November 8, 2016
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 pa p e r
of
B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Waltham, Mass.
Special Inauguration Edition
Liebowitz Inaugurated
Waltham, MA.
Images: Morgan Brill Design: Natalia Wiater/the Justice
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THE JUSTICE | inauguration i TUESDAY, november 8 2016 READY TO SERVE: Chair of the Board of Trustees Larry Kanarek '76 (R) invests Ronald Liebowitz (L) with the University presidency. MORGAN BRILL/the Justice
Liebowitz Inaugurated By michelle dang and max moran JUSTICE STAFF WRITER and editor
President Ronald Liebowitz laid out his vision for the University’s future at his inauguration on Thursday, explaining, “It is time to declare the University’s ‘start-up phase’ over and done.” Liebowitz argued that the University must modernize and update its founders’ vision to stay competitive in a global higher-education market through examining discrimination on campus, providing opportunities to disempowered groups, unifying and recommitting to Jewish studies and more. Liebowitz’s speech followed addresses from Provost Lisa Lynch and other higher education colleagues. Chairman of the Board of Trustees Larry Kanarek ’76 invested Liebowitz as the University’s ninth president to a crowd of students, alumni, faculty, trustees and administrators. How We Got Here Liebowitz began his speech by acknowledging the University’s relative youth as a 68-year-old university, calling it “in essence, a start-up within the world of higher education.” Despite that, he argued that the awards Brandeis faculty have won throughout the years and its admission to the prestigious American Association of Universities “belie its relative youth.” “Founding President [Abram] Sachar proceeded from the start with a multi-dimensional understanding of Brandeis’ identity,” Liebowitz asserted. However, he said, historical events in subsequent decades led that vision to “come undone.” When Ivy League universities lifted their quotas on Jewish students in
the 1960s and 70s, they eliminated Brandeis’ old niche. Moreover, as American Jews began splintering in culture and opinion on the state of Israel, these macro-level conflicts found micro-level battlefields at Brandeis. “Policy discussions at Brandeis related to dietary options, academic year calendars, social life and the place of Jewish Studies in the broader curriculum reflected a gnawing discomfort over the institution’s identity,” Liebowitz said. Brandeis also found itself part of the “amenities arms race” in higher education, according to Liebowitz. He said that expanding curriculums and demand for student services put more financial strain on the University. This meant the University’s leadership had to “deliberate about how best to move forward: about how — if at all — or to what degree to uphold the multidimensional qualities of its identity established early on.” Yet Brandeis “did not have the necessary systems in place — systems that require transparency, the sharing of information and clarity about where the relevant responsibilities and authorities lie — to make such critical decisions,” he noted. While calling this “a pretty standard story for a start-up,” Liebowitz criticized “administrative fiefdoms” and “micromanagement from the Board of Trustees” at Brandeis. Now, the University needs to channel its “creative disorder” into stable and sustainable policies, which begins with aligning trustees, faculty and administrators on specific goals and clarifying who the University’s decision-makers are, he said. Liebowitz’s Plan Liebowitz went on to outline his
vision for the University’s goals. First, he said the school’s community “should expand educational opportunities to gifted students from groups that have long faced prejudice in American society.” He said the school is best when it “successfully brings together — in discussion, debate and learning — students with different life experiences, perspectives and world views.” He also called the University’s programs related to Judaism “disconnected” and said they needed more structure for collaboration and breadth of scope. He urged the community to have “the confidence to be self-critical” in the wake of last year’s Ford Hall 2015 protests. “The protests on campus last year revealed a deep sense of exclusion and alienation among some students, and we must take that sense of disconnectedness seriously.” Liebowitz raised a series of questions for the University to consider as it continues its curriculum review throughout the year, which is the first major curriculum review the University has undertaken in 20 years. These questions included topics like ensuring diverse pedagogy, ensuring students have useful skills for the job market and investigating the different rates of technology use between students and faculty. “Perhaps most importantly as we graduate from our ‘start-up’ phase: How will we make the difficult choices about which programs and activities we should and can support and which ones we cannot?” he asked in a section focused on the University’s graduate school. Liebowitz also called for open disagreement and debate about the University’s future. He said that sharing information throughout the University, as well as delineating
who makes what decisions, are necessary to the school’s success. “Openness will also require all of us to think institutionally, something that is difficult to do, especially when there is a mismatch between an institution’s great aspirations on the one hand and limited resources on the other,” he said. Other Speakers Inaugural guest speakers attested to Liebowitz’s character and called for a return to Brandeis’ founding values. They expressed a need to address the inequity challenges and competitive frontiers of the higher education landscape. “The generic set of criteria for president of university doesn’t quite do for Brandeis, with all its’ unique aspects, personality, and its pertinence,” said Chair of the Board of Trustees Larry Kanarek '76. Kanarek said Liebowitz fulfilled primary qualities the search committee looked for: “[An individual] comfortable in his or her skin, who promotes openness and debate … who listens, connects and builds bridges … has the courage to make bold decisions and take risks and is unafraid of confrontation.” Stephen Donadio ’63, a humanities professor at Middlebury College, shared the story of his entrance to Brandeis as a young man struggling financially, introducing the subject of Brandeis’ Jewish community and founding values that Liebowitz later expounded upon. Donadio said of his acceptance by the University, “They were people who were part of a particular community with its own difficult history that thought my coming to this university ought to be made possible. … Their gift was the expression of ethical imperative that not only required no explanation but
did not even need to be mentioned.” “In selecting [Liebowitz] to guide the course of the University in this perilous time, Brandeis has made a wise choice, one in keeping with its persistent ambitions,” said Donadio, a former colleague of Liebowitz. Alluding to future frontiers, Christine Ortiz, Professor of Material Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, spoke of Liebowitz’s interest in innovation, research and global outreach. “Ron Liebowitz has dedicated his life to this great calling of amassing education and research, and his impact will greatly benefit the students and [the] potential to greatly impact well beyond campus borders,” Ortiz said. She added that Liebowitz understands the four imminent drivers of change facing higher education: education technology, inter- and transdisciplinary education, access and globalization, and financial strain. Ortiz enjoined the University to embrace changing technology while holding close the humanistic endeavors at Brandeis’ core and further emphasized the growing need for multidisciplinary education in “response to globalization, global collaboration and personalized learning.” “Too often, we talk about Brandeis as a well-kept secret. Well, that must and will now change,” said Lynch, expressing similar concerns about bringing the University to a global stage. Complimenting Liebowitz as a good listener, Lynch also reiterated the importance of listening to the needs of the silent. “We must work to create a university where open dialogue, debate and discussion is something all must feel free to participate in,” she said.
THE JUSTICE i inauguration i TUESDAY, november 8, 2016
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The Dawn of Ron By Kirby kochanowski JUSTICE editor
As an undergraduate student at Bucknell University, Ronald Liebowitz wasn’t dreaming of the day he would become a university president. Rather, he intended to become a meteorologist. Growing up, Liebowitz’s grandfather would tell him stories about his life in Russia. Liebowitz’s curiosity about the landscape itself led him to pursue geography. However, his interactions with professors helped him choose a different path. “I had terrific mentors which really lead me to stay in higher education ... I saw the difference that excellent faculty can make in the lives of young people,” Liebowitz said in an interview with the Justice.
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We’re working on getting a narrative about the University much clearer. RONALD LIEBOWITZ
His love of geography hasn’t diminished; one of his favorite things to do is travel and experience different landscapes. Liebowitz has a penchant for cities in particular, an ironic passion considering he spent his undergraduate years in rural Pennsylvania. However Bucknell was the obvious school of choice for Liebowitz. He knew he was going to study geography, and he also wanted to swim at a Division I school. Yet it was his visit to the school that really solidified the choice in his mind. “What was striking to me about Bucknell was that … when I visited classes, I was really struck by the relationships that the faculty had with the students. [The relationships weren’t] distant and you really got to work closely with faculty members and mentors,” Liebowitz said. Now, Liebowitz focus lies with Brandeis University. On Nov. 3, Liebowitz was officially inaugurated as the ninth president of the University. Regarding his inauguration, Liebowitz said, “I think it’s an exciting time for any institution. It’s very nice to get it behind me so I can then begin focusing my work much more on the issues at hand.” More specifically, Liebowitz first wants to focus on the finances of the University. “I’m hoping we, meaning the whole community, can get a better understanding of our financial situation, our financial resources, what’s reasonable for us to plan with, and then to be able to prioritize what is most important to us as a University,” Liebowitz said. Part of that prioritization has to do with addressing the reputation and identity of Brandeis. For Liebowitz, that means looking back to the University’s inception. “[Brandeis] was founded for a unique purpose, and I think as a result of that, it’s trying now, 68 years later ... to understand its founding in a contemporary way — one for the 21st century,” Liebowitz said. To begin that process, Liebowitz is looking to outside experts. Mark
Neustadt, principal of Neustadt Creative Marketing, has been working on campus to create a comprehensive understanding of the University’s identity. So far, Neustadt has conducted 28 focus groups and interviewed members of the Brandeis community ranging from graduate students to faculty members. “I believe once we have a clearer narrative, it might be easier for us to move forward making decisions about what’s most important to us,” Liebowitz explained. Already, Liebowitz has hosted eight lunches with his wife and offered “Office Hours in the President’s Office” in order to meet with students. Whereas Liebowitz entered his presidency at Middlebury with an understanding of the faculty and administrative dynamics, this was not the case at Brandeis. “Here at Brandeis, I have no background. So my first three or four months have been heavily focused on administrative work, understanding the various parts of Brandeis, and so I’ve had less time to steer towards the students,” he said. Regarding the students he has had the chance to interact with, Liebowitz said, “I found them to be very intelligent, very civil and also very encouraging.” Yet he hopes to change that in the upcoming months and engage further in getting to know the student body. “I hope that students take advantage of office hours and find ways to connect. And I will find ways, as well, because I think it’s crucial to keep in touch with what’s going on with the students. As I said, the student body changes. The ideas come in, and it’s refreshing,” he said. Liebowitz noted that perhaps some of the University’s biggest strengths lie within the student body. More specifically, he referred to the relationships developed between students and between students and faculty as being an essential part of the University’s success. “At the same time, what I’ve found is ... that while those relationships are very, very strong, it seems like the ties to the institution are less so,” Liebowitz explained. “That Brandeis is sort of ‘the establishment,’ that Brandeis is ‘the organization.’” He sees this detachment as an issue moving forward. Not only is it problematic when requesting donations from alumni, but it results in a weaker Brandeis network overall. “Brandeisians should help one another … No matter when you graduated, no matter what you majored in, you pick up a fellow Brandeisian,” Liebowitz said. He hopes that the network will be so strong that “it helps current students or recent alums to find their way in the world.” Looking back on his time at Bucknell, Liebowitz has few regrets. “I probably wish I had taken a little bit more in some areas, taken advantage of some of those subjects which I really just skimmed the surface, but you only have 32 courses to take in the course of my four years at Bucknell. I had a pretty good undergraduate career,” he said. He’s now working to make sure Brandeisians can say the same. “We’re working on getting a narrative about the University much clearer,” he said.
MORGAN BRILL/the Justice
A NEW BEGINNING: University President Ronald Liebowitz smiles to the audience before taking the podium at his inaugural ceremony.
REFERENCES CHECK OUT: Stephen Donadio ’63 spoke about his experiences working with Liebowitz as a Middlebury College professor. NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
POWERFUL LINEAGE: Liebowitz (R) stands next to former University President Frederick Lawrence (L). Lawrence served for four years.
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TUESDAY, November 8, 2016 | inauguration | THE JUSTIce
INAUGURAL ADDRESS: University President Ronald Liebowitz tells the audience about his plans for Brandeis at his inauguration.
MORGAN BRILL/the Justice
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In part of his speech, President Ronald Liebowitz outlined a series of bullet points for the University to consider in the ongoing curricular review. This review is ongoing throughout this year.
- How and when will the different rates of adopting and using technology by students on the one hand and faculty on the other change our conceptions of a four-year residential college experience?
"As we continue work on the first major review of the curriculum in twenty years, here are some questions we should ask and answer in order to address many of the challenges facing undergraduate education:
And beyond the undergraduate program, we should also engage the following:
- What, today, is the goal of a Brandeis education? - How do we ensure diversity of thought in the curriculum and classroom so that our graduates are prepared to engage and help to better an increasingly complex world? Which aspects of the liberal arts curriculum are timeless and should be required of all Brandeisians? - Which areas of study do our current students deem most important to pursue, and are we prepared to teach them? - How do we pass on to our students a lifelong love of learning, together with the confidence and resilience to succeed in their chosen professions? - How do we ensure the best possible pedagogy in our classrooms and labs given the diverse learning styles, cultures, and life experiences of all our students? - What knowledge and experiences that were considered irrelevant to a liberal arts education a generation ago should be offered to help graduates enter a labor market far more competitive than at any time since the University’s founding?
- How do we prepare our Ph.D. students to thrive as young professors facing classrooms with disparate learning styles, backgrounds and world views? - How do we reconceive of our graduate programs to account for the dramatic change in long-term job prospects within the American professoriat? - How do we educate our Ph.Ds. more broadly so that those who do not end up in academic careers are well prepared to enter other professions? - How do we create the conditions to attract the best faculty talent so that we can preserve the world-class quality of research at Brandeis? - How do we tie ourselves more closely to the remarkable research ecosystems in Greater Boston and Israel, especially in the areas of science, technology and medicine? - How do we become even better neighbors and partners with our hometown of Waltham? - And finally, and perhaps most importantly as we graduate from our “start-up” phase, how will we make the difficult choices about which programs and activities we should and can support and which ones we cannot?"
FU N FACT:
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—Ronald Liebowitz MORGAN BRILL/the Justice
PROUD PROVOST: Provost Lisa Lynch enters the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. Lynch served as Interim President last year.
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Each of us has his own issues, values and goals, but we are all united today in welcoming you and your family to the Brandeis community. —LISA LYNCH
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It is our charge, our opportunity now, to reignite the flame of our mission for a new generation. —RONALD LIEBOWITZ
NATALIA WIATER/the Justice
UNITED AND EXCITED: Student Union representatives eagerly wait for the Inauguration exercises to begin.
MORGAN BRILL/the Justice
BRINGING PERSPECTIVE: Stephen Donadio '63 talks about Liebowitz's work at Middlebury College and his time as a Brandeis student.