.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
Selected recommendations from the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism's Final Report.
In November 2025, the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism released its Final Report following more than a year of public hearings, expert testimony, and deliberation. Endorsed by the Governor, the legislature, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), and other state institutions, the report offers a roadmap for addressing antisemitism across the Commonwealth, including in workplaces.
This resource outlines measures that colleges and universities across the Commonwealth should take to address systemic gaps in responding to antisemitism in higher education settings. While some of the recommendations are specific to addressing antisemitism, many can be applied more broadly to address bias of any form and promote more inclusive campus communities for all.
The recommendations below are drawn directly from the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism's Final Report.
Expand each section for additional context and implementation guidance from CJP's Center for Combating Antisemitism.
Clear and accessible reporting pathways ensure that antisemitic incidents are taken seriously and addressed consistently. When students, faculty, or staff do not know where to go or what will happen after they report an incident, they are less likely to come forward.
Institutions should make reporting processes easy to find, simple to use, and consistently communicated. Community members should understand what can be reported, what support is available, and how the institution will respond.
Mandatory anti-bias education that explicitly includes contemporary antisemitism helps ensure that campus communities understand how antisemitism appears and how to respond. The Commission highlights examples of institutions that have integrated antisemitism into anti-bias education and training. These include Brandeis University, Harvard University, Tufts University, Wellesley College, and Simmons College.
Training should prepare faculty, administrators, and students to recognize antisemitism, respond to incidents, and support those affected.
Structured opportunities for open dialogue are essential in higher education settings where difficult and often contentious issues are discussed. At the same time, academic boycotts and similar efforts that may target individuals or institutions based on protected characteristics can undermine principles of nondiscrimination and academic freedom. Debates related to academic boycotts, campus protests, and broader geopolitical issues have, at times, created confusion, exclusion, and tension on campuses, particularly when institutional policies are unclear or inconsistently applied.
Institutions should create and support forums, programming, and academic spaces that encourage respectful dialogue. Ongoing communication and engagement with Jewish students, faculty, and staff are critical to ensuring that these efforts reflect lived experience and build trust across campus communities.
Proactive coordination between campus leadership and law enforcement is essential to addressing threats of harassment, violence, and vandalism. Strong relationships allow institutions to respond more quickly and assess risk more effectively.
Partnership with Jewish students, faculty, and staff, as well as campus and community organizations, is critical to identifying concerns early and informing institutional response.
Jewish students have raised serious concerns about unclear reporting processes for bias-related complaints and inconsistent application of disciplinary measures. As such, the Commission recommended that institutions designate a Title VI Coordinator or office as a centralized point of accountability to oversee compliance, and coordinate training and institutional responses under federal civil rights law.
Addressing antisemitism on campus requires more than policy alone. Sustained communication, education, open dialogue, and partnership with Jewish students, faculty, and campus professionals are essential to understanding campus climate and responding effectively. Institutions that maintain these relationships are better positioned to address challenges early and build trust across their communities.
The Commission’s higher education recommendations set clear expectations for colleges and universities across the Commonwealth, while recognizing that meaningful progress depends on both institutional leadership and coordinated state support.
The Commission makes clear that campus efforts should not occur in isolation. These recommendations should be understood as part of a shared framework in which higher education institutional action is reinforced by statewide guidance, coordination, and accountability.
Please reach out to CJP’s Center for Combating Antisemitism at cca-info@cjp.org for questions and/or partnership opportunities to implement the recommendations.
Prefer a printed copy? Download a PDF version of this guide to share with colleagues, bring to meetings, or use as a reference while implementing these recommendations.
.svg)
