The Hechinger Report covers backlash on college campuses in states where abortion is now banned. In South Dakota, whose abortion ban is one of the most stringent, college students who want to end their pregnancy may need to travel between 40 and 140 miles out of state for reproductive care. For some, the daunting prospects are enough to make them reconsider their choice of college.
According to Inside Higher Ed, Benedictine College, a Catholine university, plans to establish a “new, independent Catholic medical school” on its Kansas campus. The new school, which may open as soon as 2026, will promote catholic values when it comes to reproductive and end-of-life care, including not performing abortions and advising patients against ending their pregnancies.
The New York Times reports on Barnard College’s plans to offer the abortion pill on campus. Starting next fall, the all-women’s college in New York City will offer medicated abortion to campus staff and students, in response to the overturn of Roe v. Wade. In a campus announcement sent out last week, officials stated: “The overturning of Roe v. Wade after 50 years will likely decrease college accessibility, result in lower graduation rates, and derail employment trajectories.”