(NewsNation) — Columbia University is at a crossroads, with the administration deciding whether to cede to demands for change from President Donald Trump or stick to long-held principles and lose millions in federal funding.
There is $400 million of funding at risk, and the deadline for a decision has been extended to tomorrow after the Board of Directors has been deliberating for days.
It all stems from pro-Palestine protests held on the campus last spring. Protesters, consisting of students and outside agitators, according to the school, took over the lawn on the campus.
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They also took over Hamilton Hall, prompting the New York Police Department to intervene and arrest dozens of people.
Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested organizer Mahmoud Khalil and is attempting to deport him. ICE claims that Khalil, who has a green card, was engaging in pro-Hamas activity that justifies his removal from the country.
A federal judge ruled that Khalil’s case challenging his arrest will be heard in New Jersey rather than being dismissed or moved to Louisiana as federal prosecutors requested.
In a letter to the community, Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, expressed support for the principles of the school and its future.
“We are working around the clock to secure the future of this extraordinary University. As we move forward, we will always be guided by our principles of free expression, academic freedom and the pursuit of excellence,” she said. “The last two years have both highlighted real cracks in our existing structures and have created new problems that this campus community needs to address. Antisemitism. Harassment and discrimination of any kind are unacceptable.”
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Trump’s demands for the university include no masks, more empowerment for campus police, a new definition of antisemitism and reforms to admissions practices.
The last demand is perhaps related to the fact that the majority of the 36,000 students are international students.
Trump also wants the school’s Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies put under “academic receivership,” which means the faculty would no longer control it.
Trump said the requests are a “precondition for formal negotiations.”
His letter also suggested other long-term reforms the government thinks Columbia needs to make.
Columbia is trying to walk a very fine line between upholding Columbia’s values and legal obligations while also appeasing the Trump administration.
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In terms of funding, the $400 million only represents about 25% of what the university receives, and the amount of funding on the line could go higher.
However, not all of the funds go to medical and scientific research. The school keeps a large chunk for “overhead,” and Trump is essentially cutting into that, forcing Columbia’s hand.
