Tufts suspends SJP ahead of group’s planned Oct. 7 protest
By Estelle Anderson | October 7The Tufts administration has imposed an “interim suspension” on Students for Justice in Palestine, as announced in an Instagram post by SJP on Friday evening.
The Tufts administration has imposed an “interim suspension” on Students for Justice in Palestine, as announced in an Instagram post by SJP on Friday evening.
In light of growing concerns regarding off-campus housing, Tufts hosted two student focus groups in late September and created an administrative role for off-campus engagement. The steps come as students have expressed financial, legal and logistical concerns in navigating the process of finding off-campus housing for their junior and senior years.
On Sept. 27, a protest outside this semester’s career fair in Gantcher Center condemned the inclusion of national defense and military research recruiters, making it the latest Tufts career fair in the last year faced with student demonstrations. Spray-painted messages denouncing the presence of groups such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory were found on the doors of Gantcher.
The Tufts Department of Computer Science has announced a major change in its curriculum, with the introductory course “Introduction to Computer Science”—or CS11—now requiring students to have prior coding experience before enrolling. The addition of a prerequisite will be implemented starting in spring 2025.
Following Tufts’ Sept. 12 announcement of plans to build an upperclassman-only dorm on Boston Avenue, the university has released new details about the project, which is set to be the largest residence hall in Tufts history. To be located at 401 Boston Avenue next to Dowling Hall, the building is planned to host 677 beds across multiple different unit layouts and feature retail store space on the bottom floor.
The Tufts Community Union Senate welcomed newly elected community and Class of 2028 senators, selected new members of the Allocations Board and handled supplementary funding requests during their meeting on Sept. 29.
Over 67 million viewers across the country tuned in to watch former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris face off during their first presidential debate on Sept. 10. Tufts was no exception, with multiple student organizations hosting debate watch parties that saw high levels of student turnout.
All members of the Tufts men’s lacrosse team who were admitted to the hospital with a rare muscle condition after a 45-minute team workout last week have been discharged, the university announced Wednesday.
Tufts Dining has introduced a slew of changes for the school year, including a new “late lunch” period from 2 p.m.–5 p.m., a pledge to increase food diversity and updates to the meal plans available to students at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. The policies are a result of collaboration with the Tufts Community Union Senate and were officially implemented at the start of the semester.
The Tufts Community Union Senate convened on Sept. 22, discussing the upcoming Student Resources Fair and a proposal to overhaul the way resolutions are processed.The meeting began with updates from committee leaders on their ongoing projects. TCU Outreach Committee Chair Savvy Thompson announced plans to hold two town hall meetings in October with Arts & Sciences and Engineering students, respectively.
Three men’s lacrosse players remain hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis over a week after participating in a 45-minute workout led by a Tufts alumnus and graduate of a Navy SEAL training program, executive director of media relations Patrick Collins wrote in a statement on Monday. According to Collins, nine players were hospitalized with the condition following the voluntary, supervised workout on Sept. 16.
The first panel of Tisch College’s “Election 2024” event series, titled “What Makes a Presidential Campaign Work and How to Get on the Campaign Bus,” was held in Barnum Hall last Tuesday.Panelists included experienced political strategists hailing from both the Republican and Democratic parties, including former White House legislative director Louisa Terrell, who is currently serving as a Visiting Fellow at the Tisch College of Civic Life. A Tufts alumna, Terrell works as a senior advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
Five Tufts men’s lacrosse players remain hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis — commonly known as “rhabdo” — after participating in a 45-minute workout session on campus last Monday. A Tufts alumnus and graduate of the BUD/S, or Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL, Navy SEAL training program led the exercise. Of the approximately 50 team members who participated, 12 were diagnosed with rhabdo following the workout.
Over 70 protesters marched to the house of University President Sunil Kumar during a pro-Palestine rally on Sept. 12, the first to take place on Tufts’ campus this semester. Nearly one year after Oct. 7, protesters continued their demands for Tufts to divest from Israeli companies and denounce Israel, which has killed an estimated 40,000 Palestinians and causeda humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Tufts has begun the development process for the largest residence hall in university history, the university announced Thursday evening. The building, which is scheduled for completion by fall 2027, will be located at 401 Boston Avenue and will exclusively house juniors and seniors.
The Tufts Community Union Senate convened for its first session of the 2024–25 school year on Sept. 8, discussing plans for new projects, the effects of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ban and treasury policy, among other topics.
In an email sent to Tufts community members on Aug. 22, University President Sunil Kumar and 12 other university leaders announced new updates to the university’s “time, place and manner” policies around campus activism. The updated guidelines, which apply across all of Tufts’ campuses, serve as a revision to preexisting school policies designed to prevent general disruptions to students’ education, according to university leadership.
With the presidential election coming up in just two months, Tufts faculty and students are witnessing the race between Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate former President Donald Trump.
The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters demonstrated in front of the Joyce Cummings Center for a third time on Aug. 31, protesting Tufts’ use of general construction contractors who hire subcontractors accused of wage theft and other labor law violations. Currently, six Tufts buildings are under renovation: 123 Packard Avenue, the East Wing of the Science and Engineering Complex, Eaton Hall, Halligan Hall, Blakeley Hall and Bacon Hall.
Tufts reported a decline in the racial diversity of its incoming first-year class, who represent the first wave of students to be admitted after the Supreme Court’s ruling last year to overturn race-based affirmative action in college admissions. 44% of the Class of 2028 identify as students of color, down from 50% last year.