In the aftermath of President Ronald Liebowitz’s resignation, announced in an email on Sept. 26, the Brandeis community continues to adjust to the prospect of so much change at the University.   

Given the speed at which this decision was announced, there continues to be disbelief throughout the Brandeis community. While the Brandeis faculty did vote in favor of passing a motion of no confidence on Sept. 24, no one thought the shift in leadership would come so soon.

Many satirical posts, memes and even celebrations flooded our social media feeds following the news of Liebowitz’s resignation. While we admit that it may be fun to take part in these jokes, we would also like to acknowledge that Liebowitz is a real person who has dedicated eight years of his life to serving the Brandeis community. 

This past year has been a particularly difficult time for college campuses, and while this does not excuse the harmful actions that Liebowitz has taken, it is important to recognize the pressures that come with being a university president. Although it is easy to focus on the negatives, it is also unreasonable to blame Liebowitz for every problem that the University is currently facing. As such, we would like to take a moment to appreciate Liebowitz’s commitment to the University during his presidency. Leading a university is a daunting task with many moving parts and responsibilities, and eight years of such work cannot go unnoticed. It was under the leadership of Liebowitz that Brandeis secured the biggest single gift in its history for student financial aid, with Liebowitz also hiring the university’s first Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Additionally, we cannot forget how he successfully led the university through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring campus safety through rigorous health measures.

With the news of Liebowitz’s departure, it is also important to recognize that this is a very serious moment for the Brandeis community. The future of the University now rests in our hands — and in the hands of whoever Liebowitz’s long-term replacement will be. We as a community must continue to work to make Brandeis the best institution possible.

Although Liebowitz has certainly played a role in our budgetary crisis, and he has been responsible for decisions which have harmed students in the past, he is only one person amongst an entire administration. Many of Brandeis’ issues are deeply rooted in the structure of the University, and Liebowitz’s departure will not cause those issues to suddenly disappear. 

When Liebowitz leaves on Nov. 1, we will be left with a relatively unchanged University administration. We will also be left with all of the same problems that we faced under Liebowitz’s leadership. As such, there is a lot of hard work ahead — not just for whoever the new official president of the University will be, but for the Brandeis community as a whole. 

As the search for Liebowitz’s replacement begins, Brandeis students, faculty and staff must continue to advocate for the changes we want to see. We must set our expectations high and ensure that these expectations are met. If we don’t, we will fall into the same cycle of empty promises and administrative inaction that have plagued the University for far too long. 

Liebowitz’s departure has created the space for us to imagine what University leadership at Brandeis could and should look like. In our next president, we want someone who holds themselves accountable and takes responsibility for their actions. We want someone who works together with the administration, consistently talks with students and attends faculty meetings to ensure that all members of the University community are heard. We want someone who is consistently  present on our campus — someone who does not hide behind locked doors or avoid appearances at campus events. 

Most of all, we want a president who is dedicated to open communication and true transparency with all members of the Brandeis community. In the past year, administration has consistently failed to keep faculty and students informed about important decisions that impact our community — such as the derecognition of Students for Justice in Palestine or the layoffs of approximately 60 staff. Given that the University is currently $2 million in debt, there is also a clear need for financial transparency. As individuals who pay so much in tuition dollars each year, students deserve to know how the University is using its money and how we found ourselves in this situation in the first place.

In the meantime, The Justice editorial board would like to extend a warm welcome to the University’s new interim president, Dr. Arthur E. Levine ’70. Amidst all this change, we hope to foster a strong relationship with you and work together to create a better Brandeis. While there is much room for growth, there is also a strong foundation in the form of passionate students, dedicated faculty and a resilient community. We hope that, as a Brandeis alumnus, you will share our commitment to the University’s founding values on a deeper level, and that with your help, we can work to make sure that Brandeis upholds those values in 2024 and beyond. We welcome you, Dr. Levine, to our school, and we hope this is a start to a new and improved Brandeis.