Update on Springboard Funding Plan
Oct. 24, 2019
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
I am excited to report that we are ready to move forward with the Springboard Funding Plan. As you may remember from my earlier communications, Springboard begins to address both day-to-day operational gaps and the larger strategic goals outlined in Brandeis University’s Framework for Our Future as the university transitions beyond what I have called our startup phase.
We have secured $84.7 million in funding to be used in excess of our operating budget for resources and programs across the university. Some of the many initiatives that Springboard will make possible include:
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Hiring at least 15 incremental faculty members in the School of Arts and Sciences, and Brandeis International Business School, in addition to our usual annual hiring. By growing the size of the faculty, we will be able to better meet student demand in various academic programs, reduce the size of large introductory classes, and rebalance the overall faculty-to-student ratio.
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Increasing funding for employee benefits, and the faculty and staff salary pools, to assist in recruitment and retention.
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Hiring additional therapists in the Brandeis Counseling Center.
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Making investments in public safety, including the hiring of a night lieutenant and an additional police officer, updating our campus security-camera network, and adding transportation shuttles to increase service and reduce wait times.
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Hiring an academic adviser in Academic Services and an international student adviser in the International Students and Scholars Office.
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Increasing emergency funds for undergraduate and graduate students.
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Adding funding to construct laboratories for new sciences faculty.
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Modernizing and upgrading a number of university buildings to address the most-needed maintenance and code-compliance issues.
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Improving and increasing campus cellular and Wi-Fi coverage and performance through investments in antenna infrastructure.
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Adding funding to improve our dining program in conjunction with the university’s upcoming request for proposal to administer dining services.
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Expanding the university’s philanthropy and fundraising capacity, including the hiring of staff dedicated to alumni engagement, in anticipation of an upcoming major campaign.
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Adding resources to support diversity, equity, and inclusion education, training, and development.
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Adding staff resources for the University Ombuds program.
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Adding funding for staff in the Office of Communications, Marketing, and External Relations to enhance our strategic marketing and internal communications capacity and effectiveness.
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Adding funding to the president’s discretionary fund to support strategic initiatives, including recommendations from our four Framework task forces.
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Continuing to modernize technology infrastructure so that students can access their grades, view and register for courses, and manage their academic careers through a secure, cloud-based platform.
Springboard funding is divided between operational and capital investments that are now underway. Here are the sources of funding:
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Of the $40.7 million dedicated toward the operational budget, we raised $21.6 million from our trustees, with the remaining funds coming from an increase in unrestricted bequests and annual fund contributions, and a temporary increase in the spend rate on a portion of our endowment.
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The capital budget of $44 million was raised through the university’s recent bond refinancing. Due to favorable interest-rate market conditions and high investor demand, we raised more than the $26 million originally projected, without increasing annual debt service payments or our overall debt.
Although this funding is significant, it does not cover all that will be required to achieve our vision for the university. Springboard is just the first step, providing an essential boost in our efforts to better support the Brandeis community, match our capacity to demand, and revitalize outdated infrastructure. These foundational investments provide us with some room to think beyond our current challenges so that we can seize future opportunities. In turn, Springboard will allow us to implement the Framework and enter our upcoming campaign with greater confidence, better prepared for long-term success.
I am grateful to the colleagues who contributed to this Springboard plan, and especially to the trustees who believed in and supported it. Springboard signifies a renewed commitment to the university and to one another. The time has come for all of us to invest in Brandeis.
Sincerely,
Ron