In an e-mail to faculty last Thursday, University Provost Marty Krauss announced the formation of the Centers and Institutes Review Committee, which will extend an analysis of the University's centers and institutes begun by the Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering Committee. The Provost's Web Site explains that the Committee is charged with offering recommendations about how to "maximize Centers/Institutes' academic and fiscal contributions to the university's core missions of teaching, scholarship, and public engagement."

Additionally, the Committee will report on how Brandeis' centers and institutes provide opportunities for faculty to become involved and how academic departments and programs can contribute to and benefit from activities of the centers and institutes.

The CARS committee report from last May stated, "Centers have resources that may be more effectively utilized to alleviate costs of core University functions, and should be engaged in exploring additional ways and means for contributing to the University's core mission."

The report went on to explain that because the centers are often created and funded by donations with specific and detailed requirements, there are limits as to "ensuring the fullest integration of the centers into the fabric of the University's core."

The report recommended that a committee conduct reviews of the centers to make the recommendations outlined in Krauss' e-mail last week, among other recommendations, including the guarantee that there are procedures for transparency in decision-making and governance.

The members on the Committee are chair Profs. Susan Birren (BIO), Eric Chasalow (MUS), Steve Dowden (GRALL), Shai Feldman (POL), Connie Horgan (HELLER) and Jane Kamensky (HIST). David Woodward from the Office of Budget and Planning is also a member of the committee.

Krauss, as well as several members of the Committee including Birren, declined to speak about the details of the Committee as the Committee has not met yet.

"The approach to get to recommendations is something that the committee will discuss once we meet," Birren wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.