WASHINGTON: Columbia University has agreed to pay US$200 million (RM855.5 million) to end a high profile probe launched by President Donald Trump’s administration, a settlement that academics warn could set a “devastating precedent” for higher education across the United States.
The New York based Ivy League institution, accused of failing to address anti-Semitism following pro Palestinian protests, was the first target in Trump’s escalating campaign against elite universities. The government had already frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funds, forcing layoffs of dozens of researchers and halting key projects, before Columbia struck the deal. The university also agreed to pay an additional US$21 million to close a separate anti-Semitism investigation.
Academics Denounce “Extortion Like” Agreement
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said Columbia faced an “untenable position” after the government slashed funding without a formal investigation. Columbia law professor David Pozen condemned the deal as “unlawful and coercive,” likening it to an “extortion scheme.”
The settlement extends beyond anti-Semitism concerns. Columbia must now appoint an independent monitor, share detailed admissions data on ethnicity, curb campus protests, and comply with restrictions on international student admissions and single sex spaces. Pozen warned that the measures amount to “significant incursions onto Columbia’s autonomy” and form part of a “broader authoritarian attack on civil society.”
Template for Other Universities
Education Secretary Linda McMahon hailed the deal as a model for other universities. Already, Brown University has entered a similar settlement, agreeing to end race-based admissions and adopt a biological definition of gender in exchange for restored federal funding.
Meanwhile, Harvard University has filed a lawsuit to challenge sweeping cuts, though it is reportedly weighing a US$500 million settlement. Trump’s alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, recently banned transgender women from women’s sports, while the University of Virginia’s president resigned under scrutiny over diversity programs.
Fear of Escalation
Steven Levitsky, a Harvard government professor, said the Columbia precedent is “devastating” for both academic freedom and democracy. Brendan Cantwell of Michigan State University added that such large-scale federal interference in university governance is “unprecedented in American history.”
Both warned that concessions like Columbia’s could embolden the administration to demand more. “Extortionists don’t stop at the first concession,” Levitsky noted. “There’s a very high likelihood that this is just the first round.”
Universities Urged to Resist
Despite growing pressure, Levitsky urged universities to resist rather than yield: “Fighting an authoritarian regime is costly, but that’s what we have to do. This is an unprecedented assault, and universities need to work together.”
