18 | AUGUST 22 • 2024 J
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n April, the Anti-Defamation League’s 
(ADL) national office released its “Campus 
Antisemitism Report Card.”
ADL produced this analysis during a time of 
incredible volatility on college campuses. 
“It takes the temperature at a moment in time 
and provides a roadmap for improving campus 
climate,” the report card states.
The report looked at 85 colleges and universi-
ties with the highest Jewish student populations, 
two of those being the University of Michigan 
and Michigan State University. 
Only two schools, Brandeis University and 
Ilan University, received an “A.” Seventeen 
schools received a “B”; 29 schools received a 
“C”; 24 schools received a “D” and 13 schools 
received an “F.” 
U-M received a “D” and MSU received an “F.” 

SCHOOLS RESPOND
Soon after the report card came out, MSU’s cam-
pus Hillel and Chabad released a joint statement 
to the university’s Jewish community. 
“We are disappointed with the report since 
reducing the overall environment for Jewish stu-
dents at MSU into a single letter grade misses the 
holistic picture of Jewish life on our campus,” the 
statement read. “One of the most powerful ways 
to counter antisemitism is by building and nur-
turing a vibrant Jewish campus community, and 
our doors are open every day so that students 
have a safe place to connect with one another, 
and to explore Jewish values, education and tra-
ditions. 
“While limited in scope, the ADL report card 
does offer opportunities for the university to take 
action and do more to support Jewish students 
on campus. We will continue to work hand-in-
hand to advocate for Jewish Spartans and work 
with the administration to improve the overall 
environment for Jewish students,” the statement 
concluded. 

NATIONAL STRATEGY
In June 2023, when the White House released its 
strategy on antisemitism, the ADL sent a letter to 
university presidents stressing the importance of 
the strategy and proceeded to list corresponding 
actions their universities could take. After Oct. 7, 

another letter was sent to campuses, again listing 
things they could do to support Jewish students. 
What they saw in response — says Michigan 
ADL Regional Director Carolyn Normandin — 
was little effort made. 
A decision was made to create this 
Report Card, which provides “real 
pathways to improve life for Jewish 
students,” Normandin explains. 
“And I think it’s important to say 
that it not only improves life for 
Jewish students, but it also improves 
life for all students,” she says. “When there’s acri-
mony on campus, it affects not only the person 
who’s targeted, but the people around them.
“The Report Card is a way of assessing the 
incidents, the university policies and adminis-
trative actions about those incidents, and then 
Jewish life on campus and the supports on cam-
pus — with an eye toward helping universities 
improve.”
Normandin stresses that the grades are direct-
ed at the universities as a whole — not directed 
at the campus’ Jewish life.
“Both U-M and MSU have remarkable Jewish 
life on campus. They have active Hillels, Chabads 
and other Jewish student organizations like 
Michigan Wolverine or MSU for Israel. For all 
the ‘Jewish people talking to Jewish people,’ all 

the checkmarks were green.” 
Normandin states that while there were sig-
nificant incidents at both U-M and MSU, where 
they really see the story being told is in the 
administrative actions and policies — and that’s 
where the improvement needs to be. 
“For example, neither U-M nor MSU current-
ly have antisemitism really embedded in their 
code of conduct and policies,” Normandin says. 
“The other area both were deficient at is man-
datory antisemitism education for students and 
staff.
“U-M had a good official position against 
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions; MSU 
did not. U-M had a good advisory council to 
address antisemitism; MSU did not. That’s 
where the majority of the opportunity for col-
leges to improve their grades lies — in those 
administrative actions and policies that are not 
‘Jews talking to Jews;’ they’re the university stat-
ing on behalf of its entire student body what is 
acceptable behavior and what is not.” 
Normandin wants universities and their presi-
dents to be more proactive after this Report Card 
— specifically about the concrete steps they can 
take. 
“It can’t be the Jewish people saying it needs to 
be done,” Normandin says. “It has to be the uni-
versities taking the lead to develop policies and 
procedures that will enhance life for all students.”

AFTER THE REPORT’S RELEASE
Before the Report Card was released, the ADL 
checked the research with the universities 
involved. On the day it was released, each uni-
versity president received an email with their 
school’s grade and the name and info of the 
person in the ADL office that can help them in a 
“let’s work together” sense. 
Soon after, ADL hosted a webinar with people 
from both universities attending. Normandin 
says she’s had regular, ongoing discussions with 
both universities ever since, including both uni-
versities’ Hillel and Chabad. 
MSU’s administration took a strong look at the 
report card. “MSU immediately started to give 
us more information and started to share with us 
policies they approved but had not enacted yet,” 
she says. “And that is the goal, to serve students 

A measure of antisemitism at 85 colleges and universities 
ADL
’s Campus Report Card

Carolyn 
Normandin

DANNY SCHWARTZ SENIOR STAFF REPORTER

OUR COMMUNITY

