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T h e I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9 Volume LXXVII, Number 6
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
CONTRACT ENDED
Waltham, Mass.
PENDING LAWSUIT
Brandeis accused of financial aid price fixing ■ A recent lawsuit names
Brandeis as one of 40 universities alleged to have conspired together to increase tuition costs, stifling competition among top universities. By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON JUSTICE EDITOR
BRYAN WOLFE/The Justice
MUSIC: Prof. Taylor Ackley (MUS) preforming in Sherman Function Hall.
Music professor Taylor Ackley’s contract to end in 2025 ■ Prof. Ackley, a specialist
in American folk and ethnomusicology, will be the next to leave the University amidst budget cuts to the music department. By ZOE ZACHARY JUSTICE EDITOR
Prof. Taylor Ackley (MUS) has been teaching at Brandeis since 2022. A doctor of ethnomusicology and specialist in American Roots music, Ackley runs the Roots Music Ensemble and teaches several classes for the music department. According to his website, Ackley research aims to “understand and analyze the American Folk and Roots music as art grounded in the experiences of poor and working class people.” In an Oct. 28 email to members of the music department from Lance Rothchild ’26, a member of Roots Ensemble, it was revealed that his contract would not be renewed for the 2025-2026 school year, a decision which they described as “short-sighted and wrong.” In an interview with The Justice
on Oct. 23, director Ted Gilman emphasized Ackley’s importance to the Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which provides learning opportunities for intellectually curious adults. As Gilman put it, “[Ackley’s] courses are wildly popular, they routinely fill up to the registration capacity … His reviews are extraordinarily good.” At this point, around one quarter of BOLLI’s participants have taken a course with Ackley. Gilman described how Ackley brings a youthful and spirited energy to BOLLI’s courses, a welcome presence in a community that consists mostly of retired individuals. Recently, Gilman said Ackley has been teaching courses at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Mount Ida Campus. According to Gilman, they have been well-attended and well-liked courses. “Taylor does a magnificent job of creating community,” Gilman explained. "[Ackley’s] classes are mostly discussion-oriented, and everyone who attends is 'riveted.'” Before the official decision on Oct. 28, Ackley had told Gilman personally that his contract might
not be renewed. Gillman described to The Justice the impact Ackley’s departure would have on BOLLI: “[Ackley] is irreplaceable because of the interesting combination of performer, ethnomusicologist and extraordinary teacher” he described. “We hope it’s not too late to reverse that decision … He is well-loved.” Pia Daliana ’27, a member of Roots Ensemble, described the experience of learning under Ackley in an Oct. 25 interview with The Justice. Historically, Roots Ensemble has been offered as a course in the Spring semester. “[One thing] I really liked about Professor Ackley is that he was so encouraging, wanting people to put themselves out there, but not too pushy,” Daliana stated. She recalled that Ackley had encouraged a quieter member of the ensemble to lead a song, and it had ended up being a memorable experience. “If Professor Ackley hadn’t provided the emotional support … we might not have had such a special moment with that specific song.” She went on to express appreciation towards Ackley for his enthusiasm and ability to convey his
See MUSIC, 7 ☛
Make a difference
Mysterious meanderings
Massachusetts ballot guide
Brandeis Osher Lifelong
This review is a beautiful ode to the feminists works from the Italian Renaissance.
By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON
Learning Institute's "Make A Difference" group encourages community members to vote.
By MARINA ROSENTHAL AND BRYAN
By ANNA MARTIN Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
On Oct. 7, Brandeis University was named in a class action lawsuit, accused of conspiring with 39 other top universities and the College Board in price-fixing. The suit was filed with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and alleges the dependants’ “concerted action” has caused the price of tuition to increase for students with noncustodial parents — a parent who does not have primary custody of their child after a divorce or separation. The plaintiffs, Maxwell Hansen, a current student at Boston University and Eileen Chang, an alumnus of Cornell University, assert that since 2006, the College Board — responsible for developing and administering standardized procedures related to college admissions — collaborated with the 40 university defendants to implement the Non-Custodial Parent Agreed Pricing Strategy. According to the plaintiffs, this “collectively agreed” method to assess how much financial aid a student qualified for — based on financial information that includes noncustodial parents — increases tuition costs for students from divorced or separated parents. The NCP Agreed Pricing Strategy differs from the Federal Methodology, which is used by the federal government. This method uses information submitted by applicants on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and only considers a student's income and assets, as well as the household size, income and assets of the custodial parent. However, the College Scholarship Service Profile, administered by the College Board, has “more stringent requirements” that lead to less favorable financial packages for students with divorced or separated parents, the lawsuit says. The filing states that the consideration of non-custodial parents resulted in students having to pay about $6,200 more for college compared to students whose schools used just the FAFSA — adding to the increasing burden of tuition and student debt. “Paying for college is one of
the landmark financial burdens millions of students and parents face,” the lawsuit states. “The Defendants’ conduct at issue here has only made matters worse.” The plaintiffs claim the NCP Agreed Pricing Strategy violates the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibits practices that restrain trade and competition in the marketplace. In part, the act states: “Every contract, combination in the form of trust or other-wise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal.” The College Board, along with the 40 universities, established an “agreement between horizontal competitors,” dampening the “competitive process where colleges took differing approaches to the consideration of noncustodial parent assets,” according to the court filings. “Absent this agreement the University Defendants would have competed in offering financial aid in order to enroll their top candidates,” the lawsuit states. Hasen, one of the plaintiffs and a current BU student, was required to submit a CSS Profile, according to the lawsuit, and received $15,000 a year in financial aid from American University. He attended American University from the fall of 2021 through the fall of 2023, before transferring to BU. He received $20,000 a year in financial aid from BU, despite receiving no financial support from his non-custodial parent. According to BU’s website, tuition is approximately $90,207. Chang, the other named plaintiff, graduated from Cornell University in 2021. She also submitted a CSS Profile. The lawsuit adds that Chang’s non-custodial parent is on disability and has an income higher than her custodial parent. She received need-based federal and non-federal financial aid. However, since Chang’s noncustodial parent was on disability and could not contribute, she requested Cornell to not consider that parent’s financial information. The request was denied, the lawsuit states, and “she was told that non-custodial parents are expected to help pay tuition.” During her time at Cornell, the tuition was around $70,000 a year, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit asserts that, in addition to the “antitrust injury,” the extra burden may result in decreased academic performance. “It can be difficult for students to allocate sufficient time and ener-
FEATURES 8
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See LAWSUIT, 7 ☛
NEWS 3
Losing the Lydian String Quartet By The JUSTICE EDITORIAL BOARD
FORUM 10
WOLFE
New women's basketball coach, Julie Prichett
ARTS AND CULTURE 14
By MILES GOLDSTIEN
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SPORTS 16