President Tania Tetlow gave a speech titled “The Sign of the Times: How Will Fordham Hold onto Core Values at This Moment?” on Wednesday, Feb. 26. In light of recent actions from the Trump Administration and a letter from the Department of Education that was sent to educational institutions nationwide, Tetlow delivered this speech to faculty, administration and staff.
Craig Trainor the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights signed the letter and addressed it as “Dear Colleague”.
“Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism’ and advanced discriminatory policies and practices,” reads the letter. “Proponents of these discriminatory practices have attempted to further justify them—particularly during the last four years—under the banner of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (“DEI”), smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline.”
The letter had mixed reception with some universities. The Georgia Institute of Technology axed their Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, while others like Mount Holyoke College declared they won’t be altering their programs.
Tetlow’s speech took place in the McNally Amphitheater at the Lincoln Center Campus and was live-streamed to the Rose Hill, Westchester and London campuses.
“I think it’s very crucial because we need to know what the official position of the university will be in light of the executive orders,” said Alessia Valfredini, a Fordham professor, before the address. “I really hope today they will be not bending to pressure.”
Professors from both campuses attended the speech, and seats were filled quickly, with many professors having to stand on the second level. Members of administration also attended. Students, including reporters from the Fordham Ram, were not allowed to attend Tetlow’s speech.
“I always like to hear what the president has to say. I’m always interested in the direction of the university, what her strategic plans are so that I can help kind of bring them to fruition,” said Associate Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Jason B. Benedict.
The event lasted around an hour, and applause and laughter could be heard from outside the amphitheater. The general consensus from people leaving the event was that they were pleased with what the president said.
Tetlow has yet to make an official announcement to the students regarding recent executive orders.
“In the last month, higher education has faced troubling developments from the new administration,” said Tetlow. “On Wednesday, I brought faculty and staff together to discuss the impacts we are already seeing, what’s at stake, and how we will navigate the rapid changes coming from Washington. Most importantly, I emphasized our Jesuit, Catholic mission to ensure that we continue to support our students fully, both in and beyond the classroom.”
