Columbia University appears to have ceded to the Trump administration’s demands after a threat to withhold $400 million in federal funds.
The school posted a four-page memo entitled “Advancing Our Work to Combat Discrimination, Harassment, and Antisemitism at Columbia.” Columbia’s response is being closely watched by other schools that became flashpoints for pro-Palestinian protests last year.
The Trump administration canceled $400 million worth of grants and contracts to Columbia University, accusing the university of “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.” The administration sent a letter last week, listing out nine demands Columbia must comply with by Thursday “as a precondition for formal negotiations” regarding federal funding.
Columbia agreed to ban masks, one of the Trump administration’s key demands, saying in the memo, “Public safety has determined that face masks or face coverings are not allowed for the purpose of concealing one’s identity in the commission of violations of University policies or state, municipal, or federal laws.”
A pro-Palestine rally is held at the steps of Lowe Library on the grounds of Columbia University, April 22, 2024, in New York.
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The university also agreed to stricter controls over its Middle East Studies department, which will now be overseen by a new senior vice provost who “will conduct a thorough review of the portfolio of programs in regional areas across the University, starting immediately with the Middle East.”
The memo promised the new senior vice provost would make sure the curriculum is “comprehensive and balanced” and the faculty represent an “intellectually diverse academic environment” as the Trump administration tries to crackdown on left-wing ideology on campus.
The university will also establish a Provostial Advisory Committee on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression tasked with advising university leadership on how to protect academic freedom at Columbia.
“The committee members will serve as trusted advisors, both to consult on university policies and procedures and to ensure that our decisions are consistent with our values,” Columbia said in the memo.
A demonstrator at the encampment established in support of Palestinians in Gaza waves the Palestinian flag at Columbia University, April 29, 2024, in New York.
Alex Kent/Getty Images, FILE
Columbia will also establish a commission tasked with examining events on campus since Oct. 7, 2024 — the anniversary of the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war — and “present an analysis with the underlying causes.” The committee will create a report with recommendations to ensure members of the Columbia community “are held accountable for actions that hinder the academic pursuit of any individual within the community.”
The committee will also offer recommendations for a disciplinary process.