This board remembers former President Evelyn Handler, the first and only female president of Brandeis who tragically passed away last month. She was responsible for multiple important contributions to the community: Ziv Quad, the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center and a greatly improved financial situation from the initial crisis she inherited at the start of her term. Her death provides opportunity for reflection on her legacy as president, as well as where the University stands today. It has been 20 years since Dr. Handler resigned her post amid great controversy. Accounts in Justice articles from her presidency depict a leader who was sometimes unwilling to compromise on important issues.

Perhaps most famous is Dr. Handler's push to "diversify" the campus community. Her desire to shake the image of a solely Jewish university and to serve pork and shellfish in university cafeterias angered many Jewish supporters. While Dr. Handler was met with resistance, our campus is now more diverse than it perhaps has ever been before.

This board is confident that University President Frederick Lawrence will continue with Dr. Handler's initiatives while remaining mindful of our roots as a nonsectarian Jewish university. We can always do more to improve our image as a diverse campus, and marketing Brandeis as a global research university and Mr. Lawrence's upcoming trip to India are causes for excitement and lasting reminder of Dr. Handler's legacy.

She had many unpopular initiatives during her presidency. Among them was her push for a strategic plan to increase in class size. One cannot help but compare the tension felt then to the University's current dilemma: How do we retain our small liberal arts culture in economically difficult times? This board has previously cautioned the administration to avoid a dangerous increase in student population because we do not have the resources and cannot sacrifice our core principles. While in the weeks after her inauguration she was known as a friendly president, eager to connect with students, she later secluded herself and didn't see much interaction with the student body. This board hopes that Mr. Lawrence does not fall into the same trap that Dr. Handler, and to an extent, Former President Jehuda Reinharz, did. The "honeymoon" period for a university president shouldn't exist; it's crucial that our president maintain close ties with faculty and students.

While Dr. Handler may not be seen as the most loved president in our university's history and many disagreed with Dr. Handler's goals and decisions, this board acknowledges the benefits of her legacy. We mourn her loss and appreciates what she brought to the University. We trust that the University will be able to learn from both her mistakes and successes moving forward in 2012.