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Is Columbia University about to cave to Trump? [1]
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Date: 2025-03-20
And with it, begin the destruction of academic freedom in the U.S.
Columbia University is getting close to yielding to President Trump’s demands in negotiations to restore $400 million in federal funding, according to people close to the discussions.
The demands include banning masks, empowering campus police and putting the school’s department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies under “academic receivership,” which means it would no longer be controlled by the faculty.
Discussions on the board of trustees are still fluid—with sticking points—and could turn in a different direction before Friday.
A sticking point in negotiations has been the status of the Middle East, South Asian and African Studies department. The Trump administration requested it be put into receivership for five years, which means someone from outside the department would be brought in to make decisions for the faculty.
The idea that Trump would force such a move—and not the university leadership—is unpalatable to many faculty. The school is negotiating with the administration to call the receivership something more agreeable and present it as a win-win, according to people familiar with the school’s thinking.
www.wsj.com/…
Columbia’s Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies department would be placed under academic receivership for at least five years. There’s no explanation as to why, but it’s likely because the department faculty members spoke out about Israel’s aggression. It’s rare to put a department in academic receivership, which is usually reserved for when internal tensions among faculty reach a point where the department is not functioning. It’s an internal issue, not something the government can demand.
www.publicnotice.co/…
If Columbia goes along with this, may it rot in hell. Resignations, transfers and boycott should follow. Once the wall protecting academic freedom from the state is breached, it won’t be long before all academic freedom is in jeopardy. And this is another example of the effort to create an Israel exception to the First Amendment.
Edited to add: Columbia has a $14.8 billion endowment.
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