The College has implemented a pause on certifying National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. The pause came in response to a new condition from the agencies that requires universities accepting NSF and NIH funds to attest that none of their programming works to “promote or advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) … in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws.”
The Record sent its biannual approval ratings survey of 500 students last week, with 125 randomly selected from each class year. Respondents indicated their approval, disapproval, or neutrality towards 24 campus institutions, including dining services, the faculty, and the Record.
This semester, 23 sophomores declared an English major, a sharp drop from last year’s 35 declarations. In 2023, the department had 42 graduating seniors, a near-40 year low, according to data from the Registrar’s office.
The faculty voted to approve a Native American and Indigenous Studies coordinate program for the 2025-26 academic year. The program will be made up of courses across departments including American studies, anthropology, Arabic studies, biology, and history.
President Maud S. Mandel discussed the College’s ongoing response to President Donald Trump’s second administration, which has increased attacks on higher education, including funding cuts and immigration crackdowns,
Room inspections will no longer occur during fire drills, according to Director of Campus Safety Services Jeff Palmer. The College’s Environmental Health and Safety division, which operates under CSS, will conduct future inspections only during winter and spring breaks and will no longer check student’s dorms for room condition and prohibited items during fire drills, Palmer wrote in an email to the Record.
Maxwell Hall ’26 has been charged with 18 counts of photographing an unsuspecting nude person, according to court documents obtained by the Record. The Record acquired court documents at the Northern Berkshire District Court on Thursday that named Hall and matched the description of the incident mentioned in a campus-wide email Director of CSS Jeff Palmer sent on April 14 informing the community that a hidden camera had been placed in a single-stall bathroom in the Upper Lasell Fitness Center on January 16.
The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) exempt staff positions had increased from 290 to 443 since 2009, outpacing growth in faculty positions by 40 percentage points. A Record investigation found student support, increased resources for faculty, and government requirements as primary drivers of the trend.
The Junior Advisor (JA) Program Working Group publicly released its final report last Friday, outlining a series of recommendations for the JA program, including a target JA to first-year ratio, expanding eligibility for the JA position, and creating opportunities for former and current JAs to give recommendations that will inform future changes to the JA program.
The Williams Student Union (WSU) announced a slate of new initiatives and proposals, including student life improvements and internal reforms, in an April 22 spring newsletter.
President Maud S. Mandel signed onto an open letter condemning “the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.” The letter was issued by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and had over 500 signatories as of publication, including the leaders of colleges, universities, and scholarly societies.
Students at the College have faced disruptions to their summer plans, including the cancellation of summer research programs and federal internships, amid a federal hiring freeze and significant cuts to federal funding for research.
