Columbia University and the Trump administration on Friday are reportedly close to reaching a settlement that could see the university paying around $200 million or more in compensation for alleged civil rights violations. The deal, reported by the New York Times, centres on allegations that Columbia failed to protect Jewish students from harassment.The agreement also seeks to restore around $400 million in federal research funding that the Trump administration had previously revoked. In return, Columbia would resolve civil rights violation claims and agree to greater transparency in areas such as admissions and foreign donations.University officials are expected to meet with Trump administration representatives at the White House next week to finalise the agreement.In April, earlier proposals included a legally binding agreement that would have put the university under long-term federal supervision. However, current negotiations reportedly no longer include that requirement.In March, after the initial funding cuts, Columbia accepted several demands from the Trump administration. This included granting campus police authority to arrest students, restricting the use of masks at protests and exerting more control over its Middle Eastern Studies department. Once these preconditions were met, further negotiations can continue regarding the reinstatement of research funding.Columbia’s decision to negotiate rather than challenge the administration in court was widely criticized within academia as a form of capitulation. In contrast, Harvard University chose to sue the government. Claire Shipman, Columbia’s acting president, defended the university’s approach. In a letter to the university community in June, she stated, “Following the law and attempting to resolve a complaint is not capitulation.”Meanwhile, Harvard University has also restarted talks with the Trump administration regarding the return of billions of dollars in federal research funding that have been cut.If finalised, Columbia would become the first university to reach a formal settlement with the Trump administration over antisemitism-related concerns that led to the withdrawal of federal research funds.On March 7, the Trump administration announced it was revoking millions in federal grants to Columbia due to alleged harassment of Jewish students following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Other institutions, including Harvard, Cornell and Northwestern, also faced similar penalties.Columbia’s research programmes were heavily affected with funding cuts. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) froze nearly all research-related funding, including reimbursements for active grants. Grant Watch, a research tracking group, estimated that around $1.18 billion in NIH funding to Columbia had either been suspended or withdrawn. Other federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, also pulled funding.
