American Jewish University (AJU) announced Friday afternoon its decision to pause undergraduate admissions as they are changing how they look at the current undergraduate curriculum.
AJU will also establish a working group to explore and design upcoming academic initiatives that will fit the diversity of the Los Angeles location and the university’s ethical and moral foundations.
The decision means the university will no longer recruit for the upcoming school year and is not accepting applications at this time. There is no timeline set for when enrollment will start back up.
“Our students come first, and we have notified them of these plans,” Jeffrey Herbst, president of AJU since summer 2018, said. “Over the next few days we will be holding open forums to address the questions they have and have appointed an academic affairs liaison to provide ongoing support for these students.”
The university, which opened in 1947, also plans to cease recruiting for its undergraduate program effective immediately, but assures the current undergraduate enrolled classes, roughly 70 students, that will continue to be able to complete their education.
AJU’s board of trustees met earlier this week to review and approve the plan. There will be no faculty layoffs associated with this action.
The university also wants the community to know that no other divisions within the school will be affected by this change. Those departments include the Ziegler School for Rabbinic Studies, Graduate Center for Jewish Education and the Graduate School of Nonprofit Management.
“A vibrant 21st-century university is an entity that provides educational and cultural resources to a wide range of individuals in the communities it serves on a year-round basis,” Herbst said. “While undergraduate education is a core element for most universities, it is not the only element.”
Herbst said he hopes the new changes provide “unique academic and cultural” experiences to its young-adult demographic.
“As an educator, the chance to devise a new undergraduate program from a blank page is a once-in-a-career opportunity,” Herbst said. “My colleagues and I are excited about the prospect of developing a cutting-edge program … and we view this opportunity as a unique chance for a university to fully engage in fresh thinking regarding undergraduate education.”
The Jewish Journal will provide updates as we get them.
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