Trump Administration Wants to Install Federal Oversight of Columbia University

[Nevilledog]

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/columbia-consent-decree-trump-federal-funding-2f4c4690

No paywall link
https://archive.li/s6lRc

The Trump administration is planning to pursue a legal arrangement that would put Columbia University into a consent decree, according to people familiar with the matter, an extraordinary step that could significantly escalate the pressure on the school as it battles for federal funding.

A consent decree, which can last for years, would give a federal judge responsibility for ensuring Columbia changes its practices along lines laid out by the federal government. If such a decree is in place, Columbia would have to comply with it. If a judge determines the school is out of compliance, it could be held in contempt of court—punishable by penalties including fines.

Columbia is negotiating with the Trump administration to reinstate federal funding. Last month, the government canceled $400 million in grants and contracts over antisemitism concerns. Columbia agreed to an initial set of demands and is in negotiations about the future of its federal funding.

A consent decree would be a major escalation of how the federal government normally resolves education-related civil-rights issues. Typically after federal lawyers investigate and find evidence that civil rights were violated, schools enter voluntary agreements to change their practices. The federal government has little ability to enforce such agreements. The Biden administration entered into such voluntary agreements over antisemitism concerns with Brown University and Rutgers.

*snip*

[dalton99a]

1. This will lower grocery prices

[Passages]

2. Let's see if they go along willingly..they have been cowards thus far.

[Scrivener7]

3. Columbia has billions in endowment money. They should have let the 400 million go and kept their independence

and integrity.

[sop]

4. When did U.S. presidents gain such sweeping powers?

[Arazi]

5. Who could have imagined that caving to a bully

Only empowers the bully… 🙄

This is a test run for other universities. I hope Columbia finally grows a fucking spine and fights this

[Irish_Dem]

6. The goal is to get control and ruin the US university system.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Insanity. Ivy League university? Consent decree?

This is about Trump and NYC ... he hates them.

[Retrograde]

8. I thought he wanted to abolish the Department of Education

or something something small government. I also don't understand how muzzling one of the oldest universities in the country is going to make America great again - unless MAGA now stands for Make Academicians Grovel Aimlessly.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. Shades of DeSantis and New College.

[Bettie]

10. Just imagine

a university with only white, Christian Nationalist men allowed to attend. All instructors white Christian Nationalist men, and all instruction dedicated to the idea that there is no history that isn't 100% about White Christian Nationalists.

How long until they rename it to celebrate Dear Orange Leader?

[Daleuhlmann]

11. No Fucking Way!

Government control of a college or university is unconstitutional! Why doesn't Columbia strap on a pair and file a lawsuit in federal court? They would surely win!

[Norbert]

12. Weren't these people the ones that didn't like the nanny state?

[MichMan]

13. There is some precedence

In the late 70's , Hillsdale College was told they were required to submit Title IX documentation. Since as a private college, they received no direct Federal funding, they claimed it wasn't required per the current law. The government argued in court that since individual students were the recipients of federal grants and student loans, that meant that Hillsdale in fact did receive indirect federal funding, and ultimately prevailed. The decision stated that while funding to individual students could be denied, the college was not required to submit the information, since there was no evidence of any discrimination, only the student loan and grant program was subject to Title IX, not the entire college as a whole.

In a following related court case in 1984, Grove vs.Bell, the SC ruled that if a college received any type of federal aid at all, either direct or indirect, they were required to comply with all federal regulations. Hillsdale then elected to eschew all government funding completely and self funded the aid to individual students with scholarships and endowment funding. That practice continues to this day.

So far, the current administration hasn't yet declared individual students to be ineligible for any government grants or student loans.

[LudwigPastorius]

14. Next comes the firing of professors for their political beliefs.

[Kid Berwyn]

15. Worked in Germany.

Won’t work here, traitor!!