On Friday, Oct. 3, The Hoot had an interview with Brandeis University President Arthur Levine, who recently started in the role full-time after serving as interim president from November 2024 until September of this year. The Hoot was able to ask Levine about topics including his recent reorganization of the schools, federal pressure from the Trump administration, Brandeis’ recent drop in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings, and more.
In the Best Colleges Rankings issued by U.S. News and World Report, Brandeis fell to 69th place. This continues a trend of Brandeis dropping in recent years. Brandeis was ranked #40 in 2020. In 2023, Brandeis ranked #44 before dropping to #63 in last year’s ranking. When asked by The Hoot about the ranking drop, Levine pointed to recent changes in the rankings’ methodology, which he claims hurt Brandeis. (For more on the ratings drop see page #).
The Hoot also asked Levine about the pressure that universities have faced from the Trump administration in recent months. Levine mentioned that Brandeis has faced this pressure, pointing to the administration’s decision to cut National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for indirect costs from 60% to 15%. Indirect costs are costs that are necessary to perform research but are not attributable to a single research project, such as utilities. About the cuts, Levine stated, “if any foreign country had done this, it would’ve been seen as an act of war.” Levine highlighted the university’s decision to be a named plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the funding cuts. “Our priority is keeping the lights and water on in our laboratories,” he told The Hoot. He also highlighted how America owes its predominant position in the world to research by universities and said that the cuts will “push America backwards.” Although he expects businesses to pick up some of the research, he pointed out that they focus on different things, with universities focusing on basic research while companies focus more on applied research.
Additionally, The Hoot discussed the rising cost of attending Brandeis. The full price for a full-time student living on campus is $93,686 for the 2025-26 school year. However, Levine stressed that most students do not pay full price and that more than 60% of total tuition costs are covered by financial aid. When asked about potentially decreasing tuition, he said, “If Tiffany’s has a sale for half off … You think they’re in serious trouble.” Levine also shared that he cares deeply about the rising costs of higher education. He explained to The Hoot that he grew up in a poor neighborhood of the Bronx and never would have been able to attend Brandeis if he had not received a full-ride scholarship. He also shared plans for an AI-powered tool on the Brandeis website that would tell people exactly how much they would have to pay, but he did not know when it would launch.
Levine dug further into the idea of using AI across Brandeis’ campus. Discussing plans to embrace AI as the future of education. When pressed on the possible drawbacks and lack of research done on AI, Levine stated he believed that instituting AI now would allow people to become more educated on AI and prevent future harm.
The President shared his thoughts on the new campus construction, the most prominent of which being the new residence halls. He believes that the new halls will have all the important accommodations that students need; kitchens, bathrooms and common spaces will be plentiful, in large part due to the “neighborhood” structure.
When asked about upgrading existing facilities on campus, as opposed to building new ones, Levine promised that students would see new projects every year, based on the success of capital campaigns. One area that he expressed disappointment about was the state of Usen Castle, which has remained closed since 2017. He stated that one of the first questions he asked as President was whether the castle could be reopened. He was told that the castle would have to be totally demolished and rebuilt due to issues with its structure, adding that there were currently no plans to do so.
Much of Levine’s focus during the interview was on his current and future initiatives around making Brandeis students “more employable.” The colleges have already seen a major shift in structure. Alongside the structural changes, Levine plans to institute a form of micro-credentials, which would go on a second transcript. When asked about the efficacy of these credentials, Levine said they planned to collaborate with the makers of the SAT to create exams that could properly test one’s mastery. Levine elaborated on the potential of these programs for the University itself, comparing Brandeis’ future micro-credentials to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching being the first to institute credit hours.
One major aspect of Levine’s plans to reshape Brandeis education focuses on additions to student advising. Students already have career advisors available in addition to their assigned academic advisor, but they can also expect Alumni advisors made up of Brandeis graduates with experience and prestige in specific academic fields. “Why shouldn’t students have access to Nobel winners?” he asked rhetorically.
All in all, Arthur Levine pressed on three main points: campus improvement, higher employment rate for graduates and moving towards the future. The Hoot looks forward to future conversations with Arthur Levine and his administration.
