Cal Poly will establish an antisemitism task force, President Jeffrey Armstrong announced in a campuswide email last Wednesday.
This spring, the task force will develop a campus action plan for antisemitism education and cultural awareness using data from a Jewish climate survey, Armstrong wrote. This survey will be released to students this quarter, according to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier.
The university will announce the members of the task force in May and hold a kick-off meeting in fall 2025, Armstrong wrote.
This decision comes as college campuses nationwide are under scrutiny from the federal government for an apparent rise in antisemitism and mismanagement of “illegal protests,” prompted by the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack and Israel’s war on Gaza.
The Office of University Diversity and Inclusion and Student Affairs administrators have undergone three months of antisemitism training as part of Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative, according to Lauren Bandari, executive director of SLO Hillel.
Cal Poly became one of 28 colleges in the 2024-2025 cohort of this US-focused initiative meant to address antisemitism and provide more inclusive environments for Jewish students and the student body overall.
The task force is part of broader efforts in “enhancing our campus culture and sense of belonging at Cal Poly,” Armstrong wrote.
The advocacy group, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), created the Campus Antisemitism Report Card, an assessment profile of 135 schools rating their administrative policies, Jewish student life and campus conduct. On March 3, Cal Poly received a “F” in its handling of antisemitism, according to the university’s report card. Less than 10% of schools were given F’s this year, CNN reported.
The rating changed to a “D” on April 4 at 7:12 a.m., the day after Mustang News asked the university’s media team about the “F” rating.
An additional note was added to the bottom of the page reading “California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo contributed information to our assessment.”
The ADL evaluates colleges using specific criteria, including the existence of an advisory council to address antisemitism, the presence of active Jewish student clubs and the prevalence of “severe antisemetic and anti-Zionist incidents.”
Incidents cited in Cal Poly’s report include an email sent to a faculty member containing antisemitic messages in May 2024 and graffitied pro-Palestine messages on campus buildings in Oct. 2024.
In response, Cal Poly will collaborate with Hillel to establish an Interfaith Center on-campus and administer antisemitism training, according to the ADL report.
In addition to establishing the task force, a Dialogue on Peace in the Middle East hosted by SLO Hillel and Cal Poly Student Affairs will take place on April 9, Armstrong wrote. Former U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross and former Palestinian Authority advisor Ghaith Al-Omari will discuss Israeli and Palestinian relations, the email read. The event is free, but an RSVP is required to attend.