February 6, 2026
Dear Students,
I’m writing after receiving feedback from the Hubbard School’s student advisory board and other student leaders. I was asked to provide an update to you on the ways in which our faculty, staff and students are supporting press freedom, building campus community, and ensuring students are safe and supported during this time. I am pleased to do so.
I believe in the transformative power of education. That education begins in our classrooms, but also extends to when our students practice using the tools and lessons learned in classrooms to benefit our community. I am proud to share below many specific ways student, faculty, and staff engagement extends beyond the classroom to lend the Hubbard School’s expertise and resources to respond to the current political moment.
I welcome you to use the “feedback box” our Hubbard School advisory board set up in the lower level to share your ideas about how we can support and build community during this difficult time. I encourage you to keep showing up, not simply for class, but also for each other. Together we can ensure the Hubbard School both fulfills its mission, but also embodies its potential. Please know that we are listening to you.
Elisia Cohen, Director
Educational activities
- The Hubbard School is committed to engagement and advocacy that support the professions we serve and we train students to enter.
- Our experts on the First Amendment are engaged. Professor Jane Kirtley, director of the Silha Center, has been a tireless advocate for press freedom. She and others from the school have signed media advisories and spoken to the press condemning targeted attacks by federal law enforcement officers on journalists. A sample of these news stories can be found at "How CLA Experts are Helping to Make Sense of this Moment."
- The School’s research and outreach centers have joined a coalition of newsrooms condemning the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and George Fort.
- We have participated in CLA educational panels designed to educate students about the roles and responsibilities of media professionals during this time.
- Beyond Documenting: The Role of the Photojournalist When Everyone is Recording
- Community Journalism when ICE is in the Community
- First Amendment Protections and Responsibilities Afforded Journalists and Citizens: Documenting Law Enforcement
- You may view other sessions on the Liberal Arts in Action website.
- Additional panels will be announced in the weeks ahead, including on topics such as public relations and corporate social responsibility.
- We also have been coordinating safety, mutual aid, and legal training resources for local journalists through our Minnesota Journalism Center and Silha Center for Media Ethics and Law.
- Our journalism students have had the opportunity to engage in deep conversations with faculty and professionals, but students have shared they felt it is relevant to the full community. Our educational work has been featured on CBS and in a recent Poynter Institute report. You can be #UMNProud that the Hubbard School is truly leading the nation in our education and training activities.
- Faculty member Regina McCombs and Hubbard students have shared “Lessons from Minnesota” documenting AI-related misinformation.
- All students can find more information here about journalist safety training. We have educated both students and professional journalists on safety resources and the hotlines available to call for legal support.
- The Minnesota Journalism Center maintains a calendar of training events, workshops, conferences and talks from across journalism and beyond — hosted in person and virtually.
- We also maintain a separate calendar of events hosted by news organizations across the state, which journalists in Minnesota can attend for inspiration, information and to cheer each other's efforts.
- I am also proud that our Minnesota Journalism Center is partnering with two international nonprofit organizations: the Committee to Protect Journalists and International Women’s Media Foundation to support emergency aid grants for Minnesota journalists in distress during this time. This is a first-of-its kind partnership between a university journalism school and local philanthropic organizations to serve a unique community need.
Safety and related resources
- Faculty and staff are committed to keeping you safe in Murphy Hall; all classrooms have emergency protocol information in the building. You also should know we have invested in high-quality security cameras in Murphy Hall and door security to ensure we have accurate information about who enters into our access-restricted building and areas. Our building is not open to the public.
- We want you to know your constitutional rights.
- The First Amendment is in the hallway on the first floor.
- An excellent external resource is the Immigrant Law Resource Center. We will add a circulating slide of information on our hallway monitors to ensure this information is broadly available in our community.
- The Office for Student Affairs is offering Know Your Rights events, community dialogues, cozy coloring, restorative yoga and other opportunities for students to care for themselves and each other.
Enhanced Communication and Community Building
The student board shared with me their high praise for the Murphy Weekly in January. We also know that we could do more to share news and brief updates with you via channels other than email. Enhanced communication and community-building activities are in the works:
- The Hubbard School website is in the process of redevelopment. We hope to launch the site redesign before the end of the term. As we announced in the Murphy Weekly:
- Your feedback will help us make our website even better to serve your needs.
- The Hubbard School is conducting a study about our website. We want to ensure you can find the information you need, right when you need it. Your participation is crucial to the success of our efforts. You can participate by completing a user research activity that should only take about 5 minutes to complete.
- To begin the activity, follow this link: Take the website study
- Thank you for participating! If you have any questions or problems with this activity, please contact Russ White at [email protected].
- Our School’s student success committee has a number of upcoming student engagement events. Next up… Love Hubbard week Feb 9-12
- Stop by the Murphy Hall Alcove Feb. 9-12 anytime from 11-1pm for snacks, prizes, and community! Tune in daily next week to find out what the day will entail!
Resource Reminders - University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota Student Emergency Funds
“The University of Minnesota has created emergency funds to assist and support University of Minnesota students who encounter an unforeseen financial emergency or catastrophic event.”
Students may be eligible for additional funding opportunities or support through campus and community resources.
Nutritious U Food Pantry
“Boynton Health’s Nutritious U Food Pantry is a resource that helps address food insecurity on campus and provides fresh, free, and culturally connected food to everyone.”
*The Nutritious U Food Pantry also provides the option to send a designated person to pick up food for you.
Gopher Chauffer
Gopher Chauffeur is a free service that provides safe rides for University of Minnesota Twin Cities students.
Operates 8:00 PM-1:00 AM daily except during University holidays, winter break and spring break.
Service available on and adjacent to campus.
Must be a University of Minnesota Student. ADA wheelchair-accessible van available.
Additional Resources - External
Community Aid Network MN
You can receive food in-person or via delivery in Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs (see link
above for delivery area and food distribution dates and times).
Second Harvest Heartland
Click here to locate your nearest food shelf.
Click here to see if you qualify for food assistance program.
Second Harvest supports hundreds of food shelves in Minnesota as well as meal programs, food distributions, discount grocery stores and more