Like his predecessor Jehuda Reinharz, University President Frederick Lawrence was mired down by controversy toward the end of his career at Brandeis, and those key moments may well be what define his legacy.

Reinharz’s successes included leading a growing Brandeis for 17 years, with his fundraising prowess leading to huge overhauls of the physical campus. However, what many—especially outside the Brandeis community—know Reinharz for his administration’s attempt to sell off the Rose Art Museum and, later in his emeritus years, a salary that many have deemed exorbitant. 

Since taking the reins from Reinharz in 2011, Lawrence has revitalized and re-invested in the Rose Art Museum, developed a comprehensive strategic plan for the University, stewarded Brandeis out through the other side of the 2008 recession and continued Reinharz’s legacy of upgrading and improving the University’s campus. 

In the last two years, however, controversies around  Al-Quds University and Ayaan Hirsi Ali have tainted his name in the public eye.   While only Lawrence and his staff know what factors went into the choices he made, many will remember him for them.

The following is a rundown of the major events of his presidency, some of which will eventually form his legacy.  

Revitalization of the Rose

One of Lawrence’s first tasks upon arriving at Brandeis was to clean up a mess left for him by Reinharz: the Rose Art Museum. The museum was left closed after Reinharz’s administration attempted to close it and sell off its works in 2009 but re-opened soon after Lawrence’s arrival in 2011, coinciding with the museum’s 50th anniversary. 

Lawrence also hired Chris Bedford,  energetic and passionate in the art community, to direct the museum and lead it forward in its post-Reinharz identity. Lawrence’s administration also rebuilt the Board of the art museum and helped lead fundraising efforts. 

This fall, the museum brought renowned artist Chris Burden to campus to construct “Light of Reason,” a permanent installation outside the museum which should cement its place and its role at Brandeis for the foreseeable future. 

Strategic Plan

One of the hallmarks of Lawrence’s tenure as President was the strategic plan that his administration developed over the course of his first year and a half in office.

In September of 2011, Lawrence announced that the University would begin to formulate a strategic plan to “outline plans for the future of Brandeis,” according to a Sep. 13, 2011 Justice article. Between that time and spring 2013, when the Board endorsed the plan and moved it into the implementation phase, the administration was consumed with making long-term plans many of them revolving around the financial base of the University. 

Some of the goals addressed in the final draft of the plan are tangible in the short-term for Brandeis while others are not. The recent creation of a Center for Teaching and Learning  has started work towards one of the goals of the plan, a focus on intensive learning experiences. But another goal, to renew investment in faculty and staff, came into question last fall as a Nov. 18, 2014 Justice article revealed that Brandeis faculty pay in some categories lacks compared to peer institutions.

Campus Improvements and Pool

Another of the positive aspects of Lawrence’s legacy is his commitment to the upkeep and improvement of the physical campus of Brandeis. Under his leadership, the University renovated dormitories, dining halls and classroom spaces frequently. While his tenure did not produce the same level of campus improvement as Reinharz managed with his multiple additions of spectacular academic buildings, Lawrence’s time as president did seem to carry with it a culture of physical improvement. 

Symbolic of that culture was the renovation of the Linsey pool, and with it, the reinstatement of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams. The pool was closed in 2008 due to “mechanical shortcomings,” according to a January 2012 BrandeisNOW article. After Lawrence’s administration made reopening the pool a priority, to the tune of a $3.5 million renovation, it reopened in January 2012. 

Administrative Shakeups

While any presidential change will bring its fair share of administrative changes, the entirety of Lawrence’s tenure as Brandeis president was filled with drastic changes, not just the beginning. 

A handful of long-time and beloved administrators departed the University during Lawrence’s term, including Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer (32 years), Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins (26 years), Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer and Chief Financial Officer Frances Drolette. 

He also hired several important administrators whose presence has made a significant impact on Brandeis. Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel has become an active figure on campus, well-known by students and involved in almost every aspect of the University. Chief Operating Officer Steve Manos was hired to guide the University financially and managerially and has been involved with several noteworthy University initiatives, like the offering of early retirement buyout packages to 150 different staff members last spring. 

Al-Quds University

Lawrence faced one of his first major challenges as president in November 2013, when he suspended Brandeis’ formal academic partnership with Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem after a demonstration at Al-Quds where marchers carried fake automatic weapons and made what some interpreted as a Nazi salute. 

Lawrence made the announcement after a dramatic back-and-forth between him and his Al-Quds counterpart Sari Nusseibeh, which included mistranslations and rhetoric that at times verged on antagonistic and accusatory. The partnership had been initiated by Nusseibeh’s visit to Brandeis in 1997 and was funded by a million-dollar grant from the Ford Foundation, according to a Nov. 19, 2013 Justice article. 

Lawrence faced significant criticism for his decision to cancel the partnership. A number of faculty, including a team who investigated the rally and the partner university’s response, urged Lawrence to reconsider and resume the relationship. Other commentators decried what they called an overreaction on Lawrence’s part. 

Nevertheless, the partnership remains suspended, according to  Brandeis’ website. 

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

The controversy surrounding Lawrence’s presidency ramped up just a few months later when Brandeis became embroiled in a dispute revolving around activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. After inviting Hirsi Ali—a women’s rights activist and harsh critic of Islam—to receive an honorary degree at the 2014 commencement ceremony, the University changed its mind and rescinded her invitation. 

The decision came after outcry, from students and outside commentators alike, based on Hirsi Ali’s  inflammatory comments about Islam.  

In addition to creating discussion around the topic of honorary degrees and free speech, much of the reaction in the national news and on campus was mockery of Lawrence and his office. In an April 8, 2014 statement released by Brandeis, the University claimed to be “not aware of” Hirsi Ali’s widely publicized history of harsh criticism of Islam. This led community members to question whether Lawrence and his staff had vetted properly potential honorary degree recipients.

“You would think that someone at Brandeis would have learned to use Google,” said Rashid Khalidi, a professor of Arab studies at Columbia University, according to an April 8 New York Times article. 

Concerned Listserv, Free Speech

When Breitbart News revealed the controversial contents of a Listserv made up of “Concerned” faculty at Brandeis in the summer of 2014, Lawrence’s response angered several faculty. 

In a published statement, Lawrence said that he “condemned” some of the “abhorrent” statements made by faculty members, despite the University’s “staunch support of freedom of expression and academic inquiry.” 

Prof. Sue Lanser (ENG) said at a faculty meeting that many faculty members saw his statement as a move to “restrict the faculty’s freedom of expression,” according to a September 23, 2014 Justice article. They asked him to issue another clarifying statement, which he never did.

The issue was in the news again earlier this month as a Justice article reported that Prof. Donald Hindley (POL), one of the central members in the “Concerned” controversy, was retiring due to not being able to “[tolerate] anymore what the place was becoming under Lawrence.”

An Indelible Mark

“This is a special place, and one that has left an indelible mark on Kathy and me,” wrote Lawrence in the letter announcing his resignation last week.

Though his presidency was short, Lawrence too has left an indelible mark on Brandeis. The University is a vastly different place than it was when he came in, along with the class of 2015, four years ago.