Discussions are underway between Columbia University's board of trustees and the Trump administration regarding a potential agreement to reinstate some of the university's federal funding, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
This comes after months of contention stemming from the administration's decision to cancel $400 million in grants and contracts in March. The administration cited Columbia's failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment following pro-Palestinian campus protests.
A government investigation in May concluded that Columbia had violated students' civil rights, issuing a formal notice of violation. While initial talks by a government task force sought a consent decree that would place a federal judge in oversight of Columbia's compliance, more recent negotiations reportedly lean towards a less stringent arrangement, possibly involving an independent monitor, according to WSJ.
Columbia had previously agreed to demands from the Trump administration, including restricting masks and empowering campus police, but these concessions did not lead to the restoration of federal funding.
At the time, US Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Columbia was “on the right track,” though she declined to commit to a timeline for restoring the federal funding.
Acting President Claire Shipman emphasized the university's commitment to restoring its research partnership with the government in a June 12 statement, while upholding key principles. "Our red lines remain the same," Shipman stated at the time. "We must maintain our autonomy and independent governance. We decide who teaches at our institution, what they teach and which students we admit."
According to WSJ, some members of Columbia's Jewish community have expressed dissatisfaction with the potential absence of a consent decree in the proposed deal.
Ari Shrage, co-founder of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, voiced his desire for reforms to the student disciplinary process and a commitment to diverse viewpoints among faculty. "I’m shocked that Trump’s advisers would be willing to capitulate and make the president look so weak," Shrage commented.
The report noted that the exact terms are still being finalized, and the agreement could still fall through.