2d ago

Columbia cedes to Trump admin demands after threat to withhold funds

apnews.com Under threat from Trump, Columbia University agrees to policy changes

Columbia University agreed to implement a host of policy changes, including overhauling its rules for protests and conducting an immediate review of its Middle Eastern studies department.

Columbia University has capitulated to Trump Administration demands in order to secure federal funding. The major concessions are as follows.

Columbia will ban masks on campus during protests.

The University will hire 36 more on campus police officers.

The Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Departments will be placed under Academic Receivership for 5 years, meaning the departments will be run by an outside group while the existing staff will be put under their control.

The University will adopt a "position of institutional neutrality".

The University will hire more Jewish academics for its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies in order to counter balance pro-Palestinian staff.

17 comments

Anything just to not have to divest from a genocidal regime.
- Not the first time for the genocidal regime https://www.worldfuturefund.org/Reports/Imperialism/usmurder.html
- Education does not divest itself from the government unless it has failed at its only purpose. If Education is only for the wealthy, nobody wins and the world just becomes more stupid.
  Columbia should resist, it should not adhere to these absurd demands. but it should also still receive public funds however possible given the choice.
  
  Imagine believing there's some correlation between receiving state money and educating poor people. The current situation disproves that hypothesis once again. The state has literally revoked its money because CU accepted the most marginalized groups.