Campus Policy Updates

In 2023, ADL issued The Six Asks: Policy Actions to Counter Antisemitism on Campus. We urged all colleges and universities to take these steps, consistent with the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and ADL’s Not On My Campus Campaign, to help address the hostile environments on campuses. In line with the Six Asks, and together with our Jewish Communal Partners, ADL also published comprehensive guidance to university leadership that is central to the mission of making campuses safe and preventing the disruptions witnessed in the 2023/24 academic year. This guidance emphasizes the belief that consistently supporting Jewish students, ensuring campus safety, clearly communicating university rules and policies and re-affirming faculty responsibilities are key to improving the campus climate.

Recent actions taken by some schools, aligned to our recommendations, are a first step toward establishing a safe environment on campuses and ensuring we avoid a repeat of the last academic year, when ADL recorded over 1,400 incidents of antisemitism on college and university campuses.

Below are some of the recent policy changes and best practices. Remember: policies on their own are not enough. Rather, policies require consistent enforcement – uniformly applied to all violations – and regular evaluations and re-assessments to truly have a positive impact on the campus climate.

1. Speak Up Forcefully in Condemnation of Antisemitism

In response to an antisemitic incident on campus, MIT’s President Kornbluth started the new academic year with a statement titled ‘Rejecting antisemitism,’ which stated “Like every other form of racial and religious prejudice and hate, antisemitism is totally unacceptable in our community. It cannot be justified, and it is antithetical to MIT’s values.”
Northwestern’s President Schill released a statement noting “the effort to ensure that antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of identity- or religious-based hate do not take root on our campus reflects our commitment to the values of diversity, inclusion and tolerance and is in no way in tension with them.”

2. Speak Up Forcefully in Condemnation of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement

The University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees Chair Ramanan Raghavendran firmly denounced the BDS movement, underscoring that it “degrades Penn’s educational and research missions [and] demonizes Jewish and Israeli members of our community.”
The Amherst College administration published a formal decision rejecting divestment, stating that divestment “would amount to the College endorsing the moral and political position of some members of our community and rejecting the moral and political position of other members of the Amherst community. Such action could chill dialogue and conversations throughout the College and deepen divisions.”

3. Rigorously Enforce Student & Faculty Disciplinary Rules and Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policies

Following a series of discriminatory incidents on campus, including one wherein a Jewish student was targeted, Michigan State University’s President Guskiewicz released a strong statement of condemnation, accompanied by an overview of the University’s response: “Sadly, the strong bonds that bind us were tested this past weekend by instances of antisemitism, anti-Black racism and homophobia through hateful expression and actions in two of our residence halls and nearby grounds. These incidents were promptly reported to the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety and the Office for Civil Rights and related student conduct processes. Those found responsible through our ongoing investigation will be held accountable and disciplined. We expect better from those who are offered the privilege of joining our community of scholars.”
An anti-Israel ‘die-in,’ organized to disrupt the school fair, was swiftly disbanded by University of Michigan security, with four protestors (including one temporary university employee) being arrested.
Demonstrations re-started at Columbia University as soon as the new academic year commenced. However, the enforcement of new protest and demonstration policies was evident. Some protestors were arrested, while others were prevented from protesting on campus due to new policies preventing entry onto campus without valid IDs. The demonstration was also forced to occur “on a public sidewalk, outside of the university’s jurisdiction.”

4. Support Jewish and Israeli Students

New York University (NYU) updated their Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment policy to explicitly underscore that utilizing “code words, like ‘Zionist,” could result in conduct violations.

5. Investigate Student Groups Violating Policies

Brown's updated Protest and Demonstration Policy explicitly lifts the Student Conduct Procedures for Student Groups policy, which is “designed to provide processes to investigate and resolve alleged violations of the Code of Student Conduct (“the Code”) by student groups.”
Columbia’s Interim University Policy for Safe Demonstrations notes that violations of this policy “by student groups will be reported to their respective student governing board, which will be responsible for making [timely] recommendations regarding sanctions.”
California State University’s (CSU) new systemwide time, place, and manner policies underscore that “each University has established standards for Recognized Student Organizations and procedures for imposing consequences for organizations found to be in violation of University standards."

6. Create a Task Force or Advisory Group Focused on Campus Antisemitism

Columbia University, Barnard College and Teachers College released the first report from the Columbia Task Force on Antisemitism, outlining recommendations for more robust protest and time, place and manner policies, including ones focused on requiring notice for demonstrations, regulating sound enhancements, and improving strategies for approaching and addressing protestors to prevent any escalations. The second report, released in September 2024, leveraged listening sessions with almost 500 students to underscore the pervasiveness of antisemitism on campus and to provide data-driven recommendations, including improving reporting mechanisms and providing improved anti-bias training for all members of the campus community.
The University of Pennsylvania released the first report from the University Task Force on Antisemitism, outlining a series of rapid response recommendations focused on updating protest policies and ameliorating reporting mechanisms, as well as numerous longer-term recommendations focused on improving Jewish studies, increasing opportunities for civil discourse and cross-cultural understanding and assessing the campus climate, among others. In August 2024, Interim President Jameson confirmed that is actively implementing these recommendations.
Harvard released the first report from the Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism, outlining recommendations related to public condemnations of antisemitism, building more robust support systems for Israeli students, improving disciplinary processes, among others.
Stanford released the first report from the Jewish Advisory Committee’s Subcommittee on Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias, outlining recommendations related to fostering a safer campus climate, promoting antisemitism education, increasing transparency and accountability following incidents, among others.
The University of Virginia released the first report from the Religious Diversity and Belonging Task Force, outlining recommendations for improving religious accommodations, assessing the availability of spaces for religious practice and of foods for different faiths, consolidating and ameliorating reporting mechanisms for antisemitism, among others.

7. Update Time, Place and Manner Restrictions

The California State University (CSU) system published updated time, place, and manner policies, expressing clear intent to enforce these restrictions in the coming year across all 23 campuses. This policy update prohibits any activity that disrupts class instruction or scheduled events. Additionally, the policy prohibits any destruction of University property and the impeding or restricting of the free movement of any person.
DePaul University published revised Demonstration Guidelines, which outline permitted protest activities, provide guidance for responding to controversial events, emphasize the need for reservations for certain activities, stress the importance of orderly and peaceful conduct during demonstrations, and highlight potential conduct violations with corresponding resources for further support.
Case Western Reserve University published updated Procedures & Operating Rules for Demonstrations, requiring written pre-approval for demonstrations, limiting requests to university affiliates in good standing, restricting demonstrations to specific hours and locations, prohibiting various items, including tents and anything used to amplify sound.
Brown released an updated Protest and Demonstration Policy, which permits peaceful protests but prohibits actions that obstruct the exchange of ideas, disrupt university functions, or create safety hazards. The policy outlines that violations may result in disciplinary actions, including suspension or termination.
Arizona State University published Free Speech at ASU, a resource that outlines the conduct permitted during demonstrations on campus and the time, place and manner guidelines for when and how speech can take place on campus. These include the prohibition of unauthorized structures and tents, limiting protests to daytime hours and underscoring that protestors must always follow the instructions of University officials if they are asked to relocate or cease protest activities.

8. Develop Policies Prohibiting Unauthorized Encampments & The Occupation of University Buildings

Rutgers University updated their free expression policies to include provisions prohibiting encampments and the placing or building of structures without express permission by Rutgers University.
Yale updated its Free Expression at Yale and Yale College Undergraduate Regulations policies, outlining prohibited protest activities, including the occupation of University buildings.
University of Michigan released a back-to-school letter clearly outlining processes for members of the campus community to report any incidents. The letter also explicitly notes that “enclosed tents and encampments are prohibited” in the Diag.
Indiana University ratified its Expressive Activity Policy, expressing support of demonstrations that do not disrupt university operations or impede others' expression, outlining permitted protest activities, and specifying prohibited conduct like unauthorized temporary structures, disruptive amplified sound, and the use of permanent markings or unauthorized signage on university property.
Emerson College published an Interim Policy for Authorized Campus Demonstrations, which provides thorough instructions on permitted forms of protests and demonstrations, with policies prohibiting tents and other permanent or temporary structures, and setting out clear times, places and manners for conducting protest activities.
Vanderbilt University updated its Student Handbook to underscore that demonstrations and protests may not occur at times that would require individuals to sleep or gather overnight given safety, logistical and maintenance concerns. Furthermore, under the new policies, camping, sleeping, preparing to sleep or any other gathering overnight outdoors on campus is prohibited due to safety, logistic and maintenance concerns and to ensure access to university spaces for other groups wishing to make reservations.

9. Develop Masking Guidelines

The California State University (CSU) system’s updated time, place, and manner policies, prohibit the concealment of identity with the intent of intimidating and harassing others on university property.
The University of California is working to “facilitate more consistency across" the university system in terms of policy and procedure enforcement, including policies related the use of masking to conceal identity, and the refusal to reveal one’s identity when asked to do so by University personnel.

10. Conduct Trainings & Incorporate Antisemitism Awareness in DEI

Rice University has added new content to the diversity presentation during orientation week related to religious diversity, antisemitism, and Islamophobia. This will be followed up with content and discussions during Critical Dialogues on Diversity (or CDOD, which is a required half-semester course for all new students) and additional planned discussions with students throughout the year. The school will also be hosting a workshop for student-facing staff on Jewish inclusion and effective responses to antisemitism and will be planning a speaker series for the upcoming academic year that will help start and guide critical and productive dialogue among members of our community who have been struggling to communicate on these contentious issues.