January Board of Trustees Meeting Report
Feb. 21, 2024
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
I am writing to report on the most recent Board of Trustees meetings, which were held virtually on January 29 and 30.
During those two days, our trustees continued to show unflinching support for our university, and a strong sense of what we need to do to ensure our future success. I’m grateful for their time, and for the time of our faculty, students, and staff who share their institutional knowledge with trustees at their committee meetings.
The plenary sessions focused on a number of topics of importance as we think about the long-term future of the university. We discussed how the current Hamas-Israel conflict is affecting higher education and our campus. I offered views and priorities for the university with the Board, underscoring the importance of higher ed’s primary mission to pursue truth and create and share knowledge. I stressed Brandeis’ unique history as the singular secular American university founded by the American Jewish community, and the importance that community, and its millennia-old values, has played in the institution’s success over the past seventy-five years. We discussed how those values stand for academic excellence, an openness to all qualified students, faculty, and staff no matter their sex, religion, race, ethnic origin, or political views, and the imperative to help repair the world.
The Resources Committee met with the entire Board rather than in a separate session. We discussed in detail the multiple threats to higher education, most notably the cost of a four-year degree, the loss of public trust in the academy, and the coming “demographic cliff,” all of which are likely to translate into fewer candidates pursuing college degrees. We also spent significant time discussing the specific challenges that Brandeis faces and ways to address them for the long-term health of the institution.
During this session, the trustees focused on the university’s current budgetary challenges. Of note was the significant decline in graduate school enrollments for a second straight year, which, though not uncommon throughout higher education, has had a far greater impact on Brandeis than its peers. This decline in graduate enrollment revenue will require reductions in expenses university-wide, the plans for which senior administrators will share with the community in the coming weeks. The most recent decline in graduate school enrollments and revenue add to the decades-long structural and financial imbalances that have prevented the kinds of investment in the university that are critical to its future, most visibly to our physical plant.
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jennifer Walker spoke about trends in student recruitment and efforts Brandeis has made to reach prospective students. The aforementioned challenges to higher ed in general—and more specifically to Jen’s presentation—is that “demographic cliff”—or the decline in the number of eighteen years to apply to college—which will require us to focus more of our attention on issues related to student recruitment than in the past.
Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Hannah Peters also presented to the full Board, providing information about the upcoming capital campaign, the staffing of the development (fundraising) and alumni relations offices at Brandeis, and recent trends in and projections for fundraising. She noted how our recent fundraising success over the past two years boded well for the upcoming campaign, but that we will need to focus our solicitations on our highest priorities and for “unrestricted” support—which means steering our donors’ generosity toward existing core expenditures (e.g., financial aid, faculty support, academic program support).
I am pleased to share that the Board accepted the recommendations to grant the following faculty promotions:
- Aparna Baskaran to the rank of Professor with tenure in the Department of Physics
- Thomas Fai to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Math
- Grace Han to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Chemistry
- Maria-Eirini Pandelia to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Biochemistry
Please join me in congratulating Professors Baskaran, Fai, Han, and Pandelia. I am grateful for everything that these gifted faculty members do for our community.
Highlights from the Board Committees
Academy Committee
At the Academy Committee meeting, there was a presentation and discussion about Brandeis Online, the university’s initiative to offer a robust portfolio of high-quality online programs, certificates, and course offerings. Data on declining Master’s enrollments were also shared, followed by an overview and discussion about the review of Brandeis Master’s programs that is underway to identify opportunities for enrollment growth in programs for which there is national demand.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee
The DEI Committee met on January 12, 2024 by Zoom. The committee discussed the committee mandate and possible changes to it in the future, pending further discussion within the committee. The group also discussed various aspects of DEI work and heard from student and faculty representatives about their perspectives of issues on campus.
Trustee and Board Vice Chair Cindy Shapira gave a presentation on an approach to decision-making for boards that include considerations related to DEI principles. Dr. Chip McNeal, Director, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education and Learning Initiatives, presented on "Embracing Difference: Recognizing Jewish Identity at the Margins in the Effort to Address Racism and Antisemitism.”
Dr. McNeal and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dr. Lee Bitsóí also discussed the ongoing work of the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the upcoming DEIS Impact event.
Institutional Advancement (IA) Committee
During the IA Committee meeting, SVP Hannah Peters and VP Stephen Rodriguez reviewed the positive FY24 year-to-date fundraising results, including new gifts and pledges (NGP), cash, unrestricted cash for operations, and trustee giving. NGP is pacing ahead of previous years since the university’s last major capital campaign (2001 to 2011).
Hannah and Stephen also updated the trustees on the first year of the quiet phase of the university’s upcoming campaign, which began on July 1, 2023. VP Patsy Fisher updated the committee on the regional 75th anniversary events taking place in major cities around the world, hosted by key supporters. Brandeis alumni have exceeded expectations in attending these events. We can happily report that alumni feel connected to and proud of Brandeis.
Nominating and Governance Committee
The Nominating and Governance Committee met on January 25, 2024 by Zoom. The committee discussed ongoing work to cultivate interest in service to Brandeis and identifying good candidates for positions on the Board of Trustees. Relatedly, the committee reviewed the process for interviewing prospective and evaluating sitting trustees, including several trustees who are up for renewal.
The committee reviewed issues pertaining to board service and potential conflicts, as well as managing the multiple roles that trustees may play within the campus community; it voted on recommendations for the Board of Fellows as recommendations to the full Board; and discussed the role of emeritus trustees against the backdrop of best practices and the university's governance structure.
Resources Committee
This session is described above (held in plenary with the full board).
Risk Management and Audit Committee
The Risk Management and Audit Committee reviewed the university’s insurance program and discussed high-level risks facing the higher education sector, including student enrollment, cybersecurity, talent management, student wellness, and deferred maintenance.
The committee also received an update on cybersecurity measures, which include minimizing threats from phishing scams and improving backup procedures, and it heard reports from Public Safety and the Office of Student Affairs regarding protocols and guidelines pertaining to campus protests.
Student Life Committee
The Student Life Committee began with a discussion about campus climate as it relates to the Hamas-Israel war and free expression, and the learning opportunities that Brandeis has offered in response, including teach-ins and dialogues to address student concerns.
The committee also discussed plans for a potential new residence hall. As the process moves forward, the university will aim to develop student-informed specifications for a new building, with a focus on meeting modern housing needs, flexibility, and cost-efficient design.
Lastly, student representatives to the committee shared their own thoughts on topics such as the discomfort caused by the Hamas-Israel war, class size, housing challenges, and graduate students’ food insecurity concerns.
Again, I extend my gratitude to the Board for their time, their expertise, and their commitment to Brandeis’ mission, and my sincere thanks to the staff, faculty, and student representatives to the Board for their contributions to our critical conversations about our university’s future.
Sincerely,
Ron Liebowitz