The University of Vermont has 2,500 Jewish undergraduate students, comprising 22% of the student body, and 500 Jewish graduate students, 23% of the graduate student population. Vermont has a Hillel, Chabad and Jewish Greek life organizations.

What’s Happening on Campus?

In February and March 2023, there were multiple incidents of propaganda distribution on campus by the virulently antisemitic group Goyim Defense League.

In April 2023, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with the University of Vermont following an investigation of a complaint alleging the school had failed to respond to antisemitic harassment. The complaint had raised concerns regarding Jewish students being excluded from student organizations and a teaching assistant posting on social media about not giving “Zionists” credit for participation. Students also allegedly threw rocks at the Hillel building.

Serious concerns were raised regarding University President Suresh Garimella’s initial response to the OCR investigation, which was widely viewed as minimizing student complaints regarding antisemitism. When the resolution agreement was finalized, over 170 faculty signed a letter calling on Garimella to apologize for his initial response and work to rebuild trust with the campus community.

In November 2023, posts were reportedly made on YikYak at Vermont blaming a Hillel staff member for the shooting of three Palestinian college students.

In April 2024, pro-Palestinian protestors established an encampment on campus. While some protestors are now facing disciplinary proceedings, according to a University spokesperson, the protestors “made efforts to bring their demonstration closer to compliance with university policies” and eventually disbanded without any incident.

University Policies and Responsive Action

The University has held four workshops on antisemitism on campus since the resolution of the Department of Education investigation last April. The school’s non-discrimination policies have been updated to specifically include antisemitism. University leadership also attended Hillel’s University Presidents Summit on Campus Antisemitism. The University has a Bias Education and Response Team and University leadership has held sessions with campus community members to discuss Jewish safety on campus. The University helped Jewish students form a recognized Student Government Association club, the Jewish Student Union, in the fall of 2023.