Colleges and universities in America are big business – and big recipients of fundraising dollars. Despite this, it is unusual for the day to day business of these institutions to make the front page of major newspapers, let alone the major philanthropy trade press.
Two recently concluded and public cases involved Princeton University and Fisk University.
Princeton’s multi-year and very public legal dispute with a donors family, heirs to the A & P Supermarket chain, over control of an endowment was recently settled out of court. Fisk’s fight with the Georgia O’Keefe Museum over their art collection was closely followed in both the general media and the art and philanthropy trade press.
Whether either of these institutions expected the public interest is difficult to know. But I do suspect, that when Brandeis University’s Board of Trustees met two days ago they did not anticipate the public and prominent outcry over their announcement to close the University’s Rose Art Museum. From the front page of The New York Times to The Boston Globe, to The Chronicle of Philanthropy and many others, this is a story that doesn’t seem to be going away. And it appears now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is looking into the decision.
Having observed first hand the decade long legal battle over moving the Barnes Foundation from suburban Philadelphia to Center City, Brandeis might be wise to not plan on closing the Rose on their currently stated timetable.
Two links from the extensive reports in the general media – first from the Boston Globe:
Crisis raises questions on Brandeis campus
For Brandeis University, the financial damage came fast, and the fallout has cut deep.
This fall, the private liberal arts college watched its endowment plummet and its fund-raising drop off sharply, as many of the school’s most reliable and deep-pocketed donors suffered heavy losses in the Bernard Madoff investment scandal.
from The New York Times:
Outcry Over a Plan to Sell Museum’s Holdings
The Massachusetts attorney general’s office said on Tuesday that it planned to conduct a detailed review of Brandeis University’s surprise decision to sell off the entire holdings of its Rose Art Museum, one of the most important collections of postwar art in New England.
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Cynic says
January 28, 2009 at 8:16 pmBut I do suspect, that when Brandeis University’s Board of Trustees met two days ago they did not anticipate the public and prominent outcry over their announcement to close the University’s Rose Art Museum.
you couldn’t be more wrong. The reason that Brandeis voted to close the Rose was precisely because it had weathered this storm once before, and was well aware of just how much outrage any further deaccessioning of artwork would engender. So instead of selling off a handful of absurdly valuable works (almost the entire $3-400m value of the collection rests on a few dozen paintings) and using the proceeds to rescue both the university and the museum, Brandeis decided to shut it down. The art world had made it clear that it would respond to deaccessioning aimed at bolstering the finances of the parent institution by revoking accreditation and boycotting loans and exhibitions. The moment the trustees decided to sell even a single work, they knew the museum was dead. Better to shut the whole thing down, and realize the savings, than to put on a brave face and try to deny reality.
So why’d they do it? They faced a Hobson’s choice – sell off the collection, or slip down to the third-tier of American universities. Their fiscal crisis really is that dire. For my money, they made the right decision.
Dan says
January 28, 2009 at 8:37 pmI understand the decision may have been the only responsible one to make. But why was the museum’s board kept in the dark:
Jonathan Lee, the chairman of the museum’s board of overseers, said “nobody at the museum — neither the director nor myself nor anyone else — was informed of this or had any idea what was going on.”
(source) New York Times – http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/arts/design/28rose.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=nonprofit&st=cse
Dan says
January 30, 2009 at 9:06 amBy the way Cynic, I completely respect your right to remain anonymous. It it is also apparent you are more likely on the inside of Brandeis than the outside and this may have influenced your decision; but using a made-up email address? In general people who post anonymously set-up a neutral yahoo (or other) account.