Latest news with #Shipman
AsiaOne
15 hours ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
White House touts Columbia deal, critics see dangerous precedent, World News
Columbia University's agreement to pay more than US$220 million (S$280 million) to the US government to resolve federal probes was not capitulation but a means to restore vital public funding, the university's acting president said on Thursday (July 24). But critics expressed concern about a harmful precedent in what they see as President Donald Trump's push for greater control over elite US colleges. Trump has targeted Columbia and other universities over the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled college campuses last year. Harvard University is fighting the Trump administration in court and critics have likened the Columbia deal to extortion. Columbia faced the loss of billions of dollars in future federal funds and the potential revocation of the visa status of thousands of international students, said Acting President Claire Shipman. "This was not capitulation," Shipman told CNN, adding that the deal protected the university's "academic integrity". [[nid:719812]] Under the settlement, Columbia will pay US$200 million to the US Treasury and a further US$21 million to a fund to resolve alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees following the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, senior administration officials said. In return, the university regained access to some US$1.7 billion in federal funding and grants, Shipman said. The deal comes after the Trump administration in March penalised Columbia over how it handled last year's protests by canceling US$400 million in federal funding. It contended that Columbia's response to alleged antisemitism and harassment of Jewish and Israeli members of the university community was insufficient. The school later acquiesced to a series of demands that included scrutiny of departments offering courses on the Middle East and other concessions that were widely condemned by US academics. Wednesday's deal formalised many of those concessions in what Education Secretary Linda McMahon called an "incredible win" for the government. [[nid:720061]] "It is our hope this is going to be a template for other universities around the country," McMahon told cable network NewsNation. "We're already seeing other universities taking these measures before investigation." McMahon said Columbia agreed to discipline student offenders for severe disruptions of campus operations, bring viewpoint diversity to their Middle Eastern studies programs, eliminate race preferences from their hiring and admissions practices, and end DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs. Columbia law professor David Pozen called the agreement a "shakedown" and said it set a precedent for "pay-to-play" deals the Trump administration is seeking with other schools. "The agreement gives legal form to an extortion scheme," Pozen said in a blog post, calling it the first time antisemitism and DEI have been invoked as the basis for a government-enforced restructuring of a private university. Shipman said the agreement contained no provisions that "shall be construed as giving the United States authority to dictate faculty hiring, university hiring, admissions decisions, or the content of academic speech." [[nid:720454]]
RNZ News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
White House touts Columbia University deal, critics see dangerous precedent
The US president has targeted Columbia University over the pro-Palestinian student protest movement. (File photo) Photo: AFP Columbia University's agreement to pay more than US$220 million to the US government to resolve federal probes was not capitulation but a means to restore vital public funding, the university's acting president said on Thursday. But critics expressed concern about a harmful precedent in what they see as US President Donald Trump's push for greater control over elite US colleges. Trump has targeted Columbia and other universities over the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled college campuses last year. Harvard University is fighting the Trump administration in court and critics have likened the Columbia deal to extortion. Harvard University is fighting the Trump administration in court. (File photo) Photo: AFP/Maddie Meyer Columbia faced the loss of billions of dollars in future federal funds and the potential revocation of the visa status of thousands of international students, said acting president Claire Shipman. "This was not capitulation," Shipman told CNN, adding that the deal protected the university's "academic integrity." Under the settlement, Columbia will pay US$200 million to the US Treasury and a further US$21 million to a fund to resolve alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, senior administration officials said. In return, the university regained access to some US$1.7 billion in federal funding and grants, Shipman said. The deal comes after the Trump administration in March penalized Columbia over how it handled last year's protests by cancelling US$400 million in federal funding. It contended that Columbia's response to alleged anti-Semitism and harassment of Jewish and Israeli members of the university community was insufficient. The school later acquiesced to a series of demands that included scrutiny of departments offering courses on the Middle East and other concessions that were widely condemned by US academics. Wednesday's deal formalized many of those concessions in what Education Secretary Linda McMahon called an "incredible win" for the government. "It is our hope this is going to be a template for other universities around the country," McMahon told cable network NewsNation. "We're already seeing other universities taking these measures before investigation." McMahon said Columbia agreed to discipline student offenders for severe disruptions of campus operations, bring viewpoint diversity to their Middle Eastern studies programs, eliminate race preferences from their hiring and admissions practices, and end DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs. Columbia law professor David Pozen called the agreement a "shakedown" and said it set a precedent for "pay-to-play" deals the Trump administration is seeking with other schools. "The agreement gives legal form to an extortion scheme," Pozen said in a blog post, calling it the first time anti-Semitism and DEI have been invoked as the basis for a government-enforced restructuring of a private university. Shipman said the agreement contained no provisions that "shall be construed as giving the United States authority to dictate faculty hiring, university hiring, admissions decisions, or the content of academic speech. - CNN
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Columbia University to pay $220m, undertake major reforms in bid to restore federal funding
Columbia University announced on Wednesday that it would pay more than $220m to the Trump administration to restore federal research funding it lost after being accused of not doing enough to combat antisemitism on campus. The agreement, months in the making, will see Columbia pay a $200 million settlement to the federal government over three years, and $21 million to settle alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees. The agreement will also have the senior vice provost conduct a "thorough review" of the Center for Palestine Studies, the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, the Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies, the Middle East Institute, the global hubs in Tel Aviv and Amman, the School of International and Public Affairs, the Middle East policy major and other programmes focused on the Middle East. In addition, the university is not allowed to maintain programmes that "promote unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotas, diversity targets or similar efforts", which could threaten several departments and fellowships. The university will also be prohibited from implementing affirmative action in its admissions policies. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The agreement also asks Columbia to reduce its dependence on international students, and asks for the university to provide, upon request, "all disciplinary actions involving student visa-holders resulting in expulsions or suspensions and arrest records" that the university is aware of. Claire Shipman, acting president of Columbia University, said in a statement: "This agreement resolves multiple federal agency investigations and protects Columbia's academic mission, research enterprise and independence." Shipman said the agreement would allow billions of dollars in federal research funding to resume, and that the university would retain control over its academic and operational decisions since the federal government would not dictate what it teaches, who teaches, or which students they could admit. Shipman also said the university did "not agree with the government's conclusion that it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act" but did not deny the "very serious and painful challenges our institution has faced with antisemitism". She denied the university had capitulated to President Donald Trump's administration's demands. The university and the federal government are also appointing a monitor to ensure they both stick to their agreements. The new monitor, Bart M Schwartz, is the co-founder and chairman of an organisation that sponsored an event in June about "helping Israel heal and rebuild". Schwartz will provide a report every six months. The agreement also sees the establishment of a whistle-blower hotline for the university to raise complaints to. Demands The Trump administration froze $400m in federal grants in March over its claims that the Ivy League institution failed to tackle antisemitism on campus. Shipman said it also placed the majority of $1.3bn a year in federal funding on hold. Columbia University suspends or expels almost 80 students for pro-Palestine protest Read More » It also issued nine demands to the university, including adopting the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which academics and members of the Jewish community have criticised as conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. The university pushed back on some of the administration's demands in March, such as putting the renowned Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies (MESAAS) department under academic receivership. Instead, they put MESAAS under review. They did not abolish the University Judicial Board. Instead, it was moved under the Office of the Provost. They agreed to some demands, such as a mask ban on campus. Ahead of its deal on Wednesday, Columbia suspended or expelled almost 80 students for pro-Palestine protests. The suspensions will last between one and three years and will require students to write an apology letter if they wish to return to the university.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Columbia University settles with US, pays $200m to restore federal funding
'Importantly, the agreement preserves Columbia's autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions and academic decision-making,' she said. The agreement marks an end to a protracted period of federal scrutiny and financial uncertainty, Shipman said. 'The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal Government to get back on track. Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest.' For months, Columbia has been in the Trump administration's crosshairs. It was the first to be singled out in the administration's push to compel universities to adopt its agenda on issues including antisemitism and diversity initiatives. In March, the Education Secretary announced $400 million in federal research funding would be cancelled over what officials alleged were the school's failures to protect Jewish students from discrimination. The next day, a Columbia student, Mahmoud Khalil, became the first pro-Palestinian advocate seized by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a series of high-profile attempts to deport non-citizen activists. (A federal judge ordered Khalil's release from detention in June.) Columbia student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was seized by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a rally. Photo / Getty Images Three days after the funding freeze, the Education Department sent a letter that set out its demands, including changes to student discipline, a mask ban, and the right to monitor an academic department as preconditions to restoring funding. Columbia announced several changes – some of them long in the works – including clarifying rules for campus demonstrations, appointing a senior vice-provost to review Middle East programmes, seeking to increase the intellectual diversity of the faculty, and training additional public safety officers to remove and arrest protesters. But its funding was not restored in response, and tense negotiations have been under way for months. The school had been the centre of protests over the Israel-Gaza war during the 2023-2024 academic year, with an encampment in the spring that sparked similar demonstrations at colleges across the country, and a takeover of a university building that was cleared by New York police officers. The protests were divisive: as college leaders struggled to balance freedom of speech with student safety, some Jewish and Israeli students at Columbia and elsewhere said that school officials had not done enough to stop rising antisemitism. Students reported being ostracised from clubs for supporting Israel, seeing protesters handing out fliers promoting Hamas, and instances of signs displayed with target symbols. Some other students, including pro-Palestinian activists, criticised the school for trying to stifle views critical of Israel and not standing up to federal intrusion into campus policies. Demonstrators take part in a Our City, Our Fight, Protect Migrants, Protect the Planet protest in New York City. Photo / Getty Images This past academic year was much calmer, but on the first day of classes in the spring semester, masked protesters burst into a course on the history of modern Israel and handed out fliers, including one labelled 'Crush Zionism' with a drawing of a boot stomping on a Star of David. And pro-Palestinian protesters swarmed the school's main library in May, disrupting hundreds of students studying for finals. Police dispersed the demonstration, arresting scores of people. The Trump administration's antisemitism task force praised Columbia's forceful response. But the school's research funding was not restored. In June, tShipman, told the campus community that the challenges to Columbia's research mission and the entire institution were 'becoming increasingly acute' and that they were reaching a 'tipping point'. She said it was essential to restore their research partnership with the federal Government and that the university will comply with the law. She also laid out some red lines: 'We must maintain our autonomy and independent governance. We decide who teaches at our institution, what they teach, and which students we admit.' Any agreement they might reach, she said, must align with those values. Columbia University's acting president, Claire Shipman, fought for the school's autonomy. Photo / Getty Images Columbia is just one of dozens of schools targeted by the Trump administration as it seeks to change campus culture, including university hiring practices, admissions, penalties for antisemitism, and other matters. The administration has frozen billions of dollars in federal research funding to several high-profile schools – including more than $2 billion at Harvard, which has fought back with two lawsuits. This month, the University of Pennsylvania agreed to rescind a transgender athlete's awards and apologise for allowing her to compete on the university's swim team in 2022. The Trump administration had announced it was freezing $175 million at Penn over the issue. A White House spokesperson said Friday there are no restrictions to Penn's funding. While focused broadly on a campaign to change the nation's higher education system, President Donald Trump has taken particular interest in Columbia. Then-candidate Trump was in New York City for one of his criminal trials when the anti-Israel demonstrations erupted on the Upper West Side campus, producing images of clashes between students waving Palestinian flags and police dressed in riot gear. He asked to go to the campus to 'show solidarity with Jewish people', a senior White House official said. His team ultimately rejected his request because of logistics and security concerns, the official said. Trump and his allies have put immense pressure on powerful institutions, often winning significant concessions. Since winning a second term, Trump and his administration have struck deals or reached settlements with media companies, social media titans and prominent law firms. rump this year issued executive orders hitting law firms he disliked with heavy penalties, including saying they should be stripped of federal contracts and their employees blocked from federal buildings. Four firms filed lawsuits challenging his actions, and judges have blocked the orders aimed at those practices. But nine other law firms, hoping to rescind or avoid similar sanctions, instead struck deals with the administration. Mark Berman contributed to this report.
UPI
2 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Columbia to pay $221M over 3 years in settlement with Trump admin.
1 of 2 | Students attend the Columbia University commencement ceremony in Manhattan, New York City, on May 21. Pool photo by Jeenah Moon/UPI | License Photo July 24 (UPI) -- Columbia University announced on Wednesday it will pay $221 million for the New York City private school to settle its dispute with the Trump administration and restore funding. Under terms of the deal, Columbia won't admit to violating anti-discrimination laws and will pay $200 million to the federal government over three years and a one-time $21 million to settle investigations by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In return, "a vast majority of the federal grants which were terminated or paused in March 2025 -- will be reinstated and Columbia's access to billions of dollars in current and future grants will be restored," the Ivy League school said in a news release. This includes funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services. In March, the federal government revoked $400 million in federal funding over campus protests by pro-Palestinian activists. Also, the majority of the school's future $1.3 billion in funding had been put on hold, including science research. Policies already were implemented on March 21 regarding restrictions on demonstrations, new disciplinary procedures and a review of the Middle East curriculum. An independent monitor will oversee the agreement implementation. The university also agreed to provide the federal government with "all relevant data and information to rigorously assess compliance with its commitment to merit-based hiring and admissions," a senior White House official told CNN. And Columbia will review its admission procedures and "strengthen oversight of international students," the official said. "While Columbia does not admit to wrongdoing with this resolution agreement, the institution's leaders have recognized, repeatedly, that Jewish students and faculty have experienced painful, unacceptable incidents, and that reform was and is needed," the university said. University President Claire Shipman said she was pleased with the settlement. "The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track," Shipman said in a statement. "Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest." Shipman also separately addressed the Columbia community, writing "as I have discussed on many occasions with our community, we carefully explored all options open to us. We might have achieved short-term litigation victories, but not without incurring deeper long-term damage -- the likely loss of future federal funding, the possibility of losing accreditation, and the potential revocation of visa status of thousands of international students." Education Secretary Linda McMahon also touted the settlement. "The Trump Administration's deal with Columbia University is a seismic shift in our nation's fight to hold institutions that accept American taxpayer dollars accountable for antisemitic discrimination and harassment," she said in a statement. "For decades, the American public has watched in horror as our elite campuses have been overrun by anti-western teachings and a leftist groupthink that restricts speech and debate to push a one-sided view of our nation and the world. These dangerous trends fueled the outbreak of violent antisemitism that paralyzed campuses after the October 7th massacre and was previously unthinkable in the United States of America." The announcement came a day after Columbia said it had disciplined dozens of pro-Palestine protesters who had participated in protests in May. Other elite schools, including Harvard, have been under pressure to adhere to the Trump administration's policies, including cracking down on anti-Semitism and ending Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. "Columbia's reforms are a roadmap for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public by renewing their commitment to truth-seeking, merit, and civil debate," McMahon said. "I believe they will ripple across the higher education sector and change the course of campus culture for years to come." Harvard has implemented some changes but sued the federal government over a loss of $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts. Trump told CNN earlier this month: "I think we're going to probably settle with Harvard. We're going to probably settle with Columbia. They want to settle very badly. There's no rush." Shipman had been concerned about the effects on research. "Columbia's top scientists are facing the decimation of decades of research," Shipman said in a letter on June 12. "Graduate students, postdocs, mid-career researchers, and established, celebrated scientists, have all had their breakthroughs lauded by the world one minute and defunded the next. We're in danger of reaching a tipping point in terms of preserving our research excellence and the work we do for humanity." The university had a total enrollment of 26,272 graduate students and 9,111 undergrads in the 2024-2025 academic year. Tuition is $70,000-pus each year with about 90% getting student aid. About 40% of the student body are international students, Politico reported. Jewish students comprise 19% undergraduates and 15.9% graduate students, according to Hillel International. "This announcement is an important recognition of what Jewish students and their families have expressed with increasing urgency: antisemitism at Columbia is real, and it has had a tangible impact on Jewish students' sense of safety and belonging and, in turn, their civil rights," Brian Cohen, executive director of Columbia/Barnard Hillel, posted on X. "Acknowledging this fact is essential, and along with the new path laid out by the President and Trustees, I am hopeful that today's agreement marks the beginning of real, sustained change."
