The Presidential Search Committee released Brandeis' case statement, "an overview of the university and all that it offers, as well as a description of the ideal candidate and priorities the committee feels our next president must be prepared to address," last Tuesday, according to Chair of the Presidential Search Committee Stephen Kay's update on the presidential search Web site.The case statement, which is available online, includes information on the University's history, campuswide community, academic programs and financial affairs. It states the qualifications desired for the next president and also lists four goals that he or she should strive to achieve.

A subcommittee of the Presidential Search Committee, co-chaired by Prof. Gina Turrigiano (BIOL) and Student Union President Andy Hogan '11, was in charge of developing the case statement. Hogan told the Justice that the case statement was developed after communicating with University constituencies including academic departments, donors, alumni and students. The faculty and student advisory committees reviewed a draft of the case statement.

Hogan said that the purpose of the case statement is "to give the potential candidates an idea . about what Brandeis is like. It's got statistics and merits about Brandeis' culture so potential candidates will know what the job entails."

As set forth in the case statement, the qualities in the ideal presidential candidate include "excellent" fundraising skills and the understanding that Brandeis is "a small research university." The case statement specifies that Brandeis must continue to provide "intimate and collaborative education and scholarship" while retaining its research and graduate education facilities. Presidential candidates should also be aware of the University's Jewish background and principles of social justice, said the case statement.

One of the goals the next president should aim to achieve is concerned with establishing "Brandeis as the best small liberal arts research university in the country" by "enhancing the integration and synergy between graduate and undergraduate education" among other factors, according to the case statement. The next president must seek to further campus community engagement as well as "generate and articulate a vision for Brandeis, both within the university community and to the outside world." According to the case statement, the University's "financial stability" should be strengthened by "finding creative solutions to enhance revenues and reduce resource shortages" and "managing resources wisely and focusing them where they will be most effective."

Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, the search firm assisting the University in the presidential search process, will provide presidential candidates with the case statement, Kay wrote in his online update. At last Thursday's faculty meeting, Presidential Search Committee member Prof. Gregory Petsko (BCHM) said that the committee has received over 50 presidential nominations.

The Faculty Advisory Committee co-chairs and Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates deferred to Kay for comment. Kay declined to comment further about the case statement.

Under the leadership of former Chair of the Presidential Search Committee Meyer Koplow '72, the Faculty Senate was also going to review a draft of the case statement. After reading the case statement, Chair of the Faculty Senate Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL) said that she believes the next president's top priority should be to focus on Brandeis academics.

"I think that all through the last year and a half we have focused on the budgetary issues, . and I think it's going to be very important for the next president to lead the University in shaping the Brandeis education, because ultimately it's not about money . Ultimately, it is about intellectual curiosity and education," Von Mering said.

Although Von Mering said that it was "not a problem" that the Senate was not involved in reviewing a draft of the case statement, she said that she would have like to see a clearer explanation of the concept of "shared governance" as specified in the case statement. According to the statement, the University president should have "candid and open communication with faculty, staff and students in the belief that transparency and collegiality- the hallmarks of shared governance - lead to stronger and healthier institutions."

"We feel [the case statement] accurately represents the aspirations of the Brandeis community and the challenges and opportunities the eighth president of the university will find upon arrival. It will guide the committee and the candidates in the next phase of the search, which begins now," Kay wrote in his online update.

Petsko said at last Thursday's faculty meeting that the Presidential Search Committee is "making contact with nominees to find out what level of interest they have." He added, "the hope is that the interview process will commence by sometime in early May or sooner."

The search for the next president began after University President Jehuda Reinharz announced his intention to resign in a Sept. 24 campuswide e-mail. Reinharz will remain president until a new president has been selected or until June 30, 2011, whichever comes first, according to a Sept. 24 University press release.



-Miranda Neubauer contributed reporting.