Brandeis University

Office of the Executive Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer

MEMORANDUM

As the new semester begins, I would like to provide you with an update on the University's budget, capital projects, and several other important initiatives. As in the past, this and previous memos are available at the Documents link on the website of the Office of the EVP/COO, at www.brandeis.edu/evpcoo.

Budget Update

The FY04 budget approved by the Board of Trustees on October 23, 2003, forecast a combined operating and capital result of minus $5.6M. Through the first six months of the fiscal year, the endowment's total return is higher than budgeted due to the strength of the financial markets, and the University is projecting additional net revenues as a result of higher-than-projected student enrollment. External pressures continue to cause increases in expenditures over budgeted amounts in such areas as health insurance and utilities. Based on our analysis of these and other budgeted items, barring significant declines in the financial markets or other expenditure or revenue pressures not foreseen, the University is on track to produce a balanced combined operating and capital result for FY04.

Capital Projects

At its October 2003 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the University moving forward with three major gift-funded capital projects: an additional building for the Heller School; renovation and addition to the former American Jewish Historical Society Building; and the first phase of renovation of Usdan Student Center. The Trustees also approved a major infrastructure renewal project for the University, the components of which are described below. The infrastructure renewal project is being funded by Trustee-approved University debt.

Heller School Additional Building

A generous $15M gift from Irving Schneider is fully funding design and construction of an additional building for the Heller School. This new building is expected to add 29,000 square feet to the Heller School. Kyu Sung Woo, known to the Brandeis community as the architect of The Village, has been selected as the architect for the Heller School project. Design for the Heller additional building has just begun, and the architect will be consulting extensively with the project working group within the Heller School to understand the School's programmatic needs and priorities. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2004, and building occupancy in expected in fall 2005.

Renovation of the Former AJHS Building

The former American Jewish Historical Society building, located near the Heller-Brown building at the northwest corner of the campus, was acquired by the University in 2002 and is now being renovated and added to, thanks to major gifts/pledges from the Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund and another donor. The building, to be renamed the Abraham Shapiro Academic Building, will be an important addition to academic space at the University, and will house the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, faculty offices, the Mandel Center for Jewish Education, and the Education Program. The building will also provide a fully multimedia-equipped distance-learning classroom, two seminar rooms, conference room and meeting space, and a graduate-student study area. With the planned 2,250 square foot addition, the entire building will, for the first time, be fully handicapped-accessible.

Usdan One-Stop Student Services Center

As you know, with the creation of the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center, many functions and offices formerly located in Usdan Student Center moved to the Shapiro Campus Center. To support the broad range of student activities at Brandeis, the University's intention has been to maintain Usdan Student Center as a focal point of student activities on campus. Accordingly, in early 2003 the University engaged the architectural firm of Miller Dyer Spears (MDS) to conduct a comprehensive space planning study for the reuse, renovation, and upgrade of Usdan Student Center and Kutz Hall.

The University convened an advisory committee of students, faculty, and staff to provide input, guidance, and feedback to MDS. MDS held many meetings with representatives of all affected University constituents, and also studied building systems and code requirements. They developed a space allocation proposal with cost estimates for renovating the two buildings.

Jean Eddy, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment, has identified as the highest priority for Usdan the creation of a one-stop student services center, providing students with convenient, single-point access to a full range of student administrative services. MDS has developed an implementation plan for creating the first portion of a one-stop student services center. The total project cost estimate for this initial step is $2M, which is being fully funded by a gift to the University. Construction is expected to begin in early summer and continue through the fall semester.

Infrastructure Renewal Project

At the October Board meeting, the Trustees approved a $25M infrastructure renewal project. To most members of the Brandeis community, the University's infrastructure, consisting of the steam network, the electric network, roofs, and other elements, is less visible than other elements of the campus (e.g., buildings and landscape), and is taken for granted. But failures of the infrastructure have an enormously disruptive impact on day-to-day activities at the University. This project is intended to address the fact that many components of the University's infrastructure are well past their normal useful life.

The infrastructure renewal project is being funded by Trustee-approved University debt. The annual cost of this debt is expected to be fully funded by the savings resulting from no longer needing to carry out emergency repairs to the extent required in recent years.

The components of the infrastructure renewal project include:

• Residence Halls Fire Safety
• Electric Network
• Steam Network
• Roofs
• Classrooms
• Roadways and Pedestrian Safety
• Water System

Within the overall project, Residence Halls Fire Safety is the highest priority. This component involves updating fire alarm systems and adding sprinkler systems within the University's residence halls. Existing fire systems meet all legal requirements, which are based on prevailing building and fire safety codes at the time each building was built. The University's intention here is to surpass those legal requirements and bring residence halls fire safety up to the most current standards.

The classroom improvement component involves adding academic technology, and improving overall functionality and aesthetics in a significant portion of the over 100 teaching spaces on the Brandeis campus. This will greatly build on classroom improvement work in recent years. Classroom improvement priorities are being determined by Adam Jaffe, Dean of Arts and Sciences, in consultation with Provost Marty Krauss and with a Faculty Advisory Committee convened by the Dean.

Infrastructure renewal work is expected to take place over the course of the next two to two-and-a-half years. While efforts will be made to carry out the most disruptive work during the summer months and during the break between semesters, there will undoubtedly be considerable disruption throughout the year in many locations on campus. We will do our best to minimize disruption and to keep the community informed about upcoming work in connection with the infrastructure renewal project.

Wireless Network Access

In response to strong student interest in wireless network access on the Brandeis University campus, as communicated to me by leaders of the Student Union Government, I have asked Perry Hanson, the University's Chief Information Officer and head of the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), to expedite providing this service to the Brandeis community.

The present initiative builds on the pilot program carried out by the Computer Operators Group and ITS, which has provided wireless network access in Usdan Café over the last year. Working with Student Union Government leadership, the ITS team has identified several additional key locations where wireless access will provide the greatest immediate benefit to students. These locations include the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center, Sherman Dining Hall, the Usdan TV Lounge and the Boulevard, and the Library Green Room. Thanks to the efforts of our ITS staff, wireless access is now available in these locations. In the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center, wireless access is available in the atrium, the café, both floors of the library, the TV lounge, the multipurpose room, and other areas. Additional access points will extend coverage to the far ends of the building, if required.

As the next priority for expanded wireless access on the Brandeis campus, Student Union leaders identified common rooms in residence halls. Wireless access is expected to be available in common rooms by the end of January.

Initial planning has begun for a future phase of work that will provide broader coverage for wireless access in residence halls. Planning and budget development for expanding the wireless network to residence halls is ongoing, and a schedule is being developed. I will keep the community posted regarding the University's progress toward this.

Business Conduct Policy

In the Budget and Projects Forums my staff and I held in October and November, the University's new Business Conduct Policy (also known as the Ethics Policy) was introduced and distributed. As mentioned in those forums, the University's Board of Trustees endorsed the adoption of the Business Conduct Policy in October 2003. This policy is the framework for how the University expects faculty, staff, students, and trustees to conduct business at the University. In each of the policy statements included in the Business Conduct Policy, a question-and-answer section follows, to provide guidance relating to some of the situations you may encounter.

The Office of the Controller, along with other offices, plans to hold information sessions on the Business Conduct Policy beginning in February 2004. Information about these sessions will be communicated as soon as they are scheduled. In case you did not receive a printed copy of the Business Conduct Policy at the October and November forums, the Business Conduct Policy can be found at www.brandeis.edu/evpcoo/policies.html.

Policy Review and Update

Administrative Offices at the University are undertaking a review and, if necessary, an update of their various policies. Many of those policies have not received a thorough review since the late 1980s. While Brandeis has always adjusted its practices to comply with any changes in laws or regulations and in conformance with sound business practices, some of the University's policies are in need of updating. As policies are completed in phases, they will be communicated to managers and employees.

Information Sessions

With a view to continuing to keep faculty and staff informed about the University, a monthly series of information sessions will begin in January 2004. Each month, one University department will host a one- to one-and-a-half-hour presentation about that department's mission, policies, and initiatives. These sessions will be open to any staff or faculty member who wishes to attend. The sessions will be announced to faculty and staff through the HR listserv, and special invitations will be sent to new staff and faculty at new employee orientations.

Questions?

If you have questions about the University's budget, please contact Jim Hurley, Associate Vice President for Budget and Planning, at x6-8302 or by email to jhurley@brandeis.edu. Budget and Planning information can also be found at www.brandeis.edu/budgetandplanning.

Please contact Dan Feldman, Associate Vice President for Planning, Design, and Construction, at x6-8405 or by email to feldman@brandeis.edu if you have questions about capital projects.

For questions about the Infrastructure Renewal Project, please contact either Dan Feldman or Mark Collins, Associate Vice President for University Services, at x6-4564 or by email to collins@brandeis.edu.

If you have any questions about the Business Conduct Policy, please contact Maureen Murphy, Associate Vice President for Financial Management and University Controller, at x6-4435 or by email to mmurphy@brandeis.edu.

Please contact Deb Gratto, Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Employee Relations, at x6-4464 or by email to dgratto@brandeis.edu if you have questions about either Policy Review and Update or Information Sessions.

Communication

This and earlier project update memos to the community can be viewed by clicking on the Documents link on the website of the Office of the EVP/COO, at www.brandeis.edu/evpcoo. This website also provides a suggestion box so you can share your thoughts and suggestions with me and with my staff. I encourage you to communicate with us.