I was satisfied-maybe even impressed-by two major recent examples of administrative backpedaling. The first was University President Jehuda Reinharz's apology for mishandling the process and announcement of the decision to sell the Rose Art Museum collection, and the second was the revocation of the proposal to withhold the merit scholarship money previously promised to students who chose to study abroad.But considering these incidents within the context of the student body's impressive vocal dissent and the school's potentially dire financial situation, however, the flip-flopping has made me a little nervous. In these two particular cases, retraction and amelioration were the only real options. But in the larger scope of things, the administration must be wary of creating a habitual situation in which it is influenced by public discontent to refrain from the bold action needed to ensure Brandeis' future as a premier research university and an overall respectable institution.

Passionate Brandeis students have proven that they are adept at effectively mobilizing to voice their concerns as a group when they find flaws in administrative decisions. Protests, sit-ins, letters, mock funeral processions and so on have captured the attention of the administration and often the media. Take a look at last week's failure of a chaotic protest by students at New York University in order to fully appreciate the rare eloquence of Brandeis students' collective voice and the even rarer responsiveness of the administration here.

On the surface, recent reactive statements and actions by administrative bodies may seem like student victories. The feeling of emerging triumphant and seeing the effects of "sticking it to The Man" is unmatched. It is important that public expressions of disapproval aren't executed solely in order to have this feeling. Students need to recognize the power of their collective voice and take the dire financial situation facing Brandeis into account before deciding that they are ardently opposed to changes taking place within the school.

That said, it is the (lately unfulfilled) obligation of the administration to perfect the language of and properly anticipate the effects of their decisions. Most universities across the country have been hit hard by the financial crisis. Even Harvard, the world's wealthiest university, has been forced to face tough decisions. The school is now slowing and reassessing the construction of its highly anticipated science building in Allston. The Boston Globe quoted a letter written by Harvard president Drew Faust to the school's community: "Such a significant decrease [in endowment] presents us with difficult tradeoffs. . Tinkering around the edges will not be enough. . What is more, our conscious avoidance of 'one size fits all' solutions means that not everyone is going to be happy with every outcome."

These words speak greatly to Brandeis' predicament. There is no question that Brandeis' survival through this economic crisis depends on immediate, drastic action. Such radical change will inevitably leave a large portion of people who have a stake in the school unhappy. The administration must be prepared for that and have the courage to not only make tough-albeit thoroughly thought-out and researched- decisions, but it must also have the goal to uphold them.