Colombia Loses More Funding

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The Trump administration has cut an additional $30 million in federal grants to Columbia University as part of an ongoing review of the Ivy League institution’s funding, according to information obtained by The Washington Free Beacon. The latest cuts, which come from the Department of Health and Human Services, follow the administration’s earlier decision to cancel $400 million in grants and contracts to the university.

The administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, which announced the initial cuts earlier this month, had previously stated that the action was only the first phase of a broader review. Officials have indicated that further reductions are being considered across multiple federal agencies.

Columbia University has not issued a response regarding the funding cuts.

One of the faculty members affected by the most recent round of funding reductions is Jeanine D’Armiento, chairwoman of the University Senate Executive Committee. D’Armiento has been involved in university governance and has played a role in addressing student protests on campus. According to a source familiar with the situation, approximately $2 million of the latest funding cuts were connected to grants supporting her work.

The university has faced disruptions over the past year due to large-scale student demonstrations. During the spring of 2024, protests escalated to the point where in-person classes and the university’s graduation ceremony were canceled. Text messages obtained by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce show that D’Armiento had advised former Columbia president Minouche Shafik to engage with student activists and include them in discussions about university policies.

According to documents obtained by congressional investigators, Columbia Board of Trustees vice chairwoman Wanda Holland-Greene informed co-chairwoman Claire Shipman that D’Armiento was closely connected to student activists. In a message, Holland-Greene wrote that D’Armiento viewed the situation on campus as an “ideological battle” and suggested that the university needed to address student concerns directly or prepare for further disruptions.

At a University Senate meeting on May 3, 2024, D’Armiento cut off the microphone of Columbia professor Carol Ewing Garber, who had stated that there were groups on campus supporting terrorist organizations. D’Armiento responded that such language was not appropriate, explaining that she was trying to de-escalate tensions within the university community.

The Trump administration has outlined a series of steps the university must take before discussions can begin regarding the possible restoration of federal funding. In a letter sent Thursday to Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, officials listed several required actions, including enforcing existing disciplinary policies, implementing a ban on masks to facilitate the identification of protesters, and revising the school’s admissions process.

The review of Columbia University’s federal funding remains ongoing, with further decisions expected in the coming weeks.

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