News

University

Tufts ordered to pay nearly $4 million in damages for breaching tenure contracts with School of Medicine faculty, state court rules

By Anika Parr and Julian Glickman | April 13

A state court ruled in favor of eight Tufts School of Medicine basic science faculty members earlier this month in a lawsuit over compensation plans that were determined to have violated tenure’s promises of “economic security,” ordering the university to pay nearly $4 million in damages.

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University

TCU calls on Board of Trustees to increase Student Activities Fee

By Shayna Levy | April 10

Tufts Community Union student leaders are expressing frustration with the stagnant Student Activities Fee, which is currently $396. The Student Activities Fee is added to all students’ tuition and managed by the TCU Treasury for all student activities on campus, from clubs to campuswide events put on by students.

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University

Russian designation of Tufts as ‘undesirable’ leaves students, faculty uncertain about travel, rationale

By Julian Glickman | April 9

Tufts University and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy have been effectively banned by the Russian government due to allegations of “anti-Russian propaganda,” open solidarity with Ukraine and support for the LGBTQ+ community, according to a Tuesday statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation.

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Local

Tensions flare as Medford mayor and City Council trade jabs over lawsuits against city

By Evan Vezmar | April 9

At their Feb. 24 meeting, the Medford City Council unanimously passed a resolution to request a comprehensive litigation report from Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and her administration of all lawsuits the city has been served since 2019. With the city facing one of its most high-profile legal challenges in the form of a federal lawsuit over the Values-Aligned Local Investments Ordinance, the resolution has caused a clash between councilors and the mayor.

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Local

Recent eagle death suspected to be linked to second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides

By Anika Parr | April 9

On March 11, a bald eagle known as FAE, which nested near Lower Mystic Lake on the Arlington-Medford border, passed away. While the cause of death is still being determined, wildlife experts suspect second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, commonly referred to as SGARs.

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University

Tufts Graduate Workers Union shares updates on alleged contract violations, other union projects

By Eli Brigham | April 8

In a March 6 social media post, the SEIU 509 Tufts University Graduate Workers Union shared that the Departments of English, Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry all attempted to violate the union’s contract this year. 

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University

TCU Senate discusses past, upcoming events and Allocations Board requests

By Alex Boyle | April 8

The Tufts Community Union Senate met on Sunday to discuss recent and upcoming events, recap its Dining Survey initiative and hear the final Allocations Board requests of the semester, including an appeal for funding from the Tufts Solar Vehicle Project.

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University

Tufts groups attend, volunteer at historic No Kings protest

By Amelia Sammons | April 7

Tufts students joined more than eight million people around the country to protest the Trump administration on March 28 as part of the third No Kings rally. The day marked the largest protest in American history with roughly 3,300 rallies nationwide, including 162 in Massachusetts and over 180,000 attendees at the protest on Boston Common.

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University

Tufts School of Medicine signs on to HHS federal nutrition initiative

By Josh Litvak and Jessica Michael | April 2

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced on March 5 that 53 medical schools, including the Tufts University School of Medicine, had signed on to Kennedy’s federal nutrition training initiative.

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University

TCU Senate hears updates from Residential Life, announces annual Earth Fest to take place this Friday

By Shayna Levy | April 1

The Tufts Community Union Senate met on Sunday to hear updates from members of the Residential Life & Learning team, discuss current events within the Senate and hear two resolutions which will be voted on in upcoming weeks.

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University

Tufts mailroom adds drop boxes, multilingual signage to improve package delivery

By Jones Millstone-Rivo | March 27

This semester, Tufts Mail Services introduced a series of changes aimed at improving the reliability of package deliveries that occur outside of normal operating hours. The updates include a new overnight and weekend drop box at the loading dock, expanded multilingual signage for delivery drivers and a new whiteboard in the pickup area providing students with information about the mailroom’s operations.

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University

Analysis: State Department used Homeland Security Investigations dossier to revoke Rümeysa Öztürk’s student visa

By Josué Pérez | March 26

In his Jan. 29, 2025 executive order “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism,” President Donald Trump ordered the secretaries of Education, State and Homeland Security to monitor activities of international students that could warrant deportation due to potential violations of the order.

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University

Timeline of Rümeysa Öztürk’s detainment and legal proceedings

By Julian Glickman | March 26

March 26, 2024: Öztürk co-authors op-ed in the Daily calling on university to adopt Gaza resolutionsTufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk co-wrote an op-ed with three other graduate students calling on the university to adopt resolutions related to the war in Gaza, including recognizing genocide, issuing an apology for past statements by University President Sunil Kumar and disclosing investments and ties with Israel.

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University

Two months after revelations about Tisch–Epstein relationship, subtle changes made on campus without public statement

By Julian Glickman | March 25

Files released by the U.S. Department of Justice showed close contact between Steve Tisch (A’71), a Tufts donor and alumnus and the co-owner of the New York Giants, and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Two months later, quiet changes to campus facilities and literature have renewed questions about the university’s response to the revelations.

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Local

Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee presents new educational plan to city

By Owen Chin-Rust and Evan Vezmar | March 24

The construction plan for Medford’s new high school is in full swing following the presentation of its educational plan in January. Written by the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee, the plan envisions improved learning spaces and programming for students, faculty and community members.

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University

10% admitted to Tufts Class of 2030 as Tuition Pact takes effect

By Amelia Sammons and Julian Glickman | March 20

Tufts admitted 10% of applicants to the Class of 2030, half a percentage point down from the prior year, according to data released by the university on Friday. The final set of decisions was released yesterday evening.

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Local

Somerville holds public hearing on future of Out of the Blue Community Arts Gallery at the Armory

By Alexandra Tse | March 13

The Somerville City Council’s Housing, Community Development and Equity Committee held a public hearing on March 4 at City Hall regarding a petition submitted by 52 registered voters about the future of the Out of the Blue Community Arts Gallery. During the hearing, artists and community members urged the city to allow the long-running gallery and its tenants to remain in the Center for the Arts at the Armory building.

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University

Faculty campus planning committee gives update on recent projects

By Carly Hope | March 13

The Campus Planning and Development Committee, a group of Tufts faculty that advises the administration on infrastructure projects on campus, presented at an Arts, Sciences and Engineering faculty meeting. The committee detailed recent efforts to improve accessibility, develop the Boston Avenue corridor and decarbonize. 

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University

Tufts Student Life introduces pilot participatory budgeting initiative

By Ari Osakwe and Nandeesh Jain | March 13

Tufts Student Life introduced a pilot participatory budgeting program this month which encourages the university community to decide how the university should allocate $60,000 of its budget.

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University

Tufts community reacts to war in Iran, questions justification

By Zahra Brady and Niki Wang | March 12

Nearly two weeks after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and thousands of Iranians, Tufts students and faculty have questioned the war’s motive and the federal government’s messaging while acknowledging the repressive nature of the Iranian regime.

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