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

It’s more that Columbia is free to be more openly fascist now. They love this plan. It’s tradition. They also punished students for protesting Nazis in the 1930’s.
- 1930s
  FTFY
  
  It’s correct either way.
  https://new.sewanee.edu/academics/writing-center/resources-for-students/handouts-and-writing-resources/apostrophes/#%3A%7E%3Atext=Plurals+of+letters%2C+initials%2C+abbreviations%2C3%27s)%2C%20but%20be%20consistent.

The University will hire more Jewish academics for its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies in order to counter balance pro-Palestinian staff.
If these idiots assume that Jews automatically aren't pro-palestinian they're in for a rude awakening

"Justice Department leaders say they are also investigating whether Columbia hid students sought by the U.S. over their roles in the demonstrations."
History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes
- I hope all the students transfer away. Fuck that institution.

Also read up on Mahmoud Khalil, a legal resident of the USA and employee at Columbia, who was nevertheless arrested for deportation in his appartment, without any reason.
Or listen to this WNYC On The Media episode. It's all laid out in the interviews. Those idiots even double down on it: "But he was a legal resident since his graduation in Dec 24?" - "Yeah that will be rescinded too!"
That episode predicted that Columbia might bow to the financial blackmail.

Wow, your country is fuuuuucked.
- I hate it here so much

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.

The University will adopt a "position of institutional neutrality".
And we all know what "neutrality" means to Trump and zionists.. 🤦

Idiots, Trump is still going to defund them even if they bow down, now.

Columbia University's executives and trustees need to be shown the error of their fascist-collaborator ways.

This would be a cause student activism could meaningfully engage unlike the usual fare that hardly moves the needle.

17 comments