In an email sent to Brandeis students, faculty and staff on Sept. 27, university President Ron Liebowitz shared updates from the month’s Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting. The meeting took place on Sept. 11 and 12, and the Trustees “held various committee meetings, and lunched with students, faculty and staff, to hear about their hopes for our university” during that time.
President Liebowitz added that he remains “optimistic about Brandeis’ future following these recent meetings with the Trustees; they are a group comprised of impressive, and thoughtful, professionals who are dedicated to Brandeis’ success.” He noted that the BOT “welcomed new Trustee David Harris, who is a distinguished veteran of Jewish-affairs advocacy.”
Liebowitz then gave information about the plenary session, where he “updated the Board on strategic thinking to plan for a sustainable and successful future of Brandeis, answering a number of questions from an engaged group about how Brandeis could address some of the headwinds facing higher education.” He also said that the BOT “spoke about maintaining excellence in providing both an excellent undergraduate liberal arts education and a stellar research endeavor.”
Notably, Liebowitz also “provided updates about the status of the work of the Task Force on Academic Administrative Structure and Ph.D. and M.A. degree reviews.” He went on to say that he “shared details on our impressive incoming class of undergraduates; our upcoming 75th anniversary; our ongoing commitment to antisemitism initiatives; and some of our work on strengthening our relationships with institutions abroad.”
Liebowitz added that he “introduced the Board to our new Dean of Arts and Sciences Jeffrey Shoulson, who joins us from the University of Connecticut, where he was senior vice provost, and to Carmen Aguilar, the new VP of the Rabb School, who was most recently dean of continuing studies at Providence College.”
Giving specific updates from BOT Comittee meetings, Liebowitz added that “Provost Carol Fierke presented a report on tenure and tenure-track faculty hires in 2023-2024. The committee then delved into a strategic conversation on enrollment trends in undergraduate education, and on undergraduate education at Brandeis more broadly. The committee also started a discussion about the role of master’s programs at Brandeis.”
He also noted that “The DEI Committee met prior to the week of the Board meetings on campus. They discussed specific goals for the DEI Committee, and how they correspond with the Board’s overall strategic goals,” adding that Lee Bitsóí “presented a DEI professional development draft questionnaire, and also shared a draft DEI addendum to the Framework for the Future, for discussion. [Bitsóí] will be moving forward to finalize that document and also continue drafting a university-wide DEI Strategic Plan.”
Liebowitz also said that “Senior Vice President Hannah Peters and Vice President of Development Stephen Rodriguez reviewed FY ’23 fundraising results, discussed Institutional Advancement goals for FY ’24 and they outlined next steps in the comprehensive fundraising campaign.”
He added that the Resources Committee “received an update on FY ’23 operating results, and forecasted FY ’24 operating margins. There was also a presentation and discussion on strategic planning for near- and long-term capital investment in campus housing, the Science 2A project and addressing the significant backlog of deferred maintenance across campus buildings.”
He went on to note that “the Risk Management and Audit Committee received a high-level update on the audit of the university’s financial statements for FY ’23. There were also updates on the state of higher education and accounting from RSM—Brandeis’s external auditors. IT staff provided a briefing on current efforts to improve internal cyber security. Chief Matthew Rushton updated the committee on continued evolution of Public Safety, particularly with respect to community engagement.”
Liebowitz also said that “the Student Life Committee met on September 20, 2023. Committee members and student representatives discussed campus priorities, focusing on housing and dining issues. The committee is eager to focus on how to ensure that students have the services, activities, and environment necessary to support their experience at Brandeis. The committee also talked about the factors that one must keep in mind when thinking about housing in the modern era, including fostering community, technology, sustainability and safety. The administration shared updates regarding dining, including how meal plans help address food insecurity; and facilities upgrades, including the new accessible ramp to the counseling center and upgrades to the Shapiro Campus Center.”
Liebowitz also shared faculty promotions and appointments, including Prof. Linda Bui (ECON), Prof. Faith Smith (AAAS / ENGL), Prof. Douglas Theobald (BIOCH) and Prof. Joseph Wardwell (FA) all being promoted to the rank of Professor with tenure.
He closed by thanking the BOT for their “steadfast commitment to Brandeis” and for their lending their “time and perspectives to these important conversations, which I know will serve to move our university forward.”
The Hoot reached out to Brandeis’ Office of Communications for more information on the status of the work of the Task Force on Academic Administrative Structure and Ph.D. and M.A. degree reviews, but did not have a chance to interview the office prior to publication
