UJ
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Tensions escalated between Harvard University and President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday as the federal government suspended over $2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contracts in response to the university’s refusal to meet certain demands.
This decision came after the Trump administration initiated investigations into universities nationwide, citing issues of antisemitism and racial bias, which threaten billions of dollars in federal funding.
“We have communicated to the administration via our legal counsel that we cannot accept their proposed agreement,” Harvard President Alan M. Garber stated in a release on Monday.
Following the government’s decision to freeze the funding, Harvard reaffirmed its stance, declaring, “The University will not compromise its independence or its constitutional rights.”
Harvard stands as one of the primary universities to resist the Trump administration’s demands while other institutions navigate the precarious situation that jeopardizes many of their students and staff.
Here’s a look at how various universities across the nation are responding to the directives from the White House.
Columbia University in New York City was among the first targeted by the Trump administration.
On March 7, the administration announced $400 million in funding would be withdrawn from the university, citing failure to curb antisemitism following campus protests last year that drew national attention; this funding comprised a mix of grants and contracts.
In a subsequent letter a week later, the administration specified the changes they expected after discussions with the university, including the enforcement of disciplinary policies, implementation of protest regulations, prohibition of masks used to hide identities, plans for holding student organizations accountable, empowering law enforcement, and reviewing Middle East studies programs and admissions policies.
After approximately two weeks of negotiations, the university outlined an action plan addressing the administration’s concerns.
The university’s board of trustees endorsed these changes, asserting that they align with the institution’s values and mission.
“Our community members and external stakeholders have expressed concerns about various issues, including antisemitism, discrimination, harassment, and bias,” the trustees indicated. “We take these concerns seriously and are committed to fostering a better campus environment. We believe that building on the progress and ideas outlined today will help us accomplish these objectives.”
Although the next steps remain uncertain, representatives from three federal agencies termed the policy changes a “positive first step.”
In a statement released Monday evening in response to the government’s announcement regarding Harvard’s funding, acting Columbia University President Claire Shipman noted the university has maintained “good faith discussions” with the administration to rebuild their working relationship.
However, she stressed that no agreements have been finalized, and the institution would reject any arrangement where “the government dictates what we teach, research, or who we hire,” or any agreement that would require the university to give up its independence and autonomy as an educational establishment.
“Like many of you, I read with great interest Harvard’s statement rejecting the federal government’s demands for adjustments to policies and practices that would threaten the very core of that university’s storied mission. In this context, continued public discourse about the significance and principles of higher education is extremely valuable,” she stated.
Last Thursday, the Trump administration halted research grants for Princeton University in New Jersey, amounting to $210 million, as the institution is investigated for antisemitism on campus.
These grants included funding from NASA, the Defense Department, and the Energy Department, as stated by the university.
“The complete reasoning behind this action remains unclear,” University President Christopher Eisgruber communicated in a message to the campus in March.
While it has not been disclosed if conversations with the administration are occurring behind closed doors, Eisgruber has expressed significant concerns regarding the suspended funding.
Prior to the suspension of Princeton University’s funding, Eisgruber authored an op-ed in the Atlantic about Columbia University’s struggle, describing the administration’s actions as “the greatest threat to American universities since the Red Scare of the 1950s.”
In light of the funding suspension, Eisgruber told the New York Times that he was not prepared to make any concessions to the government, noting that this was primarily because nothing specific had been requested of them thus far. However, if requested in the future, he expressed to the Times, “I believe it is essential for us to protect academic freedom.”
Cornell University and Northwestern University
Last Tuesday, more than $1 billion in funding at Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, and $790 million for Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, were frozen by the administration, according to a White House official speaking to UJ.
“The funds were frozen due to several ongoing, credible, and concerning Title VI investigations,” a Trump administration official commented, referring to a federal law that prohibits discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal funding.
Neither university was informed by the government regarding the funding freeze until it was made public by the media, as both stated in their remarks last week; however, Cornell noted it received over 75 stop-work orders from the Department of Defense.
“We are actively pursuing information from federal officials to better understand the rationale behind these decisions,” Cornell University stated in their announcement.
Northwestern University expressed that it has “fully cooperated” with investigations from both Congress and the Department of Education.
“The federal funds received by Northwestern drive innovative and life-saving research, such as the recent development by our researchers of the world’s smallest pacemaker, as well as research pivotal in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease,” a statement from the institution read. “Such research is now at risk.”
On Monday, Cornell University announced its participation in a lawsuit aimed at challenging the Department of Energy’s proposed cuts to indirect costs such as facilities and utilities, though this legal action appears to be separate from the frozen funding.
UJ’s Jeff Winter, Samantha Waldenberg, TuAnh Dam, Yash Roy, Emma Tucker, Gloria Pazmino, Karina Tsui, and Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report
