Jewish Students at CUNY Who Attend Jewish Schools of Higher Education Eligible for CUNY Transfer Cre

Chancellor Robert J. Kibbee of the City University of New York announced today that Jewish students at CUNY universities, who concurrently attend Jewish schools of higher education, such as teachers seminaries and yeshivas, will be eligible to receive CUNY transfer credits–up to a maximum of 60 credits toward a baccalaureate degree–for acceptable course work in the Jewish schools.

CUNY officials said there were large numbers of Jewish CUNY students attending the Jewish institutions who successfully complete courses which are the equivalent of courses at the City University. The chancellor said he had named a five-member committee to assist both the senior and community colleges in their evaluation of the Jewish schools from which the transfer credits are presented and of the courses the credits represent.

The five-member committee, which is headed by Dr. Emanuel Rackman, CUNY professor of Judaic studies and consultant to the chancellor on Judaic studies, also has been asked to work out sets of norms and guidelines for the transfer credits. Kibbee recommended that transfer credits for the study of Talmud in yeshivas be limited to a maximum of four credits per semester, with a maximum of 32 credits toward a baccalaureate degree.

He also recommended that transfer credits for courses in Hebrew language and literature, Jewish history, Jewish philosophy and ethics, and the philosophy of Jewish education be limited toward a maximum of 60 credits toward a degree. Dr. Marvin Schick, administrative assistant to Mayor Lindsay, who proposed the idea in his function as Mayor Lindsay’s liaison with CUNY, said it was his understanding the program would go into effect at the start of the next school year in September.