Brandeis has long proclaimed itself to be an “institution founded with a mission of social justice.” Our university bears the name of Justice Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice on the Supreme Court. Yet what made him worthy of having a university named in his honor was not his religion, but his values. Louis Brandeis was a fierce defender of free speech and privacy rights, and his dissenting opinions laid the groundwork for the modern First and Fourth Amendment protections we take for granted today. In its mission statement, Brandeis states “The university that carries the name of the justice who stood for the rights of individuals must be distinguished by academic excellence, by truth pursued wherever it may lead and by awareness of the power and responsibilities that come with knowledge.” To be sure, these are lofty goals. The question that the administration needs to ask itself is whether Brandeis has lived up to them.
Brandeis has several unchartered clubs that maintain a clandestine spirit on the Brandeis campus. It is often difficult to become aware of the existence of these clubs, if not introduced to the community by their periodic altercation with the Brandeis administration. In contradiction to the pillar of Social Justice at Brandeis, many of these clubs are politically oriented. Coincidentally—or rather not—many of these clubs stand in direct opposition to already-established clubs at Brandeis that serve contrasting political agendas. Brandeis was the first university in the country to ban a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and later pro-Palestinian clubs have been unable to obtain official recognition. Yet at the same time, Brandeis recognizes numerous different pro-Israel political groups. This one-sided recognition process eliminates criticism and subsequently silences a section of the student body. The work done at these meetings is entirely based on students’ commitment to their social justice initiative; students do not receive the benefits they do from joining Brandeis-affiliated organizations. They cannot reserve space in Brandeis buildings and are unable to use any university funds. It’s apparent that Brandeis has little to do with maintaining and supporting student-led organizations whose main goals revolve around challenging the administration’s agenda.
A few years ago, Brandeis closed down the Office of Sustainability, much to the frustration of many students. Without it, we have no forces driving sustainable policies through campus and ensuring we become carbon-negative. Especially when we have a Climate Justice & Social Policy minor, we should be a leader in the Boston area around climate change. One of the components of the Brandeis Core is a Difference and Justice in the World course, something every student has to take. The closure of this office is anything but just, and proves that the school does not live up to the values it says it stands for. Yes, we have solar panels on Gosman, but why should we stop there?
Brandeis also disbanded the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Coming from a school founded because of anti-Jewish discrimination at elite universities, that is a move that largely discredits any claim to embody social justice. Many politicians and institutions have given up respectability by giving into all of President Trump’s demands. It’s truly disappointing that Brandeis is among them. This was a silent move that Brandeis did not want getting out, and directly contradicts President Arthur Levine continually saying that “Brandeis was DEI before DEI was DEI.” This phrase was very apt for our founding. It’s unclear when Brandeis lost its way.
Justice Louis Brandeis stood up for people’s rights, even when it was unpopular. The university which proudly bears his name ought to do the same. Declaring support for social justice in a mission statement buried on an obscure corner of the Brandeis website means very little. Instead, it must demonstrate such a commitment throughout all of its decisionmaking, something which it simply hasn’t done as of late. Name-dropping politically active alumni from half a century ago is not enough to qualify Brandeis as a place with a “mission of social justice.” Instead, it must live up to those ideals in 2026, not just 1966.
