<p>Just a clarification of the financial sitution. Brandeis is hardly in trouble. The economic downturn has affected all schools. </p>
<p>More forthrightly than most, Brandeis has stepped up to make strategic cuts that do not materially affect undergrads and strengthen the academy for the long run, while simultaneously innovating programs and building state of the art facilities–e.g. the new science center and Humanities center.</p>
<p>Although belt-tightening in certain areas, those are small individually and where the university isn’t excellent. In fact, Brandeis is adding exciting new programs like an undergrad Busness major and the independent-study Justice Brandeis Semester. Resources are being plowed into student aid. The school is focussed on building from its strengths–i.e. an excellent small liberal arts college within a top-notch research university–where prominent professors teach in small classes. </p>
<p>The reports of Brandeis’s budget issues lack context and have been overblown due to the administration’s inartful handling of its proposal to sell a few paintings from its world-renowned Rose Art Museum–which caused international attention to be focused on this issue. As mentoned, Brandeis is hardly alone in this economy. According to news reports, many universities, even Harvard, are making budget cuts in response to severely diminished endowments and donations. Brandeis has pledged to maintain financial aid and maintain, or improve, its world-class education by resisting the type of budget cuts that could undermine its core mission. The now-on-hold art-sale proposal was just one way it was considering to fund that pledge. The key here is that Brandeis is prioritizing students over things.</p>