"Norman and Eleanor Rabb have chosen to give where the need has been the greatest and they have done so eagerly and selflessly....The naming of the Norman S. and Eleanor E. Rabb School of Summer and Continuing Studies is a fitting tribute to a man and woman who personify the very best in the Brandeis tradition of philanthropy."
— Former Brandeis President Samuel Thier
History and Mission
In 1992, the School of Continuing Studies was named The Rabb School, recognizing the more than four decades of support for Brandeis of Norman S. and Eleanor E. Rabb. A founding trustee of the University, Norman Rabb served on the Board of Trustees beginning in 1948 and as its chair from 1961 to 1967. Eleanor was a life member of the Brandeis National Committee, which has supported the Brandeis Libraries since its founding.
Originally hosting a summer school program for high school students, the Rabb School has grown to three distinct programs that embrace continuous lifelong learning: Summer School, Graduate Professional Studies and the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning (BOLLI).
The Rabb School of Continuing Studies seeks to serve lifelong learners by:
- Offering excellent master’s degree programs in applied fields for working professionals, academic courses for undergraduate credit for college students and others, and non-credit enrichment courses for mature adult learners;
- Providing a variety of distinctive niche programs that reflect current and future areas of study and emerging professions;
- Extending the campus through distance learning environments;
- Serving as "change agents" responsive to an environment of evolving educational paradigms, and making this expertise available as a resource to the university;
- Supporting the university in its mission of open inquiry and teaching, "in a world of challenging social and technological transformation."