University President Frederick Lawrence's administration is beginning to move out of its transitional phase, as Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren reached an agreement last week with the University to stay on as dean for a five-year term.

Provost Steve Goldstein '78 announced the extension at Thursday's faculty meeting.

Birren's tenure as dean began on July 1, 2011, so barring any unforeseen circumstances or another change in her agreement with the University, she will be in the position until 2016.

Birren said in an interview with the Justice that the decision to extend her term relates to the necessity for long-term planning.

"What it means is that I'm feeling comfortable in the job; I think that it's an exciting job. It's exciting to be able to work with the faculty, and the implementation of the strategic plan. I think that both [Provost Goldstein] and I agree that it's best to be thinking in terms of a somewhat longer five-year period," she said.

"I'm feeling as though I understand the job better, I have relationships with members of the faculty, I've been developing programs that I'm interested in and I'm excited to be here for a period of time that's going to let us accomplish some of those things and put them into place," Birren continued.

The previous Dean of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Adam Jaffe (ECON), served for eight years.

Birren, who had a shorter contract before her recent extension, explained that the first year of her tenure was a learning experience.

"It's a cycle, you start in the fall, and different things happen all year," she said. "So you go through it once, and it's not until you've been here a full year that you've even seen everything."

Birren did not specify the terms of her initial contract.

She also said that she has big plans for the rest of her tenure.

"I want to accomplish a lot, all of which has to do with providing support and strengthening the academic mission for students and faculty," she said.

"I want to really be focused on the essential idea of Brandeis, which is that we're a liberal arts university that's small enough so students get the sense of a liberal arts education, but we're also a major research education ... that provides opportunities for students to become engaged in a type of research which isn't possible in small colleges our size."

Birren concluded by saying that she is still a member of the University faculty, and that she plans to resume teaching after her tenure as dean, following the precedent set by Profs. Irv Epstein (CHEM) and Robin Feuer Miller (GRALL), both of whom have served as Dean of Arts and Sciences.

"There's definitely a tradition for that here at Brandeis," she said.