 "Columbia University agrees to sweeping policy changes after Trump freezes $400 million funding")
Columbia University agreed on Friday to change the supervision of its Middle East studies department and revise its protest and student discipline rules, months after US President Donald Trump froze $400 million in funding.
After the change in policy, the university will revise its Middle East studies department’s oversight, tighten protest rules, and adopt a new definition of antisemitism to comply with federal demands.
The development came after the Trump administration warned that failure to make these changes could result in further federal funding cuts.
As part of the reforms, the university will also adopt a new definition of antisemitism and increase staff at its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies to promote “intellectual diversity,” according to a letter from interim president Katrina Armstrong.
The decision drew quick criticism from some faculty and free speech groups, who accused the university of giving in to President Donald Trump’s unusual interference in its academic freedom.
“Columbia’s capitulation endangers academic freedom and campus expression nationwide,” Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.
“Freedom of expression is what enables the rigorous debate and free inquiry on which our academic mission depends,” Columbia said.
“Students will not be permitted to wear face masks on campus for the purposes of concealing one’s identity. An exception would be made for people wearing them for health reasons,” the university said.
Impact Shorts
View AllTrump freezes $400 million aid
Earlier this month, the Trump administration pulled $400 million in research grants and other funding over the university’s handling of protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. As a precondition for restoring those funds—along with billions more in future grants—federal officials last week demanded the university immediately enact nine separate reforms to its academic and security policies.
Columbia University moves to restore funding
The university is working to regain federal funding after the White House cut it earlier this month over antisemitism complaints from Jewish students.
President Donald Trump’s demands came after a series of pro-Palestinian protests at University’s New York City campus, which intensified following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
To enforce the new rules, a 36-member internal security team will have the authority to remove or arrest individuals from campus. The mask ban allows exceptions for religious and health reasons, but protesters wearing masks must show their university ID when asked.
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