In April, the three residents of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house were told to move out due to maintenance issues that began in September 2020 and that Walnut Hill, a Tufts real-estate subsidiary, repeatedly failed to resolve.
Tufts University announced it has issued $250 million in bonds that will be used to fund on-campus development projects including the construction of a high density, on-campus residence hall for undergraduates on the Medford/Somerville campus and the expansion of dining capacity and infrastructure, among other capital projects. The new residence hall is part of a push to increase the percentage of students living on campus. Though the details have not been finalized, the university will be conducting a study to help them determine the optimal location and number of residents.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced that as of April 30, masks would no longer be required in outdoor public spaces where social distancing is possible. Face coverings are still required in indoor and outdoor spaces where people cannot be less than six feet apart. Tufts is not changing any university policies in response to the announcement.
Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a United Nations messenger of peace, spoke to the Tufts community about her research on chimpanzee behavior and her experience in conservation science at a live virtual event on Wednesday.
According to an email sent from President Monaco early Sunday morning, several Asian students were verbally assaulted by the occupants of a passing vehicle, who were verbalizing anti-Asian rhetoric in a hateful manner. Additionally, members of an athletic team found a large swastika painted on the shed at Bello Field.
Amma Agyei was named the winner of the Tufts Community Union Senate presidential election by the Tufts Elections Commission (ECOM) on April 24. She will serve as the TCU Senate president for the 2021–22 academic year.
University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan announced in an email to the Tufts community on April 25 that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be available to all students, faculty and staff between April 28 and 30 at the Gantcher Center. Prior to this announcement, students in the Tufts Community Union Senate attempted various efforts to call for a vaccination mandate and heighten accessibility to the vaccine for the Tufts community.
The proposed wellness center would provide a dedicated space for mindfulness and offer wellness programming, mental health resources and stress-reduction activities, according to Alswanger. Collins, however, echoed Bowdler’s concerns surrounding the resources needed to realize the center, and emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic is Tufts’ priority at this time.
The announcement, sent via email and signed by University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan, also said that all students will need to be vaccinated before participating in on-campus classes or activities. The deadline for vaccination for students in the School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine and the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is July 1, and the deadline for students in all other schools is the beginning of the fall semester.
The MBTA, which installed the benches, asserts that the architecture is designed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide easier access to seating for people with mobility challenges. However, the Council’s resolution argues that the benches have had the effect of preventing people — namely the homeless community — from lying down.
The Global Integrated Learning & Design program, an initiative that helps faculty design courses or projects with international and cross-cultural components, has provided students with the opportunity to have virtual study abroad experiences.
Although Tufts University Art Galleries has seen increasing numbers of virtual program visitation, Deitsch hopes that this trend will continue post-COVID-19. She mentioned that many students do not know there is an art gallery on campus. As a result, developing greater visibility on campus is an ongoing priority for TUAG staff.
The project's chapter at Tufts has raised $1,666 since February, which is enough to provide 46 people with clean drinking water for life. As part of an effort to solicit donations, the club hosted a minute-long fundraising activity following a screening of a Thirst Project documentary. This "miracle minute," as Nguyen referred to it, raised more than $120. The club also raised funds by hosting a bingo game in March on World Water Day, which is observed annually by the United Nations to raise awareness about the global water crisis.
Tisch College Dean Alan Solomont opened the discussion by bringing up President Biden's response to the recent Derek Chauvin verdict in the landmark George Floyd case. Pfeiffer also discussed his past work with communications for the Obama administration, which started with his involvement in media initiatives to promote communication with certain groups during his campaign.
The report will include recommendations to aid the Cummings School in promoting and sustaining anti-racist practices over the long term. The Cummings School’s Anti-Racism Task Force was formed in June 2020 as part of an effort to actively promote anti-racism and diversity in all aspects of the Cummings School. Since then, it has taken steps to address implicit bias and the underrepresentation of marginalized communities in veterinary medicine.
Mbah was born and raised in Cameroon and moved to Somerville in 2011 after winning the green card lottery through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, a federal program that awards visas to randomly selected immigrants from countries with low immigration rates to the United States. In addition to being an at-large city councilor, he is currently a technologist at MIT’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety. Mbah is the only person of color on the Somerville City Council.
The first resolution called on Tufts to make COVID-19 vaccinations accessible for all in-person community members in the fall 2021 semester. The original text of the resolution contained a clause asking Tufts to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all in-person students in the fall, but several senators expressed concern that this would intensify existing racial inequities surrounding access to the vaccine, and that the language of a mandate would unfairly put pressure on students rather than the administration.
Elections for the Tufts Community Union Senate and Judiciary seats and Committee on Student Life seats took place over Qualtrics on April 13 and 14. The results were announced by the Tufts Elections Commission. On April 15, two TCU senators from the Class of 2022 announced their candidacy for president, with elections for the position scheduled for April 22 and 23. The voting will be conducted through Qualtrics.
The email also explained additional opportunities for outdoor practice, both for individuals and small groups. Faculty-led, credit-bearing ensembles are able to practice outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer, and all Tufts students are allowed to practice individually outdoors from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Outdoor private lessons can also be coordinated for students through contact with instructors.
The agreement came after more than five years of negotiations between the city and the Somerville Police Employees Association, one of two police unions in the city. While the Somerville Police Superior Officers Association stated publicly that they would be willing to accept body cameras, it was important to reach the agreement with the Somerville Police Employees Association because it represents patrol officers who make up a larger percentage of the police force and spend more time on the streets, Niedergang said.
