The faculty voted in a first reading to increase the student residency requirement from seven semesters to eight semesters and also voted in second readings to pass the Business major and the Justice Brandeis Semester.Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe explained that with the Justice Brandeis Semester, which counts for one semester of credit, students could elect to complete two JBS semesters under the current residency requirement of seven semesters. "We could end up with students who are on campus doing ordinary courses for only five semesters, which many of us think is not academically recommendable," he said.

Jaffe also said that between five and seven percent of non-midyear students elect to graduate in December. "By giving them the option of leaving early, we lose money when they do so. . It's hard for us to replace them."

A number of faculty still expressed reservations about the Justice Brandeis Semester.

"I can never remember the faculty approving a program with so little information," Prof. Jerry Cohen (AMST) said. "Compared to the business school, there is no specificity in this suggestion," he added.

Prof. Marya Levenson (ED) spoke in favor of the proposal, saying "I think we should give a liberal arts message as well as a business message.