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T h e I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9 Volume LXXVII, Number 8
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
ENTRANCE INTERVIEW
Waltham, Mass.
FACULTY MEETING
‘Brandeis is at the edge of a cliff’: Interim President addresses faculty ■ Interim President Arthur
Levine ’70 attended the November faculty meeting, giving a speech and addressing faculty questions. By ANNA MARTIN
JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
ELIZA BIER/The Justice
MEETING: Brandeis Interim President Arthur Levine '70 giving remarks at Nov. 8 faculty meeting.
Former student returns as President ■ Arthur Levine ’70 returns as interim
president with goals to improve the state of the University. By ANNA MARTIN
JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHEIF
On Nov. 8, Interim President Arthur Levine ’70 sat down with The Justice to discuss his personal ties to the University and his goals for its future. Levine graduated from Brandeis in 1970, with a Bachelor of Arts in biology. Brandeis gave Levine a love for higher education, resulting in his pursuit of a successful career in academia including presidencies at Teachers College, Columbia University and Bedford College. In addition to professional successes, Levine made several lifelong connections at Brandeis. These include some of his dearest friends, such as the co-author of one of his 13 books and the professor to who the book was dedicated, Prof. William Goldsmith (AMST). The fast friends were even best men at each other's weddings. Additionally, a Brandeis friend introduced Levine to his wife, Linda Fentiman. Levine noted that one thing that makes Brandeis unique is the commitment to social justice held by the students. He explained that this state of mind has not changed over the years, stating it as one of the most prominent memories of his undergraduate experience. Levine added that while the students' commitment to social justice has not changed, the way that they go about it has evolved over time. When he was at Brandeis, Levine explained that some of the most popular protest topics were the United States’ participation in the Vietnam War and civil rights. Instead of spreading the word via social media, flyers were printed out and placed in all student mailboxes in the mailroom, which back then was the Mailman House. Levine explained that he is in support of student protests as long as they do not cause harm to anyone. In addition to a commitment to social justice, Levine made an impact on campus as the Student Union treasurer when he was an undergraduate. He enjoyed being involved in student government and met with Student Union President Rani Balakrishna ’25 and Vice President Ria Escamilla-Gill ’27 during his first week in office. Since his arrival on campus on Nov. 1, Levine has made an effort to connect with students, visiting the dining halls to share meals and attending on-campus events. He expressed that he has enjoyed connecting with current students and found them all to be welcoming. Levine has been seen at all sorts of events, from basketball games to an event celebrating first generation students. He is a
first generation college graduate himself, explaining that he chose Brandeis after looking through college flyers with his mom. Levine cites his Jewish background as a reason for attending the University. As he explained, he grew up in an area with predominant Catholic and Jewish populations. The Catholic population thought that Notre Dame was the best school in the world, while the Jewish population championed Brandeis. Growing up, the two schools seemed like the only ones in existence. While speaking with The Justice, Levine shared that the Board of Trustees sought him out for this position. He explained that he doesn’t believe he would’ve been offered this position if Brandeis was in a good state, referring to himself as a “fixer-upper.” Levine is looking to work with community members in his plans to improve the University, with an emphasis on including faculty in the problem solving process. He hopes that he can work with faculty to come to agreements together. Levine is also planning to take on a more active role in terms of enrollment. In addition to University departments, Levine has already started thinking about future moves for Brandeis, placing an emphasis on the potential addition of a micro-certification program similar to the one found at Harvard University. The implementation of a program such as this one would allow students to take skills that they learn in classes and on campus and add them to their resumes. He advocated for further integration and expansion of career services and thinks that such a program would increase the success and resumes of students. Levine expressed a need for the University to remain neutral as an entity, explaining that personal opinions should remain separate from the institution. He explained that he has had some unpopular opinions and stances before, but has kept the line between the school and himself clear, never associating a school with his own beliefs. Levine expressed gratitude to those who have helped him with his transition to presidency and those who will continue to support him, thanking specifically the Board of Trustees for providing him with a golf cart as he navigates the campus with muscular dystrophy. He also shouted out all of the members of his team for their work, highlighting in particular Meredith Ainbinder, chief of staff and Senior Advisor to the President. Levine is no stranger to small endowments, as Teachers College has an even smaller endowment than Brandeis. He is ready to jump into fundraising, with the goal of presenting a plan for a Capital Campaign to the Board of Trustees within two weeks. Levine is also excited to start working with his fellow alumni, but admitted that the thing he is most nervous about is speaking at his upcoming class
Walk through the visual elements of Rogier van der Weyden's painting, "Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin." By LILIANA ASPROMONTE
FEATURES 6
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
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See MEETING, 5 ☛
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Photo courtesy of STEVEN ZUCKER/Flickr
On Nov. 8, faculty gathered for their monthly meeting, eagerly anticipating the introduction of new University Interim President Arthur Levine ’70. The meeting began with comments from Chair of the Faculty Senate Jeffery Lenowitz (POL), who introduced a speech and moment of silence for the passing of Professor Emeritus Graham Campbell (FA). Following this remembrance, Wellington Prize winner Prof. Emilie Connolly (HIST) gave a presentation on her trip to Lisbon. After Connolly’s remarks, Interim President Arthur Levine ’70 took the floor to address the faculty of the University for the first time. He began his speech with a joke, commenting on the location of Rapaporte Treasure Hall and expressing his “disappointment” in the treasure, sharing that it would unfortunately not be the answer to the University's “budget problems.” Levine expressed his love of retirement, but that his love for Brandeis brought him back. Levine made it clear that the decisions made before he stepped into this position were not his and reiterated that he is not looking for another job after this one. He also explained that he is not doing this for the sake of his resume, as he is satisfied with it as it is — instead citing love for the University as his main motivation for taking the job. Levine then acknowledged the situation that Brandeis currently is in, highlighting deferred maintenance, declining enrollment and budget cuts. However, he also mentioned the University’s great students and faculty. Levine stated, “I don’t know any University that was made great by budget cuts,” expressing a need to repair the current financial situation of the University. He explained that enrollment management will be reporting directly to him from now on, utilizing his past experience with a goal of regrowing enrollment. He also stated that he has asked Institutional Advancement to immediately launch a Capital Campaign that focuses on “faculty, students, programming, staffing and infrastructure.” Levine explained that if both of these things go well, this would be a short term solution to the budget-related problems that Brandeis is facing. However, he cited a need to improve operations, with the hope of expanding and moving with new trends in the academic spaces. Levine continued, discussing the changing digital landscape by citing pages like Coursera that offer a wider range of online courses than those available at any one university for much lower prices. He explained that this shift will affect every college — from community colleges to Ivy Leagues in one way or another. Levine stated “Covid was not an interruption, it was an accelerator. You all know that.” He explained that he and his co-author, which he did not identify, visited 70 institutions recently, trying to decide what made an institution stand out amongst the rest, and took away valuable information. Levine told the faculty, “My assignment from the Board is to develop a plan for the future of Brandeis and write a job description for my successor to translate that plan into reality. I want to do that
together. I can’t do that alone.” He explained that his plan before winter break is to talk to as many people as possible, asking members of the faculty to come and talk to him. He wants to hear from community members about what they hope to see change at Brandeis, and he will then come back in January and “suggest a path forward.” Following this conclusion, members of the faculty were invited to participate in a question and answer session with Levine. The first speaker to approach the microphone was Prof. Sabine von Mering (GER/WGS), who expressed concerns regarding the comparison between Northeastern and the future of Brandeis, explaining “We need to plan, we need to have our own guiding stars instead of trying to copy what Northeastern does.” She continued by broaching the topic of the elimination of the Lydian String Quartet, which was discussed in the October faculty meeting. She expressed that the quartet is one of the things that makes Brandeis unique. Levine responded by explaining that the quartet was eliminated before he entered office and therefore, was not his fault. Although, he did express that it was not eliminated for no reason: “We have to have priorities.” Von Mering, who had returned to her seat, yelled from the audience to encourage Levine to take a pay cut. He explained that it is not just about finding the money this year, it’s about finding the money every year. Levine called on the faculty, stating “Help me! People are complaining about cuts. Help me figure out an alternative that would be healthier for this institution.” Levine went on to share that he was a candidate for this position in the 80s, explaining that he had a lot of criticism and ultimately decided that he was not interested in the role. He stated “What we need to know is we’re a family. We solve our problems as a family. We don’t go to the press and tell them we have a problem … I’ll be very honest with you. I’ll work on any issue — I’ll work on any problem — but I won’t after a person goes to The Globe.” The next speaker was Prof. Nina Kammerer (ANTH), who emphasized the importance of rebuilding community, stating “The onslaught of damage to our sense of community that we have had under the previous administration, and I feel that community is one of the essential as a founding of the institution,” asking Levine to keep community in mind moving forward. Levine responded by sharing that he has spent much time in the dining halls, at student gatherings and in meetings with the community during his first week back at Brandeis. He stated that “this remains a warm and welcoming campus.” He then asks for the faculty’s trust, stating “I’m asking you to trust me. I get nothing out of this. I’m going to leave. If I’m the worst president in Brandeis history, and I leave when my tenure is over. If I’m the best president in Brandeis history I leave when my tenure is over. I have nothing to prove. I am satisfied with my existing resume.” Levine concluded this answer with the call for action of creating community, comparing Brandeis to larger schools such as Arizona State University and sharing that “this place is too small” to neglect community. The next speaker was Prof. Thomas King (ENG), who asked for further elaboration on the possible inclusion of digital landscapes and expressed concerns regarding the harmful rhetoric of the word “family.” He spoke about his 32 years at this institution and explained that Brandeis has caused harm to himself and others, “based upon our various differences.” King continued by calling out
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