The Senate of the Hebrew University decided last night to reject a proposal to establish within the framework of the institution a special four-year foreign-language college for foreign students and new immigrants. Among those suggesting the plan was Shimon Peres, Minister of Transportation, Communications and Posts. The university Senate decided instead to set up a two-year department for foreign students and new immigrants, with English and, if need be, Spanish as the instructional tongues. The aim is for the students to be able after two years to pass the university’s entrance examinations and enter its regular Hebrew-language courses. One result of the new plan will be more vacancies for Israeli students in the regular courses.
In another development, University officials announced the start of a $106 million project to build a new campus on Mt. Scopus which is expected to be completed in five-six years. According to Lou Boyar, chairman of the university’s development committee, the foundation work was completed several days ago at a cost of $10.5 million. Friends and supporters of the Hebrew University all over the world are expected to provide the funds for the new campus that will cover 240,000 square yards, more than five times the area of the present campus at Givat Ram in western Jerusalem. The new Mt. Scopus campus will accommodate 18,000 students and its construction will employ 2,500 building workers, about one-third of Jerusalem’s building manpower. Access to the campus will be through a 400 yard tunnel bypassing the present road.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.