It is often the case that the Brandeis administration speaks from both sides of its mouth - saying one thing to the outside world while insisting the exact opposite to the Brandeis community. It is thus no surprise that Brandeis is sending mixed signals about its current financial state. While on one hand Brandeis appears well off in all its financial statements and documents to the outside world, students are often given the impression that there are major funding shortfalls.The most recent example of financial trouble is Brandeis' rank as having the tenth highest tuition rate in the country - just $125 short of $30,000. Aside from raising tuition by 6.1 percent, the Executive Vice President Peter French also admitted to drastic cuts in non-academic departments and decreases in contract faculty. French said the increase in tuition was a result of multiple factors, which include the declining economy. Such dire statements and moves by the Administration indicate that Brandeis is in financial jeopardy.

Yet statements by French attribute the recent rise in tuition to Brandeis' commitment since the late '90s to keeping tuition down, making the recent sharp increase necessary to compensate. Later in the same interview, however, French admitted that in the mid-90s Brandeis was reported to have the second highest tuition in the country by the same survey that placed it tenth this year.

Other recent events also indicate that Brandeis is desperately cutting costs. The Summer Odyssey program was cancelled, and the residency requirement was raised to three and a half years to all but ensure students do not graduate in three years. Last year, Brandeis rejected over 30 students from study abroad due to a requirement the administration claimed these students failed to meet, while not more than two students per year were ever known to be rejected before. The study abroad payment policy was later altered so that as of Fall 2004 students will pay Brandeis tuition rather than the cost of their respective study abroad programs - Brandeis will keep the difference in cost between the program and tuition. The former rejection standards no longer apply.

If the aforementioned are not enough indication that Brandeis is desperate for money, the University also admitted its first ever mid-year class. While giving 50 extra students a chance to attend the University is admirable, one cannot help but wonder if the true motivation behind this is to receive $1.5 million more in tuition from our new peers.

Some expenditures give rise to doubt. One example is the installation of the new phone $5 million-plus voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone system. Despite questioning numerous members of the Administration, it was never revealed where Brandeis found over $5 million dollars to install this system. Perhaps, in light of the alleged financial troubles, money would have been better spent to offset tuition and opt for a slightly less modern, less expensive and more reliable system.

Such discrepancies between the spending and the claims of the administration makes one question whether Brandeis is truly in financial jeopardy. It is therefore up to the University to be more transparent and accountable with its finances. It is disconcerting to note that with all the claims of financial uncertainty that are made to the students, information supporting the claims is not readily available. In fact, instead of providing detailed accounts of spending, the University's online budgets are vague at best. Despite budget cuts, tuition keeps rising, alumni keep giving more money and the endowment, although lower than in previous years, is still more than double what it was in 1995 (Currently at $384.3 million according to the Chronicle of Higher Education; although reportedly at $397 million the Brandeis Web site).

It is time for the administration to give specifics as to what they are cutting and why it is not enough. It is time that they honestly answer questions posed by students, faculty, parents and alumni as to where the money is going and what specifically is causing such a short fall. Brandeis must stop blaming the economy and start utilizing the resources at hand in the most effective and efficient ways possible.