1. Trump administration demands foreign students make social media accounts public

The State Department announced in a June 18 statement that it will consider online presences when evaluating visa applications for international students and visiting scholars, instructing applicants to make their social media profiles public.

Under the policy, consular officers will determine whether student visa applicants’ social media pages present “any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States.”

Stanford’s Bechtel Center sent an email to international students in response on June 19, stating that “this may be important information especially for [students] who will be traveling outside the U.S. and will need to obtain a new F-1 or J-1 visa to reenter.”  

2. Stanford to reduce budget by $140 million, lay off employees for next academic year

Stanford announced on June 26 a sweeping $140 million budget cut in the 2025-26 academic year to adapt to reductions in federal research funding and an increase in Stanford’s endowment tax, which increased from 1.4% to 8% as a result of President Donald Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.”

Recent budget cuts have also cast research funding and grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) into uncertainty.

According to the letter, the University’s proposed budget cuts will require a reduction in staff positions and some layoffs. According to Provost Jenny Martinez, the University will prioritize preserving research funding and undergraduate financial aid.

The University announced on July 31 that 363 employees had been laid off so far.

3. University dissolves Office for Inclusion, Belonging and Intergroup Communication

The University dissolved its Office for Inclusion, Belonging and Intergroup Communication (IBIC) on July 11, laying off its director, Ester Sihite, and all employees. Some of the office’s programs and one staff member were absorbed into the Office of Student Engagement (OSE). 

The IBIC office, which was established in 2016 as the Diversity and First-Gen Office, led workshops and consultations about identity, belonging and difference. The mission of the office was to build capacity for dialogue across differences and help community members feel belonging, according to Sihite, who had been director since 2022.

4. University suspends EBF, Kairos after Title VI investigations

The University will suspend the status of two co-ops, for the 2025-26 academic year following Title VI violations, the University announced on July 21. 

The houses, Enchanted Broccoli Forest (EBF) and Kairos, will be under University management and oversight during the suspension period, which will last the academic year. EBF and Kairos will be referred to by their street addresses — 1115 Campus Drive and 586 Mayfield Ave, respectively. Students who are expected to work as Resident Assistants (RAs) in both houses will be replaced by RAs chosen by Residential Education (ResEd), who will also select a resident director for each house.

5. Title VI and Title IX Offices Combined

The University has combined the Title VI and Title IX offices, consolidating both offices into a central resource for both sexual harassment and discrimination issues. The Office is also evaluating content changes to the Sexual Harassment Prevention (SHP) courses to comply with new Title IX regulations. The review is also based on the Department of Education’s “Dear Colleague” letter to Harvard, which considers decisions or benefits based on race, color or national origin to be a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

6. Stanford to continue legacy admissions, reinstate standardized test requirements

The University announced it will continue to consider legacy status in admissions and will no longer be test-optional for the fall 2026 admissions cycle. 

The move comes after the passage of California Assembly Bill 1780, which prohibits universities that provide state-funded financial aid from “providing a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions.” To comply with the bill, Stanford will withdraw from the Cal Grant, a state-sponsored financial aid program. The University plans to replace Cal Grant funds with University aid. 

The University’s decision to require standardized test scores of fall 2026 applicants was made public last year. While prospective students are required to submit an SAT or ACT score, there is no minimum score requirement.

7. University implements new package distribution system

Starting Aug. 1, all student packages are to arrive at an off-campus warehouse for processing before delivery to campus. The updated system is part of the University’s “Last Mile” program, an initiative aimed at improving sustainability within the Mail and Package Systems (MPS). 

The Stanford Warehouse in Newark, California, will serve as the hub for package deliveries from UPS, USPS, FedEx, Amazon and other carriers. The warehouse employs AI technology and a conveyor belt system in the name of more accurate and efficient processing student mail.

8. ResEd discontinues neighborhood system

The neighborhood system will be discontinued as of the 2025-26 academic year, said Assistant Vice Provost for ResEd Cheryl Brown in an email to ResEd staff, resident fellows (RFs) and RAs on Aug. 11.

The neighborhood system, originally proposed in 2018 and launched in 2021, aimed to promote community and continuity for students during their time at Stanford. The program, however, struggled to gain student support.

Brown also announced that ResEd departments will be restructured into “Administration + Operations,” “Communication, Strategy + Project Management” and “Student Support.” To support this transition, ResEd will hire a new associate director for student support and two associate directors for program administration.

9. Transition of Cardinal Care Insurance 

The University transitioned to a new student health insurance provider — Wellfleet — as its service provider on Sep. 1, ending its longstanding use of Aetna. In preparation for the changes, students had the opportunity to opt in or out of the insurance network. The new plan features a copay of $35 for primary care and specialty visits and a copay of $50 for urgent care visits. It also includes an addition of a referral requirement for students who require specialist care. This referral requirement applies to Stanford Health Care, Menlo Medical, Sutter Health and any other provider within 25 miles of campus.