As the University tries to raise $6 to $8 million to renovate and refurbish the chapels, administrators are rethinking what services each building should offer.Dan Feldman, the associate vice president for planning, design and construction, said the floors need to be refurbished or replaced, and that the chapels have not seen major changes since their construction in 1955.

"A lot needs to be done," he said.

Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy said she plans to speak with campus religious leaders about how to better accommodate students' religious needs.

"When the chapels were built, they reflected the world of the 1950s," Eddy said. "It's very different today - they are not representative of the year 2006."

Eddy said she is considering the Bethlehem Chapel, used primarily for Catholic worship, to serve all Christian faiths. The Harlan Chapel, used for Protestant worship, would be converted into a general prayer space for anybody's use. The Jewish Chapel would remain unaffected.

Brandeis Christian Fellowship President Jonathan D'Oleo '08 said the Protestant community funded the Harlan Chapel's construction. He said he appreciates the need for a general prayer space on campus, but that the Harlan Chapel should not be shared with other faiths.

D'Oleo said pictures of saints and other Catholic symbols would likely deter some Protestant believers from attending services. The only symbol in the Harlan Chapel is a cross.

"It's not feasible for us to share a chapel with the Catholic brothers and sisters because of the way they worship God," D'Oleo said.

Brandeis Catholic Student Organization President Jonathan Sham '06 also said there are some significant differences between how Catholic and Protestant believers use prayer spaces. But he said he would be open to finding common ground.

"In the interest of having an alternate prayer space for non-Christians, I would have to speak with my fellow Catholics and Protestants to determine whether those differences, which are very real, are reconcilable," Sham said.

The Rev. Walter Cuenin, the University's Catholic chaplain, could not be reached for comment, nor could the Rev. Alice Brown-Collins, the University's Protestant chaplain.

Muslim Students Association President Farisha Mohammed '08 said she is in favor of having a larger prayer space for the Muslim community. Currently, the group has a space in lower Usdan, where the Justice office used to be located.

But Mohammed said she does not think the Protestant community should have to move out of its chapel. It is important for religious groups to have their own space on campus, she said, noting that she would also like to see a chapel built for Muslim students.

"I'm a supporter of having individual space for individual religious groups," Mohammed said. "I think Brandeis should build this additional communal space separately, without taking away the Protestant chapel."

Feldman also said the three chapels do not meet current accessibility standards, and that the heating and ventilation systems are outdated.

"Just providing a new means of access alone is a huge undertaking," Feldman said.

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French said some exterior brick on the chapels is falling off. Since most refurbishment will occur on the inside, French said, it will remain that no chapel will cast a shadow over the other.

A donor has already given $1 million to go toward the project, University President Jehuda Reinharz said.

"The chapels need attention because they are in serious disrepair," Reinharz said.

-Simon Brown contributed to this article.