College of Arts and Science converts thriving academic programs to departments

The College of Arts and Science will convert four programs and one center into full departments, following approval from the Board of Trust. The programs in Asian Studies, Cinema and Media Arts, Jewish Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, as well as the Center for Medicine, Health and Society, will become departments on July 1. The College of Arts and Science will then consist of 28 departments, seven programs and one center, remaining Vanderbilt’s largest and most academically diverse school.

Academic diversity and exploration are built into the college’s academic structure of centers, programs and departments. This structure allows the college to explore disciplinary opportunities at the program and center level, then build some offerings into full-fledged departments over time. The four programs and one center being converted to departments have successfully developed to a level that advances the college’s, and the university’s, vison and mission.

In Jewish Studies, faculty achievements were influential in the college’s decision to convert the program to a department. Jewish Studies professors contribute widely and visibly to both the humanities and social sciences. Collectively, they have won 13 book and article prizes, as well as fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Mellon Foundation. This high-quality work puts the Jewish Studies program in a position to make important strides, both in the field and for the college.