On Sept. 16, Brandeis president Arthur Levine was officially inducted into his role before a crowd of friends, university sponsors and board trustees. He is the first undergraduate alumnus to serve in the position.
“The board was very pleased with the progress he was making as interim,” said Lisa Kranc, the Chair of the Brandeis Board of Trustees. “We wanted to make sure Arthur stayed to ensure the vision got enacted.”
Levine enters the position full-time after serving as interim president during the previous school year, a role he took on following previous President Ron Leibowitz’s resignation in November 2024. In his inauguration speech, he expressed his love and excitement for the school and its future.
“Tonight, we meet as a family. I ask one thing of you: let us bask in our joint love of Brandeis,” Levine said in his speech. “Tonight marks a new beginning for Brandeis as a family.”
Brandeis has faced a number of financial issues in recent years, as well as a declining enrollment rate. These issues culminated in a budget crunch and mass layoff during the fall 2024 semester, leading to Leibowitz’ resignation. Despite these issues, Levine remains optimistic about the school’s future.
“I’d had little contact with the university since I’d graduated. I’ll be candid, though, I had high hopes, and I had no idea what I would find,” Levine said. “I’d heard stories about divisions. They told me about decline, they told me about problems, but you know what? That’s not what I found.”
The president and his cabinet have expressed their desire to continue an agenda set last year: to reinvent the liberal arts at Brandeis, and, as Levine expressed, become a leader in higher education. This has already taken form during the fall semester with the establishment of four schools modeled after the university’s graduate program. Brandeis also promises to help students build a “second transcript” of career skills and experience. All the while, Levine swears to stand by the values of the university.
“We prize learning, we’re committed to excellence in education, we abhor discrimination of any kind and we’re committed to Tikkun Olam,” Levine said. “This can be our moment, our time … we can make these years ahead golden years for Brandeis.”
