Columbia University has agreed to a series of changes demanded by the Trump administration as a condition for restoring $400 million in federal funding, which was suspended over allegations of antisemitism on campus. The university released a memo outlining its concessions hours before the government's deadline expired.
The measures include banning face masks on campus, empowering security officers to arrest individuals, and placing the Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department under a new official, removing control from faculty. The memo states that the senior vice provost will review educational programmes to ensure they are 'comprehensive and balanced', starting with the Centre for Palestine Studies and other Middle East-focused programmes.
Professor Jonathan Zimmerman of the University of Pennsylvania, a Columbia graduate, described the move as unprecedented. 'The government is using the money as a cudgel to micromanage a university,' he said, adding that the White House actions have had a chilling effect on higher education.
The funding suspension had already disrupted medical and scientific research at Columbia. Projects cancelled include an AI tool for detecting patient deterioration, a study on blood-transfusion safety, and research on uterine fibroids. Researchers received notices citing 'unsafe antisemitic actions' as the reason for termination.
The Trump administration has warned at least 60 other universities of possible action over alleged antisemitism. Columbia has also hired 36 special officers with arrest powers, revised anti-discrimination policies, and banned face masks to conceal identities during protests. The university is searching for new faculty to ensure 'intellectual diversity'.
