Rose Art Letter from President of the Brandeis University Alumni Association

Jan. 29, 2009 Dear fellow Brandeis alumni: I wanted to share with you some perspective on the news you've undoubtedly read concerning Brandeis and the future of the Rose Art Museum. As president of the Alumni Association with a seat on the University's Board of Trustees, I was on campus Monday for the meeting where Brandeis' financial situation was discussed.  The strategy to ensure the strong future of the academy and the value of what's essential to Brandeis... its students, its faculty and our Brandeis degrees were discussed at great length. You must certainly know the decision about the Rose was not an easy nor lightly taken one. But the context of what else is going on in light of the new economic realities we all face is also important here. Like other universities, Brandeis is feeling the effects of the global financial downturn: the value of the endowment has decreased, gifts to the University may fall, and students need additional financial aid because their family economic situations have deteriorated. The administration has and is taking steps to reduce costs but it goes much beyond that. Brandeis is embarking upon a new era where opportunities to adjust to the 21st century and a changing environment prevail. These include discussions with faculty, students, administrators and trustees in recent months...in fact there have been some 30+ meetings with these various constituencies on campus and they continue today when a new faculty-student committee was formed to discuss curriculum options. Other ideas ranging from a student summer semester, to slightly increasing the size of the student body, to a small decrease in faculty, to changing the structure of undergraduate majors to better highlight interdisciplinary study, field experience and experiential learning, are all on the table. And each idea under consideration is being thoroughly studied and vetted before final decisions are made. In addition, the University has already realized savings through the elimination of staff positions (through layoffs or attrition). As for the Rose, the museum building will be converted to much-needed arts teaching and gallery space for Brandeis students and faculty. Through an orderly process that might take years, pieces of the collection might be sold. The University is well aware of market conditions and is not planning a sudden and drastic sale of the artwork, but rather a cautious approach with an eye towards the future. President Reinharz explained it well on NPR, if you want to hear more about it firsthand: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99974995 There is sadness, disappointment, and grieving from within the Brandeis community about the painful decisions necessitated by the country's economic downturn and I regret that it has affected Brandies, too. But I feel confident in the University's leadership and its focus on the future for a stronger than ever Brandeis in the decades ahead.We especially need our alumni and their active support for Brandeis at this time more than ever. The administration is well aware of the range of opinions and emotions among alumni about the Rose and other issues...and is doing its best to respond to many of you directly. We alumni are integral to shaping the future of Brandeis and I hope you will consider taking an even more active role in ensuring a strong new century for our alma mater. Sincerely, Allen Alter '71 President Brandeis Alumni Association Brandeis University | 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453