the staff of the Ridgewood blog
New York NY, Columbia University has agreed to a list of demands from the Trump administration as it seeks to reinstate $400 million in federal funding, which was cut off due to concerns over the university’s handling of antisemitism on campus.
University Concedes to Government’s Conditions
The federal government outlined several strict conditions that Columbia had to meet before negotiations could even begin. Among the most controversial concessions, the university has agreed to:
✅ Increase campus police presence by hiring dozens of officers with expanded authority to arrest students.
✅ Ban masks on campus to enhance transparency in demonstrations.
✅ Revise disciplinary policies to address violations more effectively.
✅ Clarify protest policies regarding acceptable times, places, and manners of demonstrations.
✅ Move the University Judicial Board under the Office of the Provost for increased oversight.
✅ Adopt a revised definition of antisemitism to guide university policy.
✅ Appoint a senior vice provost to oversee the Center for Palestine Studies and related academic departments.
In addition, certain academic departments will be placed under receivership, a rare and controversial move that signals increased external oversight.
Federal Government’s Firm Stance on Funding
The Trump administration made it clear in its letter of demands that these concessions are merely a precondition for formal negotiations—not a guarantee of funding restoration.
This move is part of a broader federal strategy that has already seen $30 million pulled from the University of Maine and a pause on funding for the University of Pennsylvania—though Penn has stated it has not yet received official notification.
Columbia’s Response & Political Fallout
A Columbia senior administrator told The Wall Street Journal that while the university considered legal action, it opted against it to avoid further financial losses and because many of the required changes were already under consideration.
This marks a significant victory for the Trump administration, which has taken a strong stance against elite universities in response to pro-Palestinian protests. Columbia, in particular, has been a focal point after protest encampments and a high-profile building takeover led to a national police response.
Additionally, some Columbia community members have reportedly been targeted in President Trump’s immigration crackdown following their roles in demonstrations. One such individual, Mahmoud Khalil, a green-card holder, was arrested at school-owned housing.
What’s Next for Columbia?
Despite the university’s concessions, Leo Terrell, Chief of the Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, stated on Thursday that Columbia is “not even close” to meeting the administration’s demands.
The Department of Education has yet to comment on the matter, and negotiations over federal funding remain uncertain.
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Hilarious…
Why is this private institution with millions of $$$ in endowments even receiving a dime from the taxpayers? Get DOGE on that.
I echo the comment above. Why would Columbia, or ANY University, be on the receiving end of hundreds of millions of US tax dollars?? Columbia has nearly $15 BILLION in endowments in the bank. Can someone cut us a break? I just paid $50,000 in Federal taxes, and I’m sick of it. It’s nuts!
WE shall see…..