FEATURES PAGE 9
FORUM The detriments of Twitter 11
FREEDOM FOR ALL
SPORTS Men’s soccer struggles early 16 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
the
OF
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY SINCE 1949
Justice www.theJusticeOnline.com
Volume LXI, Number 3
Waltham, Mass.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
ADMISSIONS
BUDGET
Endowment returns improved Target ■ The rate of return on the
University’s endowment is stronger than was originally projected in March 2009. By HARRY SHIPPS JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Returns on the University’s endowment have ended fiscal 2009 much more strongly than was originally projected, according to the information presented at a staff budget meeting last Thursday. The endowment return for fiscal 2009 was -17.3 percent, compared to the predicted endowment return of -26 percent presented by Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French in March. The University also ended fiscal 2009 with a positive operating result of $500,000 and is currently projecting a surplus of more than $300,000 for fiscal 2010. In March 2009, University officials estimated that the endowment return would approach -26 percent. Contingent on the completion of the proposals made by the Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee, this endowment return could have led to budget deficits for the subsequent years as high as $28 million. In May, that estimate was revised and officials estimated a return of -20 percent, which would have led to deficits between $16 million and $4 million, again dependent on the CARS proposals. The University ended fiscal 2009 at -17.3 percent endowment return; this leads to projected deficits in the next five fiscal years between $14.3 and $2.2 million.
student increase exceeded
Because of the stronger-thanexpected returns due to an improving economic climate and an increase in revenue coupled with a decrease in expenses, the University only used $2 million of the $4 million in reserves granted for use by the trustees in fiscal 2009. “The original deficit estimate of $8.9M was reduced to $6.9M because the University utilized $2M less of reserves in FY 2009 than previously anticipated, and thus did not have to pay that amount back in FY 2010,” French wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. He added that the deficit was substantially closed by the savings from the suspension of contributions to staff and faculty retirement funds, totaling $7.4 million. Both French and Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL), who is the chair of the Faculty Senate, stressed that the suspension of retirement contributions is only for this year and will not continue next year. French also wrote that a number of estimates are being reviewed but that currently “these items would indicate that the budget is slightly better than balanced at $300K.” The University has seen its projected deficit shrink by $2 million due to less-than-expected utilization of reserves. Due to this, the University expects that with the money raised from the suspension of contributions to retirement plans and money received from other sources, including midyear enrollment and fundraising, will lead to a more than $300,000 surplus at the end of fiscal 2010. French stressed, however, that this number was continually changing as the economic climate shifts
See ENDOWMENT, 7 ☛
■ The rise in the number of
admitted students is part of the plan to increase total enrollment by 400. By MIRANDA NEUBAUER JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER
The University has exceeded its target for the incoming first-year class size by 45 students and is undertaking new approaches in order to increase enrollment for next year, said Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy at a faculty meeting last Thursday. The University plans on increasing its enrollment by 400 undergraduates over the next five years as one way to increase revenue, according to the recommendations by the the Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee. Since former Dean of Admissions Gil Villanueva left Brandeis in July for the University of Richmond, Eddy told the Justice that she has been acting as interim Admissions dean to ensure a “steady state” in the Admissions office. She added that the search for a dean of Admissions usually takes place in February and that she aims to bring a search firm to campus in January with the hope of choosing a new dean by July 1. At the meeting, Eddy said that the Admissions office had the goal to recruit 800 freshmen, 50 transfers and 120 midyears for the Class of 2013. “We conducted our own admitted student questionnaire this summer. We used a research firm who called accepted students. From that survey, two factors for not enrolling emerged—bad press and lack of merit aid,” Eddy wrote. However, the University brought 845 students in the fall. Of that number, 788 are traditional fall admits, 20 are part of the restructured Transitional Year Program, 40 participated in the new Gateway program and 55 are transfer stu-
REBECCA NEY/the Justice
FINANCES: Vice President for Budget and Planning Fran Drolette speaks to staff.
ACADEMICS
Dept chairs discuss changes to curriculum ■ Streamlining of majors
and faculty affiliation were among the measures under discussion last Thursday. By MIRANDA NEUBAUER JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER
Department chairs discussed the guidelines crafted with the assistance of the Dean’s Curriculum Committee concerning the new faculty affiliations policy and the establishment of curriculum committees at a department chairs meeting last Thursday. The streamlining of majors was also briefly under discussion at the meeting, according to department chairs who were present.
The Dean’s Curriculum Committee’s task is to advise the dean on ways to continue delivering the curriculum with fewer faculty members. Those include having faculty affiliated with departments outside their own, forming curriculum committees for each major and examining ways to reduce major requirements. According to a draft of the guidelines, discussions regarding affiliation can originate from a faculty member or another representative from either department. The affiliating faculty member, the home department or program and the affiliating department or program must agree to the affiliation, which a letter from the dean to all three parties will formalize. Affiliation will last three years,
during which time the faculty member will teach one course in the other department at least once or provide equivalent service; after the three years, the faculty member also has the option to renew the affiliation. The affiliating faculty can serve on the other department’s curriculum committee and advise honors theses and Ph.D. students in that department as well. According to the guidelines, the dean of Arts and Sciences will invite the chair of an affiliating department to provide input on the contributions of affiliating faculty for annual performance evaluations and promotions. The guidelines draft also states that the above criteria for a “formal affiliation” policy for faculty does not mean that “informal” affiliations of
faculty from different departments or programs can no longer exist or that every faculty member needs affiliation. Given future reduction in faculty, “[having affiliated faculty] is a way to give us some breathing space and accumulate some good collegial collaboration … for the benefit of students,” Prof. Ann Koloski-Ostrow (CLAS) said. “What was exciting to me was how many faculty already came to me last spring to say they want to affiliate with Classics.” Koloski-Ostrow approved of the three-year time frame, explaining “that if [an affiliation] wasn’t working, … that person wouldn’t continue as an affiliate.” With a faculty of four in Classical Studies, she said that she
See GUIDELINES, 7 ☛
See ADMISSIONS, 7 ☛
Pains play Brandeis
Two home victories
Rose lawsuit
■ The band’s frontman spoke to justArts writers after the show.
■ The women’s soccer team opened the season with two consecutive wins at home last week.
■ The deadlines related to the Rose Art Museum lawsuit have been finalized.
SPORTS 16
ARTS 21 For tips or info call Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online (781) 736-6397 at www.thejusticeonline.com
INDEX
ARTS
21
EDITORIAL FEATURES
10 9
OPINION POLICE LOG
11 2
SPORTS LETTERS
NEWS 3 16 12
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