Federal Policy Changes: Early April Update

Dear Macalester campus community,

As the spring semester begins to wind down and we draw nearer to final examinations and Commencement, I am mindful that many in our community may feel concerned about the rapidly changing federal policy landscape, and recent news regarding detention of students on other campuses and continued threats to federal funding. 

I want to reiterate what I have said previously: our responses will continue to be guided by our institutional values. We remain committed to the principle of academic freedom, the rights of free speech and assembly, and the importance of respecting different perspectives, points of view, identities, and experiences. Put simply, Macalester will not change who we are or what we stand for. 

Members of the Senior Leadership Team continue to monitor federal policy updates and to seek the most effective pathways for navigating them. We participate actively in advocacy through national associations and coalitions, including AAC&U, ACE, CIC,  NAICU, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, NADOHE, and NAFSA. For example, Macalester has signed on to the amicus brief in support of a motion filed April 1 requesting a preliminary court order to enjoin the administration’s policy of revoking the visas of and arresting, detaining, and deporting noncitizen students and faculty exercising their free speech and association rights.

And we are working behind the scenes to protect the most vulnerable in our community. In the service of those efforts, I personally have met with our Minnesota elected officials in Washington and here at home. Given the sensitivity of many of the issues and the risks involved, we are not publicizing all of these interventions broadly. If you have specific concerns about your wellbeing or someone else’s, please contact my office to receive information about where to go for help.

Because visa and immigration issues may be top-of-mind right now, I want to share a few more specific updates, which will give you a sense of the proactive ways we are working on these and many other issues affecting our campus community: 

• On Monday, our Vice President for Student Affairs sent an email message to all students to let them know that the International Student Programs (ISP) team is working directly with those studying at Macalester on F-1 or other visas. ISP will continue to communicate directly with international students regarding travel and visa restrictions, and to encourage reconsideration of international summer travel based on their level of risk.
• On Tuesday, Institutional Equity held an open information session with an immigration attorney that was attended by faculty, staff, and students. We will continue to host Q&A sessions. 
• In addition, Human Resources is working with an immigration attorney to support visa sponsored employees, and the attorney will be on campus on April 10 for a meeting with these employees. The Dean of the Faculty and the Provost also are meeting with this group for a listening session next week. The Faculty Personnel Committee has encouraged any faculty members whose research, travel, or funding has been limited to reach out directly to the Dean of the Faculty and the Provost for guidance.

For those who want to monitor federal policy changes more closely, a number of organizations have made tracking tools available. Some examples include: Federal Register – Executive Orders, Akin, CNN Politics, Just Security Litigation Tracker, and Vox first 100 days. Other resources that may be of interest are the American Council on Education’s dotEDU podcast, which features discussions about policy impacts on higher education, and the American Civil Liberties Union, which provides analysis of federal policies and Know Your Rights resources.

We received positive feedback about the community conversations held at the end of February, and we plan to offer additional opportunities for in-person gatherings before the end of the year. Please watch for announcements, which will be shared via Mac Daily.

I know that current events affect each of us differently depending on who we are and how vulnerable we may be. I am deeply grateful to those of you working hard to protect members of this community and the institution itself. This moment calls for us to look after one another with profound commitment and compassion. 

As always, if you have questions or feedback, I encourage you to contact me directly.

Onward,

Dr. Suzanne M. Rivera
President

April 4, 2025