Latest news with #Pozen
Daily Express
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Deal a dangerous precedent: Academics see it as Trump's model for controlling varsities
Published on: Sunday, August 03, 2025 Published on: Sun, Aug 03, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: Academics from Columbia and beyond have expressed concerns that the deal. WASHINGTON: Columbia University's $200 million agreement with President Donald Trump's administration marks the end of a months-long showdown, but academics warn it is just the first round of a government 'assault' on higher education. Academics from Columbia and beyond have expressed concerns that the deal — which makes broad-ranging concessions and increases government oversight — will become the blueprint for how Trump brings other universities to heel. The New York institution was the first to be targeted in Trump's war against elite universities, for what the US president claimed was its failure to tackle anti-Semitism on campus in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests. It was stripped of hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding and lost its ability to apply for new research grants. Labs saw vital funding frozen, and dozens of researchers were laid off. But Columbia last week agreed to pay the government $200 million, and an additional $21 million to settle an investigation into anti-Semitism. According to Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, the lack of due process — with the government slashing funding before carrying out a formal investigation — left Columbia in an 'untenable position.' Columbia law professor David Pozen agreed, saying the 'manner in which the deal was constructed has been unlawful and coercive from the start' and slamming the agreement as giving 'legal form to an extortion scheme.' The deal goes beyond addressing anti-Semitism and makes concessions on international student admissions, race and ethnicity considerations in admissions and single-sex spaces on campus, among other issues. Columbia also agreed to appoint an independent monitor to implement the deal, share ethnicity admissions data with the government and crack down on campus protests. Many of the provisions 'represent significant incursions onto Columbia's autonomy,' said Pozen. 'What's happened at Columbia is part of a broader authoritarian attack on civil society,' he said, pointing to similar pressures on law firms and media organizations to fall in line. According to the law professor, the deal 'signals the emergence of a new regulatory regime in which the Trump administration will periodically and unpredictably shake down other schools and demand concessions from them.' In the coming weeks, Pozen said he expected the 'administration will put a lot of pressure on Harvard and other schools to follow suit.' Harvard University has pushed back against the government, filing a lawsuit in a bid to reverse sweeping funding cuts. But Steven Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard, said that 'in terms of academic freedom and in terms of democracy, the (Columbia) precedent is devastating.' Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she hoped the Columbia deal would be a 'template for other universities around the country.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Chicago Tribune
04-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Crown Point council approves three athletic-related businesses
It was a slam dunk for three athletic-related new business requests that came before the Crown Point City Council on Monday. The city council unanimously approved special use allowances for the following: a cheerleading facility at 1055 Troutwine Road; a soccer training facility at 1025 Troutwine Road; and a fitness facility at 1849 E. Summit St. The city council also unanimously approved a special use to allow townhomes to be built at 1525 W. 96th Ave. James Hus, from DVG Engineering, said plans are to build single, six-unit townhomes on a parcel of land located at West 96th Avenue and Merrillville Road. Hus said he didn't know the exact price range of the townhomes but estimated they would be 'north of $250,000.' Hus said he realizes this is the first of two steps since he will need to come back for city officials' approval to change zoning of the property from B-2 to R-3. Once that is completed then construction plans can go forward, Hus said. Russell Pozen, from DVG Engineering, relayed plans for an 18,000-square-foot cheerleading facility to be built at 1055 Troutwine Road. Pozen said the indoor-only business would be open during standard business hours. City Councilwoman Laura Sauerman, R-4th, questioned what standard business hours meant since she envisioned it as more of a '9 to 5' type of business. Pozen said typically the hours for the facility would be in the evening, from 5 to 9 p.m. 'That makes more sense,' Sauerman said. Pozen introduced the owner of the proposed 12,500-square-foot new soccer facility to be located at 1025 Troutwine Road. Owner Andy Bridgman said his facility would specialize in educating young soccer players. Bridgman said he will work with the Crown Point Youth Soccer organization. 'We want to help their teams grow,' Bridgman said. Business hours will be primarily from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the weekdays with some personal training and games on Sundays. Ellen Sistovaris said she plans to open a pilates business at 1849 E. Summit St. that will be named after both of her Greek grandmothers. 'I'm so excited to open this studio,' she said. The new business, which will feature appointment-only yoga and pilates classes, will be called Leni's Pilates. Classes will be held in the morning and early evening and will entail about 10 participants taking yoga and 10 taking pilates.
