University employees opt into retirement
About 150 staff members were eligible for a new voluntary retirement package, with 80 accepting the offer.
Tate Herbert
Articles
Department of Justice audits program
An audit of Brandeis' use of federal funding for its Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Center of Excellence claimed that $608,646 of four separate cooperative agreements-awards similar to grants-totaling $3,826,950 and awarded from 2008 to 2011, were "unallowable" or "unsupported" expenses, according to spending guidelines established by the Office of Justice Programs. The most recent award was due to end on March 31 of this year. While the audit, conducted by the Office of Justice Programs and the Office of the Inspector General, concluded that while the PDMP Center of Excellence met its goals, it recommended that Brandeis "remedy" the entirety of the questioned costs.
Group drafts letter to address sexual assault on campus
Yesterday morning, a group of students self-titled Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence delivered a letter to top administrators outlining the need for a more concerted effort to address sexual violence on campus.
Nusseibeh to step down as President of Al-Quds University
Sari Nusseibeh will step down as president of Al-Quds University at the end of this year, according to a statement posted today on Al-Quds' website.*Imad Abu Kishek, the current executive vice president, has been named the acting president for the upcoming academic year.*Nusseibeh will remain on the faculty of the department of philosophy, according to the statement.* The announcement, which comes on the day of Al-Quds' board of trustees meeting,*"has been planned for a long time," according to Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life Daniel Terris. Brandeis' formal academic partnership with Al-Quds, located in East Jerusalem, was suspended this past November following a demonstration on the Al-Quds campus that involved students dressing in militia-style clothing and carrying fake automatic weapons. Terris, along with Profs. Susan Lanser (ENG) and Daniel Kryder (POL) visited Al-Quds in November to investigate the demonstration, and issued a report recommending reinstatement of the academic partnership. The trio made another trip to Al-Quds in January to gather information for the discussion surrounding the possibility of reinstatement, as well as to continue their ongoing conversations with faculty members at the university. In the most recent word from Brandeis administration, on Feb.
Flagel consults Greek leaders
In an ongoing conversation surrounding the status of Greek life on campus, leaders in the Greek community, as well as Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, say that the desire for Brandeis to officially recognize fraternities and sororities has gained steam. However, in separate interviews with the Justice, Flagel and current presidents of Greek organizations at Brandeis disagreed on the source of this push for recognition. "There seems to be a group of [members of Greek life at Brandeis] that are particularly interested, at this moment, in recognition," said Flagel in an interview with the Justice.
Italian major reduced to IIM
This year's graduating class, the Class of 2014, will mark the last group of Italian Studies majors to leave the University.
New weekend Health Center hours implemented
Some of the proposed changes outlined in the review of Brandeis' health services, a report which was released this past October, are coming to fruition.
Workers over 60 offered exit deal
Approximately 150 Brandeis University staff members were left to weigh their options after they received an email last Tuesday, signed by Provost Steven Goldstein '78 and Chief Operating Officer Steven Manos, offering a "voluntary early retirement incentive program" which would require those who opt in to leave the University by May 30. The email from Manos and Goldstein stated that "Brandeis is carefully assessing its organizational structure, seeking to meet or exceed the best practices in higher education and address Brandeis' current budget deficit," and that the incentive program is intended to "facilitate this goal and provide opportunities for reorganization, streamlined business processes, and more consistent workloads." The email promised that individuals who choose to retire would receive "12 months of severance at their regular base pay and a $15,000 transition allowance." This offer is applicable to staff members on Brandeis' payroll who are 60 years or older and will have worked here for at least 10 years by April 1 of this calendar year. The identities of the exact recipients of the email were unclear. One staff member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that she and many others questioned whether or not they would be fired if they did not take the deal offered in the email. "I really do not want to [leave]," the individual said in an interview with the Justice.
Petition circulates after Reinharz pay publicized
In the week after the Boston Globe published its Nov. 17 article examining the "golden parachute" phenomenon in higher education, focusing on President Emeritus Jehuda Reinharz's compensation, many members of the Brandeis community reacted with skepticism and even outrage.
Sousa to lead new structure
The Health Center and the Psychological Counseling Center will undergo a major shift in their reporting structures, as Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel announced this past week to the centers' directors.
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