Antisemitism on U.S. college campuses is not confined to student protests and encampments but is also present within classrooms, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
The report, released in partnership with Hillel International and College Pulse in January 2025, found that 27.3% of Jewish students reported observing antisemitic behavior from faculty. The ADL noted that exposure to such rhetoric from professors is associated with increased perceptions of a hostile campus environment.
Faculty Conduct in Academic Spaces
The ADL's findings indicate that faculty conduct and curriculum choices can occur in the "relative opacity of academic spaces," making them less visible than student demonstrations. Allegations include professors and teaching assistants incorporating anti-Israel activism into their coursework, offering extra credit for attending anti-Israel events, and singling out Jewish and Israeli students.
The report cited specific examples from universities within the University of California system. At UC Berkeley, a teaching assistant allegedly offered extra credit in October 2023 for participating in an anti-Israel walkout described as being "against the settler-colonial occupation of Gaza." While the university addressed the incident, citing a policy against political indoctrination, UC Berkeley's Asst. Vice Chancellor Dan Mogulof stated the school had no record of students being offered extra credit for attending a separate university-sponsored event titled "Thinking from Palestine: Dispossession, Liberation, and Return."
Similarly, at UCLA in October 2023, a teaching assistant reportedly offered students extra credit for attending an "Emergency Teach-in on the Crisis in Palestine."
Incidents at Columbia University
The ADL also highlighted findings from Columbia University's Task Force on Antisemitism. The task force reported instances where Jewish and Israeli students were allegedly targeted by instructors. In one case, an Israeli student was asked about settler colonialism, and an instructor allegedly referred to a student with a combat role in the Israel Defense Forces as being "one of the murderers." Another Jewish student, who was not Israeli, reportedly heard an instructor say, "It’s such a shame that your people survived in order to commit mass genocide."
A Columbia University spokesperson stated that the university has been implementing recommendations to enhance bias incident reporting, enforce protest policies, and foster inclusive classroom settings to ensure Jewish students can engage academically without fear of harassment. The university also noted ongoing collaboration with Jewish organizations to support the community.
The ADL emphasized that antisemitic incidents involving faculty carry significant weight due to the power professors hold over students. The organization warned that such actions can disproportionately contribute to an unsafe and hostile environment for all students. The ADL recommended that universities implement comprehensive measures to combat antisemitism and ensure a secure campus environment.