Trump demands admissions overhaul and control of academic department at Columbia University

[MayReasonRule]

Source: PBS.org

NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration has delivered an extraordinary ultimatum to Columbia University, threatening to permanently end federal funding to the Ivy League school unless it cedes control of an international studies department and implements sweeping changes to other campus policies.

In a letter sent Thursday night, federal officials said the university must immediately place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under “academic receivership for a minimum of five years.”

It must also ban masks on campus meant to conceal the wearer’s identity “or intimidate others,” adopt a new definition of antisemitism, abolish its current process for disciplining students and deliver a plan to “reform undergraduate admissions, international recruiting, and graduate admissions practices.”

Read more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/trump-demands-admissions-overhaul-and-control-of-academic-department-at-columbia-university

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[Eugene]

1. Academic receivership? This is straight authoritarianism.

See also: US Justice Dept probes Columbia war protests for terrorism violations, official says

[MayReasonRule]

3. Hear, Hear!!!

[SharonAnn]

13. De Santis took control of the New College in Florida, firing "liberals" and hiring "conservatives"

And that worked. So, Trump thinks that's something he can do.

[Eugene]

15. The big difference is that New College is a state university, while Columbia is private.

A federal takeover of a private university because of "illegal" demonstrations and DEI is beyond the pale.

[jgmiller]

2. If there wasn't before this should be the tipping point

This is disgusting and Columbia's response should be significantly more aggressive than Georgtown's response last week.

[pfitz59]

4. Cadet Bone Spurs

with the 'big brain' wants to run a university now? Madness.

[NotHardly]

5. Hitler/Nazi 2.0... f*ck them all.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Call their bluff. I don't think they can make their demands stick, but will take litigation to put it to rest. . . nt

[riversedge]

18. Meanwhile, Trump uses US tax MONEY for his court cases.

[Daleuhlmann]

7. Taking Over Universities Was Part of Hitler's "Mein Kampf" Playbook!

Fascism with a capital "F!" The House MUST impeach Trump for this first Amendment violation alone and the Senate remove him from office!

[WestMichRad]

8. Columbia University now, all other publicly funded universities next.

Or rather, universities that receive federal funding in any form.

[iemanja]

10. They already started with Georgetown

It’s a clear violation of the First amendment.

[jgmiller]

12. And Georgetown told them where to go

[DrFunkenstein]

9. The Guy Who Hired Someone to Take His Tests, Then Hired His Lawyers To Bury His Academic Record

Now wants to control an Ivy League school.

College is for more than dodging the draft, Trump.

[AleksS]

11. I can just imagine him grunting out:

"Who's the smart one now?"

He is just the worst possible example of a human being. He's a straight charicature of an evil dimwit. Like he should be the coach of a team playing against the Mighty Ducks or against Airbud or something. He's a cartoon villain.

[Lonestarblue]

14. All universities will fall in line to teach Trump propaganda or else!

This line from the article caught my attention: “On Friday, the Education Department announced it was investigating more than 50 universities, including major public universities, over alleged racial discrimination.” I seriously doubt that anyone in the Trump administration is concerned about discrimination against minorities. The demand to reform undergraduate admissions means they must admit only white males. Admitting women and minorities is just more DEI.

[Duncan Grant]

16. Must adopt... a new definition of antisemitism. Who's definition, exactly?

For clues, I’m going to see what the Board of Trustees says and does about it.

You have to admit, someone is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to control the narrative. Chilling, absolutely chilling.

[Prairie Gates]

17. Spoiler alert: Columbia is going to fold. Every university is going to fold

The ones who are still pretending they won't are clinging to "don't preemptively comply" like some weird mantra. This is mostly just academics making a virtue of their usual tendency toward institutional inertia. They will comply as soon as they are told to do so.

Most universities are already run by boards, presidents, and provosts who hide behind "fiduciary responsibility" as their shield and rationale for any sort of garbage decisions. The academics who are actually in the faculty governance side of things have mostly never been unemployed in their adult lives and are not about to risk that now in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Some will take the early buyouts that are coming. The others will fall in line.

It won't be long. The only real question is what face saving technique will they employ as they do exactly what they're told.

[riversedge]

19. If Columbia even gives Trump an inch, we know he will take 10,000 MILES!! Trump is dangerous and all

need to know and understand that! I am hoping that the public protests continue.