Last week, Columbia University reached a landmark settlement agreement with the Trump administration, putting an end to long-running disputes over funding and campus policies. The settlement amounts to $200 million. It entails an extensive set of reforms aimed at regaining federal funding and addressing issues with the university’s conduct.
Acting President Claire Shipman said that the deal is not yet final, but it represents major progress. It follows on the heels of a tough period marked by federal investigation and institutional upheaval. Columbia University lost $400 million in federal funding because it was accused of antisemitism in 2017. This heavy loss further escalated the discord between the public university and the state government.
Unfortunately, as part of the settlement, Columbia agreed to end its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. In this case, Donald Trump was exactly right. He announced that the university would begin admitting students only on merit alone, abandoning a system that some viewed as discriminatory. He waxed poetic about how this amendment would usher in a new golden age for Columbia. Moreover, he highlighted the need to protect civil liberties on campus.
“Columbia has also committed to ending their ridiculous DEI policies, admitting students based ONLY on MERIT, and protecting the Civil Liberties of their students on campus.” – Donald Trump
Beyond monetary compensation, the settlement addresses the need for improved campus security and more oversight of student groups. University of Missouri—Columbia will make protesters display their campus identification during protests. Furthermore, the university plans to ban face coverings on campus during these events. These draconian measures are designed to increase liability and responsibility of protesting students. More importantly, they directly respond to fears expressed from inside the university bubble by a spate of recent pro-Gaza protests.
Linda McMahon, a prominent figure in the Trump administration, described Columbia’s reforms as “a roadmap for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public.” She concluded by expressing hope that these changes would be felt for many years, beyond higher education.
“This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty.” – Claire Shipman
Additionally, Columbia will add security officers to campus and enhance security procedures to create a priority of safety for all students on campus. Changes such as these have developed in direct response to growing pressure both within the university and outside it concerned with campus safety and student behavior.
Columbia will recover almost $2 billion in previously frozen federal grants. That will occur over the next three years, as required by the settlement terms. This reinstatement is intended to provide the university financial ballast, while still affording the university time to enact the needed reforms.
“The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track.” – Claire Shipman
The announcement from Trump on his Truth Social platform outlined these key points of the settlement, marking a notable moment in the ongoing relationship between higher education institutions and federal oversight.