University President Jehuda Reinharz announced his intention to resign as University president today in an e-mail to the Brandeis community. Reinharz had informed the Board of Trustees of his decision at a specially convened meeting yesterday. According to a University press release, Reinharz will remain at the University as president until a new president has been selected or until June 30, 2011, whichever occurs first. Reinharz also confirmed in an interview with the Justice that the Board of Trustees has given him the title of President Emeritus.

"I said that I would continue on a very part-time basis between 2011 and 2014 ... to try to be helpful to the University in whatever ways I can be helpful. If the new president wants me to play a role in fundraising ... I'll be happy to help, but on a limited basis," Reinharz said. Reinharz also said that he would return to his role as director of Brandeis' Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry.

Reinharz became the seventh president of the University in 1994 following the resignation of Samuel Thier. Prior to that, Reinharz had briefly served as Brandeis' provost. At the completion of his third term as University president three years ago, Reinharz initially announced his intention to resign but was convinced to remain in his position by the Board of Trustees. Reinharz's contract was renewed last year and would have been up for renewal again in 2014.

Reinharz said that his decision to step down as University president resulted from "the realization that I've completed most of the things that I want to complete. I will never complete everything I wanted to do. ... I have an opportunity to do something different. ... I decided this was a good time."

Reinharz said that given the changing landscape of higher education and the challenges facing Brandeis, the school would benefit from a president who would remain through "a long haul, ... dealing with a whole new set of realities, and you need somebody who is going to stay for ... five, seven, 10 years."

Reinharz added, "The Rose [Art Museum controversy] obviously was not a pleasant experience but it had no impact on my decision." He said, "Of course there was a lot of .issues on this subject of the Rose, ... but ... we ended the academic year in full balance."

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Malcom Sherman said in an interview with the Justice that he is in the process of putting together a search committee for the new Brandeis president. "The search started this morning. I have begun to have conversations with key members of the Board to ascertain what a proper search committee should look like," said Sherman.

"As soon as we have appointed that committee, ... that committee will begin to talk with each of the constituencies in the University ... about what the president has to do and what he/she should look like, what the personality factor should be," said Sherman. He said that the committee will compile these ideas into a report and present it to the Board of Trustees.

Reinharz said of his successor, "I think it has to be somebody first and foremost who understands the culture of the University, who understands the mission of the University, who understands that Brandeis is somewhat different from most other institutions."

According to Reinharz, publicity firm Rasky-Baerlein Strategic Communications, Inc. has been re-engaged for the purpose of helping manage the announcement until a replacement for former Senior Vice President for Communications Lorna Miles is found.

Some students learned of Reinharz's resignation prior to the official e-mail to the community from a post on Innermost Parts, a student-run Brandeis blog, that resulted from an information leak.

Chair of the Faculty Senate Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL), Prof. David Hackett Fisher (HIST) and member of the Faculty Senate Council Prof. Eric Hill (THA) were informed of Reinharz's resignation in advance yesterday afternoon.

Von Mering said of hearing the news, "I was not surprised. ... I knew that something was coming, so this was not a surprise to me."

"I came here in '98, so he's the only president that I've ever known at Brandeis, and I think it's the end of an era," von Mering said.

She said of the search for a new president, "I am hoping that because [Reinharz] has really put us into a position where we should be able to attract someone of good standing, ... we will find someone who can take us to the next level."

Hackett-Fisher said that he felt "sadness and ... a sense of loss" upon hearing of Reinharz's decision.

"I have served under every president in the history of Brandeis University," said Hackett-Fisher, "and I believe he is the best we have ever had." He also mentioned that he and Reinharz "are colleagues; we are both historians. We formed a friendship before he became president, and so it's a special relationship."

Former Student Union president Jason Gray '10 was also informed earlier this afternoon. Upon hearing of the news, Gray said, "I was surprised. ... I respect President Reinharz a lot. The more I worked with him, the better I got to know him, the deeper the respect developed."

Current Student Union President Andy Hogan '11 said he was "a bit surprised" upon hearing the news of Reinharz's resignation. "I think that he got a bit unlucky toward the end with everything that happened with the Rose and the economic downturn," said Hogan, adding that "a lot of [Reinharz's] legacy" rests on high fundraising turnouts, even in a poor economy.

Ryan Martin '10 called Reinharz's resignation e-mail "tactfully worded." He said, "I don't really understand the whole motivation behind the resignation. I guess I never really saw a need for it."

"I was just ... kind of surprised," said Andrew Ramirez '12. "I, like, wasn't expecting it, although I read online on a blog like an hour ago that it was gonna happen."

"As a first-year I really don't know much of the history," said Shaquan Perkins '13, "and so I was kind of shocked [and thought], 'Oh, he swore me in as class of 2013 ... and when I do graduate, he won't be the one to call my name at the speech,' so I felt weird."

-Rebecca Klein and Nashrah Rahman contributed reporting.