The Brandeis Board of Trustees has named Arthur Levine ’70 official president of the University at the Sept. 16 installation ceremony held in the Napoli Room at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. Joined by about 60 trustees, senior administrators and several local alumni and donors, Levine was sworn in and presented the University medallion and charter. Having served as interim president since Nov. 1 2024, following president emeritus Ron Liebowitz’ resignation, Levine has taken office as tenth president of Brandeis. 

A 1970 Brandeis graduate, Levine has held leadership roles at the Carnegie Foundation, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Bradford College, Teachers College at Columbia University and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. In her remarks at the ceremony, board trustee and Academy Committee Chair Marjorie Hass highlighted Levine’s background, saying that he comes prepared “at a moment that calls for courageous, transformational leadership. We recognized the threats to our solvency and our mission and we sought a president who understood our roots, our values and our possibilities.”

In his acceptance speech, Levine acknowledged he had “heard stories of decline, of divisions and of problems” before stepping into the interim role, but said what he found at Brandeis was far stronger than the narrative suggested. He described students, faculty and staff as exceeding expectations in their talent and commitment, and called for the University to “bury the disappointments” and treat the installation as “a new beginning.”

This “new beginning” comes at a time of financial strain. In recent years, Brandeis has dealt with enrollment declines, budget deficits and increased endowment draws to cover operating costs. For the fiscal year 2024, the University ran a $1.7 million deficit on a budget exceeding $400 million, according to The Boston Globe. Large construction projects have been delayed, and community members have expressed concerns about the long-term sustainability of finances and resources.

One of the ways in which the University has responded is the “Brandeis Plan to Reinvent the Liberal Arts,” introduced earlier this semester. The plan reshapes the curriculum around broad competencies such as communication, creativity and artificial intelligence literacy and it adds a second “competency transcript” alongside traditional grades. It also embeds career preparation into students’ academic paths from orientation and establishes a Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts. 

Trustees said Levine was central in shaping and championing this plan while serving as interim president. Lisa Kranc, chair of the Board of Trustees, told The Justice on Sept. 16 that the board was pleased with his progress in carving out a vision with input from faculty and staff. “We felt it was important for stability that [Levine] stayed in position,” Kranc said, “to make sure that the vision [was] enacted and implemented.” In her ceremonial remarks, she praised him for reawakening “the pioneering spirit of our founders.”

Levine’s installation address looked ahead to his priorities as president. He said strengthening Jewish life on campus would be a focus, with a new center planned to support Jewish student programming. He noted that a capital campaign is underway to address Brandeis’ “historic undercapitalization,” while also reaffirming the University’s mission to “repair the world.” In his closing remarks, Levine addressed the community: “Together, we can make the years ahead a golden era for Brandeis.”