Latest news with #MichaelThaddeus
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Columbia University Offers To Settle Rankings Lawsuit For $9 Million
Columbia University has offered $9 million to settle a lawsuit over what past students alleged were ... More fraudulent data submitted to inflate the university's national ranking. getty Columbia University has offered $9 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by former students who claimed the university had submitted inaccurate data to U.S. News & World Report, according to the Columbia Spectator . The lawsuit, filed against Columbia on Aug. 2, 2022, claimed that the university had misrepresented some of the data it submitted to U.S. News & World Report , as part of that publication'a annual college rankings. Columbia's ranking was artificially inflated, constituting false advertising, according to the students, who also contended that as a result of the inaccurate data, they overpaid to attend Columbia. In September 2022, Columbia acknowledged that it had submitted some inaccurate data as part of its participation in the college rankings done by U. S. News & World Report for the 2022 edition of its Best College s (published September 2021). The revelation came in a message from then-Provost Mary Boyce that Columbia would begin to submit data to the Common Data Set, an initiative by colleges and universities to provide a wide array of data to the public about their institutional performance. The Columbia ranking controversy began when Michael Thaddeus, a professor of mathematics at the university, posted a lengthy critique of the data that Columbia had submitted for the college rankings. After Thaddeus compared institutional data to the numbers Columbia had submitted, he questioned the accuracy of several of the self-reported figures, including the number of classes of various sizes, the percentage of faculty with terminal degrees, the percentage of classes taught by full-time faculty, the student:faculty ratio, and the amount Columbia spent on instruction. At first, Columbia defended its data. But just before the July 1 deadline for submitting new data to U.S. News, Columbia changed its tune and, in a statement by Provost Boyce, said that the university had 'embarked on a review of our data collection and submissions process.' In the year following the discovery of the discrepancies, Columbia's ranking dropped from No. 2 to No. 18. Columbia later announced it would not submit data to U.S. News in 2023 for its undergraduate rankings, claiming that it had concluded that the 'rankings do not accurately capture the student experience or the priorities of the institution.' Columbia did not admit to any wrongdoing in its settlement offer. A university spokesperson wrote, 'while the University denies any wrongdoing, it deeply regrets deficiencies in prior reporting and has adopted new steps to improve the quality and accuracy of information available to prospective students." The Spectator also reported that a university official had provided a statement that Columbia was settling the lawsuit to avoid 'protracted and costly litigation.' The settlement covers about 22,000 former undergraduate students who were enrolled in Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, or Columbia's School of General Studies between 2016 and 2022. According to The New York Times , after contingency fees are paid to the plaintiff's lawyers, each student would each receive about $273. Columbia's settlement motion must still be approved by a judge.
Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Why Columbia University will pay $9 million to settle national ranking lawsuit
Columbia University has agreed to pay $9 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by students who claimed they had been overcharged for their education as a result of incorrect data that they said the school had provided to U.S. News & World Report to inflate its national ranking artificially. The lawsuit stemmed from a 2022 scandal over how Columbia earned a No. 2 spot in the magazine's annual 'Best Colleges' rankings that year, acing a process that is a powerful driver of prestige and applications for American universities. Believing there were flaws in the data underpinning the university's score, a Columbia mathematician investigated and published a blog post asserting that several key figures were 'inaccurate, dubious or highly misleading.' The discrepancies caused Columbia to drop to No. 18 in the rankings. The next year, Columbia opted out of the rankings altogether. The proposed settlement, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Monday (June 30), did not require Columbia to formally admit wrongdoing. But the university said in a statement Tuesday (July 1) that it 'deeply regrets deficiencies in prior reporting.' The settlement agreement covers some 22,000 former undergraduate students who attended Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, or Columbia's School of General Studies between 2016 and 2022 and will be eligible to apply for a slice of the award. If all the students applied, taking into account likely lawyers' fees, they would each receive about $273. The lawsuit claimed that Columbia had artificially inflated its ranking by consistently reporting false data, including that 83% of its classes had fewer than 20 students. Michael Thaddeus, the mathematician who first revealed the flaws in the data, said Tuesday that he found the settlement gratifying 'because it amounts to an admission that the students' complaint has merit.' 'Columbia did report false data over many years, and it reported false data about several things, not just class sizes,' he said. He added that it would have been even better if Columbia had made an 'honest attempt to explain its actions,' perhaps with an independent investigation addressing questions like why and how the false data were reported in the first place. 'The discovery stage of this lawsuit might have illuminated those questions,' he said. The scandal had a broader impact, leading to skepticism in how people view the U.S. News & World Report rankings, which largely rely on data self-reported by universities. At Columbia, it also prompted improvements in how the university reports its own data. Since 2022, the university has published 'Common Data Sets,' which 'are reviewed by a well-established, independent advisory firm to ensure reporting accuracy,' a spokesperson said. The lawsuit was first filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in July 2022 by Ravi Campbell, a student who claimed he had overpaid based on false advertising. Several other students then sued, and the suits were combined to create a class action. What comes next? The motion to settle the case must still be approved by a judge. A Columbia official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said that while the university denied the allegations of misreporting and other misconduct, it was entering into the settlement agreement to avoid protracted and costly litigation.
CNN
02-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Columbia to pay $9 million to settle lawsuit over US News college ranking
Student lifeFacebookTweetLink Follow Columbia University agreed to pay $9 million to settle a proposed class action by students who claimed it submitted false data to boost its position in U.S. News & World Report's influential college rankings. A preliminary settlement, which requires a judge's approval, was filed on Monday in Manhattan federal court. Students said Columbia artificially inflated its U.S. News ranking for undergraduate schools, reaching No. 2 in 2022, by consistently reporting false data, including that 83% of its classes had fewer than 20 students. They said the misrepresentations enticed them to enroll and allowed Columbia to overcharge them on tuition. The settlement covers about 22,000 undergraduate students at Columbia College, Columbia Engineering and Columbia's School of General Studies from the fall of 2016 to the spring of 2022. Lawyers for the students called the accord fair, reasonable and adequate. Columbia denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. The university said in a statement that it 'deeply regrets deficiencies in prior reporting,' and now provides prospective students with data reviewed by an independent advisory firm to ensure they receive accurate information about their education. The litigation began in July 2022, after Columbia math professor Michael Thaddeus published a report alleging that data underlying the school's No. 2 ranking were inaccurate or misleading. Columbia's ranking dropped to No. 18 that September. In June 2023, Columbia said its undergraduate schools would stop participating in U.S. News' rankings. It said the rankings appeared to have 'outsized influence' with prospective students, and 'much is lost' in distilling education quality from a series of data points. Some other universities, including Harvard and Yale, also stopped submitting data to U.S. News for various schools. U.S. News also ranks graduate schools. Lawyers for the Columbia students plan to seek up to one-third of the settlement for legal fees, leaving about $6 million for the students.
CNN
02-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Columbia to pay $9 million to settle lawsuit over US News college ranking
Columbia University agreed to pay $9 million to settle a proposed class action by students who claimed it submitted false data to boost its position in U.S. News & World Report's influential college rankings. A preliminary settlement, which requires a judge's approval, was filed on Monday in Manhattan federal court. Students said Columbia artificially inflated its U.S. News ranking for undergraduate schools, reaching No. 2 in 2022, by consistently reporting false data, including that 83% of its classes had fewer than 20 students. They said the misrepresentations enticed them to enroll and allowed Columbia to overcharge them on tuition. The settlement covers about 22,000 undergraduate students at Columbia College, Columbia Engineering and Columbia's School of General Studies from the fall of 2016 to the spring of 2022. Lawyers for the students called the accord fair, reasonable and adequate. Columbia denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. The university said in a statement that it 'deeply regrets deficiencies in prior reporting,' and now provides prospective students with data reviewed by an independent advisory firm to ensure they receive accurate information about their education. The litigation began in July 2022, after Columbia math professor Michael Thaddeus published a report alleging that data underlying the school's No. 2 ranking were inaccurate or misleading. Columbia's ranking dropped to No. 18 that September. In June 2023, Columbia said its undergraduate schools would stop participating in U.S. News' rankings. It said the rankings appeared to have 'outsized influence' with prospective students, and 'much is lost' in distilling education quality from a series of data points. Some other universities, including Harvard and Yale, also stopped submitting data to U.S. News for various schools. U.S. News also ranks graduate schools. Lawyers for the Columbia students plan to seek up to one-third of the settlement for legal fees, leaving about $6 million for the students.
Boston Globe
01-07-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Columbia will pay $9 million to settle lawsuit over US News ranking
Advertisement The proposed settlement, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Monday, did not require Columbia to formally admit wrongdoing. But the university said in a statement Tuesday that it 'deeply regrets deficiencies in prior reporting.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The settlement agreement covers some 22,000 former undergraduate students who attended Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, or Columbia's School of General Studies between 2016 and 2022 and will be eligible to apply for a slice of the award. If all the students applied, taking into account likely lawyers' fees, they would each receive about $273. The lawsuit claimed that Columbia had artificially inflated its ranking by consistently reporting false data, including that 83% of its classes had fewer than 20 students. Advertisement Michael Thaddeus, the mathematician who first revealed the flaws in the data, said Tuesday that he found the settlement gratifying 'because it amounts to an admission that the students' complaint has merit.' 'Columbia did report false data over many years, and it reported false data about several things, not just class sizes,' he said. He added that it would have been even better if Columbia had made an 'honest attempt to explain its actions,' perhaps with an independent investigation addressing questions like why and how the false data were reported in the first place. 'The discovery stage of this lawsuit might have illuminated those questions,' he said. The scandal had a broader impact, leading to skepticism in how people view the U.S. News & World Report rankings, which largely rely on data self-reported by universities. At Columbia, it also prompted improvements in how the university reports its own data. Since 2022, the university has published 'Common Data Sets,' which 'are reviewed by a well-established, independent advisory firm to ensure reporting accuracy,' a spokesperson said. The lawsuit was first filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in July 2022 by Ravi Campbell, a student who claimed he had overpaid based on false advertising. Several other students then sued, and the suits were combined to create a class action. The motion to settle the case must still be approved by a judge. A Columbia official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said that while the university denied the allegations of misreporting and other misconduct, it was entering into the settlement agreement to avoid protracted and costly litigation. Advertisement This article originally appeared in
