At the Tufts Community Union Senate meeting on Sunday, members discussed the tuition transparency town hall, upcoming outreach initiatives and expanding relations with members of the Tufts administration.
The Department of Earth and Climate Sciences added two new classes to their department this year. Professor Noel Heim began teaching Geology of National Parks in the fall of 2025 and Professor and ECS Department Chair Jill VanTongeren began teaching Natural Disasters in Movies this semester.
The Daily spoke with University President Sunil Kumar on Friday about his Beyond 175 plan, a blueprint for the university following its 175th anniversary in 2027. The plan was first announced in October of last year with a final working draft released in January.
Tufts Community Union Senate has implemented a survey form to allow students to rate meals and provide feedback in both the Fresh at Carmichael and Dewick-MacPhie Dining Centers. The program is running from Jan. 26 to Feb. 6 and aims to increase student input in dining experiences.
Steve Tisch (A’71), a Tufts alumnus and donor, is mentioned several times in a newly released batch of files related to the convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. The Department of Justice released an additional three million pages earlier today as mandated in the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Recently, Tufts created a job posting for a labor relations specialist who would serve as an expert intermediary between the university and its employees regarding labor disputes and union-related issues, including attending contract negotiations and ensuring consistent labor relations leadership across the university.
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation strengthening entry restrictions for foreign nationals from countries that are deemed a potential danger to national security on Dec 16. Seven nations were added to a full travel ban, while another 15 are now subject to partial restrictions, adding uncertainty to the process of applying for and renewing student visas.
Federal immigration enforcement activity has recently been reported in areas surrounding Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus, according to an email sent to the Tufts community from the Office of Public Safety. The office and the municipalities of Somerville and Medford are coordinating efforts to monitor the situation.
Resident assistants have not yet received reappointment forms as the university considers changing aspects of the role in order to reduce RA responsibilities. The yet-to-be-announced changes come as the United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants prepares to bargain for a new contract, as the existing one expires this summer.
Last fall, Tufts entered the next stage of its ELEVATE strategic visioning initiative, aiming to promote “institutional inclusive excellence,” according to the project’s website. Following its official launch in Oct. 2024, the ELEVATOR Ambassador program was rolled out after a year of community sessions and feedback to create specific plans for Tufts’ improvement.
All university campuses will be closed from Sunday at 12 p.m. through Monday due to a winter storm expected to blanket much of North America this weekend, the university announced Saturday evening.
On Jan. 19, the Tufts Community Union Senate met for its first meeting of the spring semester, in which it held internal elections for Parliamentarian and Diversity Officer, presented data from the TCU Senate Student Experience Survey, and voted on proposed changes to the Treasury Procedures Manual.
The Tufts Community Union Senate did not pass any resolutions last semester, which marks a difference from previous semesters that can be attributed to changes in how the Senate approaches student feedback. Resolutions are formal lobbying tools often used by student groups and individuals to necessitate Senate action on an issue.
Tufts administrators are evaluating a potential overhaul of the university’s heating and cooling systems as part of a broader plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The proposal under consideration involves adopting ground-source heat pumps, an all-electric technology that administrators say could significantly reduce emissions while lowering long-term energy costs.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit released a decision on Jan. 5 reaffirming the lower court’s move to block funding limitations that the National Institutes of Health proposed last year. The circuit court placed a permanent injunction on the proposed policy.
Tufts officials reaffirmed existing campus safety protocols after the December shooting at Brown University that resulted in the death of two students.Yolanda Smith, chief of police and executive director of public safety at Tufts, said the university would continue to review its safety protocols after students returned to campus this month.It was not immediately clear whether specific changes were made over winter break.
The Fresh at Carmichael Dining Center reopened for service on Jan. 14 following a required closure due to flooding toward the end of the fall semester. The dining hall first closed on Nov. 11 after a backup in the drainage system caused flooding in multiple areas. Many food items were thrown out, and much of the center needed to be sanitized.
Private music lessons will resume this spring after a semester-long hiatus due to a staffing vacancy in the director of applied music position. Mawunyo Kobla Titiati is taking over as program administrator of applied music.
The Office of Public Safety announced temporary “security enhancements” for buildings on the Medford/Somerville and Grafton campuses in an email to the Tufts community Monday afternoon.
Over the last decade, negotiations between Tufts University and labor unions have degraded. Multiple unions described challenging and exhausting negotiations, citing the university’s uncooperativeness and staunch resistance to increases in pay as driving forces behind the recent growth of collective action. Alternatively, the university expressed that its negotiation policies have been grounded in fiscally-responsible decision-making and an earnest desire to reach agreements. The university reports that it continues to view its union relationships as productive and successful.
