US Dept. of Education investigating Wellesley College for alleged antisemitism

November 18, 2023 by admin

Update (11/26/23): Wellesley College President Paula Johnson issued a statement on 11/22/23 regarding the federal investigation.

The U.S. Department of Education this week opened investigations into alleged antisemitism at Wellesley College and a handful of other schools based on incidents of possible discrimination and harassment that have emerged since the Israel-Hamas conflict started. The department cited an “alarming nationwide rise in reports of antisemitism, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and other forms of discrimination and harassment on college campuses and in K-12 schools” since last month.

The Department’s Office for Civil Rights released a list of the higher education and K-12 institutions under investigation “for alleged shared ancestry violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits race, color, or national origin discrimination, including harassment based on a person’s shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.”

“Hate has no place in our schools, period. When students are targeted because they are—or are perceived to be—Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must act to ensure safe and inclusive educational environments where everyone is free to learn,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, in a statement. “These investigations underscore how seriously the Biden-Harris Administration, including the U.S. Department of Education, takes our responsibility to protect students from hatred and discrimination.”

The Department of Education action follows a complaint filed with its Office for Civil Rights by the Brandeis Center, a civil rights organization, related to alleged incidents at Wellesley College. The College made national headlines following an email sent by a resident assistant to students in which it was stated that “Munger Hall stands in strong condemnation of Israel’s actions and those who have supported their actions against Palestinians. We firmly believe that there should be no space, no consideration, and no support for Zionism within the Wellesley College community.” College President Paula Johnson addressed the issue with an update to an earlier post to the campus about the violence in Israel and Gaza.

In response to the Department of Education investigation announcement, the college issued the following statement:

Wellesley was recently notified by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) that it will be conducting a review into the complaint filed by the Brandeis Center. OCR is a neutral agency tasked with ensuring that higher education institutions are complying with the law; OCR’s decision to investigate does not presume that Wellesley has violated any federal civil rights laws.

Wellesley responded quickly and decisively to the incident involving student leaders in a residence hall detailed in the Brandeis Center complaint and has shared its response in multiple communications to our community, while making clear antisemitism has no place at Wellesley.

The Brandeis Center complaint also refers to a teach-in in which several Wellesley faculty shared historical context and perspective on the Israel/Palestine conflict with students. Reports from faculty who participated in the teach-in do not support these allegations. We welcome OCR’s review of both these matters.

Wellesley has been committed to addressing issues of antisemitism on our campus and will continue to work to create an environment that supports free expression and rejects all forms of hate and discrimination.

Wellesley College this week also shared an update with its community on the school’s demonstration policy in light of student concerns about whether participation in demonstrations could lead to honor code violations.

The Wellesley Select Board last year approved a statement denouncing anti-Semitism amidst rising incidents both locally and across the country and state. That action in part was prompted by an editorial published by the Wellesley College student newspaper, The Wellesley News, that expressed support for a project that maps organizations identified as being supportive of the Jewish community for the purpose of dismantling or disrupting them. The college and the Wellesley Police Department are on that list. College President Dr. Paula Johnson condemned the project, and the student paper later rescinded its endorsement.

Davis Museum at Wellesley College slated to re-open on Feb. 8

November 13, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Davis Museum at Wellesley College, which has been closed since the end of 2022 for a big HVAC upgrade, has announced plans to reopen on Feb. 8.

The art museum will celebrate its return with an exhibit featuring the work of Lorraine O’Grady dubbed Both/And. The Davis says this is “the first retrospective of an artist who has been a critical voice in performance, conceptual, and feminist art for more than four decades.”

You’ll have plenty of time to catch the exhibit: It runs through June 2. In the meantime, you might check out the town’s varied outdoor art.

The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) revamp at the Davis is important for stabilizing temperature and humidity in the building to protect the paintings, drawings, and other art.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley colleges respond to war in Middle East

October 28, 2023 by Bob Brown

(Update: 11/13/23) The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and a separate outfit called Jewish on Campus filed a complaint related to activities at Wellesley College with the US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights “to address increasing discrimination against and harassment of Jews in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

As with institutions of higher education across the country, colleges in Wellesley have been navigating the complications of the Israel-Hamas war on their campuses.

Wellesley College has made national headlines following an email sent by a resident assistant to students in which it was stated that “Munger Hall stands in strong condemnation of Israel’s actions and those who have supported their actions against Palestinians. We firmly believe that there should be no space, no consideration, and no support for Zionism within the Wellesley College community.” That email, and a later apology, were published more publicly by a former media director for the Israeli Consulate in New York.

The initial resident assistant email, and its aftermath, prompted Wellesley College President Dr. Paula Johnson to follow up on an initial post to the campus from her about the violence in Israel and Gaza from Oct. 11.

Her Oct. 20 memo, titled “My reflections on this painful time,” stated that “It recently came to my attention that a small number of student residence hall leaders from one dormitory sent a letter to their housemates in their capacity as resident assistants that expressed views on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Our Student Life team met with these students and talked about their role and responsibility to support all students. They have since sent an apology to all students in the residence hall. That these young leaders were able to learn from this episode gives me hope.”

At Babson College, also in Wellesley, President Stephen Spinelli earlier this month issued a statement addressing the Middle East conflict and called attention to a student-led rally that has since taken place.

Over the last several days, more than a thousand innocent Israeli citizens, including children, were horrifically murdered and endured unspeakable atrocities at the hands of the terrorist group Hamas. We vehemently condemn these heinous acts and recognize the profound grief, pain, and uncertainty they have wrought. We stand firm in our support for the Jewish community in Israel, around the world, and here at Babson College.

We recognize, as well, the pain and suffering of many innocent residents of Gaza and mourn the suffering and loss of life that has befallen many who were blameless for these senseless acts of terrorism. We are united in our hope for peace and respect for human life and dignity.

Business buzz: Wonderful Wellesley’s College Student Discount Program debuting

July 31, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley businesses are welcoming back students from Babson College, MassBay Community College, Olin College of Engineering, and Wellesley College with a student discount program.

To obtain discounts on everything from fitness classes to ice cream to clothing and accessories, students just need to show their college ID. You can see a full list of participants (check back to see additions). More than two dozen businesses have already signed up to take part in this program.

More Wellesley business news.

linden square summer afternoon — Linden Square

Church Square, Wellesley. Photo credit: Brice MacLaren

Global Flora Conservatory at Wellesley College highlights botanical diversity

July 24, 2023 by Hannah Langenfeld 3 Comments

The Baobab (Adansonia digitata) is also known as “the tree of life” and grows in Madagascar and southern Africa. Its lifespan can be up to 1,500 years, with its name originating from the Arabic word for fruit, according to a label in the Global Flora Conservatory, which sits on the nearly 22 acres of Wellesley College’s botanical gardens. This healing plant is only one of many prickly cacti, trees and various plants currently living in the greenhouse.

The greenhouse project won international recogntion for sustainability at the LafargeHolcim Design Awards while under construction in 2018. In an overview of Global Flora, introductory comments about the vision for Global Flora to be sustainable and scientifically interdisciplinary were written by Botanic Garden Director Kristina Jones.

Jones wrote that the project would not seek to curate plants with livable conditions that are ‘energy demanding’ to recreate and that the botanic garden staff would “think of energy and water as systems that interact with each other and with the organisms, and make these systems as accessible as possible for monitoring and study.”

Global Flora was completed and opened in 2019 and also accompanied a student-led class project to examine “the roles that plants and the natural sciences have played in colonial histories across six continents and several islands.” For this class, students learned from native guest speakers, read texts written by Indigenous anthropologists and scientists and were able to study the college’s botanic garden. Global Flora shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 but re-opened to the public on Tuesdays for a portion of this summer.

When visitors first walk into the conservatory, the first level of the greenhouse has a paved walkway leading to a second level which loops back to the entrance. From plants on the wall in addition to fully in-ground plants, the dry and wet biomes of Global Flora seem to be successfully keeping alive a range of diverse plants in an artificial natural habitat.

Signs with QR codes that visitors may scan to learn more information about the different plant life in Global Flora help people connect and learn about horticulture and botanics, while interactive activities for children such as coloring and writing down suggestions on what they would like to see added to Global Flora, make the trip appropriate for all ages.

The Global Flora Conservatory exhibit will be open to the public in the Wellesley College Botanic Garden until July 28, then re-open in the fall. Admission is free.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

A Wellesley building is actually getting… smaller

July 11, 2023 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

Might it be time to get a Small Building Review process (to complement the Large House Review process) going in Wellesley?

Not quite, but Wellesley College this week has been presenting its plans to the Wellesley Planning Board and Select Board (about 2 hours in to Wellesley Media recording) to reconstruct its Simpson Hall facility at 106 Central St., into a new Health & Counseling Center that would shrink the footprint from 19,025 sq. ft. to 11,000 sq. ft. A Design Review Board agenda item is planned for July 19.

Wellesley College health services building — Wellesley College, Simpson Hall, health services building

The college seeks a special permit for a project of significant impact. Such special permits address off-site impacts of projects in areas such as water, sewer, and electric power. You can view the college’s project plan submission. The Select Board approved a recommendation for the project to the Planning Board, which will revisit the issue after its initial brief discussion this week.

A building adjacent to Simpson Hall dubbed Simpson Cottage will remain.

According to the school, the project fits with its overall “Wellesley 2025” plan to modernize the campus without growing it. The new building will support health services (exam rooms, waiting areas, offices, and support) and counseling services (offices, conference rooms, and waiting areas).

Health services, which are run by Newton-Wellesley Hospital, have temporarily been moved to the College Club to make way for the demolition.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley College senior art exhibition: ‘Remember a Place Not Here’

May 2, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

This year’s Wellesley College Thesis and Senior Exhibition, Remember a Place Not Here, opens on Friday, May 5. It features work in media like oil painting, traditional printmaking practices, and weaving alongside digital film, virtual reality, and 3D rendering, made by over 40 students in more than 15 different majors from studio art to neuroscience and economics.

Opening Reception: 4:30 – 5:30 pm on Friday May 5
The exhibition will be on view in Jewett and Pendleton West from May 5 – 20.

Note: If you are not a member of the Wellesley campus community, do not plan to see the show on May 19 or 20. Graduation ceremonies are occurring on these days.

This exhibition is open to the public. The Jewett Arts Center should be open 10 am – 5 pm every day for the duration of the show. Works on view in Pendleton West may be accessed via Jewett. Campus visitors must park in the parking garage (near the ‘west entry’ arrow on this map).

You can preview the show online.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley College to host MUNA, band opening on Taylor Swift tour

April 29, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

MUNA, an indie pop band whose lyrics frequently focus on sexuality and gender, is headed to Wellesley College on May 3 for a concert at Munger Meadow. The show celebrates the school’s last day of classes.

Attendance is limited to Wellesley College students, who get in for free, their guests, as well as Wellesley College alums, MIT, Harvard, Babson or Olin students.

MUNA has been among the opening acts on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour.

Wellesley College Theatre to present ‘OR’

April 19, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley College Theatre presents its Spring 2023 Mainstage Production OR, by Liz Duffy Adams, and invites the general public and campus community for performances on April 28 (7pm), and April 29 & 30 (2pm and 7pm) in the Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre in Alumnae Hall at Wellesley College. The show features an all-student cast and design team, with the Wellesley College Theatre Program’s Marta Rainer directing.

Tickets will be available online.

About the show:

OR, takes place (mostly) during one night in the life of Aphra Behn: poet, spy, and soon to be England’s first professional female playwright. Sprung from debtors’ prison after a disastrous overseas mission, Aphra is desperate to get out of the spy trade. She has a shot at a life-changing production at one of only two reopened theatre companies in a dynamic London emerging from political turmoil, plague and the Great Fire: if she can only finish her play by morning! Interruptions from sudden new love, actress Nell Gwynn; complicated royal love, King Charles II; and very dodgy ex-love, double-agent William Scott (who may be in on a plot to murder the king) complicate her opportunity with hilarious and surprising twists…Can Aphra save Charles’ life, win William a pardon, resist Nell’s charms, and launch her career, all in one night?

OR is the culmination of a semester of work for students in THST345 (Advanced Practicum: Theatre Production). Several of these students participated in a research trip to London, learning about Restoration history at places like the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Tower of London, and tracing Aphra Behn and Nell Gwynn’s steps throughout the city’s historical sites. Students will share their experience at Wellesley’s 2023 Ruhlman Conference April 26.