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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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Campus groups discuss plans following Trump’s inauguration

By Shayna Levy | January 24

Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, political student groups on campus including Tufts Democrats, Tufts Republicans and Planned Parenthood Action at Tufts are preparing for a semester under the new presidential administration.

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Khan Shairani tapped as new Muslim Chaplain

By Michael Onysko | January 22

Khan Asfandyar Shairani will permanently serve as the Muslim Chaplain,the Tufts University Chaplaincy announced onJan. 16.Previously serving as the Muslim Chaplain ad interim, Shairani will continue supporting and educating students interested in the Islamic tradition.

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School of Engineering to launch new master’s program in AI

By Zach Halverstam | January 17

The Tufts School of Engineering will launch a new master’s program centered on artificial intelligence in the fall of 2025. The first applications will close on March 15.

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Venerable Vineetha Mahayaye hired as new Tufts Buddhist Chaplain

By Estelle Anderson and Remy Bernatavicius | December 10

The Tufts University Chaplaincy has hired Ven. Vineetha Mahayaye as its new Buddhist Chaplain, a role focused on supporting Tufts’ Buddhist community and organizing educational programming around Buddhist teachings. A monk from Sri Lanka and a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, Mahayaye officially started his new role Monday.

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Semester marked by drought, fire risk spurs increased safety measures on campus

By Eli Brigham | December 9

This fall saw a critical drought warning issued for most of Massachusetts, including the Medford and Somerville regions. As a result, the state saw red flag warnings coupled with several fast-moving brush fires which dampened air quality on several days in October.Since then, rain has alleviated immediate concerns.

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Amid new leadership changes, Tufts Alumni Council passes updated bylaws, seeks to improve alumni engagement

By Michael Onysko | December 4

The governing body of the Tufts Alumni Association, the Tufts Alumni Council, passed a new set of bylaws “modernizing” the association’s constitution on Nov. 3.

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University President Kumar answers student questions during TCU Senate town hall

By Zoe Herrmann | December 4

University President Sunil Kumar joined members of the Tufts Community Union Senate in hosting a panel discussion on student advocacy and preprofessional student groups on Nov. 20. Led by TCU President Joel Omolade, a senior, and Class of 2027 Senator Isabela Silvares Lima, the event was largely attended by presidents of advocacy groups and preprofessional organizations on campus.

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University President Kumar discusses his challenges, joys as president with Vice Provost France

By Spenser Walsh | December 3

Monroe France, vice provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence, hosted Tufts University President Sunil Kumar for the first in a series of community webinar conversations with Tufts administrators on the “joys and challenges” of leadership in higher education on Nov. 20. The conversation touched on topics including recent university protests, the daily schedule of a university president and the accessibility of a Tufts education.

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‘Bad Old Days Posse’ participates in panel discussion on protecting the right to choose

By Emma Johnston | December 3

Planned Parenthood Action at Tufts held an event on Nov. 20 featuring the “Bad Old Days Posse” — a group of women telling their stories about life before “Roe v. Wade” — who shared their experiences of the state of abortion rights in the ‘60s and‘70s.

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Tufts professors host panel to discuss impacts of election results

By Michael Onysko | November 26

The Tufts’ Political Science Department, International Relations Program and Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life hosted a panel on Nov. 21 examining the outcome of the 2024 election.Panelists discussed the implications of the election results on domestic and international politics.

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TCU Senate secures student discounts, works to expand language access in weekly meeting

By Spenser Walsh | November 26

The Tufts Community Union Senate covered committee work, checked in on projects and approved supplementary funding in their last meeting before Thanksgiving. The meeting began with a look at the work of the various Senate committees.Alexander Vang, a junior and the FIRST senator and community & diversity committee chair, reported an unexpectedly high turnout to a community and diversity town hall meeting that took place in the Mayer Campus Center on Nov. 18. The town hall allowed students the chance to meet and question their community senators.

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MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes talks election outcome, state of media at annual Murrow Forum

By Julian Glickman | November 25

Chris Hayes, the anchor of the MSNBC primetime show “All In with Chris Hayes” and the “Why Is This Happening?” podcast, headlined the 16th annual Edward R. Murrow Forum on Issues in Journalism on Nov. 18. Tufts alumnus Neal Shapiro, the former president of NBC News and CEO of WNET, moderated the conversation.Hayes, who has hosted his point-of-view show since 2013, spoke for nearly an hour in front of an audience of roughly 200 in Barnum Hall. The event — named after the influential broadcaster and war correspondent Edward Murrow, whose son was in attendance — was sponsored by the Tisch College Solomont Speaker Series.

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New club Tufts University Nuclear Activists hosts renowned nuclear abolitionist

By Tvisha Goel | November 25

Tufts University Nuclear Activists held a Nov. 14 speaker event with Dr. Ira Helfand, a renowned nuclear disarmament activist who discussed his position on nuclear weapons and why students should join the movement against them. This was the first solo event hosted by TUNA, a new club that is currently in the process of obtaining official recognition from the university.

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Free weight deep cleaning, additional hygiene-related adjustments implemented following TCU initiative

By Alexandra Tse | November 22

Sophomore and Tufts Community Union Senator Michael Glueck, along with other senators, has successfully pushed for periodic free weight deep cleans and the posting of additional hygiene signage in the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center after many students raised concerns about the cleanliness of the equipment.