Smith College hosted a second campus community webinar on March 6 to communicate plans and share resources related to recent executive orders and changes in federal policies under the Trump administration.
The webinar opened and closed with an address from Smith College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton, who encouraged community members to prioritize careful analysis and consideration over reactive judgements. Willie-LeBreton emphasized that she is aware of the fear and uncertainty that many community members are facing and that the college will not comply with any federal orders until they are strictly enforced.
“I am focused on protecting the most vulnerable members of our community, protecting academic freedom, protecting the freedom of expression and the right to privacy,” said Willie-LeBreton. “We will stay the course, and we will do so together.”
Smith College has created a Tracking and Compliance Team (TCT) to meet weekly, which will keep the college informed of legislative developments that may impact Smith’s policies and operations. TCT is responsible for tracking legislation at all levels of government, including executive orders targeting DEI operations and healthcare, immigration enforcement policy, the Department of Education and federal funding. TCT is also responsible for analyzing the legal responses to legislation as courts across the country review new policy.
The college is currently working alongside other higher education institutions and legal organizations to stay abreast of policy changes and any complications that might arise. Smith is part of both national and state coalitions of colleges and universities. . The college also partners with the government relations firm Lewis-Burke and Associates to advocate for college interests in Washington, D.C. Consultants at Lewis-Burke Associates provide real-time information and counsel on legislation and executive orders that may affect education.
The college is navigating the prospect of a tax being levied on the endowment. The endowment excise tax was marked at 1.4% during Trump’s first term, the first time that higher education endowments were ever placed under taxation. Over the past few months, however, Republican members of Congress have proposed raising the tax from anywhere between 2.8% to 21% –– the current corporation income tax rate.
A raised endowment tax would significantly impact Smith, which relies on the endowment for approximately half of its operating expenses. The endowment is also instrumental in ensuring access to financial aid, according to Chief of Staff and Liaison for Government Relations Joanna Olin.
To preemptively address the potential raise in taxes, Smith College has partnered with 26 similar institutions, as well as lobbying and legal firms across the country to investigate and lobby for a bipartisan solution that will eliminate or minimize the impact of increased taxation.
Vice President and General Counsel Gretchen Groggle Ralston addressed some of the other concerns that TCT is tracking and how the college is looking to manage them during the webinar.
“My goal is to try to be as transparent as possible with regards to how we’re thinking about some of these tough decisions. First and foremost, we’re trying to live into our core mission and values. This is always top of mind when doing our analysis,” she said. “Doing what’s best for Smith is doing what is best for our community, not some amorphous institution.”
Legal responses to recent federal policy impacting colleges and universities remain in flux as executive orders continue to be blocked in court. Many pieces of legislation have not yet passed or are in the process of being reviewed and challenged, and there are many cases in which the exact outcome is not yet clear.
Smith will continue to follow the legal frameworks implemented before the Trump administration took office. The college reaffirmed its commitment to providing financial aid to students and protecting the freedoms of community members, as well as supporting initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
Many community members have expressed concern over the possibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) being able to enter certain campus buildings now that the Trump administration has allowed ICE to make arrests on school grounds. To ensure that the campus is as safe as possible, Smith is working to install OneCard access to more buildings as part of a larger security assessment and will keep the community updated as the project develops. Even without changes in security measures, however, dorm buildings, classrooms and offices are private spaces, and are not available to the public –– including government enforcement agencies such as ICE without judicial warrant to do so.
The college will continue to be in contact with students and faculty through further webinars as necessary and the Campus Resources page on the Smith website.
To close out the meeting, Willie-LeBreton once again urged community members to stay informed and to lean on and support each other during times of stress.
“We will link arms, not only on campus, but with our neighbors and across the country. We need to talk each other off the ledge of panic so that we don’t capitulate to what others would have us do, which is to not pay attention,” Willie-LeBreton said. “What we’re doing on this campus is honorable. It is still legal. If it becomes illegal, we will fight that […] and I am so proud of everything that Smith does, and I am deeply honored to be associated with all of you.”
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