2008 Woodie Awards
SSSB Dean Charles Snow Resigns
Faculty Voices Concern Over Syms' Direction
Ari Fridman
Issue date: 5/16/05 Section: News
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Although his contract will not expire until June 2005, Dean Snow, a few weeks prior to the resignation, inquired with the Office of Academic Affairs as to their intent in extending his contract. When informed that his contract would not be renewed, Dr. Snow resigned effective September 2005 and will leave Yeshiva for another academic institution, whose identity he declined to reveal. Dean Snow earned both his master's and doctoral degrees from the Stern Graduate School of Business of New York University.
When reached for comment, Vice President for Academic Affairs Morton Lowengrub declined to answer questions regarding Snow's resignation, citing his office's policy of not addressing matters of personnel. Dr. Lowengrub also refused to speculate as to whom or when a replacement for Snow would be found.
In an exclusive interview with The Commentator, the outgoing dean repeatedly cited SSSB's successes during his tenure, emphasizing mostly this year's accomplishments which included securing a record number of interviews and job hirings.
Reflecting on the past four years, Snow pointed to an expansion of the SSSB curriculum in terms of courses and programming. "Looking back," said Dean Snow, "we planted a number of seeds four years ago which are beginning to sprout wonderfully."
At the same time, however, he noted that the Office of Career Services, the subject of recent student ire, still needs work toward offering competent professional advisement and placement.
President Richard M. Joel's overarching focus on liberal arts education and Yeshiva's role in the greater Jewish community in the past two years has left SSSB students, faculty and administrators wondering about the president's commitment to and vision for the business school. Indeed, Snow would not speculate as to changes that administration officials have in store for SSSB, saying that he never discussed "visions" with President Joel and that his dismissal likely resulted from the natural turnover of a new presidency.
Snow also lamented SSSB's s conflcit with its liberal arts counterparts, Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women, which recently celebrated its 75th and 50th year anniversaries respectively. SSSB began 18 years ago as a result of a major gift by the school's namesake. Acknowledging that SSSB's fight for greater integration into the mainstream has been a "struggle," Snow sounded a note of optimism, saying that it would only be a "matter of time" before SSSB would receive appropriate attention of the administration.
SSSB faculty members reacted with trepidation upon learning of Snow's resignation. "Losing Dean Snow would be a major blow to the school," said Dr. Robert Greenberg, Visiting Assistant Professor of Business law. "Not only because of all the work he has done to improve the quality of education here, but also because of the impact it will have on faculty morale. If Dean Snow is forced out, if the Dean can be forced out, for having done an excellent job, then what sort of message does that send to everyone else," he asked.
Dr. Lawrence M. Bellman, Visiting Assistant Professor of Management and Marketing, called Snow's resignation a "great disservice to the school." Claiming that the administration has a "different vision" than SSSB faculty and administrators, Dr. Bellman also questioned the university's commitment to its business school.
Going even further, Professor Greenberg cited a recent, unconfirmed rumor emanating from the SSSB Dean's Office, which speculated that SSSB would be dissolved and incorporated into YC and SCW. "If the problem is that SSSB students do not have the opportunity to develop the critical thinking, reasoning and writing skills that are at the heart of a liberal arts education," said Greenberg, "then let's work on including those to a greater extent in SSSB courses. There is no doubt in my mind, that given appropriate conditions those skills could easily be brought into SSSB courses."
Outgoing president of the Sy Syms School of Business Student Council Ari Spodek said he was not surprised that Snow resigned, saying "it was clear that there was some friction in the [Dean's] Office and that Dr. Snow did not see eye to eye with the new administration. One thing's for sure: Dr. Snow will leave a lasting impact on the students and faculty at Sy Syms School of Business."
Still, students were not uniformly disappointed in Snow's resignation. Daniel Rosenberg, a YC economics major who has taken a number of Syms courses, criticized the career services office, contending that it strives only to place Finance majors professionally. At the same time, Rosenberg added, "I have yet to meet a Finance major who feels the department has adequately prepared him for the workforce."
Although Dean Snow has worked over the last four years to strengthen the Office of Career Services, adding new staff to the office and personally trying to foster relationships with companies, SSSB students claim that they have great difficulty securing employment upon graduation. Though job placement has increased during his tenure, Snow readily admits that for an institution that "has been around for 17 years we are not where we should be."
In 2001, Snow was named dean of the SSSB, replacing the retiring Harold Nierenberg. Previously, Snow taught accounting for eight years at SSSB, where he was voted "Teacher of the Year" five times. Upon being named dean, he told The Commentator then that he had three goals: to "increase the academic quality of what we offer, to engage more alumni and get them involved in the school," and "to get the school involved in other types of programs." Evidently, according to both students' and Snow's assessment, results have been mixed.
For example, Dean Snow has introduced over a dozen new courses into SSSB, as well as added a new minor in Real Estate. He was also instrumental in establishing a master's degree in accounting, marking the first advanced degree in the SSSB curriculum. Simultaneously, however, the SSSB curriculum has also been the subject of ridicule. SSSB students routinely comment on the lethargic intellectual drive of faculty and students in the classroom. Students have also noted, at review forums such as the Uptown YC/SSSB Senate, the lack of academic rigor in certain departments, and rampant grade inflation.
To his credit, Dr. Snow has attempted to improve SSSB's reputation in the academic world. The school hosted its first international business conference in September of last year, the 31st annual Northeast Business & Economics Association, which attracted academics from over 12 countries and 100 universities.
On the interaction between business and halakha, Dr. Snow also introduced a series of interactive lectures this past October featuring Rabbi Mordechai Willig, Rosh Yeshiva and the Rabbi Dr. Sol Roth Professor of Talmud and Halakhah at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, entitled "An Interactive Forum: Case Studies of Halacha in Workplace Predicaments."
Most recently, SSSB hosted its first annual Stock Market trivia contest for 12 local area Jewish high schools. The event, developed as a recruitment project, offered high school students a chance to visit the business school, meet current students and develop an understanding of the subjects taught at the school.
However, the Alumni Mentoring Program which Dean Snow hoped to launch during his tenure was never officially introduced. In the past, though, he has brought alumni to speak about numerous topics related to the business world.
Daniel Miller contributed to this report.