FAQ

No.  The university, which is healthy financially, continues to provide a myriad of other programming for the Greater Los Angeles Jewish community and people of all ages and backgrounds through its two campuses in Bel-Air and Simi Valley.

AJU is pausing undergraduate admissions and sunsetting the current undergraduate curriculum.  AJU will use this opportunity to explore new, exciting academic initiatives based on best practices that will take advantage of the dynamism of our Los Angeles location, and the university’s ethical and moral foundations.

The university president is in the process of appointing a working group to help develop exciting, thoughtful programming that takes advantage of the latest thinking in educational practice, technology, and student affairs. This group will include members of the faculty, staff, and alumni as well as wider community members with expertise in educational programming, innovation and strong understanding of Jewish culture and heritage.

The current undergraduate program is part of the College of Arts and Sciences and includes nine primary areas of baccalaureate study.

No.  No other divisions within the university, including other academic programs such as the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Graduate Center for Jewish Education, or Graduate School of Nonprofit Management, will be impacted by this change.

The university was re-accredited for seven years in 2016 for all of its academic programming. AJU has informed the accrediting agency of the plans for the undergraduate program and there will be no impact on university accreditation.

Yes.  AJU will honor our commitment to current students and offer courses throughout the remainder of their undergraduate education.

No. All classes will continue as scheduled.  Future offerings will be tailored to the needs of the study body and all current students in good standing will have an opportunity to complete the requirements for their degree.

No. AJU has numerous offerings and resources on campus that serve thousands of people in the community and those programs will not be impacted by this decision.

There are 12 full time faculty currently teaching in the undergraduate program and we do not expect any near-term changes since we will be continuing undergraduate academic programming for enrolled students.

Since we will not be recruiting new students for the near term, two occupied positions and one vacant position within the undergraduate admissions department were eliminated.  We will work with the impacted individuals to provide support and explore other opportunities. No other layoffs are planned for this academic year.

Yes.  There have been concerns for many years about the very small size of the program and numerous efforts have been attempted to reverse the enrollment trends. The president has reviewed these past efforts and the performance indicators associated with the undergraduate program. Based on the findings and continued negative financial impact, he made the recommendation to sunset the current program to the Board of Directors in early October.

Yes, running an undergraduate program with a residential component does require having a large enough enrollment to align with the required expenses. For many years, the undergraduate program has not met expenses and we have had to make up the shortfall through other revenue sources. 

The program has always been very small and peak enrollment has been only 142 students.  As of fall 2018, the program enrolls 68 undergraduate students.

The president, in discussion with his leadership team, is in the process of making the appointments. The group will include members of the faculty, staff, and alumni as well as wider community members with expertise in educational programming, innovation and strong understanding of Jewish culture and heritage.

It is too early to put a deadline on completion, but we expect work to begin immediately and in earnest.

Yes.  The university remains fully accredited, meaning any earned degree is also accredited.

It does not.  AJU is not closing and remains fully accredited. We remain fully committed to ensuring that all active students in the current program are able to continue and complete their studies, thus there is no impact on a student’s ability to qualify for or receive financial aid.

AJU remains fully accredited by the WSCUC.  Depending on the institution you wish to transfer, credits earned should be accepted into that institution – although the exact specifics and what transfers is determined by the new institution.

There are no formal partnerships in place at this time, however staff will be working to access specific partnerships within Los Angeles and will update the community on any change in status.  Ongoing, staff will work with individual students wishing to explore transfer options.

We are well into the semester and there will be no disruption to the academic calendar, therefore we are following current procedures and deadlines regarding withdrawals and reimbursements. 

All current student services will continue operating as normal. Future services will be tailored to the needs of the student body. 

There are currently only 12 students living on campus and we will work with students individually regarding their future housing needs.

Yes, we have appointed Samantha Weinberg (Class of 2008), Academic Affairs Coordinator, as the primary liaison to provide ongoing support for students. Emails can also be sent to undergradaju.edu.

Yes, we have sent communication to alumni regarding this decision.  Degrees awarded by AJU are accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), and there is no change to the university’s accreditation.

Because of the program’s ongoing challenges, we are pausing any recruitment activity, including active recruiting for next year’s class (our efforts typically gear up at this time of the academic year.)

The new president started in July and needed the time to understand the depth and breadth of the university, to fully research and analyze the undergraduate program both current and historical, and understand what has been done in the past to help increase enrollments to a sustainable level so he could make a fully informed decision.

Financially, yes. The undergraduate program is a small percentage of total revenues. This change will eventually allow us to invest in other programs and in the findings of the working group that will be looking at developing future educational opportunities that align with our mission.

This will fall under the scope of work for the working group.

You can email undergradaju.edu with additional questions. AJU is committed to providing clear answers and support.