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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 18
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
HOUSING PLANS AND UPDATES
MEETING
Brandeis faculty meet to discuss handbook changes ■ The faculty met for their March
meeting to discuss necessary changes to the faculty handbook as a result of their recent vote. By ANNA MARTIN
JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
As the University moves towards restructuring, faculty have begun to dive into the specifics and started discussing amendments that need to be made to the faculty handbook. On March 28 at 2 p.m., the faculty met in The Heller School for Social Policy and Management room G04 to review and debate motions to alter the faculty handbook prior to sending them out for a faculty vote this coming week. The meeting began by discussing the results of the last faculty vote, in which 76.5% of voting-eligible faculty and administrators participated. These individuals were voting on the following motion: “The Faculty authorize the President and the Provost to further develop a new structure for the University that combines the School of Arts & Sciences, Heller, and Brandeis International Business School into four new administrative units. Each of these units will be led by an academic dean who reports to the Provost, aided by Vice Provosts focusing on innovation at the undergraduate and graduate level. The vote is made with the expectation that coordinating handbook changes will be pre-
Waltham, Mass.
sented for Faculty vote at two meetings this spring.” This motion passed with 280 votes in favor, totaling to an 87.8% majority. As a result, the University will officially move forward with the restructuring as proposed. In order for this restructuring to be done successfully, changes to the faculty handbook need to be made. At the March 28 meeting, potential changes were proposed to the faculty and opened for debate. The first proposed motion was titled “Handbook Amendment 1: Academic Leadership” and was split into two sections. These sections are as follows: “Eliminates the positions and role descriptions of the Dean of Arts & Sciences, the Dean of the Heller School, the Dean of the Brandeis International Business School, and the four Division Heads.” “Establishes and defines the new Academic Deans – who will lead the School of Arts, Humanities, and Culture; the School of Business and Economics; the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology; and the School of Social Sciences and Social Policy – as well as the new Vice Provosts for Undergraduate and Graduate Affairs.” Following a short discussion regarding the amendment, Prof. Lisa Lynch (HELLER) took the stand. She proposed a “friendly amendment” to the motion, calling for a change of title language by having three out of the four new categories be titled “college” instead of “school.” She left the School of Business and Economics out of this
DORM: The Village Residence Hall was built in 2003 and houses 220 students.
Brandeis’ newest dorm plan updates ■ Vice President of Student Affairs
Andrea Dine revealed new details about the upcoming dorm building.
See FACULTY, 5 ☛ By ZOE ZACHARY JUSTICE EDITOR
BRIEF Waltham residents protest Trump Administration On Saturday, March 29 a group of mostly Waltham residents gathered on the sidewalk beside the intersection of Moody St. and Main St. The force of about 50 to 60 people protested the Trump Administration and declared their perceived notion that his cabinet members and plans for the country are infringing on democracy. Many of the protesters held hand-painted posters and waved American flags. Their signs read, “RESIST,” “Abolish [Immigration and Customs Enforcement],” “Women’s Rights = Human Rights,” “My Body My Choice,” “Science is Real,” “When one voice speaks for all, no one is heard,” “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere,” “Diversity Makes Us Stronger” and many other short phrases capturing similar sentiments. For nearly two hours they chanted slogans off the signs and cheered when cars honked as they passed by. In a March 29 interview with The Justice, a Waltham resident stated that they, along with another resident, planned the protest about a month ago. They wanted to bring the problems they witnessed in
the country “as close to the community as possible.” The organizers elaborated, stating, “We need hundreds. We need thousands. We need everyone” to make a difference. The concerns they expressed mainly surrounded women's rights and increasingly strict immigration policy. “People in Waltham are worried. People are afraid to go out, afraid to go to school," said the protester regarding news of mass deportations. They speculated on the reversal of the country towards times when women “had to fight for basic human rights.” The protester cited a woman in Georgia who is facing felony charges for disposing of her miscarriage in a dumpster. They feared the implications this has on a woman's right to privacy and agency over her body. “The country is nuts,” they said. The lifelong Waltham resident said the goal of the protest was to make people notice the state of the country and take pause. Another protest will be held on Saturday April 5 on the Waltham Common. — Lucia Thomas
ANDREW BAXTER/The Justice file photo
For the past few years, housing has been a hot-button issue on Brandeis’ campus. Students have complained about the quantity as well as the quality of their living facilities, an issue that only worsens as the Brandeis budget grows tighter and dorms age further. Some may not be aware that there is a new dorm building being planned for construction. The operation is headed by Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Dine and Vice President for Campus Planning and Operations Lois Stanley. Dine stated in a March 25 interview with The Justice that the building is still on track to open in fall of 2027. As Dine cautioned, however, there are a myriad of disturbances that could change that date, including new tariffs issued by President Donald Trump. Most of the materials for the dorm are sourced within the United States, so Dine remains optimistic that the project will continue to stay on its projected timeline, with construction set to begin this July. Since The Justice’s last publication regarding the new dorm building in an April 2024 issue, several new details about the dorm have been confirmed. One of the most notable details is that it will be built over the area that is currently X-lot, the small parking lot for on-campus juniors and seniors behind Ziv Quadrangle. A small portion of Theater-lot will also go to the
dorm’s construction site, though most of it will remain parking spaces. Considering that X-lot is lower geographically than T-lot, Dine explained that the foundation of the building will be at the “X-lot level” with entrances on the “T-lot level.” As of the latest changes in design, the building will hold approximately 630 students. It will also be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified. According to LEED’s website, certification is granted to buildings that are “healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings, which offer social and governance benefits.” When asked about the consequences of building in an area that students use to park, Dine referenced an external parking study that was issued by the Department of Campus Planning and Operations. According to Dine, using X-lot for this project is the first step in a major reallocation of Brandeis parking. Currently, she explained, there are several lots on campus that are congested with cars, and several that are barely used. A long-term goal for the University is to reorganize campus parking to alleviate this skewed distribution, but there are no immediate plans to expand parking on campus. The dorm is being designed by the architects that worked on Skyline Residence Hall, William Rawn Associates. The building itself will wrap around a central green area, and its exterior will be a metal facade featuring a gradient of colors. The exact colors, Dine stated, are still being chosen. Additionally, the building’s architecture makes it available for larger community activities. Dine, who is particularly passionate about the community aspect of the dorm’s architecture, stated that there will be both an outdoor amphitheater and a large community space. Ac-
See HOUSING, 5☛
"Unfortunately, current economic and international challenges have reached The Justice’s printer. Due to circumstances that are outside our control, pages 3, 4, 17 and 18 will have to be printed in black and white this week. We invite you to review the entire color paper on our website, thejustice.org. We apologize for any inconvenience this will cause for our readers and hope that our printing will be able to return to normal next week." —Anna Martin, The Justice Editor in Chief
Decolonizing Environmentalism
'Porcelain War' Brandeis continues supporting Ukraine with an oncampus screening of the Oscarnominated documentary.
Prof. Prakash Kashwan (ENV) discusses his new book. By BRIANNA EARLE
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
FEATURES 6
Yearbook revival effort
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
By LUCIA THOMAS
Zeitouna peace group speaks at JStreet U event By ROSIE FELLIG
By NEMMA KALRA
Brandeis Softball record broken
ARTS AND CULTURE 15
By REMI YOUNG
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NEWS 3
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FORUM 9
SPORTS 12