A year ago, I began my presidency with great excitement and a tremendous sense of possibility, joining students, faculty, staff and alumni who were as eager as I was to write the next chapter in the narrative of this unique university. As we enter my second year, I feel even more excitement and an even greater sense of what is possible at Brandeis. I now possess deeper understanding of the university than I did at this point last year, and that knowledge fuels my optimism.

I focused on many things in my first year, but chief among them were bringing several new members to the senior leadership team of Brandeis, more fully engaging the Board of Trustees, reaching out to our alumni, friends and potential students in a sustained and deliberate way, gaining a true grasp of University development, budgeting and operations, making my first presidential trip to Israel, securing the future of the Rose Art Museum, re-opening the Linsey Sports Center and launching a strategic plan review. As I reflect on 2011, I am proud to say all of those key priorities have been or are being addressed. We are extremely fortunate to be joined by people who will have enduring impacts on Brandeis for years to come. Provost Steve Goldstein '78, Dean of Arts and Science Susan Birren, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel and Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff David Bunis '83 have already provided invaluable contributions to Brandeis. Meanwhile, our development and financial teams are steering us through very challenging times.

Together we have taken several steps to engage our trustees more fully, including increasing the interactive nature of board meetings and conducting a full review of our governance procedures. We have organized 17 presidential rollout events around the country and the globe, including not only Boston, New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Chicago and Atlanta, but also Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. These gatherings have provided an important opportunity to connect with the Brandeis family.

My trip to Israel last summer successfully laid the foundation for partnerships with prestigious academic institutions, a strategy about to be repeated in India. The re-opening of the newly renovated Rose Art Museum in October was one of the great events of the year. I look forward to a similar celebration when we re-open the pool this coming weekend. Last but not least, the strategic planning process is fully under way and will dominate much of 2012. I am very pleased with the information that has been gathered, the suggestions that have been made and the genuine soul-searching that has taken place during a host of gatherings held on campus for faculty and staff. This is Brandeis at its best. Summaries of those sessions will soon be available for public review and discussion. We also intend to form task forces that will delve more deeply into some key areas, like, for example, budget and finance.

As I said when we began this effort, it is a time to dream big dreams and to envision Brandeis 10, 20, 30 years ahead. We are all eager to see what comes of this much-needed examination. Even as those exciting efforts continue, we will focus on other key priorities. Soon we will welcome our new Vice Provost for Library and Technology Services and Chief Information Officer John Unsworth, who will breath new life into a vital area of the university. I want to continue to promote school spirit. The successful men's soccer team run to a title last fall was a great chance for a community-wide coming together. When our men's basketball team recently traveled to New York University and grabbed a win, there were more Brandeis fans in attendance than NYU fans. That spirit extends beyond sports, of course, to events like the 24-Hour Musical, the community singing of Handel's "Messiah" and our myriad community service programs.

We also want to put energy into our global initiatives, being thoughtful and strategic. As I mentioned, I am traveling to India with faculty at the end of this month to enhance relationships that already exist and to build new ones. Efforts to broaden and deepen our relationship with our alumni—in the end perhaps our greatest ambassadors—will continue throughout 2012 and beyond. With the provost and faculty, we will also work to sharpen our focus on the excellence of our academics and research and the fullness of our undergraduate and graduate student experience.

It is an exciting year, full of challenges and opportunities for us all to work on together for Brandeis. I look forward to those efforts; I am ever grateful for the support of the Brandeis community and the honor and opportunity to be part of this great institution at this pivotal moment in time.

Editor's note: the writer is the president of the University.