In May 2020, Fordham announced that for a two-year period, standardized admissions tests—the SAT and ACT—would be an optional element of the undergraduate admission application process. In the ensuing two years, Fordham enrolled the largest and most diverse entering classes in the University’s history.

The University extended the policy for another year in 2022 and, given our positive experience with the newly arrived first-year class, Fordham will now further extend the test-optional policy to include students applying for fall 2025 admission. This will allow high school students to plan ahead, and will enable the University to continue analyzing the data on student success, and further refine application assessments.

Fordham has always employed a holistic admission process—just as we aim to educate the whole student, the University assesses the whole student. Making standardized tests optional has improved access for students who might not otherwise apply to the University and maintained our commitment to academic rigor. With several admission cycles behind us, Fordham is more confident than ever that we can fairly evaluate applicants who submit test scores along with those who do not, offering admission to candidates who can thrive at Fordham.

We know that the Class of 2027 has the skills and intellectual ability to excel at Fordham. Like the classes that preceded them back to 1840s, they will leave Fordham prepared to be leaders of competence, compassion, and superior judgment in their careers and in their lives.

John W. Buckley
Vice President for Enrollment

With relief and gratitude for all of those who helped us get through the pandemic, we announce our ability to move beyond many of the University’s COVID protocols. We continue to encourage you to make individual choices to maximize your own safety, and we continue to offer enormous respect and care for the more vulnerable among us. But the same data that has driven Fordham’s decisions all along now counsels a different path. The federal government has announced the termination of the emergency phase of the crisis as of May, thus we can move forward into the endemic stage of the virus. We make this decision after broad consultation with our community.

As of May 15, Fordham will not require members of the University community or visitors to be vaccinated against COVID. Vaccinations and boosters will continue to be strongly recommended because they remain very effective in protecting each of us individually from serious illness and death. Vaccines will no longer be required, however, because new variants increasingly have evaded the vaccine’s initially strong ability to prevent transmission of the disease. What was once a critical way to protect the most vulnerable in our community has become more of an individual choice about safety, one we urge you to take seriously.

While many of us have learned to live with the risk of COVID, it is critical that we remember the most vulnerable—to care enormously about those who beat cancer (or face other risks) and now live in fear of being felled by a virus. To state the obvious, stay home if you test positive for COVID. But not just that—we all learned some good habits about staying home when we are sick with any infectious illness. And masks remain a critical way to keep from spreading our own germs when we are sick, and a tool for those who want or need to protect themselves.

The University will continue providing COVID vaccinations and testing to students as much as we can. Schedules will be posted on the Health Services Page. Employees should see their healthcare providers.

As of May 15, the University will no longer use VitalCheck to track vaccination status, nor to report COVID cases, and members of the on-campus community will no longer receive the daily VitalCheck questionnaire via text or email.

Long before the fall semester begins, we will take a look at all other policies in consultation with the data and our community, and will announce any changes with plenty of notice. Until then, all classroom and other policies remain in effect. If you have questions about any of this, you can email vpforadministration@fordham.edu.

I arrived after the worst of the pandemic, but I want to say how proud I am of what you collectively achieved these last grueling years. In the midst of the terrible toll the virus took on New York City, Fordham’s data shows how well it managed to provide protection on campus and to model its concern for the neighborhoods around us, and for the communities you each returned home to. After the initial lockdown, the University carefully balanced the need to teach and serve students in person against the risks.

Fordham spent millions on these efforts—for vaccines, testing, masks, infrastructure modifications, and health and safety personnel. Fordham’s faculty, administrators, and staff worked tirelessly to teach and serve students. From the ridiculous juggling act of teaching in hybrid fashion to caring for students in the residence halls, from maximizing safety in our ventilation systems to giving thousands of COVID tests—I can’t possibly list here everything you sacrificed, but it was a miracle.

Students, we are so proud and grateful for the ways you helped us through, the millions of individual choices you made to keep our community safe. You lost so much, from critical years of social engagement to precious moments like graduations, and for some of you, far worse. We look at the data on levels of anxiety and depression with enormous concern. And despite how exhausted we also are, the Fordham community comes to work every day determined to be there for you.

We will continue to be prepared for whatever the world may throw at us, while praying for a reprieve from these ridiculously difficult times. Thank you all so much.

All my best,

Tania Tetlow
President

Fordham University seeks to foster robust and civil discourse, and to promote academic freedom on all University owned social media channels. Nothing in the policy below should be construed as constraining speech on non-University social media, nor other non-University print, broadcast, nor digital channels.

Applicability and Scope

This policy outlines the proper use of social media for the official business purposes of Fordham University, including the promotion of the University, colleges and schools, departments and offices, programming, faculty, and staff of the University. (See the section “Official Fordham Social Media Account Recognition” below for the definition of official University accounts.)

For the purpose of this policy, “social media” refers to, but is not limited to blogs (i.e., web-based journals) and microblogs (e.g., Tumblr), collaborative websites (e.g., Wikipedia, etc.), message boards, social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter), podcasts (i.e., multimedia distributed over the internet), video sharing (e.g., YouTube), and photo sharing (e.g., Instagram, Snapchat, etc…).

This policy applies to all University employees, including faculty and staff, and to anyone posting content and comments to any official Fordham site. The Office of University Communications is responsible for the enforcement of this policy and is a resource to the University community for launching social media initiatives. This policy does not preclude more restrictive policies for academic or administrative units that have different needs.

Any questions regarding this policy or Fordham’s social media presence may be addressed to:

Office of University Communications
(212) 636-6538 | [email protected]

Content Guidelines

Fordham University values robust and civil discourse, and seeks to promote academic freedom. We welcome critical posts and opposing points of view, but users shall refrain from using profanity and from making personal attacks in any comments posted to University social media platforms.

As Fordham’s social media platforms are integral parts of its marketing and public relations efforts, the University reserves the right to moderate comments without prior notification as part of its standard editorial practices. We delete comments that contain personal attacks, obscene, harassing, or threatening language, and ban users who violate these terms, except where such actions infringe upon employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act. As a rule, we delete comments that are clearly off-topic, as well as advertising and solicitations for non-Fordham events, products, businesses, and fundraisers.

The University assumes no responsibility for user comments, screen names, nor any information they post. Third-party content shared on Fordham social media platforms does not constitute an endorsement, nor reflect the views of Fordham University. Likewise, user accounts followed by official Fordham platforms do not constitute endorsements of those users, nor of the content they post. The use of Fordham University logos and wordmarks is restricted to official University accounts (see below).

Users who post to official University social media platforms consent to allow Fordham to use such content for marketing and promotional purposes.

We hope that visitors to Fordham’s social media pages will help us maintain an open and collegial atmosphere.

Reporting Guidelines

If you see content or comments on Fordham social media pages that raise concerns about an individual’s safety or the safety of the University community, contact the Department of Public Safety at (718) 817-2222, and ask to speak to a duty supervisor (this line is staffed 24/7).

For comments that appear to violate Fordham’s social media policy, or the University code of conduct, but do not rise to the level of a threat to the University community or property, please email us at: [email protected] (we will generally respond within 24 hours—nights, weekends, and holidays included).

Official Fordham Social Media Account Recognition

This refers to accounts created with the approval of the academic or administrative department in cooperation with University Communications for the purpose of promoting the University and its constituent departments and programs. 

Individuals and groups not directly employed by Fordham and authorized by the appropriate University officials may not represent themselves as official Fordham accounts, nor may they improperly use Fordham logos, seals, nor wordmarks to identify those accounts.

Before setting up any social media accounts for official Fordham business, users must seek approval and guidance from the Office of University Communications.

Officially recognized Fordham-affiliated social media pages must be registered with the assistant director of communications for social media ([email protected]), including any page in circulation at the time of this policy’s approval, or future pages. The “owner” of the platform must be a full-time faculty member or employee of the University; at least one other person in the account owner’s department (or in University Communications) must have access to the account login information and password. That second person must also be a full-time faculty member or employee of the University.

Only social media pages officially recognized by Fordham will be included in the official Fordham Social Media Registry and be allowed to use official Fordham-branded graphics, images, and other digital assets, as provided by University marketing and communications.

Information found on any unauthorized Fordham-related social media page is not considered representative of the University.

When applicable, pages registered with Fordham must make every effort to use all available accessibility features. This includes creating and posting any additional content, i.e., alt text, captions and photo IDs. The University’s web accessibility site provides more information about complying with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Employees using social media on behalf of the University must follow all applicable requirements including, but not limited to, the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and NCAA regulations. Employees must not violate intellectual property rights of the University, its faculty and staff, nor any third parties, nor disclose confidential or private information of the University or third parties. A complete listing of applicable requirements can be found at Human Resources Policy and Guides.

With respect to copyrighted material, this policy applies in conjunction with, and not independent of, the Terms of Service of any and all social media sites where relevant content resides. Additionally, all copyrighted material must respect federal copyright laws.

Faculty and Staff Personal Social Media Accounts/Posts

The University does not seek to determine the appropriateness of content on faculty and staff’s personal social media accounts. However, University personnel who identify themselves as a Fordham faculty or staff member on their personal social media accounts or in posts or comments should:

1. Use their best judgment and exercise personal responsibility when posting on social media;
2. Include when appropriate a disclaimer that their views, positions, and opinions are their own and not those of Fordham University; and
3. With the exception of LinkedIn, no employee may use Fordham’s trademarked or copyrighted marks or emblems without the prior approval of the Office of University Communications.

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Updated October 7, 2019

Robert Rubin, who served as treasury secretary during the Clinton administration, said he “would invest in the United States over any other country in the world.”

 “We have enormous strengths— a dynamic society, great natural resources, a deeply embedded market based economics system and better demographics than China, Japan, and the Eurozone,” said Rubin.

However, he cautioned that in order to realize that potential, “we need to act; our political system has to work.”

Rubin spoke at an Oct. 17 event titled “U.S. Economy: Policy and Governance Challenges,” a Q and A-styled panel sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business and hosted by Gabelli School Dean Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D. He answered questions from students, faculty, and alumni on topics ranging from inflation to debt to a potential decrease in the standard of living to global economics.

Throughout the event, he stressed the importance of fixing the American political system. One of his suggestions was to use social media in a constructive manner to engage the everyman in the political process.

“Interactive social media is a way to reach out to the middle-income worker from the center of the country,” he said. “They need to become part of the political process and committed to [making]the government work.”

He expressed faith that the nation can be successful, but said he is skeptical that anything productive will happen during the next few years.

“We need to get people into office who will actually make change,” said Rubin. “But our country has made running for office . . . a terrible experience.” That is one reason, he said, why it is so difficult to get things done.

Rubin began his career in finance at Goldman Sachs and became the first director of the National Economic Council, an agency created during the Clinton administration, during his time as Treasury secretary. He serves as co-chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations, as a member of the board of trustees of the Mount Sinai Health System, and as chairman of the board of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

The arising economic challenges can be confronted and handled, said Rubin, with a more effective Congress.

“My worry is that, instead of facing these challenges now while they are still under our control, the government will face them when they’re forced too,” said Rubin. “And by then it’ll be too late.”

–Mary Awad

The University reserves the right to delete any posting or comment it deems offensive from Fordham blogs, Facebook pages, or other social media platforms, and to block users without prior notice. As a rule, we delete advertisements for non-Fordham events, products, businesses and fundraisers.

Any questions regarding this policy or Fordham’s social media presence may be addressed to:

Bob Howe | Assistant Vice President for Communications
(212) 636-6538 | [email protected]
news.fordham.edu