Brandeis University officials have agreed to pledge in writing that its Rose Art Museum will not sell any of its prized modern-art collection, The Boston Globe reports.

The promise–part of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by group of Rose supporters–ends a controversy that began in January 2009 when then-Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz announced plans to close the museum and sell its holdings to reduce the university’s budget crunch.

The proposal set off a firestorm among art and philanthropy experts. The university quickly backpedaled, but Rose backers said they maintained the legal fight to seek a guarantee Brandeis would not reconsider in a future crisis.