Columbia University agreed on Friday to make changes to its protest rules, campus security policies and Middle Eastern studies department in a remarkable concession to the Trump administration, which had refused to consider restoring $400 million in federal funding without an overhaul.
The agreement, detailed in a letter sent to federal officials and shared with members of the Columbia community, could signal a new stage in the administration’s escalating clash with elite colleges and universities. Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan and dozens of other schools face federal inquiries and fear similar penalties, and college administrators have said Columbia’s response to the White House’s demands may set a dangerous precedent.
This week, the University of Pennsylvania was also explicitly targeted by the Trump administration, which said it would cancel $175 million in federal funding for the university, at least partly because it allowed a transgender woman to participate on a women’s swim team.
Columbia, facing the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in government grants and contracts, opted to yield to the Trump administration on several of its most substantial demands.
The news of Columbia’s response was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Columbia’s interim president, Katrina A. Armstrong, said in a letter Friday afternoon that the university’s response was part of its effort to “make every student, faculty and staff member safe and welcome on our campus.”
“The way Columbia and Columbians have been portrayed is hard to reckon with,” Dr. Armstrong said. “We have challenges, yes, but they do not define us.”
She added: At all times, we are guided by our values, putting academic freedom, free expression, open inquiry, and respect for all at the fore of every decision we make.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
