Every fall semester is a time for possibility and growth. Each year, we watch a new group of first-years eagerly explore the campus they now call home, excited to meet new people and embrace the change that comes with starting one’s college career. 

Usually, upperclassmen sit back and watch with nostalgia as first-year students attempt to navigate their first weeks at Brandeis — but this year, things look different to us too. As we walk the familiar paths of campus, we can’t help but notice what’s missing: the approximately 60 Brandeis community members whose positions were eliminated in a series of layoffs this summer. 

When President Ronald Liebowitz sent out an email to the Brandeis community about the University’s financial situation last semester, we knew that there would be budget cuts. However, polition eliminations were not mentioned in President Liebowitz’s March 14 email — so it came as a surprise to many students when The Boston Globe and other news sources began reporting about layoffs at Brandeis in late May. 

This editorial board has raised concerns about the lack of communication and transparency from administration in past editorials. Often, groups of Brandeis community members are excluded from communications about important campus issues — and this time was no different. 

Instead of hearing about the layoffs from University administration, students were forced to learn from outside sources. Some of us heard about the layoffs from news sources or word of mouth, while others had the misfortune of seeing a favorite staff member post on LinkedIn that they were now “Open to Work.” This indirect way of discovering a major change to our campus community has left many students, faculty and staff feeling betrayed by the University. 

In light of the layoffs, a number of staff members have chosen to leave Brandeis for roles with better stability. As per an Aug. 21 email from Dean of Arts and Sciences Jeffrey Shoulson, there has been a restructuring of the administrative staff in the Divisions of Creative Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. In conjunction with the layoffs, these two developments have placed a burden on remaining University staff members, forcing them to take on additional work and responsibilities.

Although we want to be optimistic about the upcoming school year, it is difficult to hold onto hope when the changes happening around us are overwhelmingly negative. As the semester progresses, this editorial board once again calls upon University administration to be more open in its communication with students, faculty and staff. All of us deserve to be kept informed about major University decisions, especially when those decisions impact our campus community so profoundly. 

As an editorial board, we also wish to extend our support to all of the University staff members whose positions were eliminated during this summer’s layoffs. We are endlessly grateful for all of the time and work that you have dedicated to the Brandeis community. Your loss is deeply felt, and we wish you all the best as you seek out new opportunities elsewhere.