To: Wellesley College Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: How Wellesley is responding to national challenges to higher education
Date: May 13, 2025
I know the past several months have been a time of uncertainty and challenge for many in our community. The unprecedented attacks on institutions of higher education in particular have cut to the heart of our most cherished values—the principle of academic freedom, the critical importance of the research enterprise, and the inherent belief in higher education as a public good—and they have endangered the safety and dignity of our international students, who contribute significantly to our campus.
One of the most serious threats is proposed legislation introduced yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives that, if implemented, could increase the tax on realized gains from Wellesley’s endowment from 1.4% to 14%. This would be devastating for the College. We depend on our endowment for the generous financial aid we provide to more than half of our student body, and for operating support.
We are working with more than two dozen small colleges from across the country to educate members of Congress about the significant impact this increased tax would have on our ability to offer financial aid and to carry out our educational mission. In the weeks ahead, we will keep our community updated as the budget reconciliation process moves forward.
In the face of these and other challenges, we are standing by our values and taking action to support our students, current and future.
First, we are strengthening our commitment to making Wellesley affordable for students and families with the addition of about $3 million in financial aid, approved by the board of trustees earlier this year. By updating the methodology we use to award aid and increase the amount we provide, we will be better able to meet the needs of our students and families.
Second, we are supporting our international students, who are facing unprecedented uncertainty regarding their visa status. We made it a priority to protect them during the recent strike by enabling them to maintain their full-time status in compliance with their visa requirements. We have hosted information sessions for them with immigration experts and have worked to find internships and job placements for those who want to stay in the U.S. this summer.
Wellesley is a member of the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, which has filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s termination of international students’ Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records with the goal of ensuring that any changes to the SEVIS process are done in compliance with all applicable regulatory procedures.
Third, we are focused on our campus culture. Across our community, we are addressing antisemitism and other forms of discrimination by requiring training that educates all members of our community about Title VI protections.
We have also doubled down on our work to improve how we teach our students to engage across difference. And through our faculty-led Pluralism Initiative and other efforts, we are welcoming differing points of view as core to robust learning in search of the truth.
At a time when higher education is being challenged as never before, I take strength from our community’s shared commitment to providing access, opportunity, and an excellent education to our students and to upholding the principles of academic freedom. Those commitments have guided us for 150 years, and they will continue to do so in the future.