The Brandeis Dispute

President Abram L. Sachar of Brandeis sees himself as an umpire resolving differences among squabbling faculty members. But incidents over the last five years indicate that Sachar usually makes the decisions first and the faculty only starts squabbling later, more often than not with considerable justification.

In the case of the two sociology posts cancelled two months ago, Sachar acted suddenly, belatedly, and apparently without consulting anyone in the department beforehand. That he now finds himself faced with possible resignations from six members of the twelve-man department is hardly surprising. Most of the six, however, are expected to stay through next year, and if Sachar wants them to stay longer he might take their demands in the area of university decision-making more seriously.

What the sociology department asks for is understandable, if vague: "the inauguration as rapidly as possible, in place of the present system, of a scheme of reasonable rules and due processes, legislated as far as may be by those most nearly affected."

Sachar believes that taking power away from the president is "the best way totally to paralyze a university," and he may be right. But this one-man rule at Brandeis has become in recent years the largest obstacle to that university's progress.

Sachar's overall accomplishments in eighteen years have been impressive, and some argue that as founding president he still needs full authority to set Brandeis on its way. But Sachar has already brought his colony to a point where it needs a degree of independence. By refusing to offer concessions now he risks undoing eighteen years of achievement and a future of extraordinary potential.