Back in March, the University sent an  email outlining its financial struggles  and the steps that would be taken to  reduce the projected $2 million in debt.  Among these are staffing cuts, drawing  more money from the endowment and  pausing progress on Science 2A — the  plan to build the new science building. 

These announcements gave Brandeis  some unwanted media attention with a  summary of its budget problems featured  in a Forbes article that spotlighted a  university that abruptly closed and  one that is just barely keeping its head  above water due to financial concerns  — certainly not the type of press that  evokes a real sense of school pride.  

As tuition continues to increase yearly  — from $64,348 for undergraduates  for the 2023-24 school year to $67,082  for the 2024-25 school year — Brandeis  students are often left to question the  budgeting abilities of our University’s  administration. While we continue to  pay more money to the school each year,  no outward improvements are being  made; rather, we see the University  scrambling in a desperate attempt  to maintain our quickly crumbling  campus.  

The students on this board have  noticed that our inboxes have received  a multitude of emails over the years  regarding emergencies on campus that  cause closures of some of our most  used utilities. The email sent on Sept.  11 from the Vice President of Campus  Operations Lois Stanley informed  students that due to a need for emergency  repairs all hot water would be shut off  on campus from the hours of 2 p.m. to  4 p.m. This is not the first emergency  repair that has negatively impacted  student wellbeing, and we as a board  urge the University to work on solving  issues before it has to be classified as an  emergency. We understand that some  of our campus infrastructure is old, but  issues such as these interrupt students’  productivity and negatively impact our  living conditions. These updates should  be made in advance of student move in days, and we urge the University  to further consider things such as the  summer break schedule when working  on construction projects in general. 

This board would also like to point out  potential issues in regards to allocation  of improvement funding. While this  board appreciates the landscaping  efforts of the University as well as  upgrades such as the new game room  in the Shapiro Campus Center, we see  much more urgent modifications that  are required to be made. While we  understand that these inconsequential  projects likely have a small price tag  and allow the University to show they  are actively working on improving the  campus, perhaps it would be better to  hold off and save that funding for larger,  more impactful projects.  

For example, the Intercultural  Center is still not accessible to many with physical disabilities, preventing  community members from participating  in certain culture based events and  utilizing the resources of this campus  facility. We would also like to point out  the lack of railing on the ramp outside  of the Brandeis Counseling Center.  Improvements to make University  resources more accessible should come  before those improving the exterior and  interior aesthetics of campus.  

We would also like to address the  increased usage of our endowment fund,  which had a value of $1.22 billion as  of June 2023. As stated in a document  supporting the vote of no confidence in  President Liebowitz that was created  on June 3, “Brandeis is facing lower  enrollments, heavy debt to finance  failing infrastructure, and an increased  draw from the endowment (7%) for FY  ‘25.” This increase sparks concern on  our board, as it is unclear what the  increased withdrawal is leading to as  changes to the infrastructure have not  been made and faculty members have  been dismissed, which should in theory  lead to an increase in finances as these  salaries no longer have to be paid. This  board calls for further transparency  regarding the allocation of this money,  especially as concerns regarding  student resources, employee pay and  campus infrastructure continue to arise  on campus. 

Despite rises in tuition, this editorial  board has seen student resources be  taken away over the years, rather than  added. This year, student organizations  and clubs are working with far less  funds than initially requested, as  are Undergraduate Departmental  Representatives whose resources have  been limited to $100 for the academic  year according to a Sept. 6 email to  UDRs from Undergraduate Academic  Affairs administrator Brynn Sibley.  Individual students have also had  difficulty obtaining resources from  the University. Though software like  Adobe Creative Suite is required for  some undergraduate courses, students  have faced trouble gaining access to  the software this year because the  University says that it is too expensive,  according to some students that have  faced difficulty gaining access. 

This is an issue given that many  students already struggle to pay for  course materials due to not receiving  enough financial aid from the University.  Although the Office of Student Financial Services website claims that “Brandeis  meets 100% of demonstrated financial  need for all domestic undergraduates  and all international undergraduates,”  the University’s definition of “financial  need” often does not align with  students’. While financial aid has  always been an issue for Brandeis  students, this editorial board has heard  increased complaints about financial  aid packages not being up to par for the  current academic year. 

Though some discrepancies may be  explained by recent changes to the Free  Application for Federal Student Aid,  which the University uses alongside  the College Scholarship Services Profile  to calculate financial need, others are  the fault of the University’s financial  aid policies. For example, according  to current Brandeis students, they are  unable to use outside scholarships  to supplement their financial aid  packages. Instead, the University  withdraws financial aid funds when an  outside scholarship is reported, leaving  the student with as much money as they  had before the outside scholarship was  recieved.

This means that the only way students  can really make additional money to pay  for school supplies and tuition is to find  additional employment. Unfortunately,  due to the University’s financial  troubles, on-campus student jobs are  limited in both number and hours this  year. Some positions — like game room  attendants, whose responsibilities have  been absorbed by SCC student staff —  have been consolidated or cut, while  others strictly limit the amount of hours  that students can work. This overall  leaves undergraduate students without  the resources and security they need to  thrive at the University.

Crumbling infrastructure and  dwindling student resources are not  the only problems on campus. Over the  past few years, there have also been  consistent concerns about Brandeis employee wages not meeting the cost  of living in the Boston area. Just last  week, both dining workers and graduate students continued their call for fair  contracts — thus demonstrating that  nothing has changed.     

Brandeis staff make up the backbone  of our community, yet many are not  paid enough to live comfortably in  the Boston area. Graduate students  especially have faced both housing and food insecurity. While the Brandeis Food Pantry used to help them make  ends meet, the new rationing system has created barriers to this resource  by requiring students to register and  identify themselves before accessing the  pantry. New undergraduate meal plans,  which include far less “points” than  previous years, have also placed limits  on undergrads’ ability to contribute  to the food pantry, as students can  no longer use their leftover points to  donate to the Waltham Group’s Hunger  and Houselessness Hoot Market food  drives. Swipe Out Hunger drives have  also called on students to donate guest  meal swipes, prompting dismay at  the administration for not alleviating  food insecurity themselves but instead  asking students to compensate for the  lack of access to food. 

In addition to being underpaid,  Brandeis staff are also overworked —  an issue which will only be exacerbated  by this summer’s layoffs. Remaining  Brandeis employees have been left in an  uncomfortable position where they are  almost forced to be grateful for being  overworked — after all, the alternative  is being unemployed.  

This editorial board believes that  Brandeis staff should not have to  choose between paying rent or going  hungry, or between being overworked  or unemployed. The University has a  responsibility to ensure that all of its  community members are healthy —  and giving them fair wages is the bare  minimum. We have already lost over  60 community members to budget cuts,  and we cannot afford to lose any more. 

A focus on aesthetic improvements  instead of substantive ones is concerning  given that the minimum standard for  quality infrastructure is not being met.  Even though mold has been found in  Ziv, The Charles River Apartments  and Massell Quad, the administration  repeatedly spends money attempting to  clean it instead of implementing long term solutions, like ventilation systems,  that could solve the problem for good.  Not only does mold pose a major health  concern for students, the appearance of  mold calls into question the integrity  of Brandeis architecture. Ventilation  is an essential feature of buildings, and  the fact that it was not originally built  into these dorms is alarming, especially  with the announcement of construction  of a new dorm in an April 18 email from Liebowitz. This board urges that future  housing be built to a quality that will  last for many generations to come.  

Moreover, the responsibility of enhancing campus has fallen to  students. Only through the work of  Student Union did Village dorms finally have shower heads in their bathrooms. While the board recognizes the hard  work of students advocating for  structural changes, students should not  be required to bear the burden alone.  The administration must take more  initiative in assessing dorm buildings  and fixing deficiencies in them.  

For years, students have advocated  for better facilities in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, but  the University cited a lack of financial  resources for why there have been no  renovations. Collective student action  and funding from the Community  Emergency Enhancement Fund  resulted in major improvements to the  Gosman weight room, another initiative  spearheaded by student activism instead  of the administration. As mentioned in  a previous editorial, deficient athletic  spaces prevent the University from  hosting sports meets, further inciting  embarrassment from students and  disdain from other colleges.   

Students at Brandeis are facing  growing embarrassment as the  University’s infrastructure continues  to crumble, and its administration  disregards student well-being. Current  students feel disheartened by the  reputation the school is developing, as  basic resources and physical facilities  deteriorate around us. This concern  is shared by alumni, who worry about  what the Brandeis name will represent  in the future. 

Members of this editorial board  have discussed our anxieties about  Brandeis’ future image. It seems  that as soon as you step on campus,  the façade drops, revealing broken  facilities, leaking pipes and mounting  debt. We fear that poor administrative  decisions will tarnish the value of our  degrees, harming prospects of future  employment.  

Brandeis must recognize that its  current students and alumni are its  future. We are the ones who shape the  reputation of this University, both in our  successes and in how we are perceived  by the world. The very donors Brandeis  relies on support the institution because  of the achievements of its students and  graduates. If the University truly cares  about its trajectory, it must make more  meaningful efforts to ensure that our  futures are bright and successful. Not  only because it is fair to do so, but  because we determine the direction of  this institution and its faculty. Without  us, there is no Brandeis.

 — Editor’s Note: The Justice Associate  Editor Madison Sirois ’24 is a Creativity,  the Arts and Social Transformation  Undergraduate Departmental  Representative and did edit and  contribute to this story.

  — Editor’s Note: The Justice Deputy  Editor Tibria Brown ’25 is an Independent  Interdisciplinary Major Undergraduate  Departmental Representative and did  edit and contribute to this story.  

— Editor’s Note: The Justice  Associate Editor Mina Rowland ’25  is an Independent Interdisciplinary  Major Undergraduate Departmental  Representative and did edit and  contribute to this story.  

— Editor’s Note: The Justice Social  Media Editor Niamh Mullen ’26 is  an English Major Undergraduate  Departmental Representative and did  edit and contribute to this story.  

— Editor’s Note: The Justice Editor in  Chief Anna Martin ’26 is a coordinator  of Waltham Group’s Hunger and  Houselessness and did edit and  contribute to this story.  

— Editor’s Note: The Justice Managing  Editor Eliza Bier ’26 is a coordinator  of Waltham Group’s Hunger and  Houselessness and did edit and  contribute to this story.  

— Editor’s Note: The Justice  Editorial Assistant Ariana Rich ’25  is a coordinator of Waltham Group’s  Hunger and Houselessness and did edit  and contribute to this story.