The interim report released by the Committee on the Future of the Rose April 30 was met with criticism by Michael Rush, the current director of the Rose Art Museum, who questioned the accuracy of the financial figures presented in the report.The interim report is a compilation of the research the committee has gathered about the Rose, particularly regarding the museum's budget as well as the legal concerns of selling art and operating as a public museum.

Committee chair Prof. Jerry Samet (PHIL) wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the report was released with the intention of informing the Brandeis community about the committee's process. "We wanted to let the Brandeis Community know what we were up to. More specifically, we were able to share some general information about the legal situation, make clear the the Rose itself was not in any sort of budget crisis, and outline the sorts of outreach and consultation," he wrote.

The committee, formed in March by the Faculty Senate Council and the provost, is composed of professors, students, alumnae and members of the Rose Board of Overseers. It is charged with devising options for the future of the Rose.

The monetary figures about the Rose's endowment and revenue from fiscal 2008 were included in the section of the report concerning budget information. One of the figures in the report states that the Rose's indirect expenses-money allocated from the University's budget for the museum-in fiscal 2008 were between $500,000 and $600,000. In a phone interview with the Justice, however, Rush said that those figures were inaccurate. Rush explained that when he assumed the position of director of the museum in 2005, the indirect costs were approximately $200,000.

"There is no way that indirect costs have risen $400,000 in three years. The money quoted in the report is not concordant with the records we have been operating with at the museum," Rush said.

Samet went on to explain, however, that the main idea behind releasing the figures was to show that the decisions regarding the Rose were a result of the University's fiscal challenges, not the museum's. When asked if the committee stands by the figures reported, he responded that the figures presented in the report did not misrepresent the information the committee had received about the Rose budget.

"We received the figures in a presentation from one of the staff members in the budget office. That staff member reviewed the budget section of the interim report before it was released, and confirmed that it did not misrepresent the information we were given in the presentation," he wrote. The interim report stated that Vice President for Budget and Planning Fran Drolette provided the committee with an overview of the budget.

However, Samet acknowledged that the figures in the report were incomplete, explaining in an e-mail, "We provided a summary-an accountant would provide a much more detailed report."

Rush said that he offered several times to appear before the committee and provide the correct figures but did not receive a response from the committee until May 14.

When asked if Rush had previously offered to appear before the committee, Samet responded May 13 was the first the committee had learned of his offer but that Rush had previously mentioned to Samet that he would be able to clarify some of the budget inaccuracies.

"If there is an error, we need to know that, because understanding the budget is critical for thinking about the future of the Rose," Samet wrote.

"I've invited Michael to communicate with us about this. If there are significant errors or inaccuracies we will correct them," he added.

The committee acknowledged in the report that while the Rose's budget has suffered because of the recession and the current controversy surrounding the museum, its budgetary figures confirm that the University's decision January 26 to sell the collection was the result of Brandeis' financial difficulties. The report states that the Rose budget itself did not impose a fiscal strain on the University.

According to the report, the Rose can continue to operate legally as a public museum if the University sells its artwork but does not use the proceeds to purchase other art.

The committee will release its final report early in the fall after continuing to work into the summer, according to an e-mail Samet sent to the Brandeis community April 30. The report explains that the committee did not want to begin deliberating about future options for the Rose until they had obtained sufficient background information about the Rose.

University Provost Marty Krauss wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that she was pleased with the committee's research.

"This is a serious committee that is working diligently to gather information from many sources. I have confidence that it will provide thoughtful and well considered options for the future of the Rose," she wrote.

Jonathan Lee, the chairman of the Rose Board of Overseers, said in a phone interview with the Justice that the report did not contain any significant information in terms of mitigating the controversy surrounding the museum.

Lee said, "the committee is incapable of coming up with anything new because it has nothing to do with whether art is sold or not; that authorization is reserved strictly for the Board of Trustees, and you have to assume art will be sold."

Students and faculty collaborated with the Rose Board of Overseers to hold a symposium May 11 to honor Rush's term as director and the rest of the museum staff, according to Prof. Andreas Teuber (PHIL), who spoke at the event. Others who spoke at the symposium included Meryl Rose, spokesperson for the Rose family and member of the Rose Board, and Jane Farver, Director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology List Visual Arts Center.

"Although Michael Rush reached out to me as a teacher, I tried to say a few words [at the symposium] about what he and his curating had taught me," Teuber wrote in an email to the Justice.

Rush's employment will end June 30. Jay Knox, the current administrator of the Rose, and Emily Mello, the current director of education at the Rose, will also not return after that time.

"We appreciated that under the circumstances, it was unlikely there would be an official reception for Michael Rush. A group of concerned faculty and students therefore decided to work with the Rose Museum Board of Overseers to put on a suitable event, to express our gratitude to Dr. Rush and the entire Rose Museum team," Prof. Mark Auslander (ANTH), who also spoke at the event, said in an interview with the Justice. Auslander added that Krauss stopped by for several minutes.

"I think it was appropriate for the faculty and students who have been involved with the Rose to coordinate this event," wrote Krauss in an email to the Justice.