Chapman unclear on effects of federal funding and censorship laws

Photo Collage by Emily Paris, Photo Editor

Chapman’s administration has yet to issue any formal statement about the status of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office, the possible loss of federal funding or the U.S. Department of Education’s investigation into claims of antisemitism on campus. 

As universities throughout the country are losing millions of dollars for refusing to follow the Trump administration’s new rules, Chapman has been quiet about what is in store for the university, resulting in pushback from students and faculty who are asking for more transparency from leadership.

Last month, it was announced that Chapman is under investigation for antisemitism claims by the U.S. Department of Education. Days later, President Daniele C. Struppa told faculty and staff in an email that Vice President of DEI Reg Stewart and Provost Norma Bouchard were on leave without explanation. Since then, a walk out protest was held by students and faculty to support DEI. 

At the latest Faculty Senate meeting, held on March 21, Chapman faculty members raised questions about the future of DEI, concerns about federal funding and curriculum, were alerted of suspended research grants and the elimination of select “buzzwords” that have been flagged by Trump’s administration. 

With these issues on the table and a lack of clarity from the government, the senate was left with only a few answered questions.

The meeting began with a segment for answering faculty questions, led by Acting Provost Glenn Pfeiffer, who was appointed to the position when Provost Norma Bouchard was inexplicably put on leave. He said at the meeting that he did not know all of the details of Bouchard’s placement, and the ones he did know were “confidential HR matters.” 

Faculty senators asked Pfeiffer about solutions to federal funding issues. According to the meeting notes, “Glenn did not have a full response.” 

Additionally, when asked if Chapman was planning to name a new long-term VP of DEI, Pfeiffer answered that this had not been addressed by the university administration at the time. According to the meeting notes, Pfeiffer said, “it does not appear to be an immediate priority” of the administration.

However, when asked whether classes with DEI components would be affected, Pfeiffer stated that “curriculum belongs to the faculty.”

During the Office of Research Report, VP of Research Martina Nieswandt stated that two grants have been suspended, although it was not said which ones. However, the meeting notes state that the office is “checking current proposals for ‘forbidden’ words” and that proposals could possibly be reworded to exclude certain “buzzwords.” 

The Faculty Senate also spoke about formulating a statement for academic freedom and freedom of expression. The Panther followed up with Faculty Senate President Mihaela Vajiac, who said that the statement is currently in the works and should be presented at the next faculty senate meeting later this week.

On March 31, a letter signed by a group of Chapman faculty members in solidarity addressed the “recent federal government challenges to academic freedom.” This message was sent to Struppa, President-Elect Matt Parlow and the Faculty Senate Executive Board.

The group includes over 100 full-time faculty members from different colleges, according to the letter. The group expressed concern over the university’s investigation and asked that administrators share more details with faculty.

Another concern that was brought up in the letter was the leaves of Stewart and Bouchard, which “coincided with changes to the language and content of the website” for the DEI office, the letter states. The group urged administration to be more transparent in the reasoning for the leaves.

Lastly, the letter asked that leadership keeps students and faculty informed about possible immigration risks

“The members of Solidarity ask that you address our concerns and make every reasonable effort for transparency with faculty as the Chapman community navigates these uncertain times and the transition to new university leadership,” the letter states.

Struppa responded to the faculty, maintaining that he is committed to free speech. 

“Protecting free speech comes at a cost, and my record has shown my willingness to continually pay it, publicly,” Struppa responded. “There are not many people willing to support free expression regardless of content.”

Struppa continued: “A purely performative statement would be useless, and I will not write one. If my actions over nineteen years have no power, there is no reason why a statement should be more successful.”

He also addressed the leaves of Stewart and Bouchard, saying that the university is legally obligated to keep the situations confidential. 

For most universities, following new orders from the Trump administration has meant scrubbing their websites from the DEI “buzzwords,” initiating hiring freezes and rescinding graduate admissions

Chapman, like other schools, has made changes in the wording on their main DEI website to say “welcoming community,” and the DEI department is reviewing its operations to ensure they comply with the new guidelines set by Trump’s administration.

This is a developing story that The Panther will continue to report on as the situation unfolds.

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