Cal Poly San Luis Obispo President Jeffrey Armstrong is scheduled to testify before a congressional subcommittee during a hearing focused on antisemitism on college campuses.
The hearing, titled Beyond the Ivy League: Stopping the Spread of Antisemitism on American Campuses, is set for May 7 and will be held by the House Subcommittee on Education and the Workforce. Armstrong will testify alongside the presidents of Haverford College and DePaul University.
In a written statement to KCBX, Armstrong said combating antisemitism is a high priority for Cal Poly and that he looks forward to sharing the university’s efforts to maintain a safe environment for the entire campus community.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonprofit focused on civil liberties and free speech, is also weighing in ahead of the hearing. Tyler Coward, lead counsel for government affairs at the organization, said Congress has a legitimate interest in addressing campus harassment based on race, ethnicity and national origin.
“But the response to that is not to demand more censorship of protected expression,” Coward said, “but to ensure that institutions have policies in place to respond to unprotected speech or unprotected conduct to ensure that Jewish students or all students can attend their college without fear of a hostile environment.”
A spokesperson for the subcommittee said the hearing is informational and no vote is expected.
At Cal Poly, student-led protests against the war in Gaza have included demonstrations and temporary blockades at campus entrances. In one protest targeting military weapons manufacturers, eight people were arrested after allegedly attempting to break into the university’s Recreation Center.
