Student Union
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Pro-Trump University to Comply with COVID Orders
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has issued a “full force” stay-at-home order through June 10 as part of his state’s efforts to fight the coronavirus.
It includes an order that all “institutions of higher education” must immediately stop all in-person classes and any gathering of 10 people or more.
Students who meet for online remote classes are asked to practice social distancing.
Many colleges and universities around the country and in Virginia haven’t waited for a governor to tell them to take precautions to stop the coronavirus from spreading. Spring breaks have been extended indefinitely and students were told to empty their rooms and go home
School started by Jerry Farwell
There are no outdoor classes on sunny days or relaxing on the quad this year. But one Virginia college has until this week resisted recommendations to suspend classes and send students home – Liberty University in Lynchburg.
Liberty with its 46,000 students was founded in 1971 by the late televangelist Jerry Falwell, the controversial far-right fundamentalist Christian activist best known as the head of the Moral Majority.
His son, Jerry Falwell, Jr., leads the university.
Falwell is an outspoken supporter of President Trump and has played down the dangers of the coronavirus. He has called it a North Korean bioweapon, accused people of overreacting to damage Trump, and has dismissed the virus as just a flu.
Falwell came under fierce criticism and enormous pressure from the governor, the city of Lynchburg, and even some students and their parents when he encouraged them return to the campus last week and resume classes.
Since then, at least one Liberty student who lives off campus has tested positive for coronavirus.
Falwell accused The New York Times of publishing a “false and misleading” report that says according to the school's student health director, 12 Liberty students became ill since returning from spring break.
School 'very disappointed' with coverage
In a statement, Liberty says it is “very disappointed about the way The New York Times chose to handle its reporting about this story. Such media conduct contributes to the public’s record low approval ratings for news media and earns the label ‘fake news.’”
After more than a week of confusing and conflicting statements from Falwell, including exactly how many students actually returned to the campus, Liberty now says it will comply with all state government orders and guidance about dealing with the coronavirus.
It had earlier said that some classes, including those dealing with medicine and aviation, could only be taught in a laboratory, not online.
But students who showed up to those labs Monday found them locked.
“Our messages did change throughout the week as the governor’s orders changed,” Falwell said, according to the NYT. “We had to adapt.”
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
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Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
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Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
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British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
