Latest news with #highereducation
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Loyalty pledges': New UF president's $15M contract ties pay to DeSantis' agenda
The University of Florida's tentative $3 million-a-year offer for President-elect Santa J. Ono includes an unusual clause that may ease some of his right-wing critics' biggest concerns: His job performance — and potentially his pay — will be tied to how well he upholds educational reforms championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Ono, a three-time university president most recently at the University of Michigan, is poised to lead Florida's flagship public university under a five-year deal worth up to nearly $15.4 million plus benefits. If the Florida Board of Governors ratifies Ono's appointment on Tuesday, it's possible he'll be breaking his own record for highest-paid public university president. But it's not just the money raising eyebrows — it's the terms. Appended to the final page of Ono's draft contract is an exhibit containing 'key metrics' that the UF's Board of Trustees — heavily populated with DeSantis appointees — will use to evaluate his salary raises and performance bonuses. Beyond traditional benchmarks like student success and research output, Ono will be judged on his cooperation with the governor's Office of Government Efficiency (known as 'Florida DOGE') and how effectively he combats attempts to spend funds on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The metrics also task Ono with appointing a provost and deans who are 'firmly aligned with and support the principles guiding Florida's approach to higher education,' as well as weeding out courses with 'low return on investment' from curriculum. Read more: DeSantis halts UF's search for liberal arts dean amid conservative backlash The inclusion of specific political directives in a university president's performance review is 'unusual — if not, unprecedented,' said James Finkelstein, a researcher at George Mason University's school of policy, who along with research professor Judith Wilde has analyzed more than 300 contracts for college presidents. 'These are loyalty pledges,' he said. Both were struck by the lack of clear quantitative measures for the metrics, and said their placement — tucked into an exhibit at the contract's end — potentially signals an effort to quietly anchor political oversight into the role. 'This is just a way for them to keep him in check based on what they've seen him do before,' Wilde said, referencing Ono's prior outspoken support of DEI programs. As president of Michigan, Ono pushed for a 'DEI 2.0' plan and oversaw a diversity office once considered at the forefront of academia's DEI movement. But amid escalating public scrutiny and potential funding threats from the Trump administration, Ono shuttered the office in March. The measure shows how Florida's flagship institution is formalizing political expectations for Ono, who conservative critics have renounced as a left-wing opportunist feigning opposition to DEI to appease the state's Republican base. Questions about whether Ono sincerely believes DEI is a well-intentioned movement run amok by political ideology have swirled since May 4, when he emerged as the sole finalist for the UF presidency. UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan, reached through email, declined to answer questions about why and when the performance metrics explicitly tied to prohibiting DEI spending and other DeSantis-backed measures were added into Ono's draft contract. Similar metrics aren't included in the contracts of previous UF presidents or recently appointed presidents at other state universities. Ono's contract also guarantees him a tenured faculty position within UF's ophthalmology department, securing him a post-presidential salary equivalent to the highest-paid full professor in the department. But the new deal also strips out some of the fringe benefits seen in his and his predecessor's prior contracts. Former UF President Ben Sasse's five-year, $10 million agreement included plenty of goodies, including tuition benefits for his entire extended family, as well as covered travel expenses for his wife and children. By contrast, Ono's tentative UF contract is notably leaner — and stricter. One notable requirement: Ono must reside in the Dasburg President's House on campus. This follows controversy during his Michigan tenure, when he purchased a home 40 miles from campus despite being contractually obligated to live in university housing. Gone, too, are some of the quirkier perks. Ono, a trained concert cellist, had previously insisted that the University of Michigan fund transportation and storage for his three cellos. That request is absent from his UF contract. Despite shedding perks, Ono's deal remains a financial powerhouse, solidifying UF's top job as one of the most lucrative posts in public higher education. And with that comes unprecedented accountability to a state-led ideological vision. 'I guess the only real similarities I see between the two [contracts] are the ability to get a world-class salary right up front,' said Wilde. 'And now, a very public test of political loyalty.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Universities quietly negotiating with White House aide to try to avoid Harvard's fate, source says
College and university leaders have been privately negotiating with a deputy to top Trump aide Stephen Miller in hopes of avoiding the same aggressive targeting of Harvard University, a person familiar with the matter said, as the administration looks to escalate its attacks on the Ivy League institution and other schools. The higher education leaders, who have had granular conversations with senior White House policy strategist May Mailman in recent weeks, are asking what signals they need to send to stay out of the administration's crosshairs, the person said. Mailman works closely with Miller – an architect of the administration's strategy to target colleges over concerns they are not sufficiently policing alleged antisemitism on their campuses. In turn, a White House official said the administration is relaying to the leaders that 'the money simply cannot and will not flow unabated as it has been – and that the universities are incubators of discrimination and the taxpayer cannot support that.' These conversations come as the administration is investigating dozens of other schools, and as some school leadership comes to Washington. The White House is looking to strike a deal with a high-profile school, said the first source, who is involved in the higher education response. 'They want a name-brand university to make a deal like the law firms made a deal that covers not just antisemitism and protests, but DEI and intellectual diversity,' this person said. 'They want Trump to be able to stand up and say he made a deal with so-and-so – an Ivy League school, some sort of name-brand school that gives them cover so they can say, 'We don't want to destroy higher education.'' Asked if any of the schools are inclined to make such a deal, the source said, 'Nobody wants to be the first, but the financial pressures are getting real.' Many schools have already experienced significant federal funding cuts, and there is mounting uncertainty about the future of visas for international students, who are more likely to pay full tuition compared to their American counterparts. The conversations, the source said, are continuing. 'The President is always willing to make a deal that benefits America, and this has been true for any higher education institution willing to embrace common sense, stop violating the law, and commit to restoring civil rights and order on their campuses,' the White House official said. They added, 'The administration is only willing to work with entities that operate in good faith and are not merely paying lip service without tangible actions. Many schools want to make a deal, and the President is willing to work with them.' Officials at some other schools are waiting for the White House to turn its attention away from Harvard. A board member at a major university targeted by the task force, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, described communications as 'irregular,' but said there have been repeated efforts by the task force to get the school's leadership to come to Washington for a meeting. 'There is very little enthusiasm for that,' the board member said. 'We do not have any interest in being their 'model school' or whatever.' They added, 'At this point, we feel very comfortable with the steps we've taken, and we don't have any need to fight the administration, per se – unless they decide to mess with our core values. When it comes, we will be ready to fight them. But that doesn't mean we need to provoke them.' Some universities across the country have hired political consultants and experts to respond to some of the administration's demands, while Harvard has launched an aggressive legal strategy and is organizing its alumni networks. Efforts to target Harvard began even before President Donald Trump returned to office, with Trump allies arguing they're cracking down on antisemitism on campus amid the Israel-Hamas war. But the administration's actions extend to a broader agenda – setting up a major clash over academic freedom, federal funding and campus oversight – and a belief inside the White House that it's a winning political issue for Trump. The crackdown is led by the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, an interagency group that meets at least weekly, the White House official said, and is in regular communication about where to train its focus. At the helm is former Fox News personality and civil rights lawyer-turned-senior Justice Department official Leo Terrell. Miller and Mailman are also driving forces behind decision making, sources said. The administration has been happy with steps taken by some schools, praising some of its initial targets for complying with demands, including efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and crack down on campus protests. And which schools the administration could go after next appears to be a moving target. But Terrell suggested this week that 'massive lawsuits' are coming and would take aim at the University of California system, among others. 'Expect massive lawsuits against UC system. … On the East Coast, on the West Coast, in the Midwest, expect hate crime charges filed by the federal government. Expect Title VII lawsuits against those individuals who are not being protected simply because they're Jewish,' he told Fox News. Asked for comment on Terrell's threats, Rachel Zaentz, a spokesperson for the University of California, said that the school system is cooperating with the Trump administration. 'The University of California abhors antisemitism and is diligently working to address, counter and eradicate it in all its forms across the system. We have been, and plan to continue, cooperating with the Administration. Antisemitism has no place at UC or anywhere else in society. The University remains entirely focused on strengthening our programs and policies to root out antisemitism and all forms of discrimination,' Zaentz said. The White House official told CNN last month that the task force was having discussions with Harvard and Columbia, as well as Northwestern University, Cornell University and the University of Michigan. A February Justice Department news release also identified George Washington University; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California as 'campuses that have experienced antisemitic incidents since October 2023' that the task force planned to visit. University leaders have been coming to DC to meet with administration officials, so no campus visits have been necessary, according to a senior administration official. CNN has reached out to each of the schools named by the Trump administration for comment. Statements from the University of Southern California and the University of Minnesota both denounced antisemitism and said the schools would engage with the task force on efforts to combat it. Pressed on how the task force is making determinations about funding for Harvard and other schools, the White House official said that their investigations often begin with complaints. 'The relevant agency or department will conduct an investigation into violations to federal law, whether Title IV and Title IX, Title VI, Title XI, Title XII, and, based on those investigations, there can be immediate action to pause funding and wait for a resolution to the investigation, or, in more egregious examples, like Harvard, there could just be a blanket removal of all federal funds because of their lack of cooperation in an investigation or their blatant disregard for their violations to federal law and their unwillingness to change policy,' the official said. And the senior administration official indicated this week that any school with an open Title VI investigation could be subject to government action. Title VI is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal funding. There are more than 70 colleges and universities currently under active Title VI investigations as of Wednesday, according to a CNN analysis of data provided by the Department of Education. (A vast majority of those investigations were launched during the Biden administration.) And even as it looks at other schools, the administration hasn't taken its eye off Harvard, with which it's engaged in multiple legal battles. The administration has also launched an investigation into its foreign funding sources through a provision of the Higher Education Act requiring reporting of foreign gifts and contracts called Section 117. A prior Section 117 investigation into Harvard was recently closed. 'As standard practice, Harvard has filed Section 117 reports for decades as part of its ongoing compliance with the law. As is required, Harvard's reports include information on gifts and contracts from foreign sources exceeding $250K annually. This includes contracts to provide executive education, other training, and academic publications,' Jason Newton, a spokesperson for Harvard University, said in a statement, noting that Harvard's filings reflect 'diverse sources' of support for the school. And a tax provision in Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill,' which passed the House of Representatives last week but still has to get through the Senate, could have significant impact on Harvard and other institutions with large endowments. In its current form, it would implement a new 'tiered system' of taxes on private colleges and universities' investment income. The endowment tax is currently a flat 1.4% rate but could become as high as 21% for schools like Harvard with large endowments. The administration believes there's political support for that provision, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon telling Fox News on Wednesday, 'That's something that the American public could wrap its head around.' Trump administration messengers have offered mixed signals about how the process moves forward. The source familiar with the higher education response questioned the appetite to proceed at an aggressive pace. 'If you go after Harvard, how hard can you keep going? The universities are being played like a yo-yo for weeks and weeks and weeks. My guess is, at some point, the White House will lose interest in that. Once you've taken down Harvard, where are you going to go – Emory? They're just as conscious of the brands as anybody else,' the source said. Ultimately, the source added, the market rules: 'What's going to happen to Harvard or Columbia? Record applicants, record yield. I would bet you that if you talked to MAGA voters at Charlotte Country Day School or The Westminster Schools – they may have voted for Trump, but are they turning away from the Ivy League? Hell no. The schools are having record demand.' Meanwhile, McMahon has suggested there is still hope for negotiations with Harvard, with whom the senior administration official said the administration is not currently in talks. 'We really hope that we will be back at the table, negotiating, talking about the things that are good for Harvard and for the students that are on campus,' McMahon said. Terrell has struck a different tone. 'We are going to go after them where it hurts them financially, and there's numerous ways – I hope you can read between the lines – there's numerous ways to hurt them financially,' he warned on Fox News. Asked when it would end, Terrell said, 'We can't speculate. We have to bring these universities to their knees.'
CNN
9 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Universities quietly negotiating with White House aide to try to avoid Harvard's fate, source says
College and university leaders have been privately negotiating with a deputy to top Trump aide Stephen Miller in hopes of avoiding the same aggressive targeting of Harvard University, a person familiar with the matter said, as the administration looks to escalate its attacks on the Ivy League institution and other schools. The higher education leaders, who have had granular conversations with senior White House policy strategist May Mailman in recent weeks, are asking what signals they need to send to stay out of the administration's crosshairs, the person said. Mailman works closely with Miller – an architect of the administration's strategy to target colleges over concerns they are not sufficiently policing alleged antisemitism on their campuses. In turn, a White House official said the administration is relaying to the leaders that 'the money simply cannot and will not flow unabated as it has been – and that the universities are incubators of discrimination and the taxpayer cannot support that.' These conversations come as the administration is investigating dozens of other schools, and as some school leadership comes to Washington. The White House is looking to strike a deal with a high-profile school, said the first source, who is involved in the higher education response. 'They want a name-brand university to make a deal like the law firms made a deal that covers not just antisemitism and protests, but DEI and intellectual diversity,' this person said. 'They want Trump to be able to stand up and say he made a deal with so-and-so – an Ivy League school, some sort of name-brand school that gives them cover so they can say, 'We don't want to destroy higher education.'' Asked if any of the schools are inclined to make such a deal, the source said, 'Nobody wants to be the first, but the financial pressures are getting real.' Many schools have already experienced significant federal funding cuts, and there is mounting uncertainty about the future of visas for international students, who are more likely to pay full tuition compared to their American counterparts. The conversations, the source said, are continuing. 'The President is always willing to make a deal that benefits America, and this has been true for any higher education institution willing to embrace common sense, stop violating the law, and commit to restoring civil rights and order on their campuses,' the White House official said. They added, 'The administration is only willing to work with entities that operate in good faith and are not merely paying lip service without tangible actions. Many schools want to make a deal, and the President is willing to work with them.' Officials at some other schools are waiting for the White House to turn its attention away from Harvard. A board member at a major university targeted by the task force, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, described communications as 'irregular,' but said there have been repeated efforts by the task force to get the school's leadership to come to Washington for a meeting. 'There is very little enthusiasm for that,' the board member said. 'We do not have any interest in being their 'model school' or whatever.' They added, 'At this point, we feel very comfortable with the steps we've taken, and we don't have any need to fight the administration, per se – unless they decide to mess with our core values. When it comes, we will be ready to fight them. But that doesn't mean we need to provoke them.' Some universities across the country have hired political consultants and experts to respond to some of the administration's demands, while Harvard has launched an aggressive legal strategy and is organizing its alumni networks. Efforts to target Harvard began even before President Donald Trump returned to office, with Trump allies arguing they're cracking down on antisemitism on campus amid the Israel-Hamas war. But the administration's actions extend to a broader agenda – setting up a major clash over academic freedom, federal funding and campus oversight – and a belief inside the White House that it's a winning political issue for Trump. The crackdown is led by the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, an interagency group that meets at least weekly, the White House official said, and is in regular communication about where to train its focus. At the helm is former Fox News personality and civil rights lawyer-turned-senior Justice Department official Leo Terrell. Miller and Mailman are also driving forces behind decision making, sources said. The administration has been happy with steps taken by some schools, praising some of its initial targets for complying with demands, including efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and crack down on campus protests. And which schools the administration could go after next appears to be a moving target. But Terrell suggested this week that 'massive lawsuits' are coming and would take aim at the University of California system, among others. 'Expect massive lawsuits against UC system. … On the East Coast, on the West Coast, in the Midwest, expect hate crime charges filed by the federal government. Expect Title VII lawsuits against those individuals who are not being protected simply because they're Jewish,' he told Fox News. Asked for comment on Terrell's threats, Rachel Zaentz, a spokesperson for the University of California, said that the school system is cooperating with the Trump administration. 'The University of California abhors antisemitism and is diligently working to address, counter and eradicate it in all its forms across the system. We have been, and plan to continue, cooperating with the Administration. Antisemitism has no place at UC or anywhere else in society. The University remains entirely focused on strengthening our programs and policies to root out antisemitism and all forms of discrimination,' Zaentz said. The White House official told CNN last month that the task force was having discussions with Harvard and Columbia, as well as Northwestern University, Cornell University and the University of Michigan. A February Justice Department news release also identified George Washington University; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California as 'campuses that have experienced antisemitic incidents since October 2023' that the task force planned to visit. University leaders have been coming to DC to meet with administration officials, so no campus visits have been necessary, according to a senior administration official. CNN has reached out to each of the schools named by the Trump administration for comment. Statements from the University of Southern California and the University of Minnesota both denounced antisemitism and said the schools would engage with the task force on efforts to combat it. Pressed on how the task force is making determinations about funding for Harvard and other schools, the White House official said that their investigations often begin with complaints. 'The relevant agency or department will conduct an investigation into violations to federal law, whether Title IV and Title IX, Title VI, Title XI, Title XII, and, based on those investigations, there can be immediate action to pause funding and wait for a resolution to the investigation, or, in more egregious examples, like Harvard, there could just be a blanket removal of all federal funds because of their lack of cooperation in an investigation or their blatant disregard for their violations to federal law and their unwillingness to change policy,' the official said. And the senior administration official indicated this week that any school with an open Title VI investigation could be subject to government action. Title VI is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal funding. There are more than 70 colleges and universities currently under active Title VI investigations as of Wednesday, according to a CNN analysis of data provided by the Department of Education. (A vast majority of those investigations were launched during the Biden administration.) And even as it looks at other schools, the administration hasn't taken its eye off Harvard, with which it's engaged in multiple legal battles. The administration has also launched an investigation into its foreign funding sources through a provision of the Higher Education Act requiring reporting of foreign gifts and contracts called Section 117. A prior Section 117 investigation into Harvard was recently closed. 'As standard practice, Harvard has filed Section 117 reports for decades as part of its ongoing compliance with the law. As is required, Harvard's reports include information on gifts and contracts from foreign sources exceeding $250K annually. This includes contracts to provide executive education, other training, and academic publications,' Jason Newton, a spokesperson for Harvard University, said in a statement, noting that Harvard's filings reflect 'diverse sources' of support for the school. And a tax provision in Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill,' which passed the House of Representatives last week but still has to get through the Senate, could have significant impact on Harvard and other institutions with large endowments. In its current form, it would implement a new 'tiered system' of taxes on private colleges and universities' investment income. The endowment tax is currently a flat 1.4% rate but could become as high as 21% for schools like Harvard with large endowments. The administration believes there's political support for that provision, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon telling Fox News on Wednesday, 'That's something that the American public could wrap its head around.' Trump administration messengers have offered mixed signals about how the process moves forward. The source familiar with the higher education response questioned the appetite to proceed at an aggressive pace. 'If you go after Harvard, how hard can you keep going? The universities are being played like a yo-yo for weeks and weeks and weeks. My guess is, at some point, the White House will lose interest in that. Once you've taken down Harvard, where are you going to go – Emory? They're just as conscious of the brands as anybody else,' the source said. Ultimately, the source added, the market rules: 'What's going to happen to Harvard or Columbia? Record applicants, record yield. I would bet you that if you talked to MAGA voters at Charlotte Country Day School or The Westminster Schools – they may have voted for Trump, but are they turning away from the Ivy League? Hell no. The schools are having record demand.' Meanwhile, McMahon has suggested there is still hope for negotiations with Harvard, with whom the senior administration official said the administration is not currently in talks. 'We really hope that we will be back at the table, negotiating, talking about the things that are good for Harvard and for the students that are on campus,' McMahon said. Terrell has struck a different tone. 'We are going to go after them where it hurts them financially, and there's numerous ways – I hope you can read between the lines – there's numerous ways to hurt them financially,' he warned on Fox News. Asked when it would end, Terrell said, 'We can't speculate. We have to bring these universities to their knees.'
CNN
9 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Universities quietly negotiating with White House aide to try to avoid Harvard's fate, source says
College and university leaders have been privately negotiating with a deputy to top Trump aide Stephen Miller in hopes of avoiding the same aggressive targeting of Harvard University, a person familiar with the matter said, as the administration looks to escalate its attacks on the Ivy League institution and other schools. The higher education leaders, who have had granular conversations with senior White House policy strategist May Mailman in recent weeks, are asking what signals they need to send to stay out of the administration's crosshairs, the person said. Mailman works closely with Miller – an architect of the administration's strategy to target colleges over concerns they are not sufficiently policing alleged antisemitism on their campuses. In turn, a White House official said the administration is relaying to the leaders that 'the money simply cannot and will not flow unabated as it has been – and that the universities are incubators of discrimination and the taxpayer cannot support that.' These conversations come as the administration is investigating dozens of other schools, and as some school leadership comes to Washington. The White House is looking to strike a deal with a high-profile school, said the first source, who is involved in the higher education response. 'They want a name-brand university to make a deal like the law firms made a deal that covers not just antisemitism and protests, but DEI and intellectual diversity,' this person said. 'They want Trump to be able to stand up and say he made a deal with so-and-so – an Ivy League school, some sort of name-brand school that gives them cover so they can say, 'We don't want to destroy higher education.'' Asked if any of the schools are inclined to make such a deal, the source said, 'Nobody wants to be the first, but the financial pressures are getting real.' Many schools have already experienced significant federal funding cuts, and there is mounting uncertainty about the future of visas for international students, who are more likely to pay full tuition compared to their American counterparts. The conversations, the source said, are continuing. 'The President is always willing to make a deal that benefits America, and this has been true for any higher education institution willing to embrace common sense, stop violating the law, and commit to restoring civil rights and order on their campuses,' the White House official said. They added, 'The administration is only willing to work with entities that operate in good faith and are not merely paying lip service without tangible actions. Many schools want to make a deal, and the President is willing to work with them.' Officials at some other schools are waiting for the White House to turn its attention away from Harvard. A board member at a major university targeted by the task force, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, described communications as 'irregular,' but said there have been repeated efforts by the task force to get the school's leadership to come to Washington for a meeting. 'There is very little enthusiasm for that,' the board member said. 'We do not have any interest in being their 'model school' or whatever.' They added, 'At this point, we feel very comfortable with the steps we've taken, and we don't have any need to fight the administration, per se – unless they decide to mess with our core values. When it comes, we will be ready to fight them. But that doesn't mean we need to provoke them.' Some universities across the country have hired political consultants and experts to respond to some of the administration's demands, while Harvard has launched an aggressive legal strategy and is organizing its alumni networks. Efforts to target Harvard began even before President Donald Trump returned to office, with Trump allies arguing they're cracking down on antisemitism on campus amid the Israel-Hamas war. But the administration's actions extend to a broader agenda – setting up a major clash over academic freedom, federal funding and campus oversight – and a belief inside the White House that it's a winning political issue for Trump. The crackdown is led by the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, an interagency group that meets at least weekly, the White House official said, and is in regular communication about where to train its focus. At the helm is former Fox News personality and civil rights lawyer-turned-senior Justice Department official Leo Terrell. Miller and Mailman are also driving forces behind decision making, sources said. The administration has been happy with steps taken by some schools, praising some of its initial targets for complying with demands, including efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and crack down on campus protests. And which schools the administration could go after next appears to be a moving target. But Terrell suggested this week that 'massive lawsuits' are coming and would take aim at the University of California system, among others. 'Expect massive lawsuits against UC system. … On the East Coast, on the West Coast, in the Midwest, expect hate crime charges filed by the federal government. Expect Title VII lawsuits against those individuals who are not being protected simply because they're Jewish,' he told Fox News. Asked for comment on Terrell's threats, Rachel Zaentz, a spokesperson for the University of California, said that the school system is cooperating with the Trump administration. 'The University of California abhors antisemitism and is diligently working to address, counter and eradicate it in all its forms across the system. We have been, and plan to continue, cooperating with the Administration. Antisemitism has no place at UC or anywhere else in society. The University remains entirely focused on strengthening our programs and policies to root out antisemitism and all forms of discrimination,' Zaentz said. The White House official told CNN last month that the task force was having discussions with Harvard and Columbia, as well as Northwestern University, Cornell University and the University of Michigan. A February Justice Department news release also identified George Washington University; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California as 'campuses that have experienced antisemitic incidents since October 2023' that the task force planned to visit. University leaders have been coming to DC to meet with administration officials, so no campus visits have been necessary, according to a senior administration official. CNN has reached out to each of the schools named by the Trump administration for comment. Statements from the University of Southern California and the University of Minnesota both denounced antisemitism and said the schools would engage with the task force on efforts to combat it. Pressed on how the task force is making determinations about funding for Harvard and other schools, the White House official said that their investigations often begin with complaints. 'The relevant agency or department will conduct an investigation into violations to federal law, whether Title IV and Title IX, Title VI, Title XI, Title XII, and, based on those investigations, there can be immediate action to pause funding and wait for a resolution to the investigation, or, in more egregious examples, like Harvard, there could just be a blanket removal of all federal funds because of their lack of cooperation in an investigation or their blatant disregard for their violations to federal law and their unwillingness to change policy,' the official said. And the senior administration official indicated this week that any school with an open Title VI investigation could be subject to government action. Title VI is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal funding. There are more than 70 colleges and universities currently under active Title VI investigations as of Wednesday, according to a CNN analysis of data provided by the Department of Education. (A vast majority of those investigations were launched during the Biden administration.) And even as it looks at other schools, the administration hasn't taken its eye off Harvard, with which it's engaged in multiple legal battles. The administration has also launched an investigation into its foreign funding sources through a provision of the Higher Education Act requiring reporting of foreign gifts and contracts called Section 117. A prior Section 117 investigation into Harvard was recently closed. 'As standard practice, Harvard has filed Section 117 reports for decades as part of its ongoing compliance with the law. As is required, Harvard's reports include information on gifts and contracts from foreign sources exceeding $250K annually. This includes contracts to provide executive education, other training, and academic publications,' Jason Newton, a spokesperson for Harvard University, said in a statement, noting that Harvard's filings reflect 'diverse sources' of support for the school. And a tax provision in Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill,' which passed the House of Representatives last week but still has to get through the Senate, could have significant impact on Harvard and other institutions with large endowments. In its current form, it would implement a new 'tiered system' of taxes on private colleges and universities' investment income. The endowment tax is currently a flat 1.4% rate but could become as high as 21% for schools like Harvard with large endowments. The administration believes there's political support for that provision, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon telling Fox News on Wednesday, 'That's something that the American public could wrap its head around.' Trump administration messengers have offered mixed signals about how the process moves forward. The source familiar with the higher education response questioned the appetite to proceed at an aggressive pace. 'If you go after Harvard, how hard can you keep going? The universities are being played like a yo-yo for weeks and weeks and weeks. My guess is, at some point, the White House will lose interest in that. Once you've taken down Harvard, where are you going to go – Emory? They're just as conscious of the brands as anybody else,' the source said. Ultimately, the source added, the market rules: 'What's going to happen to Harvard or Columbia? Record applicants, record yield. I would bet you that if you talked to MAGA voters at Charlotte Country Day School or The Westminster Schools – they may have voted for Trump, but are they turning away from the Ivy League? Hell no. The schools are having record demand.' Meanwhile, McMahon has suggested there is still hope for negotiations with Harvard, with whom the senior administration official said the administration is not currently in talks. 'We really hope that we will be back at the table, negotiating, talking about the things that are good for Harvard and for the students that are on campus,' McMahon said. Terrell has struck a different tone. 'We are going to go after them where it hurts them financially, and there's numerous ways – I hope you can read between the lines – there's numerous ways to hurt them financially,' he warned on Fox News. Asked when it would end, Terrell said, 'We can't speculate. We have to bring these universities to their knees.'
CNN
11 hours ago
- General
- CNN
‘A fear campaign.' Students around the world are shocked, scared and saddened by US visa pause
When Adefemola Akintade learned that the Trump administration had suspended the processing of foreign student visas, she immediately went blank. 'I don't know what to do; this is something I've always wanted for the longest of times,' she told CNN, still with an air of disbelief. The Nigerian journalist has been accepted into Columbia Journalism School for a master's degree and was on the cusp of applying for her US visa. 'I don't have any backup plan,' the 31-year-old said. 'I put all my eggs in one basket – in Columbia… which is quite a risk.' She is due to start her degree in New York in August having already paid a hefty enrolment fee. Akintade is among thousands of people across the globe who were thrown into limbo on Tuesday when the US State Department instructed its embassies and consulates to pause the scheduling of new student visa interviews as it plans to expand social media vetting for applicants. It's the latest in a series of moves by the Trump White House targeting higher education, starting with an ongoing fight with Harvard University and then dramatically expanding in scope. CNN spoke with several affected overseas students, who expressed a mix of sadness, confusion and fear over the latest developments and the sudden upending of their lives. Many of them asked to remain anonymous, citing concerns about possible retribution or problems in the future. 'It feels like a really scary and unsettling time for international students studying in the US,' said one Canadian student who has also been accepted by Columbia. 'A lot of us chose to study in the US for its freedoms but now knowing that innocent social media posts could cost an education feels like censorship.' Some prospective students have even started self-censoring. Another Canadian, accepted into Harvard Law School, told CNN how a friend working on Capitol Hill advised her to go through her social media posts shortly after the visa suspension news broke. 'We were looking at a post from us at Pride, and my caption was simply a rainbow flag and then a trans flag. And I was on the phone with her 'and I was like, do I have to take this down?' Eventually we decided no, I could leave it up, but I changed the caption, I removed the trans flag. I don't know how to feel about that,' the student said. 'I do think it's real proof that it is a fear campaign that is incredibly successful,' she said, adding that she has deferred her place for this year after getting a job offer. 'I changed the caption with the anticipation that it could get worse. Today it is one (issue) and tomorrow it will be another one.' The State Department has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms since 2019, a spokesperson said. In addition, it had already called for extra social media vetting of some applicants, largely related to alleged antisemitism. But it's unclear what kind of post might pose a problem for an application from now on, or how these posts will be scrutinized. British student Conrad Kunadu said he'd been grappling with an 'internal conflict' over his offer to pursue a PhD in Environmental Health at Johns Hopkins University after monitoring the crackdown on US colleges 'religiously' for the past few months. The case of a French scientist who was recently denied entry into the US for allegedly posting messages criticizing President Donald Trump was a 'big turning point' for Kunadu. 'I was like, oh, wow. Ok, no, this is potentially really bad. I just don't know if this is an environment that I actually want to be in,' he told CNN. After wondering whether he could manage his anxiety that 'something (he) wrote in 2016' could get him deported, Kunadu decided to stay in Britain and study at Oxford University instead. Despite being grateful to have another option, he described his situation as a 'lose-lose.' 'I wanted to study in the US not just because, for my interests in health security, it's where all the talent and resources are, but because it's the best way to make an impact on these issues at a global scale,' Kunadu said. Like many others, he can't help but mourn the possible academic research and advances that now may never come to fruition. Kunadu and another student who requested anonymity both mentioned being anxious about exploring topics in their studies that could be interpreted as dissent and ruffle official feathers. 'It's incredibly distressing as an American to hear that,' Michael Kagan, who directs the Immigration Clinic at the University of Nevada, told CNN. 'It's not something someone should have to worry about to study in the United States… But I think, right now, it's totally rational. And if I were advising someone, I would tell them that, from a legal point of view, that seems like a reasonable thing to be concerned about.' Kagan described the visa halt as 'one of many attacks on higher education and immigrants… two of the Trump administration's favorite targets,' which in this case overlap. And while the directive is consistent with what the White House was already doing, he sees this as 'an unprecedented attack in a non-emergency time.' When asked whether those who had accepted college offers and were waiting for a visa appointment had any legal avenues available to them, Kagan was not encouraging. 'If someone is trying to enter and not yet getting a visa, (that person) usually has nearly no recourse,' he said. In the 2023-34 academic year, more than 1.1 million international students studied at US higher education institutions, according to a report from the the Institute of International Education. The students CNN spoke with were all now trying to come to terms with their new reality and figure out their next steps. 'I'm still kind of hoping that there's a Supreme Court case that suddenly sees things in my favor,' Kunadu said. Oliver Cropley, a 27-year-old British student from a low-income background, told CNN that he was due to attend Kansas University for one year on a scholarship, but without a visa appointment he is no longer sure. 'It just feels like a kick when you are already down,' he said. 'Our strategy is a waiting game, we want to see if Trump is going to backtrack.' The Canadian accepted into Harvard Law School said she was glad the institution is taking a stand against the Trump administration. 'If Harvard caves, everybody caves and it's the collapse of civil society, right? If the wealthiest institution with the highest brand recognition folds, everyone folds,' she told CNN. For Nigerian journalist Akintade, who has always dreamed of studying at an Ivy League school, the feeling of rejection by the US is weighing heavily. 'This is the message I'm getting: we don't want you,' she said, with a deep sigh. Lisa Klaassen, Nimi Princewill and Quinta Thomson contributed to this report
