<p>It would appear that the university is in a lot of trouble. I have no idea what exactly is going on with the university (and I guess few people do), but it is safe to say there is clearly quite a bit of turmoil currently. How much or which of those articles are true? Will its reputation remain intact in both the long and the short term? If I tell my kids I went to Brandeis, will there be a similarly regarded institution for me to point towards?</p>
<p>PS there are more articles on the huffingtonpost, boston globe, and the chronicle. I did not pull from anything school sponsored because legally schools can censor their student newspapers and what not.</p>
<p>Brandeis is hardly in trouble or turmoil. The economic downturn has affected all schools. </p>
<p>More forthrightly than most, Brandeis has stepped up to make strategic cuts that do not materially affect undergrads and strengthen the academy for the long run, while simultaneously innovating programs and building state of the art facilities–e.g. the new science center and Humanities center.</p>
<p>Although belt-tightening in certain areas, those are small individually and where the university isn’t excellent. In fact, Brandeis is adding exciting new programs like an undergrad Busness major and the independent-study Justice Brandeis Semester. Resources are being plowed into student aid. The school is focussed on building from its strengths–i.e. an excellent small liberal arts college within a top-notch research university–where prominent professors teach in small classes. </p>
<p>The reports of Brandeis’s budget issues lack context and have been overblown due to the administration’s inartful handling of its proposal to sell a few paintings from its world-renowned Rose Art Museum–which caused international attention to be focused on this issue. As mentoned, Brandeis is hardly alone in this economy. According to news reports, many universities, even Harvard, are making budget cuts in response to severely diminished endowments and donations. Brandeis has pledged to maintain financial aid and maintain, or improve, its world-class education by resisting the type of budget cuts that could undermine its core mission. The now-on-hold art-sale proposal was just one way it was considering to fund that pledge. The key here is that Brandeis is prioritizing students over things.</p>
<p>Brandeis and their supporters are a tight group and they have suffered perhaps more than any other university from the Madoff Ponzi scheme, so it should be no surprise that they will take longer to financially recover. But they will recover and likely be stronger than ever. I would not let the publicity and reactions from the proposed sale of the Rose Art Museum deter you in any way from choosing Brandeis. The University has there priorities straight, and there #1 priory is educating great students…</p>
<p>"A Madoff Sell Off?</p>
<p>In light of the gruesome news that Brandeis intends to shut down its Rose Art Museum and sell off the entire collection to raise cash, I’m wondering how much of their fire sale mentality is due to the huge hit suffered recently by the Carl & Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation, the Boston-area philanthropy that was a major victim of Bernie Madoff’s giant ponzi scheme.</p>
<p>The Shapiros reportedly lost more than $400 million of their personal fortune. Their foundation, a heavy supporter of Boston-area arts groups and hospitals — and of Brandeis University — is reported to have lost $145 million, about half its assets.</p>
<p>The Foundation issued a statement last month saying that it “plans to fulfill all our current obligations” and stressing its commitment to building back its resources. But for the near term future they probably won’t be in a position to come up with gifts like the $25 million they provided towards the Shapiro Science Center on the Brandeis campus or the $22 million for the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center.</p>
<p>None of this excuses Brandeis trustees for what they’re planning to do to their own museum, but it might shed some light on their motives".</p>
<p>there have already been discussions about the cuts in programs – and the school has announced its plan – what you bring up are before the university did so. The cuts reduce redundancies and consolidate offerings within a department and primarily relate to graduate school. If you search, you can find these discussions here and links to the specifics.</p>
<p>ncmentor is correct when he states: “The University has there priorities straight, and there #1 priory is educating great students…” However, like the OP, he cites an outdated opinion piece about the Rose based on outdated facts. </p>
<p>The mishandled, original Rose proposal, whether misconstrued or wrongheaded, is no more. Brandeis is not eliminating its museum. The univeristy’s interest in reserving the ability to monetize one or two paintings on occassion is not abandonment of its collection. In fact, the intent is to create a better student experience connected to art. Thankfully, the endowment has materially rebounded along with the market. As for the Madoff connection, again, the opinion pieces overstate. Brandeis itself had no money invested with Madoff and lost not a single penny with him, unlike Tufts (20 million) and some other institutions that did find their investments wiped out. </p>
<p>As for the Shapiro Foundation as a benefactor of Brandeis, the university’s fundraising efforts are far broader than that single organization and its strategy has adjusted to the fallout from the Madoff scandal as it affects that foundation and other supporters–grateful as it is for the magnificent new $200 million Science Center and the wonderful student center from a few years ago. </p>
<p>Again, the university is maintaining its student focus which has helped make it a great school–e.g. a focus on student-aid fundraising and funding innovative educational programs. Happily, other donors have stepped forward to fund those programs as well as more fancy buildings (e.g. the soon-to-be completed Mandel center for the humanities).</p>
<p>Glad to here that they are doing better… I know a lot of reporting has been done about Brandeis and their financial management, sorry I quoted an outdated source. I’m sure that one of the major reasons Brandeis ends up in the news so often is that so many alumni and supporters care about the institution almost like family. Support for Brandeis is as much about relationship as it is about money and I would worry less about Brandeis’s long term financial and academic health than I would HYP and every State School.</p>