4 hours ago
4
Columbia University
agreed to a series of policy changes after the
Trump administration
froze $400 million in
federal funding
over concerns about antisemitism on campus. These measures include a mask ban, new disciplinary protocols, and granting campus police the authority to make arrests.
The Ivy League institution, which had become a focal point for violent anti-Israel protests, announced the reforms in a memo on Friday. It also confirmed the appointment of new leadership to oversee curriculum changes in the Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department, as well as the Center for Palestine Studies.
Among the key measures, 36 campus police officers will now have the power to arrest students or remove them from campus when deemed necessary. Columbia also committed to stricter enforcement of disciplinary policies, including potential suspension, expulsion, or revocation of degrees for students involved in the April 2024 takeover of Hamilton Hall.
In a letter to the university community, interim president Katrina Armstrong described the changes as a step toward a safer and more respectful campus but did not directly mention the Jewish student population.
“The way Columbia and Columbians have been portrayed is hard to reckon with. We have challenges, yes, but they do not define us,” Armstrong wrote, as quoted by the New York Post.
“We are a community of scholars who have deep respect for each other and our mission. We teach the brightest, most creative students in the world, and we care deeply for each and every one of them. I have every faith in our ability to overcome the greatest of challenges. We stand resilient and brilliant.”
The Trump administration, which froze the funding on March 7 due to what it described as Columbia’s failure to combat antisemitism, had issued nine demands as conditions for reinstating financial support.
While the university has implemented many of these requirements, it has resisted abolishing its university judicial board. Instead, it plans to restructure the panel under the office of the provost, with its five members undergoing a “rigorous vetting and conflict review process.”
The university will also appoint a new senior vice provost responsible for reviewing and overseeing the curriculum of the Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department. This move will result in the removal of Soulayman Kachani from his leadership role, with the new appointee also supervising the hiring process for non-tenured faculty across the university.
A controversial mask ban, another demand from the Trump administration, will now be enforced, except for religious or medical exemptions. Protesters on campus will also be required to identify themselves upon request or face disciplinary action. However, the university stopped short of an outright ban on protests inside academic buildings, stating that while such demonstrations are “generally not acceptable,” they will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Additionally, Columbia pledged to develop a K-12 curriculum aimed at fostering dialogue on difficult topics, including antisemitism. The university is also reviewing its admissions policies amid concerns over declining Jewish and African American enrollment.
Reacting to the developments, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon defended the administration’s stance.
“Since October 7,
Jewish students
have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and antisemitic harassment on their campuses—only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” McMahon said when the funding freeze was first announced.
Earlier, Jewish students had reported feeling unsafe on campus due to encampments supporting the Hamas attack on Israel.
“Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.”
Brian Cohen, executive director of Columbia and Barnard’s Hillel chapter, welcomed the intervention and expressed hope that it would prompt the university to address antisemitism more seriously.
“Columbia has an antisemitism crisis, and for months, I have worked with faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni to urge the administration to act quickly to address this crisis and avoid lasting damage to the university,” Cohen said.
“I hope this federal action is a wake-up call to Columbia’s administration and trustees to take antisemitism and the harassment of Jewish students and faculty seriously so that these grants can be restored, the vital work of the university can continue, and that Columbia can become, once again, a place where the Jewish community thrives.”
