4 #1 fastest-growing university Those of us who grew up in Israel in the 1970s undoubtedly remember the television series Maher Yoter, Gavoah Yoter, Chazak Yoter (“Faster, Higher, Stronger”), both because it was an excellent show about sports—and because those were the years of single-channel television. Since I became president of Bar-Ilan, it has often occurred to me that the sense of drive conveyed by the series’ title and the determination it expresses to excel across not just one, but many parameters, could just as well be the mantra of our leadership and faculty. It is therefore only natural, albeit still immensely gratifying, that we have increasingly become the place at which both Israelis and overseas students choose to pursue their degrees in the Jewish state. Indeed, with nearly 20,000 students, Bar-Ilan is now officially Israel’s fastestgrowing university.* Better yet, make that Israel’s fastest sustainably growing university: Our rise in enrollment occurred alongside not only an increase in students’ average entrance scores and the quality of our instruction through new technologies. It has also taken place while we’ve kept a tight lid on costs, recruiting all department heads to the critical task of lowering spending— and resulting, for the first time in nearly a decade, with a balanced budget. Their success, in turn, was made possible by an organizational culture that facilitates high productivity, by new operational and business-intelligence systems that dramatically boost efficiency, and above all, by leaders and staff who are committed to the dual goals of good education and good management. And in this regard, I would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Efrat Bodner, who until this past April served as my chief of staff. It is in no small part thanks to her talent and dedication that the University was able to effect this transformative change. Yet while growth is certainly an important way to measure the success of our educational and administrative accomplishments, it is never a goal in itself. Rather, the growth President’s Message
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