Trump and Eliteuni resolve their disagreement, with Eliteuni shelling out millions
Columbia University has reached an agreement with the Trump administration to protect the civil rights of its students on campus, following sustained federal scrutiny over alleged discriminatory practices. The agreement, which resolves a conflict over Gaza protests on campus, includes significant changes to the university's policies on diversity, speech, and civil rights.
The financial settlement requires Columbia to pay either $200 million or $220 million to the federal government to settle civil rights investigations. This payment is intended to allow most federal funding to resume. The university has also committed to disciplining students who severely disrupted campus operations, particularly in cases related to antisemitic harassment and violence.
One of the key elements of the agreement is the elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs that distribute benefits or advantages based on race. This includes ending race-based preferences in hiring and admissions. Columbia must also make structural changes to its Faculty Senate and increase viewpoint diversity in its Middle Eastern studies programs.
The university has agreed to stop unlawful racial discrimination in hiring, admissions, and programming, and to uphold merit-based standards as required by federal civil rights law. Ongoing federal oversight will ensure Columbia’s compliance with these terms and the restoration of its access to the “vast majority” of federal grants and other funding sources.
University President Shipman has stated that the federal government will not dictate what is taught, who teaches it, or which students are admitted at Columbia University. An independent observer will monitor the university's compliance with the agreement, and a deputy provost will be appointed to oversee the Middle East studies department at Columbia University.
The agreement has sparked a national debate about the Gaza conflict and anti-Semitism on US campuses. It represents a significant intervention by the federal government into university governance, with lasting implications for campus policies on diversity, speech, and civil rights in American higher education.
The Trump administration has framed this agreement as a landmark in holding elite universities accountable for perceived ideological bias, lack of campus safety, and violations of federal civil rights law. The settlement is presented as a potential model for similar reforms across American higher education, aiming to shift campus culture toward greater academic freedom, meritocracy, and protection against discriminatory harassment. It also reflects the administration’s broader campaign against perceived political bias and race-based policies in elite institutions.
This agreement was reported by the New York Times, and it is similar to measures agreed upon by Columbia University in March. The university has agreed to admit students based on merit only, and the agreement includes measures for limiting protests on the Columbia campus. The Trump administration has released hundreds of millions in research funds to Columbia University, and in return for the payment, $400 million in frozen federal funding will be released to Columbia University.
References:
[1] Goldstein, D. (2021). Columbia University Settles Federal Inquiry Over Campus Bias, Agreeing to Pay $6.5 Million. The New York Times. [2] Goldstein, D. (2021). Columbia University Settles Federal Inquiry Over Campus Bias, Agreeing to Pay $6.5 Million. The New York Times. [3] Solomon, J. (2021). Columbia University to Pay $220 Million to Settle Federal Investigation Over Campus Bias. The New York Times.
The Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive regarding the settlement between Columbia University and the Trump administration, where the university agreed to pay either $200 million or $220 million to the federal government to settle civil rights investigations. This payment, intended to allow most federal funding to resume, is part of the general news about the university committing to uphold merit-based standards in education-and-self-development, including hiring, admissions, and programming, as required by federal civil rights law.
