I don't often think in terms of mathematics, but Brandeis is currently experiencing a financial crisis whose ramifications have put together an equation that has been troubling my thoughts:Bad public relations plus efforts to attract prospective students equals . what? Grabbing the attention of impressionable high school seniors is not as simple as throwing around tidbits of our latest brilliant economic maneuvers.

Fortunately, the authorities seem to be working steadily at solving this deceptively simple-looking puzzle of equating two very contrary concepts, according to a Feb. 5 article from the Boston Globe: "To help quell public outcry and internal dissent over the decision to shutter the museum, University President Jehuda Reinharz and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French said yesterday that they would reduce their annual salaries by 10 percent-two days after retaining the services of Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, a public relations firm known for strong crisis management. Reinharz will give up $50,000, French $40,000."

Our administrators clearly took these pay cuts out of a clear desire to pacify the outrage of the followers of the Rose Art Museum soap opera. In a most respectable motion, Reinharz and French showed the extent of their generosity and alleviated their image as the purported villains of this episode of museum melodrama. That's definitely an improvement if the administration wants to give the impression that those responsible for choosing which aspects of our education to eliminate are sympathetic characters.

If only the next line of the Globe's article didn't give away the ulterior motive for these pay cuts.

Now, Reinharz did not admit outright that he and French actually planned to use their pay cuts to hire a very professional and very pricey PR firm. But nonetheless, he did impress me with his sincerity at last Thursday's open forum with administrators. When presented with the aggravating problem of figuring out how Brandeis would remain attractive to rising college first-years while sporting lots of negative press, Reinharz said, "Now everybody knows about Brandeis. This is why we're taking the opportunity to make it better."

Opportunities like this don't materialize very often. In order to make the most of this chance to create a new, sturdier name for Brandeis, it's probably a good idea to bring in the best and the brightest. Rasky Baerlin does sound like it's the quite the expert. Its Web site claims, "We help institutions navigate challenges such as global competition, financial transparency and affordability for students. We will develop a creative communications strategy that will help you stand out from the competition."

Since our administrators have only been under the influence of Rasky Baerlin for only one week, I won't judge this alleged "creative communications strategy" too hastily. But I will advise the administration to keep its focus. This University has a responsibility to a considerable number of people in the global community. A strategy based exclusively on financial transparency will not appease everyone. There is more to this University than minute monetary details.

Reinharz is correct to say that Brandeis needs to act appropriately while it's in the spotlight. Hiring a PR firm was a wise move to make in order to improve financial transparency and affordability. But a prospective student's search for the college that best fits him or her is not limited to a school's financial status or decisions.

When thinking about whether to redesign Brandeis' beloved liberal arts curriculum or indirectly install obstacles to study abroad, the University must keep in mind that these are among the many celebrated factors that keep Brandeis unique and attractive.

Major change is necessary, and heavy criticism is a natural side effect of such major change, but the University needs to be wary of where it comes from, particularly as rising college first-years begin to seriously consider where to enroll this fall. Prospective students should be a top concern when administrators consider plans to modify distinctive aspects of this University. If the administration and its hired professionals have decided that it's time to create a new name for Brandeis, they must remember to market our school to its most important consumers: the people who want to come here to study.

Universities across the country are experiencing the same dilemma of maintaining a unique draw while making necessary cuts to programs. But when considering the element of competition, the administration and its new buddies at Rasky Baerlin Strategic Communications must keep in mind why the students who came to Brandeis chose it initially-its generosity, well-rounded education and high regard for the arts were not insignificant factors. While pay cuts and professional communications officers may impress many, there are other, more important ways to impress the audience that inevitably is responsible for keeping the University in existence.