are exposed both to universally accepted legal maxims and to maxims particular to certain schools of law that have an impact on the resulting legal judgments, differentiating one school from another.

end of the course, students should have begun to draft a proposal for the senior thesis, which is to be approved by an advisor and submitted to the Registrar by February 15.

Junior: Spring Semester

Economics This course introduces economic thought from an Islamic perspective by examining competing views of man and nature that are reflected in Islamic and secular approaches to production, consumption, and exchange. The course begins with an analysis of the spiritual significance of production in traditional Islamic thought and its implications for the link between ethics and economics in consumption and exchange. Students then study the sequential secularization of the sciences of nature, production, and exchange in the West, which elevated economics as an independent discipline in the eighteenth century. Finally, students consider the effect of the secularization of neoclassical economics, particularly its theory of consumption, which replaces needs with wants and reduces values to tastes.

Senior Thesis: Research Methods This seminar prepares students for work on the senior thesis. Taught by multiple instructors, class sessions consist of readings, exercises, and discussions that introduce students to a range of methodological approaches to research. Readings and lectures are designed to enable students to develop comprehensive bibliographies for research and writing. By the

Arabic Text Study 2 Drawn from the classical era, the readings in this course range from the historical writings of Ibn Khaldun to the folkloric tradition of the Arabian Nights. In addition to selections from pre-Islamic literature and the mu¢allaqāt, students read works from the mystical tradition (Ibn Arabi and Ghazali), philosophy (Ibn Sina and Ibn Rushd), poetry and prose from the Abbasid era (Mutanabbi and Jahiz), and other important classical works.

History of the United States This introductory course provides an overview of the history of the United States, from the arrival of the Europeans through the periods of exploration, colonization, revolution, and expansion. Emphasis is given to the Native American experience, the revolution and the creation of the United States and its Constitution, the Civil War and Reconstruction, slavery and the African American struggle for political and civil rights, the women’s rights movement, the economic struggle against moneyed interests, waves of immigration and the struggle for worker’s rights and unions, antimonopoly legislation, and the role of the United States as a global superpower.

Natural Theology This course examines the formation of the Ash¢arī and Maturīdī schools of Islamic theology, their synthesis of reason and revelation in dialectics and hermeneutics, their historical consolidation as Sunni

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orthodoxy, and the dogmatic theology of the Atharī response. Through a study of the Ash¢arī didactic poem Jawharat al-Tawĥīd, along with the Maturīdī text al-Bidāyah fī Uśūl al-Dīn, students explore the central theological issues that majoritarian Sunni Islam examined and the positions it embraced. Students also consider the relationship of theology with spirituality and ethics, how Muslim orthodoxy gives rise to social and political harmony, and the contemporary relevance of theology in dealing with atheism and scientific reductionism.

Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence This course introduces students to the study of Islamic legal theory and the foundations of Islamic jurisprudence, known in Arabic as uśūl al-fiqh. The course acquaints students with the philosophical underpinnings of the primary and secondary legal sources, source indications, and the objective criteria that qualify a person to carry out interpretative autonomy (ijtihād).

Students undertake a guided reading of a number of classical manuals. The language of instruction for this class is Arabic.

philosophical reading and writing skills, such as analysis of arguments, definition of terms, identification of principles, and clear summarization of comprehensive systems of thought.

Senior Thesis: Research Having completed the research methods seminar, students work with a faculty advisor on a significant writing project to culminate their undergraduate work. Students select an advisor and spend the semester in intense research. They flesh out the working bibliography that was developed in the previous semester and develop a thesis statement and outline that will guide them through the writing process for their senior thesis.

Senior: Fall Semester

Philosophy This course is a seminar in the history of Western philosophy from ca. 350 BC through ca. 1960. Readings consist of primary texts by authors who epitomize the great philosophical movements in the three major epochs: Greek antiquity (Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus); the Latin Middle Ages (Augustine, Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure); and the modern and contemporary periods (Thomas Hobbes, René Descartes, Pascal, Nietzsche, Hume, John Stuart Mill, Bertrand Russell, and JeanPaul Sartre). Students are also introduced to recent trends that deeply affect contemporary ways of thinking, such as deconstruction and critical theory. Emphasis is placed on

Ethics This course provides students with an ethical roadmap with which to navigate their lives as they prepare to leave the college.

It presents virtue ethics, as integrated into the three Abrahamic faiths. Students read the foundational work of Aristotle and compare and contrast it with the great works of Muslim ethicists, such as al-Ghazali, Miskawayh, and al-Isfahani. Students also explore the three aspects of the soul— concupiscent, irascible, and rational—and how they function and are regulated in a virtuous individual. Students develop their own positions and arguments concerning the challenges of living ethically in the twentyfirst century.

Islamic Law: Family The aim of this course is to teach students the laws that govern the formation, care, and dissolution of the family. Students study the Islamic laws of marriage (nikāĥ), divorce (ţalāq),

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legitimacy (nasab), suckling (rađā‘ah), child custody (hadānah), legal interdiction (ĥajr), and maintenance (nafaqah). In the process of this study, they are acquainted with the rights and obligations of the spouses; the conditions of fitness and suitability in marriage (kafā’ah); and the rules governing abortion (ijhāđ), adoption (tabannī), polygyny (ta¢addud al-zawjāt), guardianship (wilāyah), and child support, among other things.

Islamic Law: Inheritance This course acquaints students with Islamic teachings on disposing of a person’s possessions after death. Students study the laws of inheritance and wills and discuss related topics, including heirs, the rules of exclusion (ĥajb), the law of increase (‘awl), the laws of return (radd), and shares. The course also covers areas of disagreement among Muslim legal schools on issues arising from contemporary applications of Islamic inheritance law. Students engage in practical applications and exercises using a number of hypothetical scenarios.

Comparative Theology This course compares and contrasts Islamic theology with some of the defining elements of the most common theological trends in the Dharmic faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism; the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism and Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant); and the ancient Far East traditions of Taoism and Confucianism.

Particular attention is given to systematic presentations of the main themes, concepts, beliefs, and key players of classical Jewish and Christian theologies and how these themes and concepts intersect with and diverge from traditional Muslim conceptions of God. We also critically examine some of the beliefs, theories, and trends that dominate contemporary academic theological

discourse, which may include widely divergent perspectives, from Perennialism to New Atheism.​

Arabic Rhetoric and Literature This course examines Arabic rhetoric through the ages, from the pre-modern period to the present, with readings reflective of each period.

It builds on the general history of rhetoric by examining the evolution of the Arabic elements of style: al-bayān, al-ma¢ānī, and al-badī¢. The course augments theoretical knowledge with a rhetorical analysis focusing primarily on readings from the Qur’ān and pre-Islamic Arabic poetry.

Senior Thesis: Writing Building on their preparatory work in the research methods seminar and senior thesis research course, students spend this semester in intensive writing toward the completion of the senior thesis. English thesis projects should be article length, ranging from approximately 8,000 to 10,000 words, or thirty-five to forty pages. Arabic thesis projects are to be approximately half that length.

Senior: Spring Semester Politics Beginning with Aristotle’s Politics, this course focuses on the relationship between individuals and the polity. The course examines competing theories of governance in the Western and Muslim traditions. Students learn about the centrality of law and ethics in the formation of political communities and the consequences when either or both are marginalized in a particular polity. The course also introduces students to theories of political legitimacy and the role that legitimacy plays in the perpetuation or demise of a political community. Additionally, students learn the factors that led to the rise of the modern

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“Zaytuna College students will begin to understand, through practice, learning, and the free exchange of ideas, the valuable and contributive role that Islam can play in the modern world, as well as the faith’s shared history with the West.”

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nation-state in Europe and the implications of the global spread of the nation-state model, with particular emphasis on its impact on the Muslim world.

Islamic Law: Commercial The aim of this course is to ground students in the Islamic teachings about business transactions, sales, and ethics. Students learn the basic components of a business transaction and become familiar with various business and financial instruments, including contracts, types of exchanges, insurance, lease-purchase agreements, mortgages, stocks and bonds, debts, and warranties. The course also covers bankruptcy, monopolies, the various types of Islamic corporations, and more. Each of these topics is examined in relation to the guidance of the Qurâ€™Ä n, the Sunnah, and the rulings of Muslim jurists.

Constitutional Law This course examines constitutional law and legal theory. Students learn the separation of powers between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches and study individual liberties in a contemporary constitutional order. Students also learn the relationships and interplay between the federal, state, and local governments, and the roles and limits of these levels of government. The class also compares and contrasts Muslim constitutional theory with the constitutional theories of various modern democracies in areas such as the qualifications for holding public office, principles of foreign relations, the legal and rational arguments for installing a head of state, offices of government, the caliphate, the social contract, the philosophical underpinnings of the relationship between the governor and the governed, and taxes.

Contemporary Muslim Thought This course traces key intellectual, legal, political, and economic ideas in the

Muslim world from the late seventeenth century to the present, mainly through an examination of primary texts, ranging from the period of Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt to contemporary critiques of Orientalism.

Students explore the shifts occurring in midto-late Ottoman history, the Capitulation Treaties, territorial losses, and the emergence of European power, as well as the legal, political, and economic challenges accruing from these. The intellectual foundations of contemporary Muslim movements and trends are also examined through readings of primary sources, with emphasis on key concepts and major changes in Islamic thought introduced in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and their impacts on Muslim societies.

Seminar in Advanced Arabic This seminar involves discussion of texts chosen by students. Each student is asked to lead a class session with texts that he circulates at least one week in advance. Students may use this opportunity to share texts they found useful for their senior thesis, or they may select texts that reflect their particular interests from any time, place, and genre within the Arabic literary landscape.

Senior Thesis: Completion Students are required to submit their final thesis by March 15. It is expected that the bulk of the writing will have been completed in the fall semester and that the first half of the spring semester will be used for revision, formatting, and submission.

Although all students are encouraged to make a presentation of their senior thesis to the College, only those who are enrolled in the Honors program are required to make a formal presentation in a special symposium.

the cu rriculum

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The Curriculum t h e L I B R A RY Zaytu n a C o l l eg e f ac ult y , staff, and students have access to existing resources from our own collection, as well as resources from UC Berkeley, the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), and the Berkeley Public Library.

Students are expected to be familiar with essential reference works in the liberal arts and Islamic studies. They are also expected to be able to conduct research independently at the undergraduate level, which involves compiling bibliographies on any topic by drawing on bibliographic databases and peer-reviewed journals.

Zaytuna’s own library collection includes volumes of classical Arabic reference works in various genres of the Islamic sciences to support and supplement the core curriculum of the undergraduate program. At this time, it is a non-circulating reference library.

Computer resources with Internet access are available in the Zaytuna reference library, with a home page that links to local libraries and online resources. Students may access UC Berkeley’s online resources from any terminal on UC Berkeley’s campus, and also have access to UC Berkeley’s main (Gardner) stacks, its

undergraduate (Moffitt) library, and reference (Doe) facility. In addition, students have access to the library at GTU, which has open stacks without borrowing privileges, as well as to the Berkeley Public Library system (with full borrowing privileges and remote access to online resources). The Berkeley Public Library offers online access to reference works from the Gale Virtual Reference Library, Encyclopedia Britannica, and other essential references, which are all linked to Zaytuna’s library portal. The Berkeley Public Library also has connections to local academic libraries in the California state university system, with interlibrary loan privileges available to our students.

Students are provided an orientation to library resources at the start of the academic year and offered a tour of the facilities. A designated member of the Zaytuna faculty serves as the library liaison to respond to students’ needs and keep them informed about available library services and resources. The library liaison works with a team of Zaytuna students to maintain, shelve, organize, and monitor the Zaytuna library. The team also incorporates new acquisitions to the reference collection..

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“Y¥ MujÏb Y¥ KarÏm” c al l i grap h y by m oh a m e d za k a r iya

The Curriculum SUMMER ARABIC INTENSIVE PROGRAM the Intensive aligns with the norms of Islamic faith and practice. Designed as a rigorous language experience, the program integrates the acquisition of reading and writing skills.

It offers two courses, one with an emphasis on Qur’ānic Arabic and the other a systematic study of Arabic grammar. The program also fulfills the Arabic language prerequisite for admission into the undergraduate program at Zaytuna College.

Although Zaytuna College cannot guarantee transfer of university credit (this is ultimately at the discretion of each university or department), the Office of the Registrar can issue an official letter to universities or institutions describing the objectives and material covered in each of the two courses.

Th e Su mm er A rab ic I nt e ns i v e is a sixweek residential language program designed for students motivated by any of a variety of goals, including personal enrichment, serious study of the Islamic tradition, and preparation for future academic study. The program incorporates classical Arabic texts and modern academic rigor within a nourishing spiritual environment. Students complete the program with the tools to begin a lifelong journey of learning Arabic.

The program is designed to provide the equivalent of one year of Arabic language credit in an intensive environment of learning, with 150 class contact hours. The rhythm of life at

“If you leave everything to spend six weeks to focus on the language, even your dreams should be in Arabic.”

Fadi Elhin Program Director Summer Arabic Intensive

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- nic Arabic Introduction to Qur’a Introduction to Qur’ānic Arabic is designed for entry-level students with little or no prior training in Arabic. The course is open to students seeking to read the Qur’ān in Arabic with comprehension, recite accurately, and embark on a lifelong journey mastering Arabic.

The course begins with the Qā¢idah Nūrāniyyah for the recognition of the alphabet. Emphasis is placed on proper elocution and recitation (tajwīd), vocabulary acquisition with special attention to Qur’ānic vocabulary, key forms and patterns for the derivation of words, and an overview of the structure of the language. Students learn basic grammatical terms through McCarus’s English Grammar for Students of Arabic and learn how to efficiently navigate through Arabic-English lexicons. For students who continue at Zaytuna College with the undergraduate program, this course also commences a five-year journey to memorize the entire contents (5,000 words) of Buckwalter and Parkinson’s A Frequency Dictionary of Arabic.

• Ability to navigate Arabic-English lexicons through a solid understanding of the tri-literal root system

Arabic Grammar Arabic Grammar is meant for beginner students who have some knowledge of the Arabic language. Only students who show proficiency in the absolute basics of Arabic are admitted to this course. There is less emphasis on memorization (ĥifż) and elocution (tajwīd) and more emphasis on morphology and grammar than in the Introduction to Qur’ānic Arabic course.

This course consists of a systematic study of Arabic grammar, using Haywood and Nahmad’s A New Arabic Grammar of the Written Language. This comprehensive text covers the key aspects of Arabic language study, with an emphasis on vocabulary acquisition, syntax, and morphology. Reading assignments and lessons that contain cumulatively more than 3,000 words prepare students for advanced text study in future years.

Learning outcomes: • Memorization of 3,000 words of Arabic vocabulary, with emphasis on the reading of texts

Learning outcomes: • Fluent reading of the Qur’ān, with proper tajwīd, with an emphasis on orthography, phonetics, and elocution • Memorization of the last ĥizb of the Qur’ān, with meaning • Memorization of approximately 1,000 words of Arabic vocabulary • Acquisition of key grammatical terms in English necessary for learning Arabic • Knowledge of various verb forms used to derive words according to set patterns, with predictive meanings • Knowledge of the most-used agents in Arabic, with an explanation of their effect on the cases of nouns and verbs

• Memorization of all tri-literal and quadri-literal verb forms • Firm understanding of noun declension, types of sentences, and parts of speech • Comfort with irregular verbs and irregular verb conjugation • Introduction to ordinal and cardinal numbers • Knowledge of many forms of derivations and their associated meanings • Ability to navigate through classical Arabic-Arabic as well as contemporary Arabic-English lexicons

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ACADEMIC The Curriculum AFFAIRS ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Th e O ffi ce o f t h e Vi c e P r e s i d e nt of Academic Affairs oversees the Academic Affairs Division, which is comprised of three offices: the Office of the Dean of Faculty, the Office of Enrollment Management, and the Office of Assessment and Accreditation. In addition, the vice president also works closely with the Academic Affairs Committee and the Faculty Affairs Committee.

Vice President of Academic Affairs The Vice President of Academic Affairs is responsible for the educational mission and programs of the College. This includes academic policies; the Honors program; academic support services; lectures, conferences, and events; the Summer Arabic Intensive program; publications, such as the College catalog and admissions brochure; and budget oversight for the Academic Affairs Division. In addition, the Vice President of Academic Affairs works with the Office of Student Affairs on student life and development, student life policies, and student support services. As the chief academic officer of the College, the Vice President of Academic Affairs is also responsible for representing the College on academic matters, ensuring the quality of educational programs, assessing program outcomes, recruiting and training faculty, and promoting high standards in teaching and scholarship. The Vice President of Academic Affairs approves the appointment of all faculty and oversees their evaluation. The Vice President works closely with the College’s leadership and makes recommendations to the president related to academic and student affairs and the educational budget of the College.

Academic Affairs Committee The role of the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC ) is to consider academic initiatives, such as proposals for new and revised courses, certificates, and degree programs; issues related to accreditation; and the formulation and revision of academic policies. The AAC also makes decisions about issues related to academic credit and plays a significant role in the governance of the College. The President of the College is responsible for approving and implementing AAC decisions.

The committee is comprised of faculty members, Academic Affairs Division staff, and students. The Vice President of Academic Affairs serves ex officio in an advisory role and chairs the committee.

Dean of Faculty The Dean of Faculty has oversight of faculty affairs and takes a lead role in the identification of needs related to hiring, developing, and evaluating faculty; orienting instructors to the curriculum; conducting faculty evaluations; and, with the Dean of Student Services, coordinating faculty mentoring and advising for students. The Dean works with the faculty and the Office of Assessment and Accreditation in the development of assessment plans, and oversees assessment program reviews on a three-year cycle. The Dean provides assessment data and takes a lead role in data analysis and reporting, and in the development of action plans. The Dean also leads the Zaytuna College curriculum textbook series project, which aims to publish original translations and textbooks for Zaytuna courses. The Dean works under the supervision of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

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Faculty Affairs Committee The Faculty Affairs Committee comprises the College’s faculty and is chaired by the Dean of Faculty. It functions as the faculty governance committee, has oversight over the curriculum, and addresses matters related to student learning, assessment, and academic policy. It also develops and implements the assessment of degree outcomes. The committee organizes professional development activities related to teaching, assessment, and student learning at faculty meetings, retreats, and meetings with the dean. The committee also helps guide the educational philosophy of the College and engages in discussions of books on higher education and the liberal arts. The President and the Vice President of Academic Affairs, as members of the faculty, may attend Faculty Affairs Committee meetings.

Assessment and Accreditation The Office of Assessment and Accreditation leads in assembling data on degree and institutional outcomes, conducts analysis of data across offices of the College, and functions as the institutional research office. The Office of Assessment and Accreditation provides guidance and services in the planning of assessments across numerous areas, such as learning and degree outcomes, student life, experiential learning, student services, and overall institutional planning and effectiveness. The Office of Assessment also facilitates stages of the accreditation process, serves as the accreditation liaison, and keeps the vice presidents apprised of progress and of areas that need attention, thereby facilitating communication about accreditation across the College.

Enrollment Management The Office of Enrollment Management is comprised of the Office of Admissions, Office of the Registrar, and Office of Financial Aid. Its function is to recruit students for both

the Bachelor’s degree and Summer Arabic Intensive programs, to formulate all phases of the admissions process, to work with the Admissions Committee, to plan and execute administrative aspects of the Summer Arabic Intensive program, to process grades and maintain students’ academic records, and to execute the College’s financial aid and scholarship programs. The Office of Enrollment Management, presently staffed by a director and assistant director, works with the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the President’s cabinet on matters of admissions standards. The Director of Enrollment Management chairs the Admissions and Financial Aid Committees and formulates the student recruitment plans and strategies.

The Office of Enrollment Management also plays a key role in the planning and execution of Commencement. For more details on this office, please see page 51.

Faculty Mentors Faculty members at Zaytuna College also serve as personal and academic mentors for students. Each new incoming student is paired with a faculty mentor, who serves as an advisor to the student through his years of study at Zaytuna. Students are encouraged to seek out their faculty mentor as the first option to help address any unresolved difficulties at the College.

Mentors meet with their students individually at the start of each semester to converse, discuss questions or concerns, identify any challenges to academic success, and review the student’s academic record. They also check in with students at various times during the semester, either in person, by telephone, or by email.

In addition, mentors work with the various offices at the College to facilitate students’ development and success and to resolve any issues related to academic or residential life.

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Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Faculty members play a major role in student learning and its assessment. Faculty rights and responsibilities are designed to ensure that students are taught well and assessed in an equitable and meaningful way.

•

Rights All faculty members have the following rights: • To choose appropriate teaching

methods and tools, consistent with course objectives and program outcomes • To develop and use appropriate

assessments of students’ learning • To set attendance and class conduct policies and timelines for completion of assignments and exams • To evaluate students’ learning and to assign grades consistent with the College’s grading scale

•

•

• •

Responsibilities All faculty members have the following responsibilities: • To exercise academic freedom in the teaching of their courses provided that Islam, as well as other religions and philosophies, are accorded respect and fair representation

•

•

• To teach courses in accordance with College policies

•

• To be familiar with the nature and philosophy of Zaytuna College, as well as the content of the College Catalog and the policies that govern students

•

• To develop course outlines and syllabi for the courses they teach; to submit the outlines to the Dean of Faculty by a designated date prior to the start of the semester and to the students by the first day of the

• •

course; to update syllabi in case of additions, deletions, or changes; and to provide copies of updates to the Dean of Faculty To provide students with estimations of their progress and standing in a course, in the form of grades or written evaluations at periodic intervals set by the College To post office hours on the course

outline (syllabus) and to be available to students during those hours in a

specified location To teach during the designated

classroom period, to arrive on time, to conduct class for the entire period, and to end on time To assess students by using appropriate formative/summative assessments To participate in collaborative curricular and assessment work with other faculty and the dean in order to ensure quality, consistency, and integrity of the curriculum To provide students with written instructions for major assignments well in advance of due dates To define and communicate to students the criteria for grading of assignments well in advance of due dates To assess students’ progress in a fair way that ensures that those who pass a course have achieved the course objectives to a satisfactory level To respond to students’ grade appeals in a timely manner and to cooperate with the grade appeals process To maintain currency in their field of expertise and/or in courses taught To attend required meetings, workshops, or professional development activities

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“Learning takes place both inside and perhaps more importantly outside the classroom. It takes place through reading, through experience, through trials and tribulations, through family and friends, and through our teachers."

– c h r i s c u sa no (a b o v e r i ght ) , g ra d uat i n g se n i o r, spe a ki ng at t h e 2 0 14 c o mme n c e me n t.

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ACADEMIC AND TheSTUDENT Curriculum AFFAIRS POLICIES ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS POLICIES Purpose and Intent Ac a d e m i c p o l i c i e s Academic policies at Zaytuna College are designed to support students’ success. Zaytuna strives to provide guidance toward the goal of holistic student development, which includes both intellectual and spiritual growth. Zaytuna encourages students to be familiar with their rights and responsibilities as students. Zaytuna also encourages faculty to be respectful of students’ rights, and students to be respectful of faculty members’ rights (see page 33).

According to a saying attributed to the Prophet s, “Scholars are the heirs of the prophets.”

Although traditional respect, decorum, and deference to teachers are prized at Zaytuna, these do not come at the expense of violating students’ rights, neglecting duties, or stifling questions and reasoned debate.

Policies on Student Life Policies that regulate student behavior are designed to provide a healthy learning environment in which Muslim social norms are observed and respected. These policies establish limits of acceptable behavior and set forth consequences for unacceptable behavior. Students who need guidance or have questions about the policies should contact the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning or the Dean of Student Services.

Students must comply with all published policies and codes of conduct. Policies are subject to change during the academic year, and students must comply with the most recent policies distributed by Zaytuna College or posted in College buildings.

Student Rights and Responsibilities Students bear the primary responsibility for their own learning. Accordingly, they are afforded both rights and responsibilities that will maximize the benefits they derive from an education at Zaytuna College.

Rights All Zaytuna College students have the following rights: • To have access to a current College catalog, which includes information about College policies, academic regulations, curriculum, and graduation requirements • To receive, for each course, a syllabus on the first day of class that states the expected course outcomes, the required texts, what will be evaluated, the types of measurement instruments to be used, the grading system, course expectations, course or relevant College policies, and office hours and contact information for the faculty member • To have the full number of hours of the class taught by the instructor assigned to teach the course or by a designated substitute approved by the Dean of Faculty in the event of a prolonged absence of the course instructor • To have all course assignments and tests graded and returned within a reasonable period of time and an opportunity to discuss assessments and grades with the faculty member • To have grades and assessments kept confidential and shared only on a need-toknow basis

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• To receive notification at midterm if they are failing or in danger of failing a course

Students who need guidance or have questions about the policies should contact the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning or the Dean of Student Services.

• To use grievance procedures and to seek redress if the student believes that his academic rights have been violated

Responsibilities All Zaytuna College students have the following responsibilities:

• To have the privacy of their records maintained by College personnel according to state and federal law and statutes. (The College views a student’s educational records as confidential information that cannot be released without the written consent of the student. Other information, such as names, dates of attendance and graduation, and details about awards and honors, is considered to be directory information that can be released without a student’s written permission. If a student does not wish to have any such information released, the student may sign a form to that effect in the Office of Enrollment Management.)

• To exercise academic freedom in their courses provided that Islam, as well as other religions and philosophies, are accorded respect and fair representation

• To meet all academic and course requirements stated in the course syllabus • To comply with the Zaytuna College Honor Code (see below) • To comply with all College policies, as published • To read their Zaytuna College email daily, because this is the College’s primary channel of communication with students, faculty, and staff • To be aware of their academic standing and of their GPA for the current semester and their cumulative GPA • To respond in a timely manner to written or emailed requests from faculty and staff • To strive to pass each course and to meet standards of progress

The Honor Code “The Prophet s once gave an appointment to one of his companions. The companion came three days later. The Prophet s gently told him, ‘You have inconvenienced me, as I have been waiting for you for three days.’”

H a d i th

1. Personal Ac cou n ta bi li ty Assuming liability for what one says, does, listens to, or partakes in; having a clear understanding that each person is solely responsible for what he or she does “So, by your Lord, We will question them all about what they have been doing.” Qur’ān, 15:92-93 2. Timeliness Valuing time and punctuality, respecting appointments made with others, adhering to schedules, and following instructions in a timely manner

3 . Ma i nta i ni ng T ru s t s Keeping commitments, fulfilling promises, and maintaining priorities “O no! In the case of he who keeps his promise and is conscientious, surely God loves the conscientious.”

Qur’ān, 3:76

“… [A]nd fulfill promises, for the promise will be questioned.” Qur’ān, 17:34 zaytuna C OL L E GE cata log 2014-2015

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• To provide required documents and information in a timely manner, and when applicable, within specified deadlines

Muslim students are expected to comply with the Honor Code throughout their enrollment at the College. Students of other faiths are also expected to abide by the Honor Code, although they are not required to attend extracurricular religious services and prayers and are free to practice their own faith or philosophy.

• To meet with their faculty mentor by the end of the second week of each semester and to respond to communication from the mentor in a timely manner throughout the semester

The Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning may publish statements and establish standards, as appropriate, to further the principles embodied in the Honor Code or to comply with applicable legal requirements.

• To treat faculty, staff, and other students with respect

• To maintain dormitory space in a clean and organized manner • To respect the rights of their roommate(s)

The Zaytuna Honor Code Zaytuna College seeks to provide an education in an atmosphere consistent with the ideals and principles of Islam. The Honor Code is a statement of six core principles related to personal conduct, and all students must, upon enrollment, sign a pledge to uphold the code. Students must also sign the pledge at the beginning of each subsequent academic year to reaffirm their commitment.

“Three traits single out a hypocrite, even if he prays or fasts and claims to be Muslim: If he speaks, he lies. If he makes a promise, he does not keep it. If he is trusted, he betrays the trust.”

H a di t h

V i o l at i o n s o f t h e C o d e If a student is accused of violations of the Honor Code or other policies, a report is made to the Dean of Student Services, who investigates the allegation. If the allegation is confirmed, the dean will determine the appropriate action.

Typically, the consequences may include receiving a warning letter from the dean; verbal counseling and written reprimand; or in egregious cases, expulsion from the College.

Grades Zaytuna College uses the A-F scale to indicate level of achievement in courses. There is also a

Al-Haitham ibn Adi, a known scholar and historian, said, “It is bad manners to overwhelm someone while speaking and to interrupt them before they end their talk.”

6 . S o b r i et y a nd R es t r a i nt 4. Cleanliness and G ro o m i n g Abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and mindMaintaining good personal hygiene, wearing clean altering drugs, as well any proscribed activities, and neat clothes, and smelling good including viewing or circulating pornography, participating in gambling, and the like “…and God loves those who purify themselves.”

Qur’ān, 9:108 “They ask you about wine and betting. Say: ‘There is 5. Propriet y and M o d e s ty great sin in them, and also advantages for people; but Having humility in speech, respecting boundaries, their sin is greater than their advantage.’” and refraining from obtrusive behaviors Qur’ān 2:219 “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day Ş should say something good or remain silent.” academic

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pass/fail option that a student may choose for one course per semester (see Pass/Fail Policy below). Grades in courses determine a student’s GPA and are thus a major element of meeting the degree requirements. A student must successfully complete all courses in the curriculum with at least a 2.0 GPA, with no grade of F or Withdrawals, to meet the requirements for graduation.

The instructor of each course evaluates students’ progress and assigns grades. Faculty members work collaboratively, under the guidance of the Dean of Faculty and the Vice President of Academic Affairs, to establish expected course outcomes. Students are graded on the degree to which they achieved the expected course outcomes. The course instructor, under the supervision of the Dean of Faculty and in consultation with the entire faculty, develops the course syllabus and determines the texts and materials to be used, grading criteria, assignments, pedagogy, and assessments of expected course outcomes.

The Grading Scale In the A–F scale, students must receive at least a C average (2.0 GPA) to achieve satisfactory progress. It is possible to earn a D in some courses and still pass the course, but a D indicates the student had less than satisfactory achievement of the course outcomes.

Excellent Very good Satisfactory Poor Fail

90% – 100% 80% – 89% 70% – 79% 60% – 69% 0% – 59%

The GPA is computed on courses taken at Zaytuna College. Grades A, B, C, D, and F are used in determining GPA; P (Pass), AU (Audit), I (Incomplete),W (Withdrawal), and AW (Administrative Withdrawal) carry no grade points and are excluded from gradepoint computations. Note that an F or a W/ AW indicates failure to meet a graduation requirement and results in dismissal from the College.

Co mp u tat io n o f G PA : E xamp l e G r ad e

U ni ts

A

B+

C I

3.0 (average)

3 3 3 3 9

G r ad e Po i nts

12 9.9 5.1 0 27

Pass / Fa i l P o l i c y Zaytuna College students are permitted to take one course per semester for a pass/fail grade. This option affords the students the opportunity to receive credit on their transcript without affecting their grade point average (GPA) if they pass the class.

Numerical or percentage marks are assigned to designate certain qualitative achievement ranges. These mark ranges are as follows: Ma s t e ry of Obj ec tive s Pe r ce n tage

Grade points per unit are assigned as follows: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, and F = 0. When attached to the grades A, B, C, or D, plus (+) grades carry three-tenths of a grade point more per unit, and minus (-) grades three-tenths of a grade point less per unit than grades without a suffix.

Gr a d e

A B C D F

Courses taken on this basis will receive either a “P” (pass) or an “F” (fail) from the instructor, although in the evaluation of different aspects of work done during the semester, the instructor may choose to assign the usual grades. A “P” grade shall be assigned to those students whose overall performance is deemed satisfactory by the instructor. A student may exercise this pass/fail option only if the student:

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• has not exercised the pass/fail option for another course in the same semester; • exercises the pass/fail option within the first seven weeks of the semester; • is not on academic probation; and • receives permission from the course instructor.

In Arabic courses, the passing grade is C or above (or 73% and above).

In other courses, the passing grade is D or above (or 63% and above).

Ac a d e m i c H o n o r s Students graduate with honors in the following three GPA tiers: cum laude (with honors) 3.65–3.79, magna cum laude (with high honors) 3.80–89, and summa cum laude (with highest honors) 3.9–4.0.

The Dean’s List Students who attain a semester GPA of 3.65 or above are placed on the Dean’s List, which is publicized every fall and spring semester.

Students with a Withdrawal (W or AW) or

an Incomplete (I) are temporarily ineligible for semester honors. Upon conversion of the Incomplete to a letter grade, students can retroactively receive semester honors.

I n c o m p l e t e N o tat i o n ( I ) An Incomplete is a temporary transcript notation assigned by a faculty member when extenuating circumstances prevent the student from completing a minor portion (25% or less) of the course requirements. Students can only receive an Incomplete if they have a C average or higher at the time of the request and if, in the judgment of the faculty member, they can complete the course work within the time established by College policy.

Students must request an Incomplete by filling out a form at least forty-eight hours before the end of the semester. The faculty member is not required to grant the request. A faculty member who assigns an Incomplete must file an Incomplete Grade Agreement Form with the Registrar that includes: • A clear statement of the specific requirements to be completed

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If a student submits the required work on time, the faculty member must calculate a grade to replace the Incomplete and submit it to the Registrar. If a student fails to complete the required work in the specified time, the Registrar must convert the Incomplete to the estimated letter grade specified in the report form, and that letter grade must be entered on the student’s transcript. Students with an Incomplete are temporarily ineligible for semester or graduation honors. Upon conversion of the Incomplete to a letter grade, students may retroactively receive semester or graduation honors if they have earned the required GPA, and that recognition must appear on the transcript.

• The date by which the coursework must be submitted to the faculty member, which cannot be later than the end of the next semester (fall or spring) • A statement that the Incomplete will change to a specified letter grade if the work is not completed by the agreedupon deadline and no later than the end of the next semester (This does not bind the faculty member to that letter grade if the final calculation of the grade is different from the estimated grade written at the time the Incomplete is granted. If the student does complete the work by the agreed-upon date, the grade is calculated according to the grading scheme in the course syllabus.)

The Vice President of Academic affairs may extend the deadline for completion of an Incomplete grade in extenuating circumstances in consultation with the faculty member.

Students may request an extension of the deadline, but the faculty member is not obligated to grant the extension. The faculty member may seek to extend the Incomplete deadline as long as the original deadline does not fall after the end of the following semester. In support of an extension, the faculty member must document the student’s extenuating circumstances and request approval from the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The faculty member must notify the Registrar in writing about any extensions to the original deadline.

W i t h d r awa l f ro m C o u r s e s ( W ) If a student withdraws from a course, he will be unable to complete the degree program and will be withdrawn from the College. This is because the Zaytuna College curriculum is designed so courses are interrelated and in a particular sequence that aids the acquisition of knowledge. Therefore, if a student withdraws from a class, he will not be able to complete the degree program with the cohort and so will not graduate.

The faculty member must keep the original signed form, with copies to the student and the Registrar, and notify both parties in writing if any changes are made.

A student can maintain no more than two incompletes at any given time. In cases of extenuating circumstances (e.g., student or family medical emergencies), the Vice President of Academic Affairs may allow students to carry more than two incompletes.

All incompletes must convert to a letter grade by the end of the following standard semester.

When a student withdraws from a course, a transcript notation of W is recorded; such a notation is not computed in the GPA. A withdrawal also makes the student ineligible for Dean’s List recognition in that semester.

A student may not obtain a transcript notation of W in a course if there is a substantial reason to believe the student has engaged in academic misconduct in the course prior to withdrawal.

A transcript notation of W is only permitted for such a student when it is determined the

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student did not commit academic misconduct in the course. The consequences for academic misconduct are spelled out in the Academic Integrity section (see page 42).

This committee must hold a hearing and render a decision about whether, and under what circumstances, the student may return to Zaytuna.

If a student stops attending class and fails to officially withdraw from the course, a grade of F is recorded on the student’s record. F grades are computed in a student’s GPA. An F grade also results in a withdrawal from the College because successful completion of each course in the curriculum is a degree requirement.

Leave of Absence If a student provides documented extenuating circumstances, he may request a leave of absence of one year and withdraw from courses without disqualification. Alternatively, some students may be eligible to request Incomplete (I) grade notations (see Incomplete policy on page 39). The Vice President of Academic Affairs, in consultation with the faculty, determines whether Withdrawal or Incomplete grades at the time of the leave of absence are the appropriate course of action. For information on the procedure for leave-of-absence requests, see page 59.

Administrative Withdrawal (AW) An AW notation is assigned if a student is administratively withdrawn from a course for nonacademic reasons, such as non-payment of tuition, hospitalization, or physical incapacitation. An AW notation in any course results in the student being unable to complete the degree, and the student must be withdrawn from the College.

If a student is placed on suspension or has been expelled, the College must assign a transcript notation of AW for all courses in which the student was enrolled at the time of suspension or expulsion. Also, if a student is incapacitated, or for reasons of severe illness or unforeseen family or financial circumstances, cannot return to the College or cannot withdraw either by email, phone, or personal communication by the deadline for withdrawal, the College may assign the AW notation. An AW does not affect the GPA. If a student feels extenuating circumstances caused withdrawal from the course (W or AW), he may file an appeal of withdrawal from the College within one year of withdrawal, and provide documentation of such extenuating circumstances. The student must file the appeal with the Dean of Student Services, and if the Dean determines there is sufficient reason to consider the appeal, it will be sent to the Academic Appeals Committee (see page 42).

Grade Appeals Process Grades represent an instructor’s professional judgment about students’ performance in relation to the goals and requirements of a particular course. Students must not be subjected to prejudicial or capricious grading arising from misapplication of course criteria or the application of non-academic criteria, such as race, politics, religion, or gender.

Students are advised to keep all graded work from a course until they are certain they have no reason to challenge their final course grades.

They should also make copies of all work submitted for grades during or at the end of a term. If any such work that counts as part of the final grade is not returned to students, it should be kept by the instructor for at least two years. If faculty members are unavailable for any length of time, they must arrange access to all course records and student work for other faculty and staff involved in the grade appeals process. If a student believes a computational, procedural, or judgmental error was made in the calculation of a grade, the student must raise the question with the instructor in writing

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this committee is final. If a student claims he received a grade as a result of discrimination based on the student’s race, politics, religion, gender, or any other non-academic reason, the grade appeal is treated as a grievance under that policy.

no later than February 15 in the case of fall semester grades and September 15 for spring semester and summer session grades. If an instructor determines an error was made in grading, he must submit a Grade Change Form to the Registrar. A student who believes he has been assigned a grade unfairly should begin by requesting the instructor review with him (1) the key factors in assigning the grade and (2) the instructor’s perceptions of where and how the student’s performance fell short.

The Academic Appeals Committee is comprised of three faculty members, two staff members, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Others may be called to speak to the appeal at the discretion of the chair of the Academic Appeals Committee.

If the student still thinks an error has been made, the student must submit to the instructor, with a copy to the Registrar, a full written statement of the reason for the appeal, along with all graded course assignments. This statement must be made no later than March 15 for a fall semester grade and by November 1 for a spring semester or summer session grade. The instructor must send a written response within twenty business days of receipt of the student’s written statement, and set a meeting date with the student.

All grades except Incomplete (I) are considered final when assigned by an instructor at the end of a semester. An instructor may request from the Registrar a change of grade when a computational or procedural error occurred in the original assignment of a grade, but a grade may not be changed as a result of the reevaluation of a student’s work, except through the grade appeals process.

No final grade may be revised as a result of reexamination or the submission of additional work after the close of the term. (Incomplete (I) or in progress (IP) grades that have reverted to F are also final.)

If the student and the instructor cannot reach agreement about the grade, the student may request the formation of an Academic Appeals Committee. This committee will review all the evidence under the direction of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The decision of

Grades for Arabic Course Prerequisites Students who have received grades lower than C in Arabic have little chance of success in the next level of Arabic. Hence, C (not C-) is a prerequisite for advancing to the next level of Arabic. Students with grades of C- or lower are allowed to review the course and take a challenge exam. If a student achieves a C or better on the exam, the student will receive a P (pass) for the course, enabling him to advance to the next Arabic course, but the original grade stands in terms of computing the GPA and is visible, along with the P, on the transcript.

Students with a grade of C- or lower who do not take the Arabic challenge exam are not eligible to advance to the next Arabic course and hence have to repeat the course, if available, over the summer. If the course is not available, the student may appeal to the Dean of Faculty to make other arrangements to achieve the objectives of the course over the summer.

If approved, the student then takes a challenge exam. If unsuccessful in achieving a C or better on the exam, the student must withdraw from the College.

Academic Integrity As a Muslim institution committed to the education of the whole person, Zaytuna

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College expects all members of the academic community to pursue excellence in scholarship as well as character. To uphold the values of academic integrity, students are required to sign the Academic Integrity Pledge, certifying that they understand its provisions and that they will abide by them.

The academic integrity policy is designed to foster an environment of honesty, openness, respect, and mutual trust. Academic integrity is violated by any dishonesty or deception by a student in submitting assignments, tests, research, reports, or other work that serves as the basis for an instructor or administrator assessing the student’s academic ability. In the case of a clear indication of such dishonesty, the faculty member or administrator who has been deceived has the responsibility to apply sanctions in order to protect the environment of integrity and to preserve the ethical foundation of the College.

V i o l at i o n s o f Ac a d e m i c Integrity P lagiarism Knowingly using another person’s work without proper acknowledgment violates fundamental principles of academic integrity.

Students engaging in plagiarism face disciplinary action administered through the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, in addition to academic sanctions that may be applied by the instructor. Even unintentional or inadvertent plagiarism is a type of intellectual negligence and is unacceptable at Zaytuna College.

Willful plagiarism occurs when a person represents another person’s work—words, ideas, or data—as his own without attributing it to the author by way of footnote or other form of attribution.

Unintentional or inadvertent plagiarism occurs when a person, through carelessness in research and writing, uses another person’s work—words, ideas, or data—without proper attribution. This is a type of academic misconduct, and an instructor may impose appropriate academic sanctions for it. If students are in doubt about whether they are engaging in plagiarism, they have the responsibility to seek guidance from their instructor.

Ac a d e m i c I n t e g r i t y P l e d g e At the start of every academic year, students sign the following Academic Integrity Pledge: “As a student member of an academic community based on mutual trust and responsibility, I pledge: • to do my own course work at all times, without giving or receiving inappropriate aid; • to avoid behaviors that unfairly impede the academic progress of other members of my community; and • to take reasonable and responsible action in order to uphold my community’s academic integrity.”

Examples of plagiarism include: • Verbatim copying of another person’s work without acknowledging the source • Paraphrasing ideas from another source in a way that leads the reader to think they are the author’s own original ideas • Taking the work of another person and blending it with one’s own work without acknowledgment • Partial or incomplete attribution of words, ideas, or data taken from another person or source

Academic dishonesty is the failure to maintain academic integrity. It includes but is not limited to both cheating and plagiarism, as defined in the following section.

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• Changing or altering grades or other official educational records • Unlawfully entering a College building to obtain an unauthorized test • Submitting the same work for more than one class without disclosing this situation to the instructor(s)

Fa br i cat i o n o r fa ls i f i c at i on Fabricating or falsifying occurs when a student invents or distorts the origin or content of information used in academic work.

Examples of fabrication or falsifying include: • Citing sources that are simply made up and do not exist • Knowingly attributing propositions, ideas, words, or information to a source that is not their true source • Fabricating information or statistical results to support conclusions Ch eat i n g Cheating occurs when a student copies another person’s work, or allows another student to copy from his work, or uses materials during an exam or assignment that are disallowed. It is essentially a deceptive and dishonest activity aimed at misleading the instructor.

Any student who observes or learns about a violation of academic integrity must notify the faculty member responsible for the course in which the incident occurred.

The faculty member must then investigate the alleged violation, or, if needed, an investigator may be appointed by the College to do so.

When a faculty member responsible for a course has reason to believe a student has been academically dishonest, the faculty member must follow these procedures:

Examples of cheating include: • Copying someone else’s work during an exam or when completing an assignment • Allowing another student to copy from one’s own work during an exam or when completing an assignment • Using unauthorized materials on an exam or an assignment • Letting another person take an exam or finish an assignment for oneself, or doing the same for someone else

• The faculty member must, in writing, inform the student of the allegations, the supporting evidence, and the possible consequences, and request a written response by the student.

• If the student is unreachable or fails to respond, the faculty member must document the concern and inform the student in writing of any sanctions that may be imposed.

• If a student responds to a charge of academic dishonesty, but the faculty member finds the response insufficient to offset the charge, the faculty member must inform the student of the sanctions that will be imposed or recommended.

All written or spoken communications between the student and the faculty member must be kept confidential, except when disclosure is (1) reasonably necessary to investigate the allegations of academic dishonesty, (2) appropriate in any subsequent disciplinary proceedings

Other acad em i c m i s c ond uc t Besides plagiarism, fabrication, and cheating, other intentionally dishonest and deceitful acts are considered academic misconduct.

Examples of other academic misconduct include: • Trying to gain an unfair academic advantage by bribery or any act of offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting anything of value for such a purpose

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or legal actions, or (3) required by law or court order.

• When a faculty member decides that sanctions should be imposed or recommended, the faculty member must submit documentation to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

The Vice President must then place the allegation of academic dishonesty in the student’s disciplinary file and notify the student in writing of appeal rights and procedures. Appeals are heard by the Academic Appeals Committee.

Academic Standing Zaytuna College recognizes two categories of academic standing: Satisfactory Progress and Probationary Status.

Sat i s fac t o ry P ro g r e ss A student who maintains a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 with no grade of F and no withdrawal (W or AW) from any course is placed in Satisfactory Progress status.

Because a passing grade in every course is a requirement for graduation and because Zaytuna students are required to remain within their cohort throughout their four years of study, an F or withdrawal (W or AW) in any course disqualifies the student from further study at Zaytuna. A student must also always maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 to maintain Satisfactory Progress status.

P ro bat i o na ry S tat u s A student who does not achieve a semester GPA of 2.0 or a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and has no grade of F and no withdrawals is placed in Probationary Status the following semester.

The Registrar notifies the student in writing and conveys stipulations of the probationary status. The student’s faculty mentor is also notified, and mandatory meetings between the student and the mentor must take place

in the first week of the following semester and at specified intervals. Failure to meet the requirements of the probationary status letter from the Registrar will result in a mandatory meeting with the Dean of Student Services.

If the student fails to comply with the stipulations of the Dean, the student may be subject to disqualification from further study at Zaytuna College.

Ac a d e m i c D i s q ua l i f i c at i o n Students are subject to academic disqualification for failing to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or a semester GPA of 2.0 following a semester of Probationary Status. The Registrar must notify such students via Zaytuna email of their disqualification. A disqualified student is prohibited from further study at Zaytuna College unless, within ten business days of being notified, he appeals the disqualification with the Vice President of Academic Affairs and is then granted special academic probation.

S p e c i a l Ac a d e m i c P ro bat i o n If a disqualified student appeals the disqualification and presents a compelling case, he may be granted special academic probation for one more semester at the College to achieve satisfactory progress. Special academic probation may be granted only at the discretion of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Special academic probation is granted on the following conditions: • Filing a timely and compelling appeal of disqualification and seeking an extension of academic probation • Demonstrating that the student can achieve satisfactory progress by the close of the next regular semester • Acceptance of the conditions specified by the Vice President of Academic Affairs Students who fail to meet the conditions of special academic probation within one semester

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• Requiring the student to retake and pass a specific exam or assignment within a specified period of time, with the understanding that a second instance of cheating or plagiarism would result in expulsion from the College. (All grades, including an F or any other reduced grade for violations of this policy, must be included in the student’s transcript and used to calculate overall GPA.)

must be disqualified, with no further possibility of appeal or of return to Zaytuna.

Sanctions Policy Sanctions are imposed on a student for acts of academic dishonesty. Two kinds of sanctions are possible: academic and administrative.

Either type, or both types, may be imposed for an act of academic dishonesty.

Ac a d e m i c Sa n c t i o n s These sanctions concern a student’s grade(s) in a course and are imposed by a faculty member for a violation of academic integrity. Academic sanctions may include but are not limited to the following:

• Suspension from the College for one or more semesters • Expulsion from the College • Deferral, withholding, or revocation of a degree, even if all course requirements were previously considered to have been met

• Requiring the student to retake an exam or redo an assignment done in violation of standards of academic integrity, or to complete an alternative exam or assignment, or to make up the grade by means of additional work • Assigning the student an F or other reduced grade for the exam or assignment, with no possibility of redoing the work or making up the grade by means of additional work • Assigning an F or other reduced grade for the entire course, resulting in the student being required to withdraw from the College

The student must be notified in writing of all sanctions imposed, and a copy of the notification must be placed in the student’s file.

A student may appeal an administrative sanction by writing to the Vice President of Academic Affairs within fifteen business days of being notified of the sanction. The Vice President, or a designee, must respond in writing within fifteen business days. Reversal of an administrative sanction may only be based on a clear refutation of the academic dishonesty allegation or a compelling argument that the sanction should not be imposed. The decision of the Vice President is final.

A student may appeal an academic sanction through the grade appeals process (see page 41). Reversal of the academic sanction must be based on substantiated refutation of the academic dishonesty allegation.

The College may elect to place a temporary or permanent notation on the student’s academic transcript stating that he was sanctioned, suspended, or dismissed due to academic misconduct. If the misconduct involves the commission of a crime (e.g., breaking or entering an office or stealing an exam), the College may report it to appropriate law enforcement officials and may pursue prosecution.

A d m i n i s t r at i v e Sa n c t i o n s These sanctions concern a student’s academic status within the College and are imposed by the Dean of Faculty. Administrative sanctions include but are not limited to the following:

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Campus Policies and Etiquette (Adab) Us e o f C l ass ro o m s a n d Ca m p u s S pac e s Zaytuna College’s business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Aside from offices, the campus remains open until 10:00 PM, unless otherwise noted by the Office of Academic Affairs. Students may use campus facilities, including the student lounge, classrooms, and library, in accordance with the guidelines for each facility on campus. Student organizations may use campus spaces for events or activities as long as they get advance approval from the Office of Student Life and Experiential Learning.

Please refer to the Honor Code (page 36) that all students pledge to uphold each year as a guide to the behavior expected of you as a student at Zaytuna College.

Wa l k i n g a f t e r S u n s e t For reasons of safety and security, students should always walk on the streets of Berkeley in groups of at least three or four, especially after sunset. Students who stay on campus after sunset should plan to walk in a group to their dormitory. Female students may ask the security guard to walk them to their dormitory.

P o l i c y o n D r e ss The dress and grooming of both men and All books in the College library are available women should always be modest, neat, clean, for reference but may not be checked out or and consistent with the dignity adherent to circulated outside the library, except by special representing a Muslim institution of higher permission (e.g., if an instructor grants a student education. Modesty and cleanliness are permission to use them in class). The library is a important values that reflect the personal quiet space for study and prayer; no shoes, food, dignity and integrity through which members or drink are allowed. of Zaytuna College represent the principles and standards of Islam. Allegations of violations The conference room is reserved for staff and faculty use during business hours (i.e., 8:30 AM to of this policy should be reported to one of the Student Affairs deans.

5:30 PM).

Men and women should always maintain a well-groomed appearance. Hairstyles should be clean and neat, avoiding extreme styles or colors. Shoes must be worn in all public D e s i g nat e d Q u i e t S t u dy S pac e s campus areas. Clothing is inappropriate when After class hours, one classroom and the library it is sleeveless, revealing, or form fitting. Men are designated as quiet study spaces. Students may not wear shorts on campus. If they wear may not disturb the quiet by talking, playing shorts when off campus, they must be knee music or videos, or engaging in other activities length or longer. Women’s dresses, skirts, and in these spaces. One classroom and the student trousers must be full length. Students should lounge area are available for study groups, not wear leggings, sweats, t-shirts, pajamas, peer tutoring, and quiet conversations. Signs baseball caps, or torn, tight, or ragged clothing are posted designating these areas for such in classrooms, meeting spaces, or offices, or purposes. at College events. Students may not wear clothing emblazoned with corporate logos.

S o c i a l B e h av i o r Allegations of violations of this policy should Students should behave in ways that are be reported to one of the Student Affairs respectful of the rights and needs of others. deans.

Sleeping is not permitted in the student lounge; students are encouraged to return to their residence halls when intending to sleep.

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G e n d e r R e l at i o n s P o l i c y Zaytuna College is committed to creating a learning and social environment grounded in the principles embedded in the Honor Code. Thus, the College encourages gender interactions that are purposeful and foster wholesome relationships among students, so that students can focus on learning and academic achievement. Outside class hours, students should study and socialize with members of their own gender. These Islamic norms are observed at Zaytuna as an aid to spiritual growth as well as personal and academic development. Students should uphold the established principles within the Honor Code, maintaining a formality and decorum that is responsible, professional, and respectful. The idea of moral formation remains the foundation of an education at Zaytuna College. Any student requiring further explanation of this gender relations policy should meet with one of the Student Affairs deans.

Dating, sexual activity, or romantic relationships among unmarried Muslim students are not allowed either on campus or off campus. Discussion sessions are held to clarify this policy, if needed. Violations of this policy are deemed serious and will result in disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from Zaytuna College. Allegations of violations will be investigated by one of the Student Affairs deans.

Peer Tutoring Inter-gender tutoring should be in groups and should take place on campus in an open space. It should involve academic and purposeful speech and behavior. One-on-one tutoring between students of the opposite gender is discouraged, but it is allowed if done in open campus spaces when security or administrative staff is nearby. It is prohibited off campus, except with permission sought

in advance and in writing from the Dean of Student Services.

V i s i t i n g R e l at i v e s o r G u e s t s Students are not allowed to bring spouses or guests to class on a regular basis. One-time visits may be permitted by the instructor.

However, multiple visits must be approved by the instructor and the Office of Enrollment Management prior to the proposed visit(s).

Students are asked not to interrupt the academic program to travel or spend extended time with visiting parents or friends. Guests of Zaytuna students must abide by the Residential Life policies (see page 66).

P ro h i b i t i o n s : S m o k i n g , A l c o h o l , a n d D ru g P o l i c y Students, faculty, staff, and visitors are strictly prohibited from using, possessing, distributing, or promoting cigarettes, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and illegal or controlled drugs and intoxicants at the Zaytuna College campus, its residential facilities, or its sponsored events. A student found in violation of this policy may be expelled from Zaytuna College. Illegal acts may be referred for prosecution.

Off-Camp us Pro h ibit io ns P ro h ibited plac es an d beh avio r Muslim students should not visit bars, discos, casinos, or other places where actions prohibited in Islam (e.g., drinking alcohol) are the primary activity. Reported allegations of violations of this policy are investigated by the Dean of Student Services.

Cu rf ew Students are expected to be inside their dorm rooms no later than 11:00 PM and are encouraged to remain on campus, indoors, after dark. If a student expects to be out later than 11:00 PM, he should notify the resident advisor (RA) by text or phone in advance. Students who do not notify their RA before 11:00 PM may be reported to the Dean of Student Services.

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“My hope is that Zaytuna College is a place where all people can be shaded by its intellectual tree, which is not limited to the East or to the West.� sh a y kh a b d a l l ah b i n b a yya h spe c i a l g u e st spe a ke r , c o mme n c e me n t 2 0 1 4

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ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

The Office of Enrollment Management is responsible for processing students’ academic history, including all documents related to admissions, matriculation, registration, financial aid, completion of graduation requirements, and transcripts. It is also responsible for recruiting students for both the undergraduate program and the Summer Arabic Intensive program.

Enrollment Management is comprised of three offices: Admissions, Financial Aid, and Registrar. It is located on the academic campus at 2515 Hillegass Avenue in Berkeley and can be contacted by phone at 510-356-4760 or by email at admissions@zaytuna.org.

The Office of Enrollment Management generates reports about the academic status of students and provides students’ record reports, as needed, to all other offices of the College. It also houses the Admissions Committee and the Financial Aid Committee.

The Admissions Committee evaluates students’ applications for the undergraduate program.

This committee is made up of full-time Zaytuna College faculty members and the Director of Enrollment Management. The chair of the Admissions Committee represents the committee to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

The Financial Aid Committee assesses needand merit-based financial aid applications.

Financial need is determined on the basis of the statement of financial resources submitted by the student through the Financial Aid Application and other information, as required.

Financial aid awards from Zaytuna can cover all or some portion of tuition, housing, and living costs. Additionally, students admitted

to Zaytuna who display outstanding academic potential may be awarded a merit-based scholarship.

The Office of Admissions The Office of Admissions recruits students, processes applications and supporting documents of candidates for admissions, provides information to candidates, gives tours of the campus, and holds open houses both on campus and online. The Office of Admissions organizes the work of the Admissions Committee, sets up candidate interviews, and maintains records of the process.

Zaytuna College seeks students who demonstrate a high degree of aptitude and motivation for serious academic study, both in the liberal arts and the Islamic sciences.

The Zaytuna academic program is rigorous and requires that students devote themselves wholeheartedly to their studies and possess good time-management skills. Zaytuna seeks students who understand that success requires balancing their studies with other important aspects of their lives, including their commitment to spiritual, personal, and community development. The concept of adab (respect, good behavior), especially toward faculty, staff, and other students, is important among the qualities we look for in prospective students.

G e n e r a l A d m i ss i o n s Requirements All queries regarding admissions can be directed to the Admissions Office by calling 510-3564760 or sending an email to admissions@ zaytuna.org. We also suggest that applicants review the admissions section of the Zaytuna

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College website (zaytuna.org/admissions).

Applicants for admission into the bachelor’s degree program in Islamic Law and Theology must be at least seventeen years old. The following documents must be submitted to the Admissions Office: 1. Online application

The College requires that all incoming students have full proficiency in the English language.

Naturalized citizens and permanent residents who have recently arrived in the country may be required to demonstrate mastery of English by submitting scores from one of the following exams: TOEFL : Student must score at least 550 on the paper-based test (PBT); 68 on the internet-based test (iBT) IELT S: Student must score at least 6.5 Students under consideration for admission must have either an in-person or online interview with members of the Admissions Committee.

2. A high school diploma, GED, or evidence of satisfactory completion of secondary school requirements and curriculum 3. High school and/or college transcripts 4. Standardized test scores (SAT or ACT) NOTE : This requirement is waived for applicants with at least one year or 24 hours of college credit.

Even after students are notified of acceptance by the College, admission is not finalized until the College receives an official transcript or its equivalent, showing the successful completion of a secondary school curriculum, as well as all other documents required to complete the admissions file. Finally, the enrollment agreement must be signed and any required deposits paid.

5. Documents showing the successful completion of one year of college-level classical Arabic with a C or better, or a satisfactory score on the Zaytuna College Arabic placement test NOTE: Zaytuna offers classical Arabic in its Summer Arabic Intensive program to help students meet this requirement prior to the start of the freshman year; see page 29.

We welcome applicant visits to the Zaytuna College campus in Berkeley, California.

6. Evidence of community service

Zaytuna College does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, religion, or national/ ethnic origin in the admission of applicants; the administration of its educational or other policies; or its scholarship, financial aid, or other programs.

7. Three letters of recommendation from teachers or persons qualified to comment on a student’s academic performance, potential, and character 8. A non-refundable application fee of $50.00

T h e A r a b i c La n g uag e P l ac e m e n t All students are required to take an Arabic proficiency test after admission, administered by the Office of Enrollment Management. Students admitted to the undergraduate program who fail the proficiency test must complete the equivalent of one year of college-level Arabic prior to the start of the fall semester. They may fulfill this requirement before the fall by successfully completing the Zaytuna College

Homeschooled students’ three letters of recommendation should include two from persons who have worked with them academically and one from a person who has been able to observe the applicant’s academic capabilities and can speak to his potential.

Homeschooled students should contact the Admissions Office for further information about admission requirements.

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Summer Arabic Intensive (see page 29) or a similar program elsewhere. The College strongly recommends that students with no prior Arabic participate in the Zaytuna Summer Arabic Intensive because the program’s goals are aligned with the undergraduate curriculum.

Students attending the Summer Arabic Intensive to fulfill the prerequisite are required to pay summer tuition and fees, as noted on the Zaytuna website, but need not submit a separate application. Students who have filed an application for financial assistance for the undergraduate program may be asked for further information if financial aid is required for the Summer Arabic Intensive.

Students who pass the proficiency test and believe their level exceeds what Zaytuna offers in the freshman year of Arabic may request a placement exam at the start of the fall semester in order to be placed at the appropriate level.

Note, however, that Zaytuna’s program is comprehensive and has purposeful repetition built into the curriculum. Repetition not only helps cement concepts, but also fills gaps. For these reasons, students are advised to remain with their cohort and spend any extra time in independent study or in tutoring fellow students who may be struggling.

Tuition and Fees For the academic year 2014–2015, the undergraduate program costs are as follows: Tuition $15,000 Nonrefundable enrollment fee $250 Nonrefundable Student Tuition Recovery Fund fee ($0.50 for every $1,000)* $5.63 Textbooks and readers $900 Housing (includes a $250 nonrefundable fee) $9,000 Refundable security deposit $500 Refundable key deposit $75

* Please note: Under California law, students must pay the assessment for the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) if all of the following applies: (1) You are a California resident and you prepay all or part of your tuition either by cash, guaranteed student loans, or personal loans, and (2) your total charges are not paid by any third party, such as an employer, government program or other payer, unless you have a separate agreement to repay the third party. Students are not eligible for protection by the STRF and are not required to pay the STRF assessment if either of the following applies: (1) You are not a California resident, or (2) your total charges are paid by a third party, such as an employer, government program or other payer, and you have no separate agreement to repay the third party.

Tuition is due and payable in advance; however, Zaytuna College offers a payment plan option for students who are unable to pay the entire tuition due by the first day of classes each semester. No interest is charged, but failure to meet these payment terms may expose the student to administrative withdrawal from the program in addition to a late payment fee of $50 per late payment. The late payment fee accrues if payments are made between the payment due date and up to ten calendar days following that due date. If the student does not make the payments within ten calendar days of the due date, he or she is considered to be in default of the enrollment agreement and will be barred from classes until 1) payment is made or 2) an arrangement to pay is made with the Accounting Office.

Tuition is payable to the Accounting Office electronically or in person. Tuition for Fall 2014 is due by August 20, 2014 (first day of classes); tuition for Spring 2015 is due by January 20, 2015 (first day of classes).

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Refunds are calculated by the day starting after the day the student requests a refund.

For example, if the refund is requested on Monday, it will be for all unused tuition starting Tuesday. Refunds are paid within 30 calendar days of the student’s request. Refunds can only be paid to the person from whom the funds originated. All refund amounts exclude any financial aid disbursed to the student by the College.

student to advance through the program in less than four years. We recommend that students use any extra time thus gained to deepen their learning in the courses they are taking.

Questions about the transfer credit policy may be directed to the Admissions Office.

Refund s fo r F al l 2 015 Students may withdraw from the program and receive a pro rata refund for the unused portion of the tuition and housing up until November 30, 2014 (60% of the program). Refunds will not be made for any withdrawal after November 30, 2014. The daily refund amount is based on calendar days of instruction, as follows: $59.06 per day for students not residing in Zaytuna housing and $94.49 per day for students residing in Zaytuna housing.

Refund s fo r Sp ri n g 2 015 Students may withdraw from the program and receive a pro rata refund for the unused portion of the tuition and housing up until April 2, 2015 (60% of the program). Refunds will not be made for any withdrawal after April 2, 2015.

The daily refund amount is based on calendar days of instruction, as follows: $61.48 per day for students not residing in Zaytuna housing and $98.36 per day for students residing in Zaytuna housing.

Students requesting transfer credit should contact the Office of Enrollment Management and complete and submit the form provided.

On the form, students must clearly identify the Zaytuna College courses for which credit is being sought by correlating them with equivalent courses in their college transcripts that were submitted upon admission. Request for each course credit must be accompanied by the course syllabus of the equivalent course the student previously completed. The deadline for submitting requests is May 31 of the year of admission.

The Admissions Office awards transfer credit based on the following guidelines: 1. The Dean of Faculty, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and course instructor at Zaytuna all agree that the course the student took previously is equivalent.

2. The student earned a grade of B or better in the previous course.

3. In cases of significant but insufficient overlap of course content, the College may award transfer credit on the condition that a student audit the equivalent course at Zaytuna.

4. The previous course must have been taken within the past five years.

Transfer Credit Zaytuna College accepts transfer students from other college and university programs, but due to the unique curriculum of our bachelor’s degree program, few if any credits from other institutions of higher education are likely to be determined equivalent to Zaytuna’s courses.

Because students advance through their studies at Zaytuna in cohorts, transfer credits, if awarded, may reduce a student’s course load for any given semester, but they do not allow the

Advanced Placement (AP) credits earned in high school are not transferable.

In addition to credit for courses, Zaytuna College exempts students from the Arabic prerequisite for admission, places students in more advanced levels of Arabic, and awards credit for first-year fiqh (Islamic Law 1-2) if it can be demonstrated that the texts were

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studied successfully elsewhere. Students who feel they are qualified for such exemptions and placements should consult with the Office of Admissions immediately after admission to the College has been granted.

The Office of Admissions reserves the right to accept or reject credits earned at other institutions of higher education. By the first day of classes, students are notified of credits awarded and also provided a course sequence for the duration of their study.

If a student’s decision to enroll depends on the award of transfer credit, he is advised to begin the transfer credit process immediately after admission is granted, in which case the College provides a projected course sequence prior to the deadline for submitting the enrollment agreement and initial deposit of tuition.

Credit for Prior Experiential Learning or Challenge Exams a n d Ac h i e v e m e n t T e s t s Zaytuna College does not award credit for prior experiential learning or for challenge exams, such as CLEP (College Level Examination Program) or other achievement tests.

Notice Concerning Transferability of Credits and C r e d e n t i a l s Ea r n e d at Z ay t u na C o l l e g e The transferability of credits a student earns, as well as the acceptance of the undergraduate degree a student earns at Zaytuna College, are at the complete discretion of the institution to which the student may seek to transfer. If the undergraduate degree earned at Zaytuna College is not accepted at an institution, the student may be required to repeat some or all of the coursework at that institution. For this reason, students are advised to make certain that their attendance at Zaytuna College will meet their educational goals. This may include contacting

an institution to which they seek to transfer after attending Zaytuna College to determine if their credits or degree will transfer.

At this time, Zaytuna College has not entered into an articulation or transfer agreement with any other institution.

D e f e r r a l s o f A d m i ss i o n Students who have been admitted to Zaytuna College can defer admission for up to two years.

Students with deferrals must submit a new application to the College if they wish to enroll after being granted a deferral. However, they do not need to resubmit letters of recommendation and transcripts because the College is already in possession of them. Deferrals cannot be extended beyond two years.

Students seeking a deferral must notify the Admissions Office in writing by the deadline for paying the enrollment fees, and the deferral request must be accompanied by a deposit for the year of intended enrollment (payable to the Accounting Office). The written statement must clearly explain the reasons for seeking the deferral. The Admissions Office responds to all deferral requests in a timely manner. If the request is denied, the deposit will be refunded. If the request to defer is accepted, the deposit will be applied to the year of intended enrollment, but will be automatically forfeited if the student does not enroll at Zaytuna by the end of the deferral period.

Requests to defer admission after the deposit due date are reviewed on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Admissions Office.

Admitted students who are offered financial aid and who defer admission must resubmit the financial aid application, with supporting documentation, prior to the deadline for the academic year of intended enrollment.

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I n t e r nat i o na l A p p l i c a n t s Applicants who are not lawful permanent residents or citizens of the United States cannot be considered for enrollment in the Zaytuna College degree program at this time. However, international applicants who already possess a valid student visa may be admitted to the Summer Arabic Intensive program.

California. Full-time students must be enrolled for at least 12 credits each semester. Zaytuna College does not offer part-time enrollment in the undergraduate degree program, although members of the general public may apply to audit some courses (see Auditing Courses page 59).

A p p l i c at i o n D e a d l i n e s Applications for admission, and financial aid or scholarship applications, for the 2015-2016 academic year are due by January 15, 2015.

Applications received after that date may be considered, but the chances of receiving financial aid may decrease because financial aid and merit scholarships are awarded on a first-come, firstserved basis.

Applicants who have applied by January 15 and are accepted for study at Zaytuna College will be sent an acceptance letter, a notification of financial aid, and a packet of related material

by March 31, 2015. Applicants who apply after January 15 should check with the Office of Admissions for information on the process and timeline.

Dea d li n es: Early admission application deadline:

November 3, 2014 Early admission notification:

December 27, 2014 Priority application deadline:

January 15, 2015 Financial aid application deadline:

January 15, 2015 Notification of priority admissions and financial aid decision: March 31, 2015 Pa rt-T i m e E n ro l l m e nt Zaytuna College’s undergraduate course offerings are available only to full-time students on the Zaytuna campus in Berkeley,

Online Courses Zaytuna College does not offer online courses for credit.

V i s i t i n g Z ay t u na C o l l e g e We welcome visitors and prospective students to the Zaytuna College campus, but we ask that you schedule your visit in advance. Please contact the Office of Admissions regarding your intended visit by calling 510-356-4760 or sending an email to admissions@zaytuna. org. Campus visits are scheduled twice a week, and campus tours are generally conducted by Zaytuna students (campus ambassadors).

Our classroom visitation program supplements campus tours, open houses, and other informational sessions. By observing classes, prospective students and other visitors gain valuable insight into the College’s teaching philosophy and environment. Classroom visit requests must be submitted at least three business days before the visit. The Office of Admissions and the course instructor may deny a visitation request.

All classroom visitors are expected to quietly and respectfully observe and not to participate unless directed otherwise by the instructor.

Arriving late or leaving early is discouraged because it disrupts the class session. Visitors are expected to abide by the policies of the course instructor regarding seating arrangements and access to course materials. The use of any recording device for audio, video, or images is strictly prohibited.

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Office of Financial Aid Zaytuna College strives to assist students who need funds to study at the College. Students may apply for need-based financial aid or a merit-based scholarship through Zaytuna College by completing an online financial aid application at zaytuna.org.

The College does not participate in state or federal grant or loan programs. All financial aid and scholarships are funded by Zaytuna’s community of supporters, and most financial aid awards come from zakat (alms). Because the use of zakat-based financial aid is religiously regulated as a trust of the Muslim community, Zaytuna College must ensure that zakat is properly used by students making good progress toward their degree.

F i na n c i a l A i d P o l i c y Zaytuna offers financial aid and scholarships to students as long as they maintain fulltime status and a GPA of at least 3.0 each semester. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0, that student will be placed on financial aid probation and must raise the semester GPA back to a minimum of 3.0 by the end of the next semester. If the student fails to do so, his financial aid may be revoked. Such students may appeal the revocation in writing with the Financial Aid Committee within ten business days of the notice of revocation. If they do not appeal the revocation of financial aid or scholarship, they must pay full tuition, housing, and other expenses for the following semester if they wish to continue at Zaytuna.

A student receiving financial aid whose semester GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on academic and financial aid probation and will be given one semester of probation to achieve a 3.0 GPA. A student receiving a merit scholarship whose semester GPA falls below 2.0 will lose the scholarship. Students may appeal these decisions in extenuating circumstances. The

Financial Aid Committee considers the appeals and renders decisions.

Students who are on financial aid or scholarship probation for failing to maintain a 3.0 GPA for the previous semester may appeal to the Financial Aid Committee for an extension of probation for one more semester if they can document truly extenuating circumstances for such a request.

This appeal must be filed within ten business days of receiving the grade report for the probationary semester. In extenuating circumstances, a second probationary semester for financial aid and scholarship may be granted by the committee. If at the end of two semesters of financial aid and scholarship probation the student still has not achieved a semester GPA of 3.0, financial aid is revoked.

Students notified of revocation of financial aid must then pay their full tuition, housing, and all related College expenses if they wish to continue at Zaytuna.

Students who receive financial aid from an external source must notify the College, which will adjust the amount of financial aid received from the College by a proportional amount. For questions about financial aid, please email financialaid@zaytuna.org or call 510-356-4760.

Office of the Registrar The Office of the Registrar is responsible for student records, course scheduling, registration, and all administrative duties related to official student status letters, dissemination of grades, official transcripts, college and course withdrawal, transfer credits, and course changes.

All student records and financial information are maintained securely in both electronic and hardcopy format. Zaytuna College is vigilant about the privacy of all student files, and grants access only to specific staff members on a need-to-know basis. All policies regarding

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access to these records and files conform to relevant federal and state laws.

class should notify their instructor in a timely manner by email.

Copies of documents may be requested by students from the Office of the Registrar for a nominal fee.

Instructors have the option of making class attendance mandatory and including a participation component when determining the course grade. Instructors are required to include a grading scale in their syllabi that outlines their expectations for attendance. If an instructor believes that a student’s lack of attendance is causing his grades to suffer, the instructor may ask the Office of Enrollment Management to issue a warning letter, as outlined in the course syllabus.

Class At te n da n c e Students are expected to attend all class sessions of their courses each semester.

Although students may on occasion have valid reasons to miss a class, multiple absences tend to lead to lower grades. In addition, instructors are not expected to spend office hours with students for the purpose of reviewing material that was already covered in class. Students who anticipate an absence from

Although tardiness policies are individually determined by instructors, arriving to class on time is regarded as a matter of adab and is

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generally expected of every student and faculty member.

Le av e o f Abs e nc e A student may be granted a voluntary leave of absence from the College if the student’s health is impeding academic progress or if other personal circumstances warrant such a leave.

The student must submit a written request documenting the reason for a leave to the Dean of Student Services. A medical leave of absence requires written documentation from a licensed health care professional. Upon receiving a voluntary leave request, the Dean of Student Services will respond in writing and include a rationale for the decision to grant or deny the request, the conditions and requirements that must be met for readmission, and the process by which the student may request readmission.

For administrative purposes, students who have voluntarily withdrawn may be considered on leave from the College. Students who do not reregister after the end of the voluntary period are deemed to have withdrawn, and their registration is terminated. Subsequent requests for reinstatement of registration are considered on a case-by-case basis by the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Dean of Faculty.

himself or to others; (2) is disruptive and causes emotional, psychological, or physical distress to other members of the College community; or (3) substantially impedes the ability of other students, faculty, or staff to conduct their work.

Audit ing Co urse s Zaytuna College makes accommodations for students and members of the general public interested in auditing a course. All auditors must sign an agreement, included in the Audit Authorization Form, to abide by the policies of the instructor regarding course expectations, including seating arrangements and attendance.

Auditors should avoid arriving late or leaving early, because this tends to disrupt the class.

Auditors should quietly and respectfully observe and should not participate, unless directed otherwise by the instructor. Auditors are responsible for purchasing and obtaining course materials.

Stu den ts Full-time students may audit one course per semester, with permission from the instructor and faculty mentor, under the following conditions:

If a student is denied a voluntary leave, the student may appeal to the Vice President in writing within five days of receiving the written denial. The Vice President’s decision is final. When a student is placed on a voluntary medical leave of absence, the student is withdrawn from all classes. Reimbursement for tuition and room and board are in accordance with the College’s withdrawal policy.

• The student is in good academic standing • The student is not on probationary status of any type • The student is not requesting to audit a course he is required to take in the future • The student is not a freshman. Freshmen are ineligible to audit courses • The classroom has not reached maximum capacity

The College may place a student on an involuntary leave of absence or require the student to withdraw from the College if the student engages or threatens to engage in conduct that (1) poses a direct threat of harm to

The completed Audit Authorization Form must be submitted to the Office of Enrollment Management by the second Friday of the semester. Students seeking to attend a class prior to submitting the form must have the permission of the instructor of that class. After

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the second Friday of the semester, students who are not on the class roster may not attend classes, with the exception of a one-time visit approved by the instructor.

Courses taken on this basis receive either a P (pass) or an F (fail) from the instructor; however, in the evaluation of different aspects of work done during the semester, the instructor may choose to assign the usual grades. A “P” grade is assigned to students whose overall performance is deemed satisfactory by the instructor.

It is the student’s responsibility to prioritize graduation requirements and obligations for enrolled classes over those of the audited course.

A student may exercise this pass/fail option only if the student

Gen eral p u b l i c If space is available in a classroom, members of the general public may audit classes, with permission from the instructor. The audit fees are $950 for a three-credit course, $1,080 for a four-credit course, and $1,220 for a five-credit course, unless fully or partially waived by the College. Auditors must register through the Office of Enrollment Management and submit tuition payments to the Accounting Office by the second Friday of the semester.

• has not exercised the pass/fail option for another course in the same semester • exercises the pass/fail option within the first seven weeks of the semester • is not on academic probation, and receives permission from the course instructor In Arabic courses, the passing grade is C or above (73% or higher).

In other courses, the passing grade is D or above (63% or higher).

The College offers full- and partial-tuition waivers for audited courses to qualified individuals in exchange for supervised volunteer services throughout the semester of their enrollment. A full-tuition waiver for one course requires seventy-five hours of authorized volunteer time during the semester.

To seek a waiver, please submit a resume and a statement of interest to the Office of Enrollment Management.

Do cume ntat io n o f Graduat io n Re q uire me nt s

If the instructor approves, individuals who have audited a class may request an official transcript from the Office of Enrollment Management and will receive a notation of AU (audit) on their transcript.

Degree au dit In the summer term preceding the junior and senior years, the Registrar conducts an assessment of each junior’s and senior’s record against the required courses to determine if that student is on track to complete all graduation requirements. In doubtful cases, the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty confer to determine a course of action.

Pa s s/ F ai l Op t i o n Zaytuna College students are permitted to take one course per semester for a pass/ fail grade. This option affords students the opportunity to receive credit on their transcript without affecting their GPA if they pass the class.

Q u r’ ān rec itatio n an d memo rizatio n requ iremen t For details on the Qur’ān recitation graduation requirement, see page 12. All students are responsible for attending the recitation (tajwīd) and memorization (ĥifz) classes until the graduation requirement has

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been met. Failure to attend these courses will result in disciplinary action that may include probation. During freshman orientation or in the first two weeks of classes, all incoming and returning students who have not yet completed the requirement are assessed for their level of competency in recitation and placed in an appropriate section for study.

At the close of each academic year, the instructors submit to the Registrar the list of students who have passed the tajwīd and ĥifz graduation requirements. Students who pass this requirement are excused from attending tajwīd classes for their remaining time at Zaytuna.

Senior t h esi s su bm i s s i on The process for the completion of the senior thesis is spelled out in the Senior Thesis Guidelines which are distributed in the Research Methods Seminar. By February 15 of the junior year, all undergraduate students must fill out a form, obtained from the Office of Enrollment Management, with the following information: working title of the thesis, working bibliography, summary of no more than 500 words describing the project, and signature of the Thesis Advisor. This form must be submitted to the Registrar and the advisor.

Students spend the spring semester of the junior year and fall semester of the senior year in research and writing. The thesis must be submitted in electronic form to the advisor and Registrar (registrar@ zaytuna.org) by March 15 in the semester of graduation.

Experiential learning requirement All students are responsible for fulfilling College expectations regarding experiential learning prior to graduation. Students are responsible for meeting with the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning soon after their arrival in order to discuss

the requirement and develop a plan for its timely completion. The process of completing the requirement is administered from start to finish by the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning. At the close of the academic year, the Dean submits to the Registrar an Experiential Learning Completion Form for each student who has completed this requirement. The Experiential Learning requirement must be met for a diploma to be issued.

Tran sc ript Requ est Students may request an official transcript from the Office of the Registrar. Each transcript costs $10. The transcript request form can be filled out on the Zaytuna College website, on the Contact page.

En ro llmen t Verif ic atio n At the request of a student, the Registrar can provide an enrollment verification letter to confirm that student’s enrollment. The student should submit this request by email to registrar@zaytuna.org.

Co n f erral o f th e Un dergraduate Degree After students complete all graduation requirements, they are permitted to participate in Commencement. The Registrar processes and mails the diploma, which includes any relevant honors, to the permanent mailing address on file for each student.

In rare instances, if all course requirements have been met but a minor portion of the graduation requirements remain to be completed, a student may be allowed to participate in Commencement, provided that an agreement has been reached between the student and his instructor or thesis advisor. Requests and the signed agreement must be submitted to the Vice President of Academic Affairs for approval at least a week prior to the date of Commencement.

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“The ultimate end of a liberal arts education, at Zaytuna College or elsewhere, is the formation of a healthy human being—body and mind, heart and soul.”

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CAMPUS LIFE Student Affairs Zaytuna College strives to inculcate virtue and promote students’ intellectual, spiritual, physical, and emotional growth, and the College provides services, programs, and activities designed to meet those goals.

spiritual, and career counseling. In collaboration with the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning, the Dean of Student Services plans and executes student orientation; holds events and forums for student development; provides leadership and assistance with student housing and residential life issues; adjudicates student conflicts and policy violations; supports campus religious life activities; and oversees various student support initiatives, such as the Academic Support Center and the Counseling Center. The Dean of Student Services works closely with faculty mentors to assist students in proactively improving their learning and personal development.

The Office of Student Affairs oversees student development, student activities, student organizations, residential life, counseling services, student safety and security, and programs that promote health and well-being.

The Office of Student Affairs is comprised of the Office of Student Services and the Office of Student Life and Experiential Learning.

The Student Affairs Committee includes faculty, staff, and elected students; it is led by the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning and the Dean of Student Services.

The committee develops policies and procedures related to student life, student clubs, and extracurricular activities. It also considers students’ concerns and ideas, particularly those related to the residential experience, safety and security issues, and needs of students beyond the classroom.

The Dean is also responsible for leading emergency response planning and for campus safety and security.

The Acade mic Sup p o rt Ce nt e r The Academic Support Center (ASC) is overseen by the Vice President of Academic Affairs in collaboration with the Dean of Student Services and a faculty coordinator.

The ASC offers after-class tutoring to assist students with Arabic, English, and other subjects. Workshops are offered on study skills, note taking, and research skills, as well as stress and time management.

Dean of Student Services The Dean of Student Services is responsible for creating and maintaining a safe, healthy, and supportive environment and culture that holistically synthesizes the intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual development of Zaytuna’s students. The Dean is responsible for the overall vision and effectiveness of Zaytuna’s student support services.

Develo pin g Writin g Sk ills Excellent written communication is an essential component and outcome of a liberal arts education, and Zaytuna students learn to recognize that writing, like thought, is always a work in progress. The ASC helps students hone their writing skills, with tutors offering periodic workshops and providing feedback on assignments.

The Dean provides various types of counseling for students, including personal,

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Students with Disabilities Zaytuna College students with documented disabilities may receive assistance in a variety of ways, depending on the nature and extent of the disability. The College is committed to ensuring equal opportunity and access for all members of our campus community, in accordance with Section 503/504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Our goal is to create a welcoming and accessible environment that supports students’ achievement of learning objectives.

• • • •

Diagnostic evaluation for disabilities Special classes Specialized learning center Reduced standard for academic performance • Exemption from graduation requirements

Students with disabilities are advised to request accommodations in advance of matriculation through the Office of Enrollment Management.

If non-academic accommodations are needed, the Office of Student Services does its best to provide them. If such accommodations are beyond the means of the College, the student is notified as soon as possible.

Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, after review of the submitted documentation, discussion with the student, and, if needed, consultation with faculty. The accommodations may not necessarily incorporate all the student’s requests and may include: • Special testing arrangements (e.g., extended time for exams, alternate testing location) • Readers, note takers, or scribes • Sign language interpreters • Course materials in alternate format (e.g., electronic text) • Physical accommodations for access to certain areas • Referral and liaison to state rehabilitation agencies Zaytuna College does not offer students with disabilities the following:

Students with disabilities take an active role in the collaborative process of identifying, arranging, and monitoring the provision of services and accommodations. No service or accommodation is provided automatically or unilaterally by the College.

The Co unse ling Ce nt e r The Dean of Student Services organizes and provides various types of counseling to facilitate students’ growth. These include spiritual, personal, and career counseling. The Counseling Center may also organize campuswide programs in response to issues or events that affect students or the broader College community.

Pasto ral Co u n selin g Many students experience problems that require professional guidance and support. The Dean of Student Services is a trained chaplain who offers professional pastoral counseling to students. The Dean also coordinates providing services with a board-certified female volunteer chaplain, the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning, faculty mentors, and other academic and student services staff. The Dean may also refer students to support services outside the College and assist students in taking advantage of the resources available to them.

Career an d Graduate Sc h o o l Co u n selin g The Dean of Student Services assists students with planning their futures by providing guidance about careers and graduate study.

Students should make appointments with the Dean to explore professional interests,

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career paths, and their related educational requirements.

Healt h S e rv ic e s Zaytuna College does not have a health clinic or offer its own health services. The Dean of Student Services serves as a resource for assisting students dealing with health issues. In a medical emergency, the Dean or a designated staff member helps ensure that students receive appropriate medical care and coordinates necessary communication between College offices and the student.

Students over the age of eighteen should obtain their own health insurance in compliance with the law. Information concerning this is provided by the Dean’s office.

Camp us Sa fe t y, S ec u r i t y, a n d Emerg e nc y R e s p on s e P la n n i n g The Dean of Student Services oversees and leads the College’s efforts to provide a safe campus environment. In this role, the Dean provides information to students about how to enhance their security; chairs the Emergency Response Planning Committee and brings in necessary trainers and resources to assist the College in its efforts; and serves as liaison with community leaders, including the Berkeley Police Department, the City Council, and community service organizations.

Resident advisors, the Dean of Student Services, and the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning assist students with safety complaints and respond to reports of threatening incidents or medical emergencies.

Sa fet y R eco mm endat i ons Students, faculty, and staff should be aware of their surroundings at all times. When walking outside the campus after dark, students are strongly encouraged to walk in groups of three or more. Students should have their resident advisor’s cell phone number and the Berkeley Police Department number on speed dial in their

cell phone. Students should call 911 for lifethreatening police, fire, or medical emergencies and 510-981-5911 to report non-life-threatening emergencies or incidents to the Berkeley Police Department. The Zaytuna College telephone number for non-life-threatening incident reports and emergencies is 510-984-1414.

Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning St ude nt Lif e The Office of Student Life and Experiential Learning serves as a resource for student development; coordinates student religious life; oversees student activities and events; supervises residential space; works closely with student organizations; and in concert with the Student Affairs Committee and the Dean of Student Services, develops policies regarding student life. The Student Affairs Committee is comprised of faculty, administration, and student representatives.

Exp e rie nt ial Le arning Experiential Learning/Community Service is a degree requirement at Zaytuna College (see page 11) founded upon a prophetic tradition that affirms, “The best of people are those that bring most benefit to the rest of mankind.”

This degree requirement also fulfills the “B” (“Build on theoretical knowledge through moral commitment and service”) of the acronym ADAB, which represents the core learning outcomes at Zaytuna College.

The Office of Student Life and Experiential Learning has oversight of the Experiential Learning degree requirement, which is designed to bridge learning inside and outside the classroom and to promote intellectual, social, and spiritual growth. The Office develops and coordinates service opportunities for students that blend theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and leadership development.

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Students are required to fulfill a minimum of fifty hours in structured and supervised community service or in civic engagement projects. Following their service experiences, students write reflection papers and attend meetings with the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning to discuss and reflect on the experiences.

advisors, who address any issues related to student housing, help develop a sense of community, and work with students to help them be responsible and accountable in their behavior in residential areas. All resident advisors are certified through the American Red Cross in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The requirement may be fulfilled through local, national, or international service projects.

Students are encouraged to seek out service opportunities that appeal to their particular interests. The Dean can help connect students with community service organizations, such as local soup kitchens, Habitat for Humanity, and so on.

Re side nt ial p o licie s Zaytuna College is committed to providing a learning atmosphere consistent with the Islamic tradition. In line with its Honor Code (see page 36), Zaytuna College has residential policies inspired by the high standards of behavior based on Islamic principles.

Students are expected to comply with all College housing policies distributed by the resident advisors or the Office of Student Life and Experiential Learning during movein and orientation. Policies are subject to change during the academic year, and students must comply with the most recent policies distributed.

Residential Life Zaytuna College strives to offer a safe and supportive environment conducive to learning and personal growth, for students who live on campus. Student residences, separate for male and female students, are conveniently located within walking distance of 2515 Hillegass Ave., the academic campus where most classes are held. Students live in partially furnished, one-bedroom apartments, in either single- or double-occupancy rooms. Students are not required to live in Zaytuna housing, but Zaytuna does not offer assistance to find alternative housing arrangements.

Oppo site Gen der Visits As a rule, students of opposite genders are not permitted to visit each other in student housing. Violations of this policy are considered serious and may result in permanent expulsion from the College. Some limited exceptions are made for opposite gender visits in the case of married students living separately in the male and female apartments. Students who have questions about this policy are advised to contact the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning.

Because the College does not offer dining services, students cook for themselves in their apartments. To facilitate healthy nutrition among students, the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning organizes group visits to farmers’ markets, holds informational sessions about health and nutrition, and encourages potluck dinners to provide students with opportunities to apply what they have learned.

M arried Stu den ts Zaytuna College does not provide married student housing. Students who are married— whether to another Zaytuna student or a non-student—and wish to live together must generally arrange their own housing.

The Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning supervises male and female resident

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Clean Livin g Spac es Students are expected to always maintain clean living spaces and respect the rights of their roommates and other residents in student housing. Periodic room and apartment inspections may be conducted by resident advisors or other Zaytuna College staff.

Students may be asked to clean their rooms or apartments to maintain a healthy, safe, and pleasant living environment.

Questions about special circumstances may be directed to the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning.

Gues t s All guests—visiting family members or personal friends of students—must comply with the residential living policies and the Honor Code while on the premises of College-approved housing. Students are expected to inform their guests about these policies and help them understand and fulfill their responsibilities.

Visiting hours are from 8:00 AM until 10:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and from 8:00 AM until 11:00 PM on Friday and Saturday.

When students move out at the end of the academic year, strict check-out inspections are conducted on the day the student moves out to ensure that each room has been properly cleaned and returned to its original condition.

Resident advisors are responsible for checkout inspections. A student’s housing deposit is subject to partial or complete forfeiture if the condition of his residential space upon departure is less than satisfactory.

All visitation requests should be made by the student at least twenty-four hours in advance, using the Residential Visitation Form, to the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning. Requests for visitation by guests of the opposite gender who are mahram (unmarriageable kin) must be approved not just by the Dean but also by the Zaytuna residents on the same floor.

P ets Pets are not permitted in any areas of student housing.

The Office of Student Life and Experiential Learning operates a virtual lobby, or an electronic guestbook, to maintain a safe environment for College residents, in the spirit of communal responsibility.

Co n gregatio n al P ray er an d Religio u s Ac tivities As a Muslim college, Zaytuna College establishes regular congregational prayer times that provide an opportunity for the Zaytuna community to gather in worship several times daily. Attendance is optional. Students, staff, and faculty may also participate in a monthly khatm al-Qur’ān on campus.

Overnight guests, whether family or friends, are advised to stay in a hotel because dormitory rooms are small and overnight guests may inconvenience a roommate. If they wish to stay in the student’s room, the student must seek permission from the Dean’s office prior to their stay.

Student Activities and Organizations

Quiet H o u rs All Zaytuna College student housing conforms to the City of Berkeley municipal code, which requires “quiet hours” between 10 PM and 7 AM. Students are expected to respect neighbors and limit avoidable, excessive noise, such as blaring stereos and televisions, loud conversations, large gatherings, a loud call to prayer, and so on.

St ude nt Act ivit ie s As part of Zaytuna College’s mission to “educate and prepare morally committed professional, intellectual, and spiritual leaders” and to cultivate personal and academic growth, the Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning organizes regular activities that explore a wide range of topics,

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collegiate competition in Olympic target archery.

such as health, nutrition, and well-being; spiritual, religious, and personal growth; building and maintaining community; making ethical choices; and leadership development. The Dean also coordinates group activities, such as archery, hiking, and camping trips.

Calligraph y Clu b. This club aims to acquaint students with the art of Arabic calligraphy. It also strives to foster an appreciation for calligraphy by promoting and organizing events that teach the art.

Student Organizations The Office of Student Life and Experiential Learning serves as a liaison to the Student Union and other student organizations, which provide opportunities for students to pursue their extracurricular interests and gain leadership experience. At the request of students, the Office of Student Life can help establish new student organizations and designate a staff or faculty member as an advisor.

The current student organizations at Zaytuna College include:

Green Kh alif a Clu b. The goal of this group is to improve sustainability and environmental awareness through education and activism.

M ath Clu b. Twice a week, students gather to read Euclid’s Elements, an ancient Greek text critical to the liberal arts tradition at Zaytuna College, in which logic plays an important role. Reading, understanding, and explaining the geometrical propositions within Elements are a primary focus of the club.

Olea P ress. An online news publication, Olea Press publishes articles that strive to seek truth and avoid falsity. Its mission is to explore the complexity of current events and issues, and in doing so, to help both the writer and the reader gain knowledge and awareness.

A r c h e ry C l u b . The practice of archery has been confirmed as a sunnah practice by the Prophet Muhammad s and many of our tradition’s scholars. The Archery Club introduces students to the sport of archery and prepares them for national

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experience at the College. To accomplish this, the Union has the following objectives:

Outdoor Club. This club introduces students to the wonder, majesty, and perfection of God’s creation. One of the most beautiful aspects of the Islamic tradition is its constant reference to the outdoors. Repeatedly, God commands us to reflect upon the sky, sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers, all presented as signs that contain meanings that humble us through beauty and awe. Through the Outdoor Club, we seek opportunities to take in these signs as part of our spiritual growth.

• Promote general student welfare • Foster strong ties within the Zaytuna community • Foster engagement between the Zaytuna student body and the larger community • Provide effective and responsive student governance • Represent the student body to the administration • Promote and support sustainable student clubs, initiatives, and events

Ph i l o so p h y C l u b . This primary-textbased, seminar-style discussion group engages with the Western philosophical tradition and focuses on books by Plato and Aristotle, among others, that are read in courses such as Freshman Logic, History of Science, and Philosophy.

A primary goal of the club is to help students develop the dialectical and freethinking abilities that are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

The Student Union is governed by board members who are elected by the student body and sworn in at the end of each academic year.

The board officers include a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, two External Affairs Liaisons, and a Historian. A Freshman Representative is elected at the beginning of the fall semester by the freshman cohort, so that all classes in the student body may be represented on the board.

Po et ry C l u b . The Prophet Muhammad s said, “Truly, in some poetry is great wisdom.” The Poetry Club’s goal is to foster a campus-wide appreciation of poetry by meeting regularly to read poetry and plan other poetry-centered activities and events.

The Union is funded partly by the College but manages its own budget, expenses, and additional sources of income. All requests for Union funds must be submitted to the Office of Student Life and Experiential Learning, which oversees the Union.

Un i ted Mu sl i m R e li e f ( U M R ) . A joint chapter for the Zaytuna College and the University of California (UC) Berkeley communities, UMR aims to provide relief and development aid to underserved communities around the world by blending advocacy, youth mobilization, disaster response, aid delivery, and empowerment through education.

Inf o rmat io n Te chno lo g y Sup p o rt Zaytuna College provides wireless Internet access to all its students, faculty, and staff on campus and in the dormitories. Three Windows-based desktop computers with printing capability are available for use in the reference library, but students are strongly encouraged to bring their own laptop computers. Printing and copying facilities are available in the student lounge at 10 cents/page for black and white copies and 25 cents/page for color copies.

S tu d e nt U nio n The Zaytuna College Student Union is dedicated to enhancing the overall student

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Rio Vista

Vallejo

Zaytuna College in the San Francisco Bay Area

University of California

Berkeley

ZAYTUNA COLLEGE

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE TWITTER

Saint Mary’s College of California

BAY BRIDGE

Mills College

Oakland

University of San Francisco

San Francisco

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LEVI-STRAUS OAKLAND INTL. AIRPORT

San Francisco State University Hayward SAN FRANCISCO INTL. AIRPORT

California State University, East Bay

Redwood City ORACLE

FACEBOOK

Stanford University

Palo Alto

Silicon Valley

GOOGLE HP

INTEL

YAHOO

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Santa Clara University APPLE

Cupertino

Zaytuna Administrative Building

EBAY

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Zaytuna Academic Campus (2015)

UC BERKELEY CAMPUS

Santa Cruz

Soquel

Aptos

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Zaytuna Academic Campus (2014)

F

Watson

Zaytuna College in Berkeley Castroville

Woodbridge

Lockeford Lodi

ZAYTUNA COLLEGE: WHERE WE ARE Linden

The San Francisco Bay Area

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Freedom

nville

Stockton

including the region’s abundant cultural A thriving, bustling center of culture, attractions and the natural beauty of its technology, and academia, the San Francisco French Camp breathtaking coastline and lush state parks.

Bay Area, home to Zaytuna College, has a population of seven million people, including Lathrop Escalon The City of Berkeley Manteca a significant number of Muslims. The area includes Silicon Valley, the technology hub of Zaytuna College is located in historic Oakdale the world. Its three cities are San Jose, 205largest Berkeley,Ripon described as a city with “a small Tracy Riverbank San Francisco, and Oakland. population but a big reputation.”

It wields Salida enormous global influence as a center for According to the Bay Area Economic Council discovery, freedom of 580 Institute and the Institute for Social Policy and academics, scientific Modesto expression, and commitment to diversity. It Water Understanding, the highlights of the Bay Area is also known for its tradition of social justice include: Ceresinquiry, twoHughson activism and intellectual qualities • The largest number of top-ten graduate embodied in its world-renowned university, programs in business, law, medicine, and UC Berkeley.

Denair engineering in the nation Turlock Berkeley is a compact, dynamic city with a Patterson • World-class institutions, including population of about 115,000. It is exceptionally Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Santa pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, made even Delhi Clara University, and the GTU more so by its scenic location and year-round • Annual GDP of $535 billion (the world’s Livingston gentle climate. Students can enjoy easy access nineteenth-largest economy, greater than to the rest of the Bay Area via the Bay Area that of Sweden or Saudi Arabia) Rapid Transit (BART) system and the Caltrain Newman • GDP per capita of $74,815, the highest in commuter rail system. the United States Gustine Within walking distance from the College, • Headquarters of major technology students can find several halal restaurants companies, including Google, Apple, and cafes and a local mosque. Students at the eBay, Facebook, Twitter, Cisco, and College have ample opportunities to take part Yahoo in the valuable work of the Bay Area’s many • A Muslim population of approximately civic-minded Muslim organizations.

250,000, San Martin which is highly educated, with an annual median income $20,000 Los Banos The Zaytuna Campus higher than that of the average American The academic campus of Zaytuna College is Gilroy household 5 in Berkeley, located at 2515 Hillegass Avenue • More than fifty mosques and dozens of which houses the classrooms; faculty offices;South Dos Pa Islamic organizations library (also used as a prayer area); academic

Students at Zaytuna can take advantage of the many benefits of living in the Bay Area,

San Juan Bautista

Hollister

support center; the Offices of Student Life and Experiential Learning, Student Activities, and

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Student Services; and the Counseling Center.

Dormitories for students are located within walking distance of this campus.

Zaytuna has recently bought two beautiful buildings one mile north of the academic campus, on “Holy Hill,” an academic neighborhood nicknamed for the religious colleges that are part of the Graduate Theological Union.

The first building, located at 2401 Le Conte Avenue, was purchased in 2012 and currently houses the offices of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean of Faculty, and the Director of Assessment and Accreditation;

the Office of Enrollment Management; a main lecture hall used for events, prayer, and guest lectures; and the offices supervised by the Vice President of Finance and Administration, including Development, Marketing and Communications, Finance and Accounting, Property Management, and Human Resources.

This building, when fully renovated, will become Zaytuna’s administrative building.

In 2014, Zaytuna College acquired a second building, at 1712 Euclid Avenue, which will be renovated in 2015. This building will meet many essential needs—as a dormitory for female students, a space for classes and public events, and offices for faculty and staff.

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This building will be renovated for use as Zaytuna's Academic

GENE RAL POLICIES Cam p us Sa fe t y a n d Sec u r i t y Zaytuna College is committed to a safe and secure campus and reserves the right to take reasonable actions, including alerting appropriate authorities when necessary, in the interest of the general welfare of its students, faculty, and staff.

To that end, the College has established policies designed to promote the safety of students and employees of the College, including policies concerning campus life, weapons, and violence.

Further information about campus safety policies and procedures is available from the Dean of Student Services; concerns regarding safety and security should be directed to the Dean. Statistics about crime on campus are maintained by the Vice President of Finance and Administration.

Di gi ta l C o mmun i c at i on s P oli c y Email is an official method of communication at Zaytuna College, and students are expected to read emails received in a timely fashion.

All Zaytuna students are issued official email accounts. In their email communications, students are expected to adhere to the principles of adab found in the Honor Code.

They are also prohibited from using their college-issued email accounts for unlawful or private commercial purposes. Students should familiarize themselves with Microsoft Outlook for scheduling meetings and events.

Medi a a n d P ubl i c R elat i on s P oli c y All Zaytuna College communications with representatives of the media are coordinated and approved by the Director of Marketing and Communications. With rare exceptions, Zaytuna prohibits media representatives from interviewing, photographing, or filming on campus. Students, faculty, and administrative

staff are not permitted to represent Zaytuna to journalists, documentary filmmakers, or any outside individuals or institutions seeking interviews or information, without first seeking the approval of the Marketing and Communications Office. Students who are approached by journalists, other media representatives, or people conducting any type of research on Zaytuna must refer such individuals to the Director of Marketing and Communications. For any questions regarding this policy, please contact the Director of Marketing and Communications.

St ude nt Privacy Po licy Zaytuna College respects the rights of all students. Students over the age of eighteen are entitled to the privacy of their academic and other records and personal information.

Students who are willing to allow parents, guardians, or others access to these records may give the College permission to share information about them at the beginning of each academic year. This is indicated by a signed form, which is kept by the Office of Enrollment Management and may be revoked or amended in writing by the student.

Academic records, medical history and events, and other personal information are only shared with faculty and staff on a need-toknow basis.

Students under the age of eighteen are under the guidance and direction of their parents or legal guardian. The College may therefore share information about such students with parents and legal guardians if it is deemed in the best interest of the student to do so.

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Questions regarding our student privacy policy should be directed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Pro hib it io n o f Harassme nt Zaytuna students and employees are expected to demonstrate respect for others. Harassment is defined as conduct that is abusive or that substantially interferes with a person’s pursuit of his customary or usual affairs. Harassment may be verbal, physical, or written. It may be a behavior committed once or multiple times. Harassment may concern one’s person, gender, ethnicity, race, age, or other personal characteristics. All forms of harassment are unacceptable and may incur sanctions.

Im age R e l e as e P oli c y Zaytuna College reserves the right to take and use photographs and electronic images, or to make video and audio recordings, of students and visitors on College property and at College-sponsored events for educational, promotional, and fundraising purposes. All students have an opportunity to decline the use of their photographs or images by filling out an “opt out” form, available at the Marketing and Communications Office.

Proh ibit io n o f Sm ok i n g , A lc oh ol, and I l l e ga l D ru g s Zaytuna College does not allow smoking or the use of tobacco in or adjacent to College buildings, including entrance ways and the courtyard. Smoking is also not permitted in or near college housing units. One verified violation results in a written warning. Two violations may result in expulsion from the College and from campus housing, without any refund.

Consumption or possession of alcohol and/ or illegal substances is prohibited on campus, off campus, and in College housing. Verified violations of this policy result in immediate expulsion from the College and from campus housing, without any refund.

Vi olatio ns o f th e Law Students who are convicted of violating laws regarding tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs are expelled from the College, without any refund.

Sexual, racial, ethnic, and religious harassment are violations of law. Acts of harassment should be promptly reported to the Vice President of Academic Affairs or the Vice President of Finance and Administration, who will investigate the allegation(s) and take appropriate action.

Po licy o n Vio le nce Zaytuna College requires employees and students to treat others fairly and with dignity.

Differences or problems between persons are to be resolved with civility and without reprisals.

Violence or threats of violence are not tolerated.

For purposes of this policy, “violence” is defined as an overt act or threat of harm to a person or property, or any act that poses a substantial threat to the safety of any person or property.

Such violence is prohibited in any space owned or leased by the College or any of its constituent units, including vehicles, and in any location where College events or activities are conducted.

Conduct that may violate this policy includes but is not limited to the following: • Intimidating, harassing, or threatening behaviors • Physical abuse, including hitting, slapping, poking, kicking, punching, and grabbing • Verbal abuse, including yelling, shouting, and use of sexually, racially, or ethnically charged epithets

Proh ibit io n o f Wea p on s The use or possession of weapons, as defined under California law, is prohibited on the College campus, in campus housing, and at College events or activities.

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• Vandalism • Carrying or possessing weapons or dangerous instruments of any kind on campus or in College housing • Using such weapons • Any other act that a reasonable person would consider to constitute a threat of violence, including oral or written statements, and gestures or expressions that communicate a direct or indirect threat of physical harm • Endangering the safety of any employee, student, or visitor • Behavior that has a harmful impact on an individual’s physical and/or psychological well-being • Behavior that causes damage to personal or College property • Behavior that creates a hostile campus environment Reporting Threats, Crimes, Violent Acts, or Emergencies To report a threat, crime, violent act, or emergency on campus, call 911 if in imminent physical danger. For non-life-threatening concerns or situations, call the City of Berkeley Police Department at 510-981-5911. As soon as possible thereafter, report the incident to a College staff member by calling 510-9841414. Staff or faculty who receive incident or emergency reports should communicate them to the Dean of Student Services.

Anti - D is c r iminat i on P oli c y Zaytuna College does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, sex, nationality, marital status, or ethnic origin in the admission of students or in the administration of its educational or other policies. Claims of perceived discrimination should be directed in writing to the Vice President of Academic Affairs or the Vice President of Finance and Administration,

who will investigate the allegation(s) and take appropriate action.

Grie vance s Students who experience a problem with any member of the Zaytuna College community should document the problem and attempt to first resolve it with the person with whom the problem has occurred. Failing that, the student should contact the Dean of Student Services for advice on a resolution. The Dean will advise the student on appropriate ways to resolve the problem.

If a student believes a problem is not being resolved fairly due to factors such as race, religion, ethnicity, sex, political beliefs, or the like, or if the student believes harassment of any kind has occurred, a grievance should be filed with the Dean of Student Services.

A Grievance Committee comprised of faculty, staff, and students will be convened to consider the grievance, render a decision, and communicate it to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The student will receive notification of the decision from the Vice President within thirty business days after the decision has been rendered by the committee.

If a course-related problem occurs, students must first attempt to resolve the issue with the faculty member teaching the course.

Students must document the problem and the efforts made to resolve the issue before filing a complaint with the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Efforts at resolution may include a mediation process, to be set up by the Vice President with appropriate College staff and the parties involved. If the problem concerns a grade dispute, the Grade Appeals Process is used (see page 41). However, if it is determined that an issue of discrimination or harassment has occurred, the appeal becomes a grievance and the grievance procedure ensues.

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Hatem Bazian

Mark Delp

Cindy Ausec

Youssef Ismail

Abdullah Ali

Ali Ataie

DIRECTORY Faculty C i n dy Au s e c Coordinator, Academic Support Center B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara; M.B.A., National University, San Diego; M.A., University of Arizona; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, and the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley causec@zaytuna.org

N e t h a l Ab d u l - M u ’ m i n Ijāzah (traditional teaching license) in Ĥafś; Ijāzah in Warsh; B.A., Arabic and Islamic Studies, Abu Noor University, Damascus nabdulmumin@zaytuna.org S a i r a Ab u - B a k r B.S., California State University, Stanislaus; M.S., Sarah Lawrence College; Zaytuna Institute Pilot Seminary Program sabubakr@zaytuna.org

R a n i a Awa a d B.A., B.S., University of Michigan; Ijāzah (traditional teaching license), Damascus; M.D., Wright State University rawaad@zaytuna.org

Ab d u l l a h b i n H a m i d A l i Coordinator, Law Cluster Temple University; B.A., Al-Qarawiyin University; M.A., Ph.D. program, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley aali@zaytuna.org

H at e m B a z i a n Co-founder B.A., San Francisco State University; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley hbazian@zaytuna.org

Ta h i r A n wa r B.A., Darul Uloom Falah e Darain, Gujarat, India tahir.anwar@zaytuna.org

Am a r B e l l a h a Hafiz, Madrasat Imam Nafia; Ijāzah (traditional teaching license) in Ĥafś; Ijāzah in Warsh abellaha@zaytuna.org

A l i Ata i e A.A., Diablo Valley College; B.S., California Polytechnic State University; M.A., Pacific School of Religion; Ph.D. program, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley aataie@zaytuna.org

Mark Delp B.A., Sonoma State University; M.A., Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley; M.M.S., Ph.D., Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame mdelp@zaytuna.org

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Administration

Fadi Elhin Director, Summer Arabic Intensive B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of Jordan felhin@zaytuna.org

H a mz a Y u s u f President and Co-founder A.A., A.S., Imperial Valley College; B.A., San Jose State University; Ph.D. (candidate), Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley; Ijāzahs (traditional teaching licenses) in the Islamic sciences hamza.yusuf@zaytuna.org

Yo u s s e f I s m a i l B.S., California State University, Northridge; M.S., Ph.D., Stanford University yismail@zaytuna.org C o l l e e n K ey e s See biography under Administration.

Academic Affairs C o l l e e n K ey e s Vice President, Academic Affairs B.A., Clark University; M.A., Fairfield University; M.A., Hartford Seminary; Ph.D., University of Exeter Office: 510-900-3136 ckeyes@zaytuna.org

Faraz Khan Coordinator, Honors Program B.A., University of Texas, Austin; Markaz Anwar al-‘Ulama, Amman, Jordan; Ijāzahs (traditional teaching licenses) in the Islamic sciences fkhan@zaytuna.org

S u m a i r a A k h ta r Director, Assessment and Accreditation B.S., University of Illinois Office: 510-900-3154 sakhtar@zaytuna.org

Mahan Mirza Dean of Faculty B.S., University of Texas, Austin; M.A., Hartford Seminary; M.A., M. Phil., Ph.D., Yale University mmirza@zaytuna.org

D ua a E l z e n ey Director, Enrollment Management B.A., Calvin College; M.A., Loyola University of Chicago Office: 510-900-3139 delzeney@zaytuna.org

Zaid Shakir Co-founder B.A., American University, Washington, D.C.; M.A., Rutgers University; Abu Noor University, Damascus; Ijāzahs (traditional teaching licenses) in the Islamic sciences zaid.shakir@zaytuna.org

Stephanie Mirza Administrative Assistant, Academic Affairs B.A., Southern Connecticut State University; M.A., Wesleyan University; graduate certificate in TESOL , California State University, Chico Office: 510-295-4461 smirza@zaytuna.org

M u n e s To m e h B.A., University of California, Berkeley; M.S., Arizona State University; J.D., School of Law, University of California, Berkeley mtomeh@zaytuna.org H a mz a Y u s u f See biography under Administration.

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Yusuf Samara Assistant Director, Enrollment Management B.A., Yale University Office: 510-900-3156 ysamara@zaytuna.org Khushbo Fana Khalil Office Manager, Academic Affairs B.A., San Jose State University Office: 510-900-3134 kkhalil@zaytuna.org

Finance and Administration Wa h e e d Ab d u l R a s h e e d Vice President of Finance and Administration B.S., Bangalore University Office: 510-900-3044 waheed@zaytuna.org

Student Affairs

Safir Ahmed Director of Marketing and Communications B.S., Southern Illinois University Office: 415-595-0790 sahmed@zaytuna.org

Bilal W. Ansari Dean of Student Services B.A., Springfield College; M.A., Hartford Seminary; graduate certificate in Islamic chaplaincy, Hartford Seminary bansari@zaytuna.org

J awa d E l eya n Accounting Manager M.S., Golden Gate University Office: 510-984-2387 jeleyan@zaytuna.org

Dawo o d Ya s i n Dean of Student Life and Experiential Learning B.A., Community Studies, University of Massachusetts; M.A., Dartmouth College (expected in 2014).

Office: 510-295-4464 dyasin@zaytuna.org

B a n a F ayo u m i Staff Accountant B.A., Damascus University Office: 510-984-2387 bfayoumi@zaytuna.org C at h e r i n e H a mz e Office Manager, Finance and Administration J.D., John F. Kennedy University Office: 510-900-3153 chamze@zaytuna.org Najeeb Hasan Writer/Editor B.A., University of Missouri, Columbia; M.A., University of Southern California najeeb.hasan@gmail.com

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Development Noreen Khan Vice President of Development nkhan@zaytuna.org

H e b a M ac k s o u d Social Media Manager B.A., Rutgers University Office: 510-900-3152 hmacksoud@zaytuna.org Nabeelah Naeem Event Manager B.A., International Islamic University, Malaysia Office: 510-900-3138 nnaeem@zaytuna.org Aaron Sellars Audiovisual Manager Virginia Commonwealth University Office: 510-984-2385 hsellars@zaytuna.org

D i a n e S ta i r Director of Development B.A., San Jose State University Office: 510-900-3137 dstair@zaytuna.org Shams Khan Associate Director of Donor Relations B.A., M.A., MBA, Western Michigan University skhan@zaytuna.org Irram Khan Associate Manager, Development B.A., University of California, San Diego Office: 510-356-4760 ikhan@zaytuna.org

Contact Information Acad em i c C a mpu s

Admin istrative Campu s

2515 Hillegass Avenue Berkeley, CA 9 4 7 0 4 admissions@zaytuna.org F ax : 510 - 2 7 7 - 8 6 4 0

2401 Le Conte Avenue Berkeley, CA 9470 9 P h o n e: 510-356-476 0

F ax : 510 - 32 7 - 2 6 8 8 | Em a i l: info@zaytuna.org | Web: zaytuna.org

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ZAY TUNA COLLEGE zaytuna.org