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TCU Senate reportedly spent $300,000 in supplementary club funding to date

By Spenser Walsh | February 26

The Tufts Community Union Senate met with the Tufts University Social Collective to brainstorm project ideas and discuss club supplementary funding during their Sunday meeting. When the final request was adjudicated, junior Dhruv Sampat, senator and TCU treasurer, reported the Senate had allocated $300,000 in supplementary funds to date this semester, compared with $150,000 at the same time last semester, making this semester’s treasury spending the highest in its 50-year history.

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Federalist Society panel explores the global rise of the right

By Eli Brigham | February 26

The Tufts Federalist Society and the Onero Institute recently hosted a panel to discuss the rise of the far right, both domestically and abroad. The panel featured Professor David Art, chair of the Department of Political Science, as well asappellate attorney and policy writer Dennis Saffran. 

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Federal judge hears arguments on NIH lawsuit, decision yet to be made

By Matthew Sage and Josué Pérez | February 24

On Friday, the federal judge overseeing the lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health — filed by 13 Americanuniversities including Tufts — extended the block on the agency’s attempt to reduce funding for indirect medical research during the case’s first hearing. The extension allows the judge more time to make a final decision on the case.

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Tufts reacts to new NCAA policy on transgender athletes

By Zach Halverstam | February 21

The National Collegiate Athletic Association issued a new policy banning people assigned male at birth from competing on women’s athletics teams, regardless of gender identity. Athletes assigned female at birth may still compete on women’s teams, so long as they are not on hormone therapy. Participation in team practices will be largely unaffected.

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Tufts researchers ‘on edge’ in midst of threats to federal funding

By Shayna Levy | February 20

Tufts researchers are expressing concern over President Donald Trump’s attempt to halt federal research grants and the National Institutes of Health’s announcement to cap funding for indirect research costs at 15% — though temporarily blocked by a federal judge — in early February.

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Tufts students participate in 50501 protest at Mass. State House

By Shayna Levy | February 20

Earlier this month, Tufts students joined hundreds of local Massachusetts residents in a “50501” protest against the latest actions of the administration of President Donald Trump. Born on social media, the 50501 movement encompasses the simultaneous occurrence of 50 protests in 50 states on a single day.

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$10 million donated to the Friedman School of Nutrition for student scholarships and financial aid

By Amelia Sammons | February 18

The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy received an anonymous donation of $10 million on Jan. 30 for student financial aid. This is the second largest donation since the $20 million gift in 2001 from the Friedman Family Foundation that led to the school’s name change in honor of Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman.

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Tufts sues National Institutes of Health over executive order endangering federal funding for medical research

By Matthew Sage | February 14

Earlier this week, Tufts University joined a dozen other universities in a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services over President Donald Trump’s Feb. 7 executive order to restrict federal grants covering the indirect costs of university medical research. The executive order was temporarily blocked on Monday, the day it went into effect, by Massachusetts federal judge Angel Kelley.

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Tufts sees record high engineering applicants, slight decline in number of overall applicants

By Zoe Herrmann | February 14

Tufts admissions announced its highest number of applicants to the School of Engineering, a lower number of applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences and a slight decrease in undergraduate applicants in its current admissions cycle for the incoming Class of 2029. Tufts reportedly received over 33,400 applicants this year.

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Housing assignments to change for first-years and sophomores this fall

By Michael Onysko | February 13

Tufts Residential Life notified first-years of impending changes to housing assignments for several dorm buildings for the next academic year.Hill Hall will be converted from freshman to sophomore housing while Wren Hall,still containing10-person suites, will house the incoming Class of 2029.

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New Pre-Med CONNECT Program to pilot over spring break

By Carly Hope | February 12

The Tufts Pre-Med CONNECT Program, a one-week immersive program for first-years and sophomores interested in careers in medicine, will pilot over spring break. Students participating in the 5-day program will commute from the Medford Campus to Tufts Medical Center.

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Ayanna Thomas appointed next dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

By Michael Onysko | February 11

Ayanna Thomas will serve as the dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as announced in an email to the community on Feb.3.Thomas will continue to serve in her current role as rean of research until an internal search for the position is complete, according to Bárbara Brizuela, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.

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Investigation into lacrosse rhabdo hospitalizations released by administration

By Nicholas Prather | February 7

On Jan. 31, University President Sunil Kumar and Tufts’ Director of Athletics John Morris released a letter to the greater Tufts community. The letter included an executive summary of the independent investigation into a Tufts men’s lacrosse team workout held last fall that led to 24 of the 61 student participants being diagnosed with Exertional Rhabdomyolysis.

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TCU to hold special elections for spring semester

By Zach Halverstam | February 6

The Tufts Community Union Senate willhold special elections this week to fill vacant positions for the spring semester of the 2024–25 academic year. Voting will begin at noon today and end at the same time on Saturday.

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TCU Senate introduces resolution to expand language proficiency testing

By Spenser Walsh | February 5

The Tufts Community Union Senate tackled club funding and discussed a resolution calling for the expansion of language offerings during their weekly meeting on Feb. 2. Parliamentarian Kunal Botla introduced the first resolution of the semester: Class of 2028 Senator Jesse Kitumba’s call to expand language proficiency testing options beyond the languages included in the UPenn Language program. 

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Full-time lecturers rally for higher salaries during 2-day walkout

By Samantha Eng | January 30

Unionized full-time lecturers in the School of Arts and Sciences rallied on Monday and Tuesday during a two day walk-out, following 10 months of negotiations with Tufts administration. The 122 A&S lecturers, represented by Service Employees International Union Local 509, seek salary adjustments to compensate for rising costs of living in the Greater Boston area and increases in student enrollment.  

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Coalition for Palestinian Liberation continues calls for divestment in first protest of semester

By Samantha Eng | January 28

Coalition for Palestinian Liberation at Tufts reiterated their demands for Tufts to divest from Israeli corporations in a protest on Wednesday, three days after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect. Drawing roughly 30 protestors, the protest was announced by CPLT in a joint Instagram post with Somerville for Palestine and Medford for Palestine on Jan. 18.

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TCU Senate supports full-time lecturers, plans research opportunity database in weekly meeting

By Spenser Walsh | January 28

The Tufts Community UnionSenate covered committee work, handled supplementary funding requests and voted on critical policy issues during a packed meeting Sunday night.

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Full-time lecturers hold 2-day walkout amid ongoing union negotiations

By Michael Onysko | January 27

About 80% of full-time union lecturers in the School of Arts and Sciences are walking out on Monday and Tuesday in an effort to bargain for a third contract with Tufts administration. The full-time lecturers will not be working for two days in support of livable salaries and manageable workloads.

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Institutional Neutrality Working Group gathers community feedback on potential policy

By Nicholas Prather | January 24

Tufts’ Institutional Neutrality Working Group hosted a total of five listening sessions to hear input from faculty, staff and students on a potential statement of institutional neutrality. On Jan. 15 and Jan. 16, the working group held two final virtual listening sessions for all Tufts community members to voice their thoughts, questions and concerns.

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