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(09/28/10 4:00am)
The Student Union elections that took place Sunday, Sept. 29 elected the Sustainability Fund representatives and the Senior Representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. as well as two senators for the Class of 2014 and senators from all residence quads except Ridgewood Quad.All positions were filled, with the one exception of the senator for Ridgewood. Student Union Secretary Herbie Rosen '12 said in an interview with the Justice that there will be no senator for Ridgewood because the candidate, Keith Barry '12 received fewer votes (4) than there were abstentions (11). "It might say a candidate wins, but we have to make sure that they receive more votes than abstains," explained Rosen.Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 said in an interview with the Justice that the Union was working on the issue in compliance with the Student Union Constitution and that he and Rosen were speaking with Chief Justice of the Student Judiciary Matt Kriegsman '11."By either tonight or tomorrow afternoon, we will have an idea of exactly what we're going to do," he said. Mitchell Schwartz and Dillon Harvey were elected to serve as senators for the Class of 2014. Schwartz wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that "[his] goals are to speak for the 2014 class, ALL of the 2014 class." He wants to make sure that the meal plans are explained thoroughly to all first-years, and he would also like to get quarter machines put into all of the laundry rooms in the first-year quads. The senators for Massell and North Quads will be Rosby Kome-Mensah II '14 and Shekeyla Nicole Caldwell '14, respectively. The election for Massell Quad's senator received the highest percentage of voters, with just over 50 percent of eligible participants voting.The Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board representatives will be Susan Paykin '11 and Nicholas Polanco '13. These positions are new this year as a result of the Brandeis Sustainability Fund that was created last semester.Albert Feldman '13 and Miriam Halimi '13 won the position of senator for East Quad and the Castle, respectively.In an interview with the Justice, Feldman said he has been sitting as a "lame duck" as senator for the Village for the past year, and as the official senator for East, he wants to "do things that make people enjoy their time here." The Transitional Year Program senator will be Alyssa Green. The senator for Ziv Quad will be Mark Levi '12, while Elizabeth Fields '13 will fill the senatorial position for Rosenthal Quad. Tae Wan Kim '12 and Evyn Rabinowitz '12 both ran unopposed and will fill the spots for the Charles River Apartments and the off-campus senators, respectively. There was one successful write-in candidate this year: Anthony Rios '11, will fill the position of senator for the Foster Mods. There was no official candidate running for that position, so eligible voters wrote in on the ballot whom they wanted to fill the position. Jake Weiner '13 was running unopposed for the position of Senator for the Village, but he was defeated by Missy Skolnik '12, a write-in candidate. In an interview with the Justice, Rosen explained there may be a problem with Skolnik assuming the position, because the Constitution states that a candidate may not run for office if he or she will not be able to serve for the entire term, and Skolnik will be going abroad in the spring. However, Rosen also said that since Skolnik ran a write-in campaign rather than an offical campaign, there is a question about whether or not she should be allowed to take office. Rosen said that the Student Judiciary will be discussing the matter; a decision is to be made this morning. As of press time, no decision has been made. "We're simply looking to see if there's a clear-cut answer to this question," Kriegsman said in an interview with the Justice. "If there is no clear-cut issue, it will be up to [Student Union Secretary] Herbie Rosen's discretion to decide how this applies." In either case, however, Rosen will make the final decision on this matter, Kriegsman explained.If the candidates disagree with the final decision, they can file a case with the Student Judiciary, "and that's where we can actually have an official opinion," Kriegsman said. In an interview with the Justice, Skolnik said that while she created a Facebook group, she did not run a campaign. She also emphasized that while the issue with her role as Village Senator stems from the fact that she would not be on campus for the whole because of studying abroad, she had not made the decision to study abroad yet. "I hope that the Executive Board considers the environment we're trying to promote at this school. They should be aware of what the student body wants," Skolnik said, adding that she believes there should be an amendment to mitigate this issue. The Village Senator last year, Leigh ?Nusbaum '11, only served for a semester.The Senior Representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee will be Jenna Rubin '11. The election for the UCC received the lowest number of eligible participants, with slightly less than 3 percent of voters taking part. These elections were only the second time the instant run-off system, in which voters rank the candidates in order of their preferences, was used for voting. Rosen said that he "think[s] this system is the most ideal because it gives all candidates the most justice." Rosen, who served as elections commissioner, said in a later interview with the Justice that he "was happy with how elections went. I was really excited we had so many candidates, especially from the first-year classes." -Alana Abramson, Brian Fromm and Jillian Wagner contributed reporting.
(09/21/10 4:00am)
According to a Sept. 14 e-mail to the Brandeis community, Vice President for Enrollment Keenyn McFarlane and Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer will provide joint oversight of the offices that compose the Division of Students and Enrollment after the current Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy resigns at the end of the month.Eddy has accepted the job of senior vice president for Students and Enrollment at the Rhode Island School of Design. The two will serve in this capacity until further notice while the University searches for Eddy's successor, explained Sawyer in an interview with the Justice. McFarlane added that they will both be involved in the search process."This is a fairly obvious and appropriate interim step going forward," said Sawyer, explaining that he and McFarlane were already very integrated into the department. "As Vice President of Student Affairs I already have about half of students and enrollment in my world, the other half Keenyn [McFarlane] was already integrated with, so it was more of an announcement than a significant change in either of our responsibilities," Sawyer explained.Sawyer further explained that he and McFarlane would be assuming the duties that Eddy had previously overseen, such as attending meetings, making reports directly to the University president and interacting with the Board of Trustees.Eddy assumed additional responsibilities for student admissions after former Dean of Admissions Gil Villanueva resigned in July 2009. Both McFarlane and Sawyer will be working closely with Mark Spencer, the new dean of Admissions, they said.Spencer, who previously served as director of Admissions for the Cornell University College of Engineering and prior to his time at Cornell had served as the associate director of Admissions at Vassar College, began working in Admissions on Sept. 13, according to an e-mail from President Jehuda Reinharz during the summer."We have a really good division," Sawyer said, explaining that he and McFarlane aim "to not let the momentum of our division and our work lapse with Jean Eddy's leaving.""We want to make sure transition is seamless," said McFarlane, "people will know [Eddy] is gone but not necessarily see it."-Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(09/21/10 4:00am)
Medical EmergencySept. 16-University Police received a report from a party claiming that his friend was vomiting in Village B. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.Sept. 16-A male student was reported to have a cut thumb in Goldman-Schwartz Fine Arts building. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.Sept. 17-University Police received a call from a doctor claiming that a 17-year-old was "in crisis" in front of the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center and was with a community development coordinator. The party was transported by ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital for a psychological evaluation.Sept. 18-A party claimed that a 21-year-old female was shaking and fainting in the Sherman Dining Hall. An ambulance transported the party to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Sept. 18-University Police received a report that an 18-year-old had a bee sting in Massell Quad. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.Sept. 19-A 20-year-old intoxicated male was transported from Ziv Quad to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Sept. 19-University Police received a report of an intoxicated male in North Quad. An ambulance transported the party to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Sept. 19-University Police received a report that a young woman was having arm and chest pains. BEMCo was dispatched, and an ambulance transported the patient to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.LarcenySept. 17-University Police received a call that an individual's wallet had been stolen in North Quad. The party's backpack had been left unattended in a hallway outside a lecture hall. MiscellaneousSept. 18-A University Police officer observed a male climbing through a window in the Charles River Apartments. University Police arrested the male on an of an outstanding default warrant, trespassing and breaking and entering. -compiled by Alana Abramson
(08/31/10 4:00am)
Prof. Lorraine Vogel Klerman (Heller), director of the Institute Child, Youth and Family Policy at the Heller School for Social and Policy Management, passed away last Thursday at the age of 81 "due to complications of cancer," according to an undated news release posted on the Heller School's website. Klerman was a "pioneering health services researcher with a particular interest in health delivery systems for economically deprived women and children," as stated in the news release.This April Klerman received the Heller School for Social Policy and Management Mentoring Award.According to the news release, Klerman has mentored many students in public health who went on to become prominent figures in the medical field. Dean of the Heller School Lisa M. Lynch said in the news release that "[Klerman] was a dedicated and selfless mentor to scores of Heller students over the years. Setting high standards for her students and collegues alike, she enriched all of us and her loss will be hard to accept." Lynch was not available for further comment by press time. Prof. Stuart Altman (Heller) said in a phone interview with the Justice that Klerman "combined the best of our professors," explaining that she fused high expectations with compassion."She was strict when she needed to be so to make sure that our students attained the highest standards and worked hard-she was no pushover when it came to getting approval for work-but she also had a tremendous compassionate side. Heller has always been a very compassionate school that commits itself to social affairs, and Lorraine very much cared about her students, women, politics and public health, so she was wonderful," he said.Prof. Christine Bishop (Heller) echoed Altman's sentiments in an e-mail to the Justice."Lorraine was a fierce advocate for her students while holding them to the highest standard. She was always thinking of ways to support their development. She always said what she thought even when it wasn't so palatable - she would tell you if she thought a plan or memo made no sense. That made it all the more meaningful when she approved of your thinking," wrote Bishop. Klerman graduated from Cornell University and received her doctorate from the Harvard University School of Public Health. She received the J. Roswell Gallagher Award of the Society for Adolescent Medicine in 1993 and the American Public Health Association's Martha May Eliot Award in 1996. The latter award is the highest honor given in the field of maternal and child health care. Klerman also published in professional journals and books.Bishop wrote that Klerman "used a pragmatic public health approach to study the problems of marginalized kids and families, always with the objective of developing pragmatic public policy solutions."Klerman was married to the late Gerald Klerman, who served as the head of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration under President Jimmy Carter. Klerman is survived by her four children and eight grandchildren. Bishop additionally praised Klerman for the legacy she left, particularly in regards to teaching and the impact her work had on families."She leaves a legacy of inspiration for all of us, about the lasting value of teaching and learning together and making a our society a more welcoming and nurturing environment for children and their families," Bishop wrote.-Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(08/24/10 4:00am)
The Board of Trustees confirmed Dean of the George Washington University Law School Frederick Lawrence to succeed University president Jehuda Reinharz, a transition that will occur Jan. 1, 2011, the University announced in a July 8 press release.Lawrence has served as the dean of the GWU Law School since 2005, according to the press release. The press release further states that during his tenure, Lawrence brought in the strongest five classes in the law school's history and led five of the school's most effective years of fundraising despite the troubled economic situation. He also recruited new faculty members, increased financial aid, expanded facilities and sought new programmatic possibilities for the law school on national and international levels, according to the release. Prior to serving in this position, Lawrence taught at the Boston University School of Law from 1988 to 2005, where he received the Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching, the school's highest teaching honor, in 1996. In an Aug. 22 interview, Lawrence said he would most likely leave his position at GWU Law School in November, allowing him to focus solely on the transition to his new role as president. The press release referred to Lawrence, the author of Punishing Hate: Bias Crimes Under American Law, as "one of the nation's leading experts on civil rights and free expression." In a July 7 interview with the Justice, Lawrence explicitly linked his legal interests with the University's emphasis on social justice."I think the professional areas of mine [will] resonate very strongly with the social justice mission of Brandeis," Lawrence said.The Board of Trustees confirmed the Presidential Search Committee's selection of Lawrence less than 10 months after Reinharz announced his resignation in a campuswide e-mail Sept. 22, 2009. In a Sept. 24, 2009 press release, the University explained that Reinharz would serve as president until June 2011 unless a new successor was chosen before that date.In his July 7 interview with the Justice, Lawrence said that he is "very, very excited" about becoming University president and is "honored" to have been selected. "One of the things I find most attractive is the whole position that Brandeis occupies in higher education, of what I call the 'research college,' a small liberal arts school that is also a major research university," he said. Prof. Len Saxe (Heller), one of three faculty members who served on the Presidential Search Committee, echoed many of Lawrence's views in a July 7 interview with the Justice. Saxe explained that Lawrence has "embraced" Brandeis' status as a combination of a small liberal arts college with a major research university, as well as its place in the American Jewish community."In some ways, [Lawrence is] a Brandeisian, both in the Louis Brandeis sense [as a civil rights expert and a scholar on how law affects people, and] at the same time, he has a track record at being an exceptionally effective academic leader. ... While we had lots of really extraordinary candidates in the pool, he really stood out," Saxe said.Lawrence said his strengths include a "strong ability to articulate a mission and a vision [and] an ability to bring people together and to build consensus," as well as his strength as a teacher and his success as a scholar.Saxe reflected on these strengths as well. "I think he will be a leader who is equally good [at] listening and initiating. He's somebody who will bring out the best in the rest of us, and I think that bodes very well for his potential," he said. Lawrence's position as president will be his first at Brandeis. By contrast, Reinharz had been a member of the Brandeis faculty and was serving as University provost in 1994 when he was selected as president. With regard to Lawrence coming into Brandeis from outside the community, Saxe said, "I think having someone who can come in with a different perspective at this point in time is very useful. ... What we found most attractive was his ability to understand our uniqueness and to embrace it."Lawrence said in his July 7 interview that coming to Brandeis as an outsider will yield "challenges that any new person ... will have," but that he expects to learn as much as he can about the University. Lawrence explained that in the past few months he has gained familiarity with many of Brandeis' major issues but will be working hard to learn more by Jan. 1."Even before taking office I hope to spend as much time as I can just spending time with people in the Brandeis community and find out what people's concerns are regarding the University," he said. When asked if he had begun to develop concrete proposals to accomplish during his tenure as president, he explained in his Aug. 22 interview that he was still in the process of meeting the Brandeis constituents. "I am still in the process of trying to talk to people, meet people. My style of leadership, what I feel most comfortable with, is to bring the stakeholders to the table, work my consensus and get information and feedback from people," he explained.Lawrence said in his Aug. 22 interview that he planned on visiting campus often during the fall semester in an effort to cultivate relationships with students and faculty. He greeted the incoming first-years as they arrived to their residence halls on campus, and he said that he met with the student orientation leaders who had arrived on-campus early and also would be holding "open events to meet as many students as possible.""I am doing a lot of different things to open the lines of communication," he said, further adding that he planned on attending various services at Brandeis for the Jewish High Holy Days. Lawrence specifically commented in the July 7 interview that he was impressed with how Brandeis handled its recent cuts in the wake of the nation's financial downturn. "The goal is not just to get through this year. The goal is to think about where we want to be in five, ... 10, ... 20 years," he said. "And if you want to think that way, you have to be willing to make serious decisions, and I think the community really came together in a very powerful way on that, so I don't view the results of the last year as anything other than a sign of strength." Lawrence also expressed excitement in his July 7 interview about working with undergraduates. "I think about issues of education not just professionally but very personally. My children have just come through college, and there's a high level of insecurity in a college community when students don't know what's going on with how the school is being run," he explained.Former Student Union President Andy Hogan '11, who served as student representative to the Presidential Search Committee, said in a July 7 interview that he believed Lawrence's future relationships with Brandeis students would be positive. "He really likes to get to know the students, and he knows that we have insights that will help him in his job, and I think it's going to be a good relationship," Hogan said.In his Aug. 22 interview, Lawrence also expressed his desire to know the graduate students at Brandeis as well the undergraduates, stating his intention to hold reception in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and the International Business School. "Fred showed he really understands Brandeis," trustee Stephen Kay, chair of the Presidential Search Committee, said in the July 8 press release. "What appealed to me was his passion for the University and this job. The social mission of Brandeis and its historic roots in the Jewish community resonate with him on professional and personal levels. He also understands that everyone at Brandeis gets involved, and he really values that."In his July 7 interview, Lawrence said he is grateful that the position of Brandeis president "allows me to draw on a wide range of parts of my personality," including his background in law, his experience in academic administration and education and his Jewish roots. "Almost everybody I've been talking to [about the Brandeis presidency] says the same thing: 'What a great fit; what a perfect fit for you,'" Lawrence said. "This is not just a job to me, this is a calling," he added.-Emily Kraus and Alana Abramson contributed reporting.Editor's note: An earlier version of this story was published on the Justice website July 8.
(05/25/10 4:00am)
Fina Amarilio '12, Philip Braunstein '12, Alyssa Kerr '12, Tamar Levkovich '12, and Jordan Talan '12 were granted the Brandeis Achievement Award, an annual award that recognizes sophomores for outstanding academic achievement, at the May 21 faculty meeting.Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe announced the recipients of the award at the meeting, although only Kerr and Levkovich were present at the announcement. According to the statement Jaffe read at the meeting, a copy of which he provided to the Justice, the Office of Students and Enrollment formulated the Brandeis Achievement Award in conjunction with the Student Union and the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences. The award was first presented in the 2004 to 2005 academic year, and 60 awards have subsequently been given out. The scholarships are worth $5,000 a semester. Jaffe's statement goes on to explain that in order to be considered for this award, applicants must have a grade-point average above 3.5 and not already be the recipient of a merit award. The recipients of this year's award have been named to the Dean's List every semester, and their GPAs range from 3.773 to 3.973.Jaffe wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that he was not responsible for the selection process and deferred questions to Dean of Student Financial Services Peter Giumette. Giumette was not available for an interview by press time. In an e-mail to the Justice, Amarilio expressed extreme gratitude for receiving the reward. "I am beyond grateful for this award; I think it's wonderful that Brandeis has a way of recognizing its students' hard work while in college, because it seems that most scholarships are awarded upon entering the university," she wrote. Levkovich wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that she learned she was a recipient of the award in April and that she was "shocked" when she found out. "I heard that the award was especially competitive this year since so many incredible students applied, and although I was awaiting an answer, I didn't really think I would get it," she wrote. -Alana Abramson
(04/27/10 4:00am)
Andy Hogan '11 swore in newly elected Student Union president Daniel Acheampong '11, who subsequently swore in newly elected senators, judiciary members and representatives. Acheampong also proposed and swore in his appointments for the executive board. Ryan Fanning '11 will be the new director of executive affairs, J.V. Souffrant '13 will be the new director of community advocacy, and Andrea Ortega '13 and Zoe Siegel '13 will serve as co-directors of communications. Marla Merchut '12 and Danielle Wolfson '11 will be co-directors of academic affairs. Tamar Schneck '13 will serve as the Director of Student Rights Advocacy, and Linda Li '13 will become the new director of special events. Shirel Guez '12, newly-elected Vice President, introduced herself to the Senate and said that she is looking forward to working with the senate and expected the senate to be a place for mature discourse. Brandeis Economics and Finance Review requested to be approved as a club. The purpose of the club would be to produce a student-run publication in economics, finance and business. The leaders said that the new review would be important to have in conjunction with the new Business major. The club was approved. A representative from a proposed testpreparation organization asked for approval from the Senate. The club would serve to help students prepare for higher tests by networking students preparing for tests like the MCAT and LSAT. The representative from the club said she had been talking with Kaplan and Princeton Review, who would be willing to donate test preparation materials. Senator for the Class of 2010 Jackie Saffir raised concern as to how the services offered by the proposed club would be different from services currently offered by Hiatt. Abraham Berin '11, senator for the Charles River Apartments, was concerned the club would overlap with services offered by other clubs like the Pre-Health and Pre-Law societies. The representative said that the club would be purely about mentoring for test preparation-a service not currently offered by other organizations. The proposal was passed.-Alana Abramson
(04/13/10 4:00am)
An increase in University parking fees will go into effect in fall 2010, and sophomore parking will ultimately be eliminated to compensate for the increased incoming classes.The increase in parking fees is intended to discourage students to bring cars onto campus and eliminate the need for as many parking lots, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. Vice President of Campus Operations Mark Collins, told the Justice that the changes to sophomore parking will take place for the 2011-2012 academic year. Eddy wrote in her e-mail to the Justice that the goal of the price increase is not to increase revenue. Collins did not respond by press time to further questions about the amount by which the price will increase. "The proposed increase doesn't produce a lot of money," said Eddy. "As we are proposing increased shuttle service, we will probably spend more than what is collected from the increase."Eddy wrote in her e-mail, "For a number of years the University has been trying to decrease the number of parking lots and add more green spaces. Fewer cars hopefully means more gathering space, more lawns."According to the Department of Public Safety's Web site, resident students of sophomore and higher standing are eligible to purchase a Resident Student Permit for $125 per year. The Web site also states that "all vehicles bearing this permit are eligible to park 24 hours a day in their assigned area designated by the appropriate green Brandeis University sign." Additionally, the cost of a Commuter Student Permit is $60 per year. There are currently 2299 parking spaces on campus and there will be no change in the numbers of students eligible for parking this coming academic year, according to Collins. Collins also said that there are currently 136 sophomores who park on campus.Nicole Nightingale '13, a rising sophomore, said that she was not planning on bringing a car next year, but she knows people that were and was unhappy with the ultimate elimination of sophomore parking. "Most of the time we spend at school there is bad weather. I would rather be able to have my car than have more lawn space that we can't even use most of the time," she said.Student Union President Andy Hogan told the Justice that he wanted students to voice their opinions on this matter. "Moving forward, my goal is to make sure that students are represented in this discussion."The increase in Brandeis' parking fee is in keeping with that of other institutions. Other universities that have increased their parking fees include the University of Minnesota and the University of Washington.-Erin Doniger, Alana Abramson and Nashrah Rahman
(04/13/10 4:00am)
Polls open today for Student Union elections. The posts of president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and junior representative to the Board of Trustees are all open for election. Members of the Student Union Finance Board will also be up for election. This is the first election that will take place after the constitutional amendment to implement instant runoff voting, which will eliminate the need for students to vote in multiple rounds of student voting by utilizing a ranking system that requires students to vote only once in the elections.Daniel Acheampong '11, J.V. Souffrant '13, Matt Kriegsman '11 and Sahar Massachi '11 are the candidates for Student Union president. Andy Hogan '11, the incumbent president, has decided not to run for re-election. In an e-mail to the Justice, Hogan explained, "I decided not to run because I wanted to dedicate my time to other things in my life next year," such as applying to law school and working on a thesis. Acheampong, the current Union Treasurer, defined the student body in an interview with the Justice as the "backbone of the University" and explained that one of his goals as president will be "to form a committee of students and administrators to work together on the renovation of [the Charles River Apartments]," as well as the Usen Castle. Kriegsman, in an interview with the Justice, said, "I want to leave Brandeis knowing that I changed something." He plans to make the Union more approachable and deal with campus overcrowding, Usen Castle renovations and connecting students with administrators.Souffrant is running to improve the relationship between the Student Union and the students, focusing on academic mentorship, BranVan use and improving the use of facilities. He explained in an interview with the Justice that "one of the first things" he would like to do as President is to "talk to Facilities [Services], see if they need anything from administrators, [and] tell the administrators what the . needs" are within facilities services.Massachi, who previously served on the Constitutional Review Committee, is campaigning to make issues within the Union more transparent. Senator for the Class of 2012 and Massachi-supporter Abby Kulawitz said in an interview with the Justice that Massachi hopes to "increase communication between administrators students and the Union." In an e-mail to the Justice, Massachi wrote, "I've fallen in love with the idea of Brandeis, and I've dedicated myself to pushing it toward its ideals. We are a school explicitly founded to fight against discrimination and bigotry, and to this day we talk about our strong commitment to social justice." Shirel Guez '12 and Senator for Ziv Quad Ryan Fanning '11 are running for vice president."I'm frustrated and disappointed with a lot of things at Brandeis," explained Guez in an e-mail to the Justice, also citing "unhealthy" dining halls, a lack of school spirit and overcrowding in dining halls as reasons for her frustration and disappointment. Fanning could not be reached for comment by press time. David Fisch '13, Sophie Riese '11 and Herbie Rosen '12 are campaigning for the position of secretary. Rosen, a 2010 orientation coordinator, defined the secretary position as "one of the links between the Student Union and student body" in an interview with the Justice.Running for the junior representative to the Board of Trustees are Nipun Mawaha '12, a former Union senator; Supreetha Gubbala '12, former Student Union Director of Academic Affairs; and Marla Merchut '12, a member of the Presidential Search Committee. "The main responsibility of this position is to bring a student's perspective to issues that come to the board," Merchut wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. Like other candidates running for office during this election season, Merchut has chosen to utilize social media in her campaigning. She said that she understands that students "are very available to mediums such as Facebook and Youtube for a campaign." Other students running for office are Akash Vadalia '12, member of the Finance Board who is running for treasurer. Savannah Pearlman '12 is running for representative to the Alumni Association. Students running for membership to the F-Board include Paul Sukijthamapan '13, Eitan Mosenkis '13, Gabriel Weingrod Nemzow '12, Sidak Pannu '12, Jessica Preis '13 and Makensley Lordeus '11. Currently, the F-Board is staffed by seven student members, including the member for racial minority students. Students running for the member of the F-Board for racial minority students include Adhip Sacheti '13 and Bo-Reum Lee '13.In his e-mail to the Justice, Andy Hogan wrote that "Although all of the candidates certainly have merit, I feel that Daniel Acheampong, the current Treasurer, has the connections, experience, and motivation necessary to successfully continue the initiatives that we started and bring the Student Union to higher levels."-Clare Churchill-Seder and Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(04/13/10 4:00am)
Daniel Acheampong '11 will serve as Student Union president for the 2010 to 2011 academic year after defeating opponents J.V. Souffrant '13, Matt Kriegsman '11 and Sahar Massachi '11 in the April 13 Student Union elections. Acheampong won in the first count with 908 votes, followed by Massachi with 388 votes, Kriegsman with 280 votes and Souffrant by 131."[The presidential candidates] all had great ideas. That is what really made this election special. . My whole campaign was about moving forward together, and I really want to bring the student body and the Student Union and the administration together to move our university forward," Acheampong said.This was the first election that implemented instant runoff voting, which eliminates the need for additional runoff rounds of voting. Students rank candidates in order of preference, and if no candidate wins a majority of votes after the first count, students whose first-choice candidate received the fewest votes have their second-place choice counted instead. Voting counts continue in this fashion until a majority winner is obtained.Shirel Guez '12 won the seat for vice president over current Senator for Ziv Quad Ryan Fanning '11. Herbie Rosen '12 will serve in the position of secretary after winning in the first count with 871 votes. Akash Vadalia '12, who will serve as treasurer, won in the first count with 1,105 votes. Supreetha Gubbala '12 won the most votes for the junior representative to the Board of Trustees, and Savannah Pearlman '12 for junior representative to the Alumni Association. Pearlman won in the first count with 939 votes. The seat for the representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee was not filled. Students who won seats on the Finance Board are Sidak Pannu '12, Jessica Preis '13, Makensley Lordeus '11. The fourth seat on F-Board, as well as the seat for racial minority students, has not been filled. The F-Board is staffed by seven students, including the representative for racial minority students.Positions for which the majority of voters abstained will be filled in the second round of elections. The second round will occur next Thursday along with the voting for senators for the Class of 2011, senators for the Class of 2012, senators for the Class of 2013, senators at large, racial minority senator and associate justices for the Student Judiciary. There was a 50.94-percent turnout in the elections for president. The lowest percentage turnout of 38.66 percent was for the representative to the Alumni Association. Kriegsman told the Justice, "I honestly hope that [Acheampong] takes all of our platforms seriously. I think that we all had very good ideas and we all actually drew in a lot of different communities on campus. So, with that in mind, . he should also consider our platforms and our communities, too." He added that although he was not sure about his next position in the Union, he will still try to remain involved. Commenting on the experience of campaigning, Massachi said, "Every student on the Brandeis campus secretly or not-so-secretly kicks ass. I've known this since my freshman year. I still see it today. Campaigning, you get to meet a lot of people, and that means you get to meet a lot of people who kick ass."Souffrant told the Justice, "Even though you don't win . you cant give up . so it's important that . I continue to fight for the rights of the students academically any way possible, so I don't need the Union to achieve my dreams."Guez said that she will "push for Greek life to be recognized by Brandeis" after receiving support from Greek life for her campaign. The University does not currently recognize Greek fraternities or sororities. She added that she will also work on improving residence hall conditions. Current Student Union President Andy Hogan '11 told the Justice that he is "very excited for [Acheampong] to take office. I think he will do a fantastic job as president. One thing that needs to be worked on will be issues surrounding overcrowding. I know he will bring his own issues to the table."Hogan said that he was "really surprised" at the voter turnout of 50 percent. Commenting on the instant runoff voting system, Hogan said that although the system worked well, some issues still need to be worked out. He elaborated that there should be more rules in the instant runoff system that are geared toward abstains and write-ins. Former Student Union President Jason Gray '10 said, "I think that [Acheampong has] got a great opportunity to do an incredible job next year, and he has my full confidence."-Hannah Kirsch, Harry Shipps, Brian Fromm, Alana Abramson and Fiona Lockyer contributed reporting.
(03/23/10 4:00am)
More information has been released about the MarketMatch proposal, in which Aramark will work with the University to restructure Brandeis dining. The MarketMatch project was created approximately three weeks ago and will consist of surveys; focus groups; and intercept interviews of students, staff and faculty, said Vice President for Campus Operations Mark Collins at a press conference. The project is being conducted and paid for by Aramark and Collins is overseeing.Collins said that MarketMatch will provide "real, non-anecdotal data" to help dining services improve while using pre-existing resources at Brandeis. While he did not state any specific potential outcomes from the MarketMatch project, Collins mentioned that attention was being paid to Charles River residents, who lack a nearby Brandeis dining hall. Collins said that dining services could be expanded to "offering better meal plans, potentially." When asked for more details, Collins declined to comment.Collins said that the goal of the MarketMatch project will be to re-evaluate dining at Brandeis by comparing student and staff "expectations versus what our [dining services] deliveries are" and creating a dining "master plan" that will restructure dining in a "three- to seven-" year project. Collins stated that he expects preliminary results of surveys and 45-second interviews, which will acquire information about dining habits and expectations from students, staff and faculty, in April. Details on this project were released after students chose their meal plans for next year. Nick Smith '12 told the Justice that he has chosen not to be on a meal plan for his junior year because he prefers to cook his own food. He attributed his decision to "the lack of consistently good vegetarian and vegan options [available on campus]." When asked about his expectations of the MarketMatch program, Smith said that it would be "nice if dining could work more vegetarian options in and open a few more registers in some places."Stephen Cadigan '13 told the Justice that he will be using the combo meal plan, which provides students with 10 meals a week and $525 in points for the semester, and that "food quality and prices" could use improvement in Dining Services. "I believe that dining services could easily present a wider range of healthy vegetarian options," Cadigan told the Justice. He added that "it seems that MarketMatch would be very helpful in fulfilling the improvement" of dining services on campus.-Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(03/23/10 4:00am)
The Committee for the Support of Teaching is considering a policy change that would officially allow undergraduate teaching assistants who receive academic credit for their roles as teaching assistants to grade assignments in a limited capacity, according to a proposal discussed by department chairs March 11. Under the new policy, UTAs would be allowed to grade assignments such as problem sets, multiple-choice questions, true/false questions and short answers but not essays with initial and ongoing supervision by the professor. The proposal states that appropriate assignments for UTAs to grade are "problem sets that have minimal impact on the total grade, and for which grading standards are clearly specified" as well as "objective test questions that require minimal discretion on partial credit, e.g., multiple choice questions,true false or short answers in which specific points are assigned for specific portions of the correct response." Currently the official policy holds that UTAs, known as "peer assistants," "may not assign grades for any assignments, but may assist in evaluating work under the close supervision of the faculty instructor," according to the peer assistant registration form. However, UTAs who either receive academic credit or payment for their work have been grading assignments out of necessity with success in departments such as Biology, Chemistry and Economics in situations where there are too few graduate teaching fellows to manage grading responsibilities, according to the proposal as well as interviews by the Justice with faculty, staff and students. The new guidelines for undergraduate teaching assistants suggest that instructors meet with prospective UTAs before the start of the semester to make sure that that they have sufficient time to devote to the position. In addition, it recommends that instructors hand out a memo to UTAs with teaching responsibilities and notes that undergraduates could participate in the same departmental training offered to graduate teaching assistants. The proposal recommends that UTAs and instructors meet regularly during the year to discuss grading in person or confer during the year by posting on LATTE. When the committee started undertaking a general review of the training and preparation of UTAs this past year, its members realized that "more grading was going on than initially realized," Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Elaine Wong said. She said that before the policy change would become final, it would need to be approved by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, possibly later this semester. At the department chairs' meeting at which the proposal was discussed, "Chairs [felt] undergrads should not be grading essays but that they can grade [other assignments] under supervision of faculty," Wong said. "Everyone realizes that faculty ultimately have responsibility for grading." The proposal states "that the faculty supervisors report that undergraduates are typically their most conscientious and responsible graders, even in comparison with graduate Teaching Fellows." It goes on to state that neither the graders nor the students being graded expressed any discomfort with undergraduates grading other undergraduates. "Potentially difficult situations (e.g. "my roommate's girlfriend is in my section") have been handled by appropriate reassignment of students to other sections."Among the professors the committee consulted with was Prof. Scott Redenius (ECON). "The ideal person for grading is someone who can make consistent differentiations between quality of work of different students," he said in an interview. "It doesn't strike me that that ability is unique to graduate students." Rebenius said he has had experience with both undergraduate and graduate TAs. One issue he said he pointed out to the committee is that "it's very useful to have a grading rubric so you can tell the students who are going to be grading what the criteria are." Prof. Milos Dolnik (CHEM), whom the committee also consulted, said that in some of his larger classes, graduate graders evaluate portions of lab reports that they can correct without having been present in the labs. He explained that he divided grading of the portions relating to lab work between graduate and undergraduate students who are present in the lab during experiments. "Undergrad TAs grade lists of equipments, lists of chemicals, purpose of the lab, observations and procedure," he said, noting that they would do that grading each week the entire semester based on his answer key. "They seem to be doing a great job." The difference between undergraduate and graduate students, Dolnik said, is in the graduates' experience and their ability to answer more wide-ranging questions. "I try to select a good problem . that I feel the undergrad is able to grade," he said. Dolnik said he would not necessarily see the sense in having undergraduates grade final exams but that limited grading would be reasonable "if the policy is that the undergraduate can participate in grading with close instructor supervision."Shilpa Mukunda '10, who served as a UTA in a physiology class last semester, said, "[Prof. Kenneth Hayes (BIOL)] told us at the beginning that we had to be very honest and that he was putting a lot of trust in us." She added that he gave her and the other UTA a lot of responsibility. "We maintained the class database of all the grades, and we entered the grades ourselves," she said. "A lot of the students in the class were friends and peers. . I always felt weird being able to enter a good friend's grade and knowing that oh, they didn't do well, but it would be wrong to change anything. We were both very honest."She said the UTAs graded two midterms and the final and with the professor applying the curve at the end. The tasks all had clear right or wrong answers and were not subjective, she said. If students had concerns about the correct answer or wording of quizzes, she said she referred them to the professor. Mukunda said she felt that professors should talk more with prospective TAs at the beginning of the semester about issues such as grading and honesty. "If they're going to have this as an official policy, maybe there could be a one-day training." From her own experience in class with different kinds of TAs, she said she would be more likely to go to a graduate TA for more complex questions. She added, though, that unlike many graduate students, undergraduate TAs had taken the class before and been selected because they did well in them. Mukunda suggested more of an application process for selecting TAs, noting that just having done very well in the course was not necessarily the best criterion for selection. -Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(03/16/10 4:00am)
Brandeis students, faculty and administrators voiced their solidarity with the University's Muslim community at a vigil held last Friday after the March 5 vandalism of the Muslim Student Association's prayer suite in the Usdan Student Center. University President Jehuda Reinharz, Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams and the four University chaplains also e-mailed a joint message of support to the Brandeis community last Wednesday. "We unite in solidarity with all our Muslim students and assure them that this kind of action will not be tolerated at Brandeis. Any act of vandalism, especially those that target a particular religious or cultural community, is deplorable," according to the e-mail. The statement was made as the vandalism was being reported by the Boston Herald, the Boston Globe, WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston and the Huffington Post.Last Friday, President of the MSA Neda Eid '11 and her father, Imam Talal Eid, discovered that the MSA suite had been vandalized only three weeks after $80,000 in renovations had been completed. The intruders had violated the privacy of the suite by unplugging electronics, bending silverware as they attempted to use it to open a sealed door and stealing the Imam Eid's Quran containing two years of notes and sermons. The vandals had also left their shoes on while in the prayer space, an act that desecrates a mosque. University Police are continuing their investigation on whether the act was prompted by animosity against Muslims. Innermost Parts founder Sahar Massachi '11 began to gather online signatures for an open letter expressing Brandeis' solidarity with the Muslim community. The letter reads, "We, the students, faculty, and staff of Brandeis University, love and support our dear Muslim friends and family. ... We reject this hateful and juvenile act. ... Know this-the vandalism does not reflect the sentiments of the Brandeis community or our values." Regarding his decision to intitiate the open letter, Massachi said, "I was feeling really angry and helpless." As of last night, 575 signatures were on the list.Massachi and MSA leaders organized the rally last Friday during the weekly peace vigil. In the presence of at least 50 attendees, Massachi presented Imam Eid with the open letter. The normally low-key weekly peace vigil was attended by University President Jehuda Reinharz, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, the University chaplains and local media.Robert Mesike '12, who attended the vigil, praised the imam's speech for "condemning the acts rather than the [vandals] themselves and still wanting to keep the Brandeis community intact." In a March 12 interview for the Waltham newspaper The Daily News Tribune, Imam Eid said that the missing Quran "is what keeps me upset. . It is very difficult; I'm not able to pinpoint the reason for the vandalism." Innermost Parts blogger Hyder Kazmi '12, who is also an executive member of the MSA, echoed Imam Eid's sentiment in a March 12 post on the Web site. Kazmi wrote, "The stealing of a copy of the Qur'an indicates something more than just a prank or some ultimately-harmless mischief. . That's two years of dedication to faith and education and introspection lost. Having really thought about it, this was more than just disrespectful, it was-yes, I'll say it-a hateful thing to do."The Faculty Senate and the Student Union Senate passed resolutions this week condemning the vandalism. The Faculty Senate resolution reads, "Such actions simply have no place at Brandeis, and we urge those in charge to follow through on their promise of a full investigation into the incident." In a March 11 e-mail to the MSA listserv, Neda Eid wrote that she is working on "Peaceful Response," an intiative that aims to address the "larger issue of hate on university campuses." She told the Justice that a new card access system will be installed next week in response to the vandalism. -Alana Abramson and Harry Shipps contributed reporting.
(03/09/10 5:00am)
Medical EmergencyMar. 2-University Police received a report of an 18-year-old male complaining of stomach pain in the Village. BEMCo responded, and an ambulance transported the party to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.Mar. 3-University Police received a call from a student requesting an evaluation after having fainted earlier in the day. University Police transported the patient to Health Services for further care.Mar. 5-University Police received a call of a man with a head injury in Chapels Lot. University Police and BEMCo responded. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.Mar. 6-University Police received a call from a party stating that his friend had broken his collarbone after falling off a bicycle. University Police and BEMCo responded. An ambulance transported the party to Beth Israel Hospital for further care.LarcenyMar. 4-University Police received a report from a party claiming her violin was stolen from a locker in Slosberg Recital Hall. University Police compiled a report on the theft.Mar. 5-University Police received a report that a student's wallet was stolen from the common area of Village B. University Police compiled a report on the theft.VandalismMar. 5-University Police received a report of vandalism in the Muslim Student Association suite in the Usdan Student Center. University Police compiled a report on the incident and photographs were taken. University Police will increase patrols of the area, and further security measures will be implemented. (See article, p. 5)TrafficMar. 5-A student was involved in a motor vehicle incident off campus. University Police compiled a report on the incident. DisturbanceMar. 7-A community advisor for the Foster Mods claimed there were several parties creating loud noise near Mod 14. University Police responded, and Discipline Charges will be filed against the students.MiscellaneousMar. 4-University Police confiscated marijuana from a student in Rosenthal Quad. The Community Development Coordinator was present, and University Police compiled a report. Disciplinary action will follow.Mar. 6-University Police received a report that a male party was intoxicated and removed from a bus at the University. University Police placed the party into protective custody and transported him to the Waltham Police Department for processing.Mar. 7-Marijuana was confiscated from an individual in Mod 22. Judicial charges will be filed.-Compiled by Alana Abramson
(02/09/10 5:00am)
Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe announced at last Thursday's faculty meeting that he intended to inform affected department or program chairs by Sunday about proposals the Brandeis 2020 Committee is considering before the committee releases its final proposals after February break for substantive structural changes in academic programs or for the closure of programs. Provost Marty Krauss established the Brandeis 2020 Committee last month after Trustee Meyer Koplow '72, chair of the Trustees' Budget and Finance Committee, addressed faculty about the need for Brandeis to better balance its academics with its limited financial resources. In an e-mail to science department heads last Sunday, Jaffe wrote that in the sciences the committee is considering proposing one of three actions. The committee is considering closing the Chemistry Ph.D. program and reducing the number of research areas within the Chemistry department; merging the Chemistry and Biochemistry departments; or creating a Division of Science within Arts and Sciences and identifying specific research areas to phase out. Jaffe wrote that the committee is considering other independent recommendations, including enforcing an increase in teaching loads to four courses per year for faculty who have ceased to publish scholarly work. Prof. Seth Fraden (PHYS) wrote in an e-mail response to other faculty that closing the Ph.D. program "is totally unacceptable." "Closing the chem grad program will compromise our Materials Research Science and Engineering Center as materials chemistry is central to our center," he wrote."Closing chemistry is beyond unacceptable; it's suicidal for the university. It would provide publicity that is worse than for the Rose," Prof. David Roberts (PHYS) wrote in an e-mail response to faculty members. "The administration must be made to understand this; it threatens the entire science enterprise at Brandeis."Prof. Bulbul Chakraborty (PHYS) wrote that faculty should "rally" around the third proposal, although she added that "something needs to be done to shape up the Chemistry Ph.D. program."Last year's Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee's report had stated that "the [Chemistry] Ph.D. program has difficulty competing for top applicants and operates with a high attrition rate. It is the most costly graduate program in the University, approximately $650,000 this year." But the report noted that this weakness is balanced "by recognition that its students carry significant teaching responsibilities in the undergraduate lecture and laboratory courses" and as graduate research assistants.Jaffe said he instructed the four school councils, who consist of the department chairs of each of the University's four schools, to meet next week. He said members of the Brandeis 2020 Committee would also attend those meetings, where faculty will be able to bring up any facts, issues or concerns they would like the committee to consider.Jaffe added that "it's not an ideal process, . but given the time constraints we're operating under, it seemed the most practical way to try to make sure that there are not important considerations that we should have factored in that we might not hear."Following that release of the report after break, a deliberative process will proceed during which the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, school councils and the faculty as a whole will review the proposals before Provost Marty Krauss announces her final decision in March as per the Faculty Handbook.Jaffe said the committee recognizes "that we're going to lose something that we attribute to our mission and is trying to think about minimizing the impact of those losses."During the meeting, faculty brought up concerns about how the announcement of the cuts could affect the admissions cycle. "We will be able to announce to the world [cuts] that we are contemplating exactly at the time when students are considering whether to come to Brandeis University. . It will not be linked with simultaneous or even prior announcements . of actual plans for academic innovation, exciting new ideas as they contemplate this announcement," Prof. Jerry Cohen (AMST) said at the meeting. He said that many other universities were waiting until after graduation to make such announcements and stated that "it is possible to delay that mid-March deadline." However, in response to a question from Prof. Elizabeth Ferry (ANTH), Jaffe said that the board had "said no" to the proposal of having the process end by June.In an interview, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Apfel said that the Board of Trustees is concerned that "before we go into [unrestricted reserves] we want to make sure the administration has a plan in place . that is reasonable." He added in an e-mail that "what you want to know before using savings is: is there a plan to bring monthly expenses into line with monthly revenues?" He wrote that Brandeis currently has $70 million in unrestricted reserves. "I truly believe that while there will be aspects of our proposals that people won't like that it will be possible to cast the overall whole set things we are proposing as a set of changes that are going to make Brandeis a stronger and better institution in the long run," Jaffe added later in the meeting. In response to a faculty question, Jaffe said that in the event of a program's closure, tenure-track faculty would be reassigned to another unit. Jaffe emphasized that the committee had considered the impact on contract faculty positions as far away as 2020. "When we have thought about resource savings, we have thought about eliminating positions that are currently occupied by a living, breathing faculty member," Jaffe said at the meeting.Jaffe later explained in an interview with the Justice that such a plan would take into account that faculty member remaining in that position initially and "that we might not save any money for a long time." In that event, no new resources would be allocated toward a program and departures would not be replaced, Jaffe said. -Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(02/02/10 5:00am)
Medical EmergencyJan. 25-A man complained of a fever in Shapiro Residence Hall. BEMCo and University Police responded. BEMCo treated the party with a signed refusal for further care.Jan. 25-University Police received a call that a student had hit his head on a bookcase in the Foster Mods. BEMCo treated the party on-scene, and the party was then transported by ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Jan. 28-A party requested BEMCo, stating that her friend had been consuming alchohol and hit her head. University Police and BEMCo responded. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.Jan. 28-University Police received a report of an 18-year-old female having an allergic reaction in Shapiro Residence Hall. BEMCo and University Police responded. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.Jan. 29-A party stated that a female had fallen multiples times in the restroom on the second floor of Deroy Hall and was disoriented. University Police and BEMCo responded. University Police transported the party to Golding Health Center for further care.Jan. 29-A male party fell in Hassenfeld Hall and was alert and breathing. University Police and BEMCo responded. BEMCo treated the party on-scene, and the party was transported by ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Jan. 31-University Police received a report of an intoxicated 19-year-old female in the Charles River Apartments. The party was transported by ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.DisturbanceJan. 30-University Police received a report of a loud party in the upper Foster Mods. University Police responded and reported that the party was clearing out upon arrival. HarassmentJan. 27-A party requested a stay-away order after receiving harassing phone calls and text messages. University Police compiled a report, and an investigation will follow.Jan. 28-University Police detectives compiled a report on the e-mail and telephone harassment of four faculty and staff members regarding the debt a student owes to the University.Jan. 29-University Police received a report of intimidation off campus. University Police compiled a report on the incident, and an investigation will follow. VandalismJan. 31-University Police found a window smashed at a party in the Charles River Apartments. A female stated that the residents had registered the party online, but University Police had no such party on record. University Police compiled a report on the vandalism, and the party was dispersed. MiscellaneousJan. 26-A student reported that her personal information had been deleted from a computer in the Farber Library. University Police will contact the detective's office.Jan. 29-University Police received a report from a community development coordinator in Shapiro Residence Hall that people were in possession of Class D drugs. University Police responded but found nothing on arrival.-compiled by?Alana Abramson
(02/02/10 5:00am)
Members of the Brandeis faculty and staff took advantage of open forums with Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Apfel and Provost Marty Krauss held last Tuesday and Thursday to offer suggestions for ways the University can increase revenue, reduce expenses, increase the efficiency of its work routines and enhance its image. Krauss is the chair of the Bold Ideas Group, a committee of faculty and staff investigating academic initiatives that the University could adopt to yield a steady return of at least $2 million. Apfel is chair of the Administrative Resource Review Committee, which is examining University staffing levels and administrative processes. Apfel said after the meeting that senior administrators would evaluate the ideas in upcoming meetings. He said he was open to having a similar forum with students. Faculty and staff offered a range of suggestions from "turning off the lights" to having four-day workweeks at the two open forums. Some participants used the forum to call attention to longstanding issues, such as the closure of the swimming pool: "Prospective students will wonder what's going on," swimming and diving coach Jim Zotz said. "What kind of facility keeps a pool closed for a year and a half? Every elite school we want to compare ourselves to has a pool." "We should target buildings really in distress and renovate them to avoid having to throw money at them to keep them in shape," University archivist Karen Abramson said. She suggested that the University monetize promotional material presenting the University's history. She added that the University could also charge for access to University networking-for example, charging a small fee for an iPhone application for alumni. Director of Global Communications Charles Radin suggested that the University restart an effort to establish a shuttle service to the Riverside subway station. "If we could do that, . then you could eliminate [the Boston/Cambridge Shuttle Service] downtown," he said. Radin added that "a lot of units on the campus buy supplies separately. . I think that can't be the most the efficient thing, every department and center ordering separately, even if they use corporate accounts," Radin said. Apfel agreed with Radin, stating that "when efficiency work is being done in higher education, probably the number-one area is procurement." Apfel said centralized procurement could sometimes be hard to implement because different departments prefer different types of supplies. The University had been exploring the idea of centralized cooperation in this area with Boston consortium institutions, Apfel said. "We may be going down that road over the course of the year." Lisa Andersen of the Schneider Institute for Health Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management stated that savings could be possible in landscaping. "There are a lot of contractors doing plantings [and] replacements. . If we shifted to perennials, we might reduce our landscaping budget."Chris Roppola '99, also an LTS staff member, said that it was important to many alumni that there be an alma mater for them to return to in the future. "There's a lot of debate that we can't shrink out academic offerings if we have 47 academic programs. . But if we only ever have $150 million, ... then maybe that's too many," he said. Peter de Andrade from Human Resources noted that his department had received four-day workweeks for a period over the summer with a choice of Monday or Friday to take those days off. He suggested that if staff all took off the same day there could be savings from building energy. Ethan Sewall, an English as a Second Language faculty member suggested the University become a testing center for the Test Of English as a Foreign Language. He said such a setup for the TOEFL or other tests would cost very little money but did pay some income. Some professors also offered suggestions for enhancing the University's image. Prof. Mary Baine Campbell (ENG) suggested that the University could serve as a "center for literary and cultural studies," particularly since many residents of surrounding areas have "a hard time getting into Harvard Square." The University could take advantage of visiting professors traveling through Brandeis for this purpose and become a "resource for the educated people in the suburbs." A French professor suggested greater engagement to benefit the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. "Why don't we hook up with artists in Haiti, figure out how to raise money and help their work," the professor proposed. The professor suggested that the University should take greater initiative to help student groups organizing help for Haiti, with, for example, a Justice Brandeis Semester on the country. Representatives of the Haitian Waltham community could visit English and French classes, the professor added. - Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(01/19/10 5:00am)
Medical EmergencyDec. 8-A subject fell and hit his head and was conscious but not alert. University Police and BEMCo responded. The subject was treated on-scene and was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Dec. 12-A caller reported an intoxicated 18-year-old female in the women's bathroom in Usen Hall. University Police and BEMCo responded, and the patient was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Dec. 12-A caller reported a male party passed out on the stairs of the Shapiro Campus Center. University Police requested BEMCo at the scene, and the ambulance was notified to transport the patient to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Dec. 12-A 20-year-old male was reported to be having a seizure in the Village B House. BEMCo was requested, and the victim was transported by ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Dec. 21-University Police responded to a party having a panic attack in Bassine. The ambulance transported the party to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.LarcenyDec. 14-A party arrived at the University Police Station and reported that her bicycle had been stolen from the bicycle rack outside of the Golding Health Center. University Police compiled a report on the theft.DisturbanceDec. 11-University Police received a call that students were smoking in an apartment at 110 Angleside Road. University Police advised the community development coordinator on call of the incident.Dec. 12-A caller reported loud music coming from the room next door on 567 South St. The caller asked the people in the room to lower the music but they did not comply with her request. University Police spoke with the neighbors and asked them to lower the music.Jan. 13-A subject reported that a male party had called her twice reporting threats to law enforcement officials in the Goldfarb Library. The University Police detectives' office investigated the matter, and a report was compiled.MiscellaneousDec. 6- University Police recieved a report of an automobile accident. There were no injuries reported. University Police compiled a report on the incident.Dec. 11-University Police received a report of four people on the roof of the Edison-Lecks Science building. The students were advised to leave the area. University Police compiled a report. The roof door was secured.Dec. 11-A building fire was reported in the Charles Bank Apartment complex off University property. University Police assisted the Waltham Police Department and Fire Department at the scene.Dec. 21-A party reported an automobile accident on Chapels Field Road. There were no injuries reported. University Police contacted Facilities Services to request that they sand and salt the roadway.Jan. 4-A registered party reported that the stock room in the Kalman Science Building showed signs of an attemtpted break-in. University Police compiled a report on the incident.-compiled by Alana Abramson
(01/19/10 5:00am)
Meyer Koplow '72, chair of the Board of Trustees Budget and Finance committee and of the Presidential Search Committee, will address a special faculty-only meeting on Wednesday at 4 p.m. to discuss the University's need to align its academic commitments with its financial resources, according to a faculty e-mail sent last Wednesday. According to the e-mail, one item under discussion will be the recommendation agreed upon by attendees of a Jan. 12 faculty retreat to establish an expanded Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee to be appointed by the provost to help confront the gap between the University's resources and its academic offerings. Provost Marty Krauss wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the new committee would be composed of members of the CARS committee, the Dean's Curriculum Committee, faculty representatives to the Board of Trustees and the chair of the Faculty Budget Committee. "Its charge is to make recommendations for reducing the academic commitments within Arts and Sciences," she wrote. In addition to faculty representatives on various committees or entities, the retreat's attendees included University President Jehuda Reinharz and Board of Trustees Chair Malcolm Sherman. Faculty Senate Chair Sabine von Mering (GRALL) said the idea for a retreat grew out of a faculty workshop with Koplow regarding the University's finances held in mid-December. At the retreat, "Mr. Koplow reiterated that the Board of Trustees expects that the academic commitments within the School of Arts and Sciences be reduced in light of our financial resources and that a plan to accomplish this be presented at the March 23 meeting of the Board of Trustees," Krauss wrote in the faculty e-mail. "The goal here is to make this a more secure and comfortable community where people can concentrate on the excellence of the education and the research and not spend any more time -certainly not academy time-focusing on financial issues and worrying on an annual basis about the next budget cycle," Koplow told retreat participants, according to a University press release. According to the press release, Koplow stated that the University "must stop relying on one-time solutions like suspending retirement contributions and across-the-board layoffs to address its financial needs, and instead focus on permanent solutions.""Koplow won the respect of the faculty. Faculty really trust . that what he says is true," von Mering said. With regard to the institution's long-term financial health, the minutes of a Dec. 3 Faculty Senate meeting with Board of Trustees members stated that as the incoming chair of the Budget and Finance Committee coming to the problem with an outsider's perspective, Koplow "was struck by the fact that the budget issues at Brandeis have been a never-ending saga," the minutes state. "On average, there is a 25 million dollar difference between what we have and what we need to operate each year, and it is easy to see the effects of this in the various facilities needs on campus that are not being addressed," according to the minutes. In terms of the more short-term financial picture, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Apfel had projected a $9 million deficit for fiscal 2011 instead of $7 million in large part because of a slower-than-expected rate of faculty retirements and decreased fundraising as a result of the weak economy and Reinharz's resignation announcement. Krauss told the Justice in November that the University had communicated with 43 tenured faculty in Arts and Sciences who will be 72 or older by June 30, 2015 to talk to them about their plans for the future. Faculty interested in an early retirement plan had until the end of December to express that intention. Last week, Krauss said in an interview that eight faculty had expressed interest in the retirement plan. "We didn't get as many people interested as we had hoped," she said. "Our goal was 35. Some will come over the coming years as people think about their goals differently." With regard to the CARS recommendations, Koplow stated that "while the work done by CARS was admirable, most of the recommendations are not being implemented," according to the Faculty Senate minutes. He suggested that it might be necessary to bring in "an outside evaluator to examine ways of generating revenue or making additional cuts, or both," adding that "inclusion of an outside perspective could generate new ideas or give more credence to the ones already produced in the CARS report." In the areas of staffing levels and administrative efficiency, the Administrative Resource Review Committee, chaired by Apfel, has begun deliberating. Apfel wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that his office hadn't published any new estimates or projections since the end of last semester. "The idea of consultant assistance remains under consideration," he wrote. Last January, the administration and the Faculty Senate Council had proposed widespread academic changes in the face of financial deficits, including replacing the currently offered 43 majors and 47 minors offered to undergraduates with a much smaller number of interdisciplinary meta-majors, increasing the size of the undergraduate student body by 12 percent, requiring a summer semester to be completed before junior year and decreasing the number of Arts and Sciences faculty by 10 percent.At a special faculty meeting held last January, faculty voted to set up the CARS committee as a bottom-up, faculty-driven effort to consider those proposals or alternatives to respond to the financial challenges. Those discussions resulted in proposals for a faculty affiliations policy to mitigate the reduction of the faculty and new academic programs such as the Business major and the Justice Brandeis Semester to increase the University's academic appeal and increase enrollment through offering off-campus academic opportunities. At the Dec. 3 Faculty Senate meeting, Koplow emphasized that Brandeis should focus on its strengths. "Koplow stressed that we are part of an institution of higher education whose values are not strictly limited to education," the minutes state. "A major pillar of this university is the mission of social justice, and this could be pushed more to the forefront and integrated into many of the programs.""I think the initial CARS report was very effective. We were operating under different circumstances with different numbers," von Mering said. "When we put forth our recommendation, we knew we couldn't guarantee it would solve the problem but we had a good shot. At the time that was good enough." The new effort will pick up from where the original CARS process left off, she said. "The fact that CARS is behind us means the data from the report is available so people don't have to start from scratch," she said. "Thirty-five faculty retirements were a wish list. We knew it was a gamble; it turned out it was not good enough to solve the problem." -Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(12/01/09 5:00am)
Medical EmergencyDec. 8-A subject fell and hit his head and was conscious but not alert. University Police and BEMCo responded. The subject was treated on-scene and was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Dec. 12-A caller reported an intoxicated 18-year-old female in the women's bathroom in Usen Hall. University Police and BEMCo responded, and the patient was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Dec. 12-A caller reported a male party passed out on the stairs of the Shapiro Campus Center. University Police requested BEMCo at the scene, and the ambulance was notified to transport the patient to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Dec. 12-A 20-year-old male was reported to be having a seizure in the Village B House. BEMCo was requested, and the victim was transported by ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.Dec. 21-University Police responded to a party having a panic attack in Bassine. The ambulance transported the party to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.LarcenyDec. 14-A party arrived at the University Police Station and reported that her bicycle had been stolen from the bicycle rack outside of the Golding Health Center. University Police compiled a report on the theft.DisturbanceDec. 11-University Police received a call that students were smoking in an apartment at 110 Angleside Road. University Police advised the community development coordinator on call of the incident.Dec. 12-A caller reported loud music coming from the room next door on 567 South St. The caller asked the people in the room to lower the music but they did not comply with her request. University Police spoke with the neighbors and asked them to lower the music.Jan. 13-A subject reported that a male party had called her twice reporting threats to law enforcement officials in the Goldfarb Library. The University Police detectives' office investigated the matter, and a report was compiled.MiscellaneousDec. 6- University Police recieved a report of an automobile accident. There were no injuries reported. University Police compiled a report on the incident.Dec. 11-University Police received a report of four people on the roof of the Edison-Lecks Science building. The students were advised to leave the area. University Police compiled a report. The roof door was secured.Dec. 11-A building fire was reported in the Charles Bank Apartment complex off University property. University Police assisted the Waltham Police Department and Fire Department at the scene.Dec. 21-A party reported an automobile accident on Chapels Field Road. There were no injuries reported. University Police contacted Facilities Services to request that they sand and salt the roadway.Jan. 4-A registered party reported that the stock room in the Kalman Science Building showed signs of an attemtpted break-in. University Police compiled a report on the incident.-compiled by Alana Abramson
