Spring Break
Disputes continue over Rose
by Hannah Kirsch
Deputy Editor
News | 3/10/09
Posted online at 8:01 AM EST on 3/10/09
Administrators, faculty and Rose Art Museum officials continue to conflict over the significance of the recent donation toward the Rose's operating expenses and the status of the Rose closing as a public art museum.
Last week, University President Jehuda Reinharz announced in an e-mail to alumni that "a donor recently stepped forward to help fund the continued operations of the museum." But some, including Chairman of the Rose Board of Overseers Jonathan Lee, have questioned the significance of earmarking the donation for Rose expenses.
Rose Director Michael Rush said, "The only [University] contributions to the Rose are what I call 'below-the-line' expenses-things like light, electricity, heat and our share of how we use what is common to buildings that are on the campus." He said that there will be "no change in expense for the University" after the Rose is repurposed to an art center and teaching facility: "It's not about the content," he said. According to Rush, the amount of money the University puts into the Rose building has varied between about $200,000 and $300,000 annually during his tenure at Brandeis.
Joe Baerlein of Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, Inc., the University's temporary public relations firm, said, "I'd characterize this as … a gesture of goodwill, between both [Reinharz] and this donor, … knowing that the Rose gets support from the University for their overhead costs, and I don't think it's anything more than that. It's unfortunate that the gesture both by the donor and by the president would be interpreted as anything less than that."
Last week, Baerlein told the Justice that the anonymous donation was "a substantial, low-six-figure gift that is very generous." He said that Reinharz suggested to the donor that the gift be put toward the Rose's building expenses.
Reinharz said at last Thursday's faculty meeting that the donation "was given to us because of the overhead [the Rose] was not able to meet."
Last week, University President Jehuda Reinharz announced in an e-mail to alumni that "a donor recently stepped forward to help fund the continued operations of the museum." But some, including Chairman of the Rose Board of Overseers Jonathan Lee, have questioned the significance of earmarking the donation for Rose expenses.
Rose Director Michael Rush said, "The only [University] contributions to the Rose are what I call 'below-the-line' expenses-things like light, electricity, heat and our share of how we use what is common to buildings that are on the campus." He said that there will be "no change in expense for the University" after the Rose is repurposed to an art center and teaching facility: "It's not about the content," he said. According to Rush, the amount of money the University puts into the Rose building has varied between about $200,000 and $300,000 annually during his tenure at Brandeis.
Joe Baerlein of Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, Inc., the University's temporary public relations firm, said, "I'd characterize this as … a gesture of goodwill, between both [Reinharz] and this donor, … knowing that the Rose gets support from the University for their overhead costs, and I don't think it's anything more than that. It's unfortunate that the gesture both by the donor and by the president would be interpreted as anything less than that."
Last week, Baerlein told the Justice that the anonymous donation was "a substantial, low-six-figure gift that is very generous." He said that Reinharz suggested to the donor that the gift be put toward the Rose's building expenses.
Reinharz said at last Thursday's faculty meeting that the donation "was given to us because of the overhead [the Rose] was not able to meet."
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Realintegrity
posted 3/10/09 @ 9:57 AM EST
Mr. Baerlein would have benefited from a Brandeis education. It is his integrity as a crisis handler is at the heart of "intentially confus[ing]" the public. (Continued…)
Sara Cormeny '92
posted 3/10/09 @ 3:41 PM EST
Thanks for this article which airs all sides and keeps all of us who are interested, up to date on the stances of the Museum, Faculty and Administration. (Continued…)
michaeal
posted 3/11/09 @ 8:11 PM EST
Is it really possible that Reinharz remains as President after this incompetent bumbling performance ?
Question number two, although perhaps more important, is how much will wind up going to a PR firm to make a spokesmodel available for comments on matters which Reinharz should be able to respond? A couple of weeks ago, a letter went to Brandeis parents ostensibly from Reinharz which was barely comprehensible as he flipped then flopped then flipped about the Rose museum. (Continued…)
michael
posted 3/15/09 @ 11:27 AM EST
Just saw the piece on the Rose on CBS Sunday Morning show.
OK, so the museum IS closing, art WILL be sold, staff is being fired. Could you please do some reporting on class size and course offerings with the mass firings of adjuncts ? What will the teacher-student ratio look like next year ?
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