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(11/23/20 7:08am)
The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Judiciary temporarily suspended the TCU Senate Executive Board and Elections Commission (ECOM) on the night of Nov. 11, after believing that members of the Senate Executive Board were attempting to bypass an election and appoint students to fill vacant Senate seats. Ultimately, the Judiciaryrescinded its suspension against the Senate Executive Board,clarifying that this incident was a result of a misunderstanding concerning the meaning of “appointment.”
(11/20/20 6:01am)
As this semester comes to a close, students are beginning to make plans for winter break. While many may be eager to return home for the holidays, some students may not have the same option due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic; international students and students with high-risk family members, for example, could potentially face significant barriers to returning home. Despite these challenges, Tufts will offer limited on-campus housing during winter break, with exceptions for “international students who face travel restrictions” and those facing “significant hardships.”
(11/16/20 7:04am)
After four and a half tense days of counting razor-thin results, former Vice President Joseph Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris won the presidential election.Last weekend, members of the Tufts community rejoiced, celebrating on the streets of Davis Square. President-elect Biden’s victory, along with a number of local Democratic wins, represents substantial progress and a movement toward a more equitable future; for many, faith in democracy has been temporarily restored. But while American democracy might have won a short-term reprieve this election season, it remains susceptible to ongoing efforts to undermine it. This election also highlighted the deep political divisions that continue to separate this nation and the glaring vulnerabilities of democratic institutions. In order to move forward and build a democracy that serves all of our communities, we must commit to continued civic action and engagement in the next four years and beyond.
(11/13/20 7:04am)
On Sept. 25, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule that would impose "fixed" limits on the length of time that international students and scholars are permitted to study in the United States. This rule would eliminate the current "duration of status" framework, in which international students are allowed to remain in the United States until they have completed their studies or research programs. On behalf of the university, President Anthony Monaco and Provost Nadine Aubry wrote a letter urging the DHS to reconsider these proposed changes.
(11/05/20 7:02am)
The pandemic has presented significant academic, emotional and financial challenges to the Tufts community. As we near the end of the semester, it is becoming increasingly apparent t the constraints presented by the pandemic will follow us into the spring, as Tufts students will continue to attend classes under conditions that are far from ideal. To alleviate student stress in the face of prevailing academic challenges, Tufts must extend itsExceptional Pass (EP)policy to the spring semester in order to continue its trend of empathy and academic flexibility in this time of pervasive uncertainty and volatility.
(11/03/20 7:10am)
Withincreased political polarizationand growingthreats to the integrity of democratic institutions, many Americans seek a leader uniquely positioned to address society's deep social divisions and inequality. They look to electoral processes to produce such a leader, making it critical that these systems best reflect the will of the people.
(10/28/20 5:03am)
A significant challenge of reopening any college campus during the pandemic is finding an appropriate balance between implementing health and safety measures and still allowing students to socialize. Thus far, Tufts has arguably succeeded in finding this balance; even with relaxed social distancing requirements withinresidential cohorts, opening campus spaces andin-person events, Tufts has maintained an exemplary seven-day unique-individual positivity rate of 0.02% as of Oct. 25.
(10/26/20 6:06am)
While a long-standing issue,students have recently expressed concerns about the overwhelming workload required in computer science courses. In response to these concerns, the Department of Computer Science implemented a task force to review the department’s curriculum over the course of this academic year and computer science professors have provided flexibility with course requirements. While these efforts are commendable, they are insufficient to promptly remediate student stress levels caused by overwhelming amounts of work in computer science classes. In addition to a long-term examination of the computer science curriculum, we recommend that the task force initiate an immediate review of issues caused by the pandemic and continue to work with professors to alleviate student stress.
(10/22/20 5:02am)
Even long before the pandemic, Residential Assistants (RAs) played an integral role in facilitating community and promoting safety within residential halls. These responsibilities increased this semester, as RAs have had to adapt to being some of theprimary enforcers of the residential cohort system. Alack of guidance from the university has led to increased stress among RAs. As we approach the second half of the semester and upcoming winter months, Tufts must better support its RAs and enforce the residential cohort system in order to foster community within dorms and protect the health of its students.
(10/19/20 6:04am)
The Faculty Senate voted on Friday, Oct. 9 to delay the start date of classes to Feb. 1 and shorten spring break.Students will arrive on a staggered basis between Jan. 19 and 29,granting more time for deep cleaning and the completion of student testing and quarantine requirements before classes begin. Extending winter break will also give Tufts’ staff sufficient time off following months of preparation and hard work under stressful conditions.
(10/16/20 5:01am)
When Tufts announced the reopening of campus in June, some community members expressed apprehensions surrounding the efficacy and the safety of Tufts' fall plan; as with most activities during the pandemic, returning to campus came with significant risks. In reflecting upon the past weeks, however, Tufts' commendable job limiting the spread of COVID-19 became evident. Tufts’ semiweekly testing system for students, faculty and "student-facing" staff, comprehensive preventative measures and transparency of testing metrics facilitate this success, as seen in the current0.02% seven-day positivity rate by unique individual.Through Oct. 13, Tufts reported no positive COVID-19 cases in its seven-day total among Medford/Somerville students. For a campus located about six miles from a large city, these rates speak to Tufts’ commitment to preserving its community’s health and well-being.
(10/12/20 5:02am)
This year will not be an average flu season:Experts warn of a"perfect storm" looming ahead due to the combined presence of influenza and COVID-19.Because of this dual threat, the Commonwealth of Massachusettsannounced on Aug. 19 that influenza immunization will be required for all students attending colleges or universities in the state before Dec. 31, unless a medical or religious exemption is provided.
(10/08/20 6:02am)
Election Day is just around the corner, and Tufts students have begun to prepare for its emotional and historical significance. Despite the importance of this day to many members of the Tufts community, Tufts is holding classes on Nov. 3. This decision seems out of character for a university that prides itself on civic and political engagement, and it poses significant barriers to participate in the presidential election for Tufts students and staff. Tufts faculty and administration should cancel classes on Election Day in order to encourage individuals to vote and be active citizens, especially in an election as critical as the one on the horizon.
(10/05/20 5:06am)
During the past months, we returned to a campus very different from the one we left in March. In some ways, our community came back more united and resilient than ever; in others, we remain separated by screens and health precautions, and many are left isolated and disconnected from the Tufts community.This experience is amplified for first-year and transfer students, who must navigate an entirely new campus on top of the pandemic. In order to properly integrate these new members into our community, Tufts must facilitate safe social gatherings, increase accessibility to student organizations, revise orientation programs and fully support its new students.
(10/02/20 5:01am)
Over the past month, the Tufts community has adapted to an altered campus life shaped by extensive health precautions and constraints. Tufts Dining also underwent a massive transformation, significantly expanding its operations and shifting to accommodate new campus health protocols and guidelines. The burden of this change, however, falls directly upon the shoulders of dining workers. Tufts has failed to provide sufficient resources, staff and training to support workers, leading to overworked staff and potentially unsafe working conditions. Dining workers’ health and well-being should not be jeopardized in order to keep dining operations afloat. Tufts must better support its valued dining workers by addressing hiring shortages and effectively onboarding new hires, offering in-depth training for current staff and addressing the health-related concerns of their workers.
(09/28/20 5:02am)
Content warning: This article references instances of police brutality against historically marginalized communities.
(09/25/20 5:01am)
Tufts exists on stolen land. The education, relationships and connections that we profit from as members of the Tufts community would not exist if it were not for the violent exploitation and forced displacement of the Wampanoag peoples thatstewarded this land for generations. Indigenous Peoples Day, which Tuftsinstituted in place of Columbus Day in February 2016, is a time to reflect upon the United States’ settler-colonist history and pay tribute to the lives and cultures lost and suppressed on this land.
(09/18/20 5:01am)
As themajority of Tufts students adjust back to campus life in hopes of reclaiming a normal academic experience, those taking classes remotely face their own unique challenges.In the past six months, Tufts has made notable strides to accommodate remote and hybrid learners, including developing online learning technology and platforms, allowing students to elect the Exceptional Pass/Fail option for their fall courses and accepting community college transfer credits. Despite these efforts, discrepancies in the quality of education accessed by in-person and remote students inevitably remain; remote students cannot access the same resources,collaborative experiences or social connections as their in-person peers. As Tufts grapples with this new hybrid reality, it is crucial that administrators and professors alike continue to actively support remote students by instituting flexible academic policies and finding innovative alternatives to in-person learning.
(09/14/20 5:01am)
The COVID-19 pandemic has required universities to dynamically weigh the pros and cons of an on-campus experience. Tufts, like other universities, faces the challenge of protecting students’ health while still preserving an engaging academic experience. With the majority of undergraduate Tufts students back on campus for the fall, many are happy to reunite with friends, attend in-person classes and take advantage of on-campus resources. In enjoying these opportunities, we must also be aware that the decision to reopen campus affects not only our own community but Medford and Somerville as well. As we react and readjust to the spread of COVID-19 on our campus, it is critical that the Tufts community and administration account for the concerns of our neighbors in making on-campus decisions.
(09/08/20 5:05am)
Whether you are a returning student, new to Tufts, in-person or remote, welcome back, and welcome home. This semester will be a time of readjustment and uncertainty; we begin school against the backdrop of a pandemic and institutional change. It is evermore important that as a community, we remain united, resilient and critical of the world around us. This fall The Tufts Daily remains committed to this mission, using our platform to cultivate conversations about issues impacting our community and spurring our administration to take action.