Hillel Campus Climate Initiative
This flagship program provides a comprehensive strategy to help college and university presidents and campus administrators counter antisemitism, and build a campus climate in which Jewish students feel comfortable expressing their identity.
Apply to join CCI now
Applications are open for the Campus Cohort program:
Campuses are invited to apply to the 6th cohort of CCI’s flagship Campus Cohort Program. This program offers senior college and university administrators a unique opportunity to explore strategies to improve the campus climate for Jewish students and all students with a select group of campuses across North America.
CCI’s immersive, 10-month learning journey provides higher ed leaders with an educational curriculum that explores Jewish identity and antisemitism, with an assessment of their climate for Jewish students and with a tailored action plan to enhance Jewish students’ sense of belonging.
56% of Jewish college students say their lives have been directly impacted by antisemitism on campus since October 7.
Antisemitic incidents on college campuses have increased by over 700% since last year.
The Campus Climate Initiative (CCI) collaborates with higher education administrators to ensure a positive campus climate in which Jewish students feel comfortable expressing their identity and values, free of antisemitism, harassment, or marginalization. We recognize that key administrative leaders play an essential role in effecting broad-based educational and policy change on campus, and that partnerships between campuses and Hillels can catalyze positive changes that benefit Jewish students and all students. The CCI model involves partnership between the college or university administration, local Hillel, and the CCI team. To date, more than 70 colleges and universities in North America participate in the Campus Climate Initiative. See below for the list of campuses that have received support and training from CCI since its start.
Best Practices and Principles:
Colleges and universities across the United States currently are facing serious challenges to bedrock goals and values of higher education: the discovery and dissemination of knowledge, and respect for free inquiry and diversity of viewpoints. Hillel International and the Academic Engagement Network have partnered to create this statement of Best Practices and Principles to assist higher education leaders and administrators in protecting and advancing these goals and values.
The Campus Climate Initiative (CCI) provides college and university administrators with opportunities to seriously explore these topics — and create meaningful action plans — alongside a community of peers from institutions around North America. This collaborative, educational, and practical experience offers administrators on participating campuses, in partnership with their local Hillel professionals, to engage together with us in:
- Gathering, assessing, and utilizing data to better understand the current climate for Jewish students in their campus community and to inform strategic next steps
- Training and empowering university administration and staff to better understand the needs of Jewish students, the diversity of the Jewish community, and the challenges of antisemitism on campus
- Creating and adopting best practice policies, procedures, and programs to address antisemitism and foster a positive campus climate for Jewish students and all students
As part of the participant experience, participating campuses will:
- Build a coalition to combat antisemitism
- Participate in a professional community of practice that centers peer-to-peer learning with colleagues who share a commitment to inclusive campus communities for all students
- Engage in campus-specific work to implement data-informed action steps to foster a positive, inclusive, and welcoming campus climate for Jewish students and all students.
- Receive ongoing support from Hillel International professionals to sustain an inclusive campus culture for all students
Making Jewish students feel that they belong and are supported is a key university priority, a priority that our Hillel CCI work enables us to better meet.
– Lynn Mahoney, San Francisco State University President
CCI Participants
More than 75 colleges and universities have participated in the Campus Climate Initiative.
- The Ohio State University
- University of Rochester
- Union College
- Bentley University
- University of California, Davis
- Pomona College
- University of Cincinnati
- Loyola Marymount University
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
- Towson University
- York College of Pennsylvania
- Santa Clara University
- American University
- York University (Canada)
- Wayne State University
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Wisconsin System
- CUNY Baruch College
- CUNY John Jay College
- John Carroll University
- University of Connecticut
- University of Utah
- College of Staten Island (CUNY)
- CCNY (CUNY)
- Brooklyn College (CUNY)
- Goucher College
- San Francisco State University
- California State University, Chico
- California State University, Long Beach
- College of William and Mary
- Oakland University (Michigan)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- University of California, Irvine
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- University of Maryland, College Park
- University of Texas, San Antonio
- Baruch College, CUNY
- Brooklyn College, CUNY
- University of Florida
- Butler University
- Baruch College
- Brooklyn College
- College of Staten Island
- Goucher College
- Hunter College
- John Carroll University
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Lehigh University
- Queens College
- San Francisco State University
- The City College of New York
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- University of Iowa
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Virginia Tech
- Yale University
- Binghamton University
- Case Western Reserve University
- Elon University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Goucher College
- Ithaca College
- Kennesaw State University
- New York University
- Northwestern University
- Rutgers University
- San Diego State University
- San Jose State University
- Stony Brook University
- Temple University
- Tufts University
- University of Connecticut
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Wisconsin System
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Protecting Jewish College Students
Jewish students should feel comfortable expressing their identity on campus. Always. Join the Campus Climate Initiative and explore tools to help our students feel supported through awareness, allyship, and action.
Apply to join CCI now