Columbia University has agreed to a series of demands from the Trump administration to restore $400 million in federal funding that was suspended over allegations of antisemitism on campus. The Ivy League institution released a memo outlining the concessions hours before a government deadline expired.
Among the measures, Columbia will ban face masks on campus, empower security officers to arrest individuals, and place its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department under a new official, removing faculty control. The senior vice provost will review programs including the Center for Palestine Studies and the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies to ensure they are 'comprehensive and balanced'.
The agreement has drawn criticism from academics. Professor Jonathan Zimmerman of the University of Pennsylvania called it 'a sad day' and noted 'no precedent' for the government using funding to micromanage a university. He warned of a chilling effect on higher education as other institutions fail to speak out.
The funding freeze had already disrupted research, including an AI tool for patient deterioration detection and studies on blood transfusions and uterine fibroids. The Trump administration has warned at least 60 other universities of possible action over antisemitism allegations.
