Northwestern clarified that fewer than three dozen students are “impacted by discontinuation this fall” if they do not complete the mandated bias training, according to an Oct. 2 email to The Daily from a University spokesperson.
The University also emphasized the difference between the number of students who have yet to complete the training and the almost 25,000 students who are enrolled at NU.
The Guardian reported on Sept. 27 that “at least 300 students” had yet to complete the bias training. Tom Perkins, who wrote the article, told The Daily in an email that he had received the number from a student group.
A spokesperson for the NU Graduate Workers for Palestine told The Daily that the group had received a similar estimate from the University administration in a meeting at the start of Fall Quarter. At the time of the meeting on Sept. 16, the group was told that while completion of the training was in the 95th percentile, hundreds had still not completed it.
Originally released in February, the bias training, titled “Building a Community of Respect and Breaking Down Bias,” features videos on University policies, changes made to the Student Code of Conduct in 2024, antisemitism and bias against Muslim, Arab and Palestinian communities. While some students were satisfied with the training, others boycotted the training, arguing that it contained biased information.
Over the summer, NU put registration holds on the accounts of students who had not completed the training. On Sept. 16, the University doubled down on the mandatory completion of the training, escalating consequences to include potential loss of student status, financial aid and on-campus housing, according to an email obtained by The Daily.
The University told The Daily in an emailed statement that it would continue outreach to affected students ahead of winter registration.
NU Graduate Workers for Palestine hosted a press conference and sit-in to protest the bias training on Sept. 26.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the number of students who could be impacted in the fall as the total number of students who have yet to complete the bias training. The Daily regrets this error.
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