Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong will testify before Congress on May 7 for the way the university addressed “antisemitic, violent protests” on campus, according to the Congressional Committee on Education and Workforce.
Titled “Beyond the Ivy League: Stopping the Spread of Antisemitism on American Campuses,” the hearing will be chaired by Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) as an attempt to hold college administrators accountable for allowing “rampant antisemitism on college campuses,” Walberg said on the committee’s website.
The hearing also follows executive orders from the Trump administration to take “forceful action” to combat antisemitism.
The presidents of Haverford College and DePaul University will also testify at the May 7 hearing, answering to what the committee called the “mishandling” of campus protests.
“For the past few years, our committee has played a critical role in both uncovering the rampant antisemitism on college campuses and holding administrators accountable,” Chairman Walberg’s statement read. “This hearing is a continuation of this work so that we can ensure Jewish students across the nation don’t face threats or harassment in violation of Title VI.”
Based on a one-year investigation, the Committee on Education and Workforce released findings on how antisemitism affected college campuses last October. According to the committee’s report, it concluded that university administrators made concessions to the organizers of illegal encampments, deliberately chose to withhold support for Jewish students, failed to impose discipline among those who engaged in antisemitic conduct, and “considered congressional oversight a nuisance at best and with open hostility at worst.”
All three of the universities also received failing grades from the Anti-Defamation League for not addressing antisemitic tensions on campus amid the Israel-Gaza war, although the Committee on Education and Workforce’s website doesn’t indicate why the colleges were called to testify at the hearing.
According to the Anti-Defamation League report card, from at least April to December 2024 Cal Poly experienced high levels of hostile, anti-Zionist activity from student groups, staff, and faculty. The university also rated below expectations for publicly condemning antisemitic incidents.
Cal Poly’s grade changed to a “D,” earlier this month after President Armstrong announced implementing an antisemitism task force. In an April 14 communication, Armstrong said the task forceāits members will be announced in Mayāwill evaluate data collected through a Jewish climate survey this spring to develop a campus action plan focused on Jewish student life, antisemitism education, and cultural awareness.
“As an institution of higher education, it is our responsibility to support free exchange of ideas and engage in civil discourse to foster understanding and promote respectful dialogue,” the communication read. “These ideals are critical to building the foundations from which diverse perspectives can be heard and considered.”
Armstrong responded to a request for comment with an emailed statement.
“Combatting antisemitism is a high priority for Cal Poly, and I look forward to sharing with committee members the significant steps we’ve taken to maintain a safe and secure environment for our entire community,” he said.
The hearing will stream live on the committee’s YouTube channel on May 7 starting at 7:15 a.m. ā
This article appears in Apr 24 – May 4, 2025.