The Reinharz email

I have received many email messages concerning the decision by the University's Board of Trustees to close the Rose Art Museum. I apologize for not sending a personal response, but I felt that timeliness was important. There are several points I wish to make, as there are a number of misunderstandings regarding the situation. For those of you who have read various media reports, there are a number of facts that the media has chosen not to report.

First, no one at the University or on the Board of Trustees is pleased or takes comfort in the decision to close the Rose. It is a very sad and painful decision, and I can assure you that it was not taken lightly or without very careful consideration as to the available and responsible alternatives.

Second, the figure of $10 million that has appeared in the media refers only to reductions in the University's budget for this year. The financial problems confronting Brandeis and almost all other colleges and universities, including many of the most elite, are far more complex and of greater duration than simply a single year. I will have more to say about that below.

Third, no actions are being taken in haste. There is a lengthy and detailed process that must be followed in order to sell artwork, including legal requirements that must be met. This is a process that will take months, under the best of circumstances.

Fourth, the University is well aware of the current state of the art market, which is another reason that there will be no rush to sell. In addition, the University is not committed to selling all of the items. Decisions will be made on a careful case-by-case basis.

Fifth, I would like to reiterate the point that has been made in public releases from the University, specifically that Brandeis is not lessening its commitment to the creative and visual arts. The Rose will be transitioned into a fine arts teaching center with studio space and an exhibition gallery, expanded facilities of which the University has had a long-term need and which directly benefit our students.

Sixth, the University has already gone through a process of financial belt tightening, reducing the current fiscal year budget by $10 million and planning for a further multi-million dollar reduction in the next fiscal year.

As I noted above, the financial pressures faced by Brandeis and most of its sister institutions will continue well beyond the current year. We are in a growing national and international recession from which recovery is projected to be slow, lasting over the next few years. Further, the crisis that has hit the financial and credit markets has reduced the value of virtually every college and university's endowment by 25 percent or more. Brandeis already has a plan in place to address next year's projected deficit and sufficient reserves to meet the needs of the current and next fiscal year after budget reduction measures have been implemented. The University has prepared financial modeling projections through FY2014. For its long-term fiscal and academic health, the University must take steps to ensure that revenues fully meet its expenses. The focus, as I have noted on numerous occasions, will be on ensuring the strength and integrity of the University?s core educational mission of being an excellent undergraduate college and research university. Resources provided as a result of closing the Rose Art Museum will help to ensure that this multi-year transition and reconsolidation are accomplished with as little disruption as possible and in a manner that strengthens Brandeis's core mission and positions the University effectively for the century ahead.