Overview

• Columbia University complied with Trump administration demands to restore $400 million in federal funding, addressing its handling of antisemitic incidents and campus protests.
• Reforms include banning masks at protests, expelling disruptive students, and appointing a senior vice provost to oversee specific departments, such as Middle Eastern studies.
• Critics argue the agreement undermines academic freedom and sets a precedent for federal intervention in university governance.
• The Trump administration’s use of financial leverage reflects a broader trend of federal involvement in higher education policy and discipline enforcement.
• Columbia’s decision highlights longstanding issues of administrative inaction and ideological bias, while sparking internal dissent over the potential chilling effect on campus activism.