So let’s start right there. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is not closing. No majors in the College are being eliminated or renamed, for current or future students. No faculty are being laid off or getting new titles. Your transcript and diploma will list the major you have chosen. Your advisors will remain the faculty in the programs you have selected. Your pathway to a degree will remain unchanged.

Contrary to what you may have heard, we are not doing this to save money – although by consolidating some administrative tasks, there are efficiencies to be gained, and that’s not a bad thing because it helps to keep tuition affordable. Our primary motivation is to empower faculty to pursue innovative approaches and to support our students to achieve their goals.

Please see the questions and answers below, which address the concerns we are hearing most often from students. For more details about the restructuring, see the complete list of FAQs on the University website.

We are looking at adjustments to the CHSS administrative structure that we hope will create a more dynamic, vibrant college. We want to remove obstacles that make it unnecessarily difficult for our creative faculty to develop programs and opportunities that span disciplinary boundaries. We want to design processes that put students’ interests first, such as making sure class schedules don’t create frustrating conflicts for you. And we want to have the professors you value spend less time on administrative tasks so you have more opportunities to engage with them.

Why are we doing this? The best universities do not stand still and wait for crises to consider change. Montclair is in a strong position precisely because this is an institution unafraid to change. In the past decade we have created, revamped and reorganized in every facet of the university, academic and administrative, with the goal of improving how we deliver our mission.

CHSS is no exception. Last spring, our former Provost Junius Gonzales brought this mindset to an evaluation of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. He was concerned that half the programs were shrinking in enrollment. This was distressing because these subjects are, in many ways, the core of a liberal arts university. To ensure the sustainability and vibrancy of our university, this trend had to be addressed. Examples from leading universities suggest that the solution is to build more multidisciplinary programs that bring the humanities and social sciences together to address interesting, contemporary questions.

Students at Montclair and around the country are drawn to these kinds of programs, which connect their studies to complex real-world problems more clearly than traditional single-discipline majors.

Many professors at ����vlog are capable of building such programs, and in every college, people are doing all kinds of amazing things to incorporate hands-on problem-solving, community-engaged teaching, and challenge-based learning that draw on multiple disciplines. Yet these change-makers have had to overcome many institutional barriers to bring you these opportunities.

So starting last spring Provost Gonzales asked a group of faculty to begin looking at the structure of the College to see how we could break down those barriers and empower our faculty. Although details are still being finalized, the vision has been clear from the start: to create multidisciplinary schools organized around broad themes – social and political systems, for example – to serve as the administrative hubs for the College’s programs and faculty.

We have been soliciting input at every step, and we will continue to listen carefully to everyone’s aspirations and concerns. Dean Mili is forming a student advisory board to provide input on the structure, and she will continue to work closely with CHSS faculty and staff members.

We are listening and incorporating feedback as we go along. For example, there has been a lot of talk recently about the value of academic departments, so faculty are designing the schools such that departments will continue to be part of the CHSS organizational structure.

I understand that change can be challenging, and I respect the passion and concern so many of you have shown. Let’s channel that energy into shaping this future together.

One of Montclair’s greatest strengths has been its willingness to innovate. I am confident that by working together, we will build a stronger, more vibrant future for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Let us seize the day.

If you would like to discuss any of this in person with me, I will be speaking at the Student Government Association’s Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, December 3 at 2 p.m. in the Student Center, Room 411.

Will my major go away? Will I graduate with a different degree name?

No. Your major is NOT going away. Your degree is not changing. You will still complete and graduate with your current major (for example, BA in English, BA in History, BA in Sociology). Your diploma will not change.

Are my professors losing their jobs or being replaced?

No. No faculty or staff positions are being cut. Your professors are staying, and they will continue teaching your courses.

What is happening with all the new “school” names?

Your major name stays the same. Your programs and departments may be grouped into broader schools to help students explore related fields and create more interdisciplinary opportunities. Those schools will be named to capture what those fields have in common.

Is this just a cost saving move?

No. The goal is to increase student interest and improve your experience, reduce bureaucratic barriers to innovation and expanded academic opportunities, and increase your opportunities for interaction with faculty. However, we are always conscious of the investment students make, and we want to be as cost effective as possible. This restructuring may produce some efficiencies by consolidating administrative tasks.

Should I worry about the quality of teaching I will receive after this restructuring?

No. The University believes that quality teaching matters most. Faculty still control the curriculum and teaching, and this restructuring is meant to give professors more opportunity to develop new courses, to start new programs and to mentor students.

Is CHSS closing or turning into something totally different?

No. CHSS is not closing, shrinking, or being replaced. It remains the academic home for all of its majors and programs. This restructuring is about strengthening student experience, expanding opportunities for learning, and reinforcing the academic excellence of ����vlog. All students will retain their majors, have accomplished faculty that will continue to teach their courses and the degree listed on your diploma and transcript will not change.

Still have questions?
Email the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at chss@montclair.edu.

This lecture is open to the public, hosted on Thursday, November 6 from 5:30-6:30pm in Leshowitz Hall. No prior registration is required.

Although this account is not affiliated with the university, and the identity of the individual or individuals who post to it are unknown, I want to state unequivocally that this targeting of students based on their religion is unacceptable and a violation of our behavioral standards.

The University Police Department is conducting an investigation and asks that anyone with information about this incident call 973-655-5222.

Harmful behaviors, including but not limited to antisemitism, have no place in our university community or in society at large. I am deeply troubled by any actions that promote hatred, perpetuate harmful stereotypes, or create a climate of fear for Jewish students and community members.

����vlog has since its founding been a place where all people are welcome. We are committed to fostering a campus culture where every member of our community feels valued, supported, and safe.

We have been in communication with our Jewish students and our partners in the Jewish community, and we want them to know that they have our full support. I encourage any student who feels threatened or targeted to reach out to the University Police Department.

We will continue to work proactively to combat hatred and discrimination in all forms, both on our campus and in partnership with the broader community. Education, dialogue, and unwavering commitment to our values remain our strongest tools against intolerance.

Any student who needs support or assistance can reach out to the Dean of Students Office by calling at 973-655-4118 or emailing deanofstudents@montclair.edu.

Additionally, counselors are available for all students 24 hours a day by calling Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 973-655-5211 and selecting Option 2.

Employees can get free, confidential support from our Employee Assistance Program by calling 800-242-7371. Anyone who is in crisis may call or text the nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.

This new, campus-wide event brings together major acknowledgment events under one umbrella: the Presidential Excellence Awards, the Employee Milestone Celebration, and the “ME Time” Employee Mixer at the Finley Gallery, open to all faculty and staff. Together, they form a day of gratitude and celebration for the many people who help move Montclair forward.

The idea for Red Hawk Recognition Day came directly from President Jonathan Koppell, who envisioned a unified occasion to spotlight the people behind the University’s growth.

“We tend to talk about the rise of the university in the aggregate,” said President Koppell. “More students, more research, higher performance, more projects in the community—and it’s impressive. But it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that those numbers are the result of individual effort.”

Koppell emphasized that while various departments and units have long held their own recognition activities, a centralized, university-wide celebration was needed. “It’s important that we celebrate as a university the contributions people are making,” he said. “This isn’t intended to take the place of local recognition, but to complement it with something broader, something that allows for peer nominations and collective acknowledgment.”

The response from the community was enthusiastic. Hundreds of nominations were submitted for this year’s Presidential Excellence Awards, with particularly high interest in the Unsung Hero category. “That tells you there are a lot of people on campus who want others to know about the quiet, impactful work their colleagues are doing,” Koppell noted. “And that says a lot about the culture of the place.”

Red Hawk Recognition Day is more than an event; it’s a reflection of Montclair’s commitment to recognizing and valuing the people who make its mission possible. We hope you will come join in the celebration.

Changes are coming quickly, in a manner inconsistent with established processes and with many details unspecified, resulting in confusion. Pending litigation heightens uncertainty. In this rapidly-changing environment, the University’s senior leadership team is monitoring all developments, receiving information from national higher education associations, staying in touch with federal and state officials, and communicating regularly with our peers in New Jersey and beyond. We are not sending messages or making significant changes based on conjecture. Rather we are responding to concrete actions and preparing for different outcomes.

I do want to reassure you that the fundamental mission and purpose of ����vlog, which dates back to our founding in 1908, will not change. We will remain dedicated to creating opportunities for our students – who represent the full diversity of New Jersey – and partnering with the communities we serve to advance the public good. This mission has made us strong and valued for more than a century, and it will endure.

As a public serving university, we believe that everyone deserves access to the high-quality opportunities for which Montclair is known. Each member of our community – staff, faculty and students – should find here a welcoming and encouraging environment where they receive the support needed to achieve their full potential. We will continue to prepare our students to be successful in their careers and to be the engaged citizens required by a thriving democracy. We will continue to partner with our communities to advance the wellbeing of all members of society.

I understand that many of you are concerned about what is to come. Here is a summary of what has actually happened so far.

Research
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo on January 29 pausing many types of federal spending, including research grants and contracts to universities. The memo’s stated purpose was to allow federal agencies to conduct a comprehensive review of programs that may be affected by executive orders. OMB rescinded the memo on January 29 and communicated that direct aid, including Pell Grants, will not be paused. Some federal agencies that award research grants communicated that they are pausing grant review processes or not accepting new applications. On February 7, the government declared that the indirect cost recovery rate for all National Institutes of Health grants will change to 15%, which would represent a substantial decrease for many institutions, including ours. To date, two of Montclair’s federally funded projects have been affected by executive orders with one grant canceled outright.

If you receive any communication from the government or a partner institution about a federal grant or contract in which you participate, please share that information immediately with Dr. Stefanie Brachfeld, Vice Provost for Research. Please continue submitting proposals to active competitions unless you hear directly from the Office of Research that a specific competition is canceled. The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) website on 2025 Administration Transition Information & Resources is a helpful resource for you to follow research-related developments.

Immigration and International Students and Employees
Numerous executive orders and federal policy changes have been issued related to immigration that could have an impact on universities, including rescinding a long-standing policy that identified schools, hospitals, and churches as “sensitive locations” and limited the kinds of immigration enforcement actions permitted in them. The government has also instructed federal prosecutors to pursue charges against state or local officials who attempt to thwart federal immigration enforcement efforts.

If federal immigration enforcement officers show up on campus, we ask that you immediately call the University Police Department at 973-655-5222. Our police officers will serve as the point of contact with federal officers, verify their credentials, and ensure that they have a valid warrant or court order. If there is a valid warrant or court order then the University is obligated by law to allow them to proceed. However, our police officers will continue to follow the State of New Jersey’s Immigrant Trust Directive, a statewide policy which says that “New Jersey police officers cannot participate in federal immigration raids. They cannot stop, question, arrest, search, or detain an individual based solely on actual or suspected immigration status. And they cannot ask an individual’s immigration status except in rare cases when it is relevant to a specific criminal investigation.”

Diversity Equity and Inclusion
President Trump has issued an executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts across the federal government and placing new requirements and restrictions on federal contractors and subcontractors. Federal agencies have been directed to eliminate race and gender focused programs, to report attempts to disguise DEI programs, and to stop all DEI work related to federal grants and contracts. The direct impact of this order on institutions of higher education is still to be determined.

Sex/Gender Identity
The new administration has directed the Attorney General to issue guidance stating that Title IX does not require gender identity-based access to single-sex spaces and instructed the Department of Education to rescind its 2021 guidance that extended Title IX protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The White House published an executive order on February 5 restricting participation in women’s sports only to student-athletes assigned female at birth. Institutions receiving federal funding must comply with the order to maintain eligibility for federal funds. On February 6, the NCAA announced that it had changed its policy to mirror what the executive order mandated.

At this time, this change does not affect student athletes participating in either Montclair’s or Bloomfield’s intercollegiate athletics programs.

An Ethic of Safety and Care
While there is great uncertainty around us, we can through our own actions demonstrate our values and aspirations. Let us again commit to an ethic of safety and care for all members of our University community. Even if we disagree, we must not lose sight of our shared responsibility as members of the University community to care for each other and cultivate a universal sense of belonging. And as citizens and stewards of a pluralistic democracy, we must respect the dignity of each individual and ensure that their rights are honored and protected.

We can tell from the feedback received that the Policy was unclear in several areas and unnecessarily complex. We have taken this feedback seriously and, given the critical importance of this Policy, revised the Policy with an eye towards more simple and direct language. We believe that this version better articulates the intent behind the Policy.

We are also aware that our initial distribution of the Policy failed to reach students. For that, we apologize and are correcting that error today. Additionally, I plan to meet with the Student Government Association in the near future to discuss the Policy as well as host a Town Hall for students. It is very important that all students understand both the language of the Policy and the intent behind it.

We appreciate your patience as we work to create a campus environment that ensures both the freedoms and safety of our students and employees. I invite you to read the revised Policy for yourself, as well as this Q&A document, so you are aware of the strides being made on our campus.

As a public university, we play a particularly important role in creating an environment that is respectful of free expression – and encourages the free exchange of ideas – but also retains the quality of a community where members can study, learn and engage. To this end, we have been examining our expressive activity policy for the past several months to ensure that we are striking the right balance. I am writing today as we release a revised version of the Expressive Activity Policy, which we intend to provide greater clarity.

Undergirding this policy is a crucial expectation: we can have robust disagreement and make our views known without denying others the opportunity to do the same or abandoning our commitment to civil discourse and mutual respect. This must be the ethos of an institution that embraces diversity, liberty and community as core values.

The University permits expressive activity but has the authority to place reasonable limitations on its time, place, and manner to ensure that the activity does not disrupt University operations, pose a risk to health and safety, or interfere with the ability of all people to take part in the University’s programs and services. Under the law, the University is not permitted to impose restrictions that are based on the viewpoints expressed. As a consequence, speech that some may find offensive will be allowed on campus. That does not mean that expressive activity that includes hate speech, harassment, intimidation, incitement to violence, or other conduct that violates local, state, or federal law is permissible. It is not. Those activities will be dealt with swiftly in accordance with University policy and local, state, or federal law.

The revised policy makes clear that the rules governing expressive activities apply to all members of our campus community, as well as visitors with no current affiliation. With respect to members of the public, the Amphitheater will serve as the one location on the Montclair campus where expressive activity will be permitted. For current members of the ����vlog�� community, including enrolled students and active employees, we have established criteria and times that open additional locations for expressive activity with clear guidelines for acceptable behavior. The revision creates more opportunities for expression and therefore the increased possibility that the University Administration may need to take certain steps to ensure that the campus remains safe for all.

I want to emphasize that while a policy primarily speaks to the regulations of what is (and is not) allowed, we all have a responsibility to go beyond those legalistic words. I urge everyone to think about how our actions affect the well-being of other community members. We should continue trying to honor two core principles of community: retaining civility and respect in discourse, and committing to an ethic of safety and care. Neither of these is easy, but both are essential for each of us to enjoy the sense of belonging here at Montclair that makes free exchange of ideas and opinions possible and fruitful. We exercise our institutional prerogative to limit only outside groups to a single designated location because I believe in our ability as a community to be mindful of each other, even as we express our own thoughts and feelings. It is harder to extend that belief to people with no interest in building and maintaining this community, and view our University only as a platform to amplify their voices.

There are many conflicts in the world today that evoke deep emotions among members of our University community. We welcome people from many different backgrounds and this diversity enriches our community, providing opportunities to ask questions and appreciate differences that make the world more interesting. This diversity is one of our greatest strengths. When viewpoints derived from differences in experience, belief, or outlook put us in diametric opposition, however, it can present a test of our shared commitments.

This is the moment we find ourselves in as a campus community and it offers an opportunity to model the world we’d like to see. I believe in our ability to find the balance between free expression and our obligation to serve the students who come here to learn and realize their potential. And even when you may not agree with how any given situation is handled, I can assure you that the pursuit of this balance is always at the forefront of our decision making.

After the tumultuous academic year just completed, there’s not a university leadership in the country that isn’t using the relative quiet of summer to evaluate all policies and procedures related to expression and protest. This makes good sense. Many institutions did seem flat-footed in the face of unprecedented activity and scrutiny. And now comes a fall semester with a high-stakes divisive election added to the already-combustible mix.��

We are doing the same thing here at ����vlog, New Jersey’s second largest higher education institution. But like many colleges, we are also trying to do more than gird ourselves for the coming storm. There is an opportunity – and a real need – to encourage constructive engagement and not just minimize risk. Universities have a key role to play at what feels like an inflection point for American democracy. Let’s try to channel the passion of our students into democracy-building action. This is not easy, of course. We are deeply divided as a country, and that extends to many campus communities.��

Even more profoundly, we confront evolving cultural norms that favor disagreement over discourse and are, in some cases, simply anti-democratic in treatment of dissent or fact. The divisiveness is perpetuated and amplified by social media, political operatives and advocacy groups. That’s exactly why it’s on us, as higher education leaders, to intentionally build the muscle memory of an engaged campus culture built around a shared aspiration to advance the common good. We have the ability and resources – unique from almost any other institution in society – to cultivate an environment where people from different backgrounds can respectfully co-exist, interact and collaborate. So, if we’re not the ones attempting to foster a spirit of positive civic engagement – who will?

At Montclair, we’re practicing what we preach. As an indicator of our efforts, last month we received the . The classification recognizes 25 institutions that promote effective leadership transcending functional or instrumental objectives in pursuit of collective public goods like equity, harmony, sustainability and liberty. Others featured on the list include Arizona State University; California State University, Fresno; James Madison University; and the United States Naval Academy.��

I’m proud of the efforts that earned this recognition but even more energized by what’s possible if all of higher education embraces the goal of creating citizen-leaders. This takes sustained and nuanced hard work, but imagine the impact we can have if we collectively harness the power of thousands of students, faculty and staff to strengthen our civic fabric.��

Based on what we’ve learned at Montclair and numerous other institutions that are leading the way, here are some tangible ways to do this:

1. Embrace public service as a gateway to civic engagement. At Montclair, we have multiple service-oriented leadership programs, such as NextGen Service Corps, Bonner Leaders and AmeriCorps, that introduce students to key concepts and practices while building skills in teamwork and community partnership. Most importantly, students get a sense of their own potential for efficacy through engagement. We seek to go beyond these programs to teach this key lesson. All of our departments and colleges are building courses that create hands-on learning opportunities while addressing a wide range of issues, from unequal educational and health outcomes to environmental and social justice, poverty, human trafficking and climate change.

This type of activity opens the door to broader engagement by introducing students to the complexity of challenges. It creates opportunities for dialogue with people who have different views and demonstrates that most solutions require understanding and collaboration, which cannot be achieved through toxic Instagram posts.

2. Intentionally build discourse and constructive engagement skills. It’s critical to ensure that our faculty, staff, and students feel comfortable facilitating difficult conversations and to equip them with the tools they need. That’s why I joined , an initiative of The Institute for Citizens & Scholars that brings together university leaders from across the country and political spectrum to design and share resources that help students prosper in a pluralistic society. This summer, the organization will hold their Faculty Institute on our campus, which trains faculty to be skilled, confident, and comfortable in creating, leading, and sustaining spaces for diverse intellectual and social perspectives.��

We teach students to do the same. Our Office for Social Justice and Diversity trains students to facilitate workshops that cover a range of topics, such as safe spaces, microaggressions, and diversity and inclusion. Students learn how to navigate tough situations by speaking freely and respectfully as they build alliances around an understanding of differences. These sessions have demonstrated that peers listen to peers, resulting in improved communication, problem solving and conflict management skills. This is what our democracy desperately needs!��

3. Don’t shy away from promoting political activity.��There is nothing more fundamental in a democracy than voting. And it should not be controversial to promote this activity as long as we are assiduously non-partisan.�� We should urge members of our community to participate in an informed and habitual fashion and underscore not just the symbolic value of this activity but its substantive significance. This often means getting beyond presidential politics – which many students scoff at particularly in states that seem definitively “red” or “blue” – by shining light on legislative and municipal races. A local focus often has the added benefit of making the effort non-partisan which is an absolute must.

That is a key component of the partnership between Montclair’s Civic and Voter Engagement Office and the . This year, we’ll ramp up our collective efforts by launching an educational bipartisan social media campaign, hosting voter registration events, providing shuttle service from campus for students to vote, and offering polling location information for students who live off campus.

4. Demonstrate collaboration through community partnership. Every time we do work with off-campus partners, we have the opportunity to teach our students how action rooted in trust and understanding is most effective. This is an apolitical but tangible illustration of what is missing in the civic realm.��

The best way for us to serve is to come up with projects based NOT on our own ideas and priorities; the direction needs to come from community. We need to act as true partners by laying down deep roots, being active participants, and demonstrating commitment to lasting, sustainable change. Most importantly, we need to listen to the frustrations and aspirations of our neighbors.

5. Join forces to amplify effort.��We can’t work alone and we shouldn’t reinvent the wheel. That’s why, in addition to Citizens and Scholars, I’ve also joined ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge’s to draw inspiration from peers and organizations that have done great work in this space. Working together, higher education leaders can ensure that students all over America are well-equipped to be productively engaged citizens.��

I believe that universities committed to advancing the needs of society are essential to conquering the problems that confront us and that the students we serve will be those responsible for bringing about positive change. That includes cultivating our democratic norms and institutions. That’s why from the moment they step on our campuses, students must see our strong commitment to civic engagement and have access to examples that demonstrate the power it can have over divisive activism.��

There are those urging universities to retreat from the public arena. There can be no neutrality when it comes to democracy, however. Our institutions can only thrive in a free, open society so this is an existential matter. It’s up to each of us to draw lessons from colleagues doing great work to preserve these conditions. Let’s support each other as we take responsibility for the vitality of the American democratic republic.

President Koppell and Dr. Daniel Jean, Associate Provost for Educational Opportunity and Success Programs, as well as Montclair students, were interviewed about the dedicated efforts that ����vlog is taking to change that through our Male Enrollment Graduation Alliance (MEGA).