Columbia made a deal with the Trump administration. Is Harvard next?

Boston Globe

5 days ago

'Based on what I have read and heard so far, the agreement reached between the federal government and Columbia is an excellent template for agreements with other institutions including Harvard,'
But it's unclear whether Harvard will follow suit with its own agreement anytime soon — or that the measures Columbia agreed to are ones Harvard is willing to undertake.
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Under the agreement, the New York City school will regain access to billions of dollars in frozen federal funding in exchange for paying $200 million to the federal government over three years and another $21 million addressing alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees. The university and federal government will also agree on an independent monitor to assess whether Columbia is adequately implementing changes the two parties agreed upon.
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The settlement, however, did not encroach on core principles of academic freedom in a way that some observers feared. Columbia did not admit wrongdoing, continuing to reject allegations it had violated civil rights law. Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman said the deal 'preserves Columbia's autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions, and academic decision-making.'
Many reforms, such as changes to disciplinary processes and adopting a controversial definition of antisemitism, were ones Columbia had already pledged to make — but that Harvard has balked at. Another measure to exclude race as a factor in hiring and admissions practices stemmed from a 2023 Supreme Court decision in a case against Harvard that ruled affirmative action unconstitutional.
Both sides were quick to frame the agreement as a win. Shipman called it a 'carefully crafted agreement that protects our institution and our values.' US Education Secretary Linda McMahon, meanwhile, said it amounted to a 'seismic shift in our nation's fight to hold institutions that accept American taxpayer dollars accountable.'
McMahon added that Columbia's reforms were 'a roadmap for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public' — indicating what the administration may want to see from Harvard moving forward. Trump officials have made clear in recent weeks Harvard is their primary target, seeing it as the strongest place to influence broad cultural changes in higher education.
Spinning any agreement with the Trump administration as a win will be far more difficult for Harvard. While Columbia shocked the broader academic community in March by preemptively making changes in line with what the federal government wanted, Harvard has routinely pledged to resist the president and his allies — gaining significant public support in the process.
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Harvard President Alan Garber in April, rejecting a series of demands from the federal government, pledged not to allow the federal government to influence 'intellectual conditions' at Harvard. 'The University,' he said at the time, 'will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.'
While Harvard has the funds and legal prowess to withstand cuts for a time, analysts have noted, Columbia did not. Harvard has benefitted from being one of the richest, most recognizable schools in the country — its endowment is $53 billion, compared with Columbia's nearly $15 billion. It has secured some legal wins in court, fueling its backing from the public, especially on the left.
Still, Harvard's ability to sustain its fight is growing more costly by the day. Garber warned this month changes from the federal administration — including a new endowment tax Columbia is not subject to — could cost the school up to $1 billion per year.
And the Trump administration has not let up on attacks, continuing to hit Harvard with funding freezes, civil rights violations, and threats to its international students. The State Department on Wednesday, for instance, said it launched an investigation into Harvard's participation in a visa program for international community members, a measure the school said was 'another retaliatory step' violating the school's First Amendment rights.
Columbia's deal with the federal government has drawn praise from those seeking reforms at the school. The Stand Columbia Society, a group of Columbia alumni and former faculty members that has urged Columbia to make changes, said the agreement 'represents an excellent outcome' that 'delivered much of what the Stand Columbia Society has been advocating for since last summer.'
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'At the same time,' the group added, 'because funding resumes immediately while implementation will unfold over time, it is essential that Columbia be held to its commitments to deliver concrete, measurable, externally observable, and irreversible progress over the long term.'
Anjali Huynh can be reached at