ARTS Page 21
SPORTS Evans leaves coaching position 13
STUDENT ART
FORUM Reflections of a Texan at Brandeis 12 The Independent Student Newspaper
the
of
B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Justice
Volume LXVI, Number 14
www.thejustice.org
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
ADMINISTRATION
DECODING THE TREND
Report on Al-Quds shared with public
Course enrollment data for “COSI 11A: Programming in Java and C” indicates an upward trend in student interest in the introductory Computer Science course.
68 79
’07 ’08 ’09
88
’10
= 10 STUDENTS
’11 ’12 ’13
■ Prof. Susan Lanser
(ENG), Prof. Daniel Kryder (POL) and Daniel Terris compiled the report.
199%
110
By PHIL GALLAGHER JUSTICE EDITOR
An in-depth account examining the demonstrations that took place at AlQuds University on Nov. 5 and the nature of Al-Quds’ subsequent response, titled “A Report to the Brandeis Community on the Events of 2013 Involving Brandeis University and Al-Quds University,” was made public yesterday afternoon. The report, written by Daniel Terris, the director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, Profs. Susan Lanser (ENG) and Daniel Kryder (POL) concludes that Al-Quds University acted swiftly to condemn the demonstrations and recommends that Brandeis “resume and indeed redouble its commitment” to the partnership with AlQuds. Additionally, a resolution from the advisory board of the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life encouraged both Brandeis and Al-Quds to take steps to lift the
130 Growth since 2007 157 203
DESIGN BY RACHEL BURKHOFF AND REBECCA LANTNER/the Justice
A GROWING SUBJECT: The introductory computer science class enrollment has more than tripled in size since 2007.
University sees computer science enrollment boom ■ Prof. Antonella DiLillo
(COSI) suggested that some students have career-related motivations for enrolling. By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE EDITOR
The University’s Computer Science department has experienced a boom in undergraduate course enrollment in the past six years. The introductory course for the major, “COSI 11A: Programming in Java and C,” has almost tripled in enrollment since fall 2007. The course, which is only offered in the fall, enrolled 68 students in 2007. This semester, it has split into two sections with a combined enrollment of 203 students, with one course exceeding the enrollment cap of 100 students. Similarly, in spring 2008, “COSI 21A: Data Structures and the Fundamentals of Computing,” a required course for the major, enrolled 26 students.
This fall semester, the course enrolled 104 students, more than a fourfold increase. According to a survey that the Justice administered to students in COSI 11A and COSI 21A in cooperation with Prof. Antonella DiLillo (COSI), 70 percent of students in COSI 11A who responded were firstyears or sophomores. Meanwhile, the number of Computer Science graduates in the past five years has remained largely consistent, ranging from 22 to 26 students. The total number of students majoring in Computer Science, however, has grown during that time, suggesting a large number of students with degrees in computer science slated to graduate in the future. Every March 15, the Registrar collects data on the total number of majors and minors enrolled in every department. On March 15, 2009, only 36 students had declared a major in Computer Science. This past March 15, that number had grown to 61 students, close to doubling in size over four years.
suspension of Al-Quds University President Sari Nusseibeh from the advisory board of the Center. University President Frederick Lawrence and University Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 requested the report and asked the three professors to learn about the demonstration during a previously-scheduled research visit to Al-Quds, according to the report’s introduction. The demonstration in question, according to the report, “featured young men dressed in black military-style outfits, wearing black masks, and sporting fake automatic weapons.” In response to a Nov. 17 letter regarding the demonstration from Al-Quds University President Sari Nusseibeh, Lawrence suspended Brandeis’ partnership with Al-Quds. On the whole, the authors expressed their confidence with the immediate response of Al-Quds to the demonstrations. “Within 24 hours, the University administration had taken steps to address the unacceptable elements of the rally directly with student leaders, it had issued a direct and unambiguous condemnation of the event, and it had set up a formal investigative committee,”
See AL-QUDS, 7 ☛
FACULTY
Professors speak about Reinharz compensation
The trend is not limited to Brandeis. The Brown Daily Herald and the Boston Globe have recently published articles describing similar jumps in computer science enrollment at Brown University and Harvard University, respectively. At Brown, the chair of the computer science department estimated that 12 percent of all undergraduates are enrolled in a computer science course, according to the Herald. Harvard offers the popular CS50 course, which enrolls almost 700 students and commands a staff of 102 teaching assistants, graders and multimedia producers, reported the Globe. According to Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren in an email to the Justice, a similar increase in enrollment was seen “in the early 2000s.” “Apparently the department has seen large swings in undergraduate numbers more than once—it probably has something to do with how computer science has been repre-
■ The faculty convened for
its monthly meeting last Thursday to discuss several current issues. By SHAFAQ HASAN JUSTICE EDITOR
At the Dec. 5 faculty meeting, Prof. Sarah Mead (MUS) revealed that the University Budget Committee during the 2009 economic recession was unaware of the Board of Trustees’ decision to contract President Emeritus Jehuda Reinharz a salary of $1.5 million in 2009, $627,000 in 2011 and $300,000 each year from 2012 and 2014. According to University administrators, Reinharz’s post-presidency salary has declined from its high in 2011. Reinharz’s total compensation is ap-
See COSI, 7 ☛
proximately $300,000 each year from 2012 through 2014. In 2014, Reinharz will be compensated as president emeritus until June at the same rate as 2012 and 2013, with a total compensation that year of about $160,000. After June 2014, Reinharz’s annual salary will be $180,000 as a half-time professor. “I am hurt that I spent all those years on the UBC, which I am still a member of, and didn’t know anything about this. During a time we were in dire financial straits … we didn’t know this was happening,” Mead said. Mead’s comments were made during the question-and-answer section of the meeting during which faculty were encouraged to respond to the issue of executive compensation. Other faculty members responded simi-
See FACULTY, 6 ☛
African music
Rising up
State of the Union
A revived class is bringing Ghanaian music and dance to Mandel.
The men’s basketball team earned a third-place finish at the Big 4 Challenge.
Student Union President Ricky Rosen ’14 delivered the semi-annual address.
FEATURES 8 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
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INDEX
SPORTS 13 ARTS SPORTS
17 16
EDITORIAL FEATURES
10 8
OPINION POLICE LOG
10 2
READER COMMENTARY 11
News 3 COPYRIGHT 2013 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.