Several Columbia University professors and staff have urged the school’s leadership to enact sweeping reforms to address antisemitism as negotiations with the Trump administration over restoring federal funding near completion.
Never thought I’d be eager to say “No, not that one” after telling people I went to Columbia for college.
— A.A. Dowd (@aadowd.bsky.social) July 24, 2025 at 8:58 AM
In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, dozens of faculty members — who requested anonymity — pressed Columbia’s acting president and board of trustees to use the pending agreement with the White House as an opportunity to overhaul university policies.
Mom’s a Columbia grad.
— Joshua Holland (@joshuaholland.bsky.social) July 24, 2025 at 8:45 AM
“We are invested members of Columbia’s community seeking to restore the university’s moral clarity and institutional resilience,” the letter stated. “We are calling for leadership not just in academic endeavors, but in equity, safety, and accountability.”
The proposals outlined in the letter include:
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Holding professors accountable for pushing antisemitic narratives.
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Reinstating and restoring the reputations of faculty reprimanded for publicly supporting Israel.
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Enforcing meaningful consequences for students involved in rioting and property destruction.
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Eliminating curriculum that promotes antisemitic ideas.
Ari Shrage, co-founder of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, said the administration must take a firm stance: “The Trump administration must address antisemitic classroom indoctrination and lack of viewpoint diversity, impose real accountability for student and faculty antisemitic conduct violators, reform admissions and hiring, and make necessary leadership changes.”
Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman on the settlement with the Trump administration: “The stakes were high for us … we have to get that funding back on track.”
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) July 24, 2025 at 8:31 AM
The letter comes as Columbia remains under federal scrutiny. In March, President Donald Trump rescinded more than $400 million in federal grants, citing potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act over the school’s handling of antisemitic activity following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
A senior White House official told Fox News Digital that negotiations are progressing and that the faculty’s recommendations reflect many of the administration’s demands. These include revisiting policies on face coverings during protests, reviewing Middle Eastern studies curriculum, reforming admissions and hiring practices, and increasing transparency on foreign gifts and funding.
Columbia’s shame is the entire academy’s problem now.
RETVRN KING’S COLLEGE
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@anthonymkreis.bsky.social) July 24, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman recently announced internal initiatives to combat antisemitism, but she acknowledged that broader reforms are coming: “In my view, any government agreement we reach is only a starting point for change. Committing to reform on our own is a more powerful path.”
I am now glad that both my sons chose to attend UChicago instead of Columbia. I say this as a Columbia alum who tried to pressure them to choose Columbia. Not only is my alma mater kowtowing to Trump but to let them interfere in admissions is unconscionable! www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/n…
— Manisha Sinha (@profmsinha.bsky.social) July 24, 2025 at 8:25 AM
The White House expressed optimism that an agreement will soon be finalized, while Columbia confirmed that “productive discussions” with federal officials are ongoing.
