On April 18, University President Ronald Liebowitz sent an email summarizing the most recent Board of Trustees meeting, which took place on the Brandeis Campus from April 8 to April 9. Liebowitz explained that during these two days, the Board met with “students, faculty, and staff through various committee meetings and events.” 

Liebowitz explained that the plenary sessions of the Board meeting focused on creating a “thriving and sustainable Brandeis despite headwinds facing higher education on the whole and our institution in particular.” Provost Carol Fierke and Liebowitz spoke to the Board about changes they implemented to address such challenges, such as the Provost’s Finance Office and the Provost’s Advisory Council. Liebowitz explained, “the creation of a Provost’s Finance Office brings together senior financial managers from across the entire Academy into a single, unified team — demonstrating how important decision-making efficiencies can be realized while continuing to provide needed support to the schools by bringing together staff.” 

Brandeis administrators also outlined a five-year hiring plan which is “aligned with strategic growth areas.” According to the email, this plan aims to retain “talented faculty,” provide courses oriented toward career development and expand experiential learning opportunities. The board also discussed “developing a dean of the undergraduate college position, creating robust two-year residential communities, enhancing study abroad, and improving student retention and graduation rates.” Additionally, Liebowitz mentioned merging Brandeis’ two separate masters of business administration programs into one and growing Brandeis Online. 

The Board of Trustees also met with the Resources Committee to review the 2024 fiscal year forecast. The forecast, according to Liebowitz, predicts an operating deficit of two million dollars. The Board also discussed the 2025 budget and voted to approve the FY2025 budget. The FY2025 budget includes “an increase in the endowment spend rate and the tuition, room and board rates (4.25%).” The Board also discussed Brandeis’ plans to build a new residence hall, which is currently expected to open in the fall of 2027. According to Liebowitz, the Board “approved the debt financing sufficient to pay for the building construction.” 

Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jennifer Walker discussed applications received and students admitted during the most recent undergraduate admission cycle. According to Walker, the “quality of our faculty and our academic reputation are positive factors for Brandeis.” Walker also noted that generally, public institutions have experienced the “greatest application growth.” 

The Board also accepted the following faculty promotions and appointments: Prof. Sara Mayogra (SOC) to the rank of professor with tenure, Prof. Raphael Schoenle (ECON) to the rank of professor with tenure, Prof. Sheida Soleimani (FA) to the rank of associate professor with tenure and Prof. Hannah Snyder (PSYC) to the rank of associate professor with tenure. 

Liebowitz then provided highlights from each of the board’s committees. The Academy Committee shared an update on an ongoing review of the Brandeis Core, on which they have been collecting feedback through “surveys and discussion with key stakeholders.” The committee also voted for the tenure recommendations which were approved by the full board. Additionally, the committee voted to update the Faculty Handbook so that all gender-specific pronouns would be replaced by gender-neutral pronouns. 

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee shared a summary of the DEIS Impact Symposium, which “brought together local, regional, and national scholars, practitioners, and the Brandeis community” to explore Jewish identity and how the Jewish diaspora, the Black community and other communities can “work together for social good.” 

The Investment Committee approved a new private equity manager for endowment and discussed “portfolio hedging strategies and approved a modification to the current strategy.” 

The Institutional Advancement Committee saw presentations of year-to-date fundraising results. According to the email, “fundraising remains strong and we are on target to exceed this year’s fundraising goal.” Additionally, Brandeis has received three new endowed professorships and achieved a four-year high for unrestricted cash giving. These achievements exclude Giving Deis Day, which was postponed due to the Oct. 7 Israel Hamas conflict. 

The Nominating and Governance Committee approved renewal terms for trustees whose terms expire at commencement this May. The committee also discussed “trustee candidate recruitment, reviewed a number of trustee candidates, and engaged in a broad discussion on the current emeritus trustee system.” 

The Risk Management and Audit Committee reviewed Brandeis’ external and internal audit plans. They also completed the annual review of senior management expenses and the departmental audit of the Student Services function. According to the email, “Both audits were completed with no reportable issues.” The committee also discussed cybersecurity initiatives and received an update from Chief Matthew Rushton on security matters. 

The Student Life Committee discussed improvements to the housing selection process. These included moving housing selection to earlier in the semester, streamlining the accommodations process and updating communication. They also discussed changes in dining services, “which now features an all-access food plan, which had mitigated food insecurity for residential students.” The committee also discussed additions to allergen identification and labeling. Additionally, Brandeis Counseling Center Director Addie Wyman advised the committee on changes to better support student mental health. 

Liebowitz closed his email by thanking the Board members as well as the staff, faculty and students for their “staunch commitment to Brandeis.”