Dear Friends,

Allow me to share with you a few updates about recent activities at our University. This is an abridged version of the update in Hebrew.

1. The discussions with the Finance Ministry and the PBC regarding allocating the University additional funding and setting a development program have not been finalized yet, but we do believe that an agreement is within reach.

2. We aim to strengthen planning within the University and to better coordinate our activities. To meet that goal the academic units will determine their annual work plan and it will include three components: the unit’s goals; the inputs required to realize the goals; and a budgetary program to implement the required inputs.

3. The Mentors Program has been implemented. Faculty members are expected to coordinate with the students a mutually convenient timeslot for a meeting, rather than to unilaterally set a time according to the faculty-member’s preferences. We are obliged to better respect our students. Often, even only one frustrating experience might adversely affect our students’ overall evaluation of us.

4. This coming Board of Governors meeting, to be held June 10-13, 2018, will mark the centennial anniversary of laying the cornerstone of our University, specifically on July 24, 1918. We will hold special events, to which our entire community will be invited.

5. Congratulations to Nir Bar-Gill from the Racah Institute of Physics, who was recently awarded the Yoram Ben-Porath Award for an Excellent Young Scholar at the Hebrew University.

6. Two groups of students were recently involved in a violent incident at the Mt. Scopus Campus. While we are determined to prevent any act of violence, we are committed to protect our students’ right to free speech. We will continue to work hard to provide all students the opportunity to peacefully express their views.

7. We are committed to protect all members of our community from harassment and improper treatment. A faculty member was recently reprimanded for having an improper encounter with an administrative staff member. If you see something (wrong), please say something.

 

Yours,

Barak Medina, Rector