In a letter to Columbia officials, Trump administration officials demanded that the University take “immediate next steps” before continuing negotiations regarding federal funding. This occurs less than one week after canceling $400 million in grants and contracts.

On Thursday, March 13, a letter from Trump administration officials to President Armstrong demanded certain changes to Columbia’s policies, processes, and academic organization before federal funding negotiations could begin. The letter claims that Columbia has “failed to protect American students” and demands “immediate next steps” be taken by University administration. 

Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Services for General Services Administration Josh Gruenbaum, Acting General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Sean Keveney, and Acting General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Education Thomas Wheeler signed the letter which was circulated on social media Thursday afternoon. 

The letter lists a series of seemingly non-negotiable next steps that officials “regard as precondition for formal negotiations regarding Columbia University’s continued financial relationship with the United States government.” Officials provide a deadline of “Wednesday, March 20, 2025.” Given the mismatch between the day of the week and numerical date, it is unclear which deadline the government will uphold.  

In a statement to Bwog, a University spokesperson said, “We are reviewing the letter from the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration. We remain committed to advancing our mission, supporting our students, and addressing all forms of discrimination and hatred on our campus.”

These demands include completing disciplinary proceedings for the occupation of Hamilton Hall and encampments that took place in the spring of 2024. On Wednesday, March 13, the Columbia Rules Administrator announced that these proceedings have been completed for all events except for the Alumni Weekend encampment. 

The letter’s demands also include the abolishment of the University Judicial Board (UJB), which completed the disciplinary hearings; the centralization of the Office of the President as the only disciplinary power; “[t]ime, place, and manner” rules to “prevent disruption of teaching, research, and campus life”; and a mask ban for all individuals “with exceptions for religious and health reasons.”

The suggested mask ban also stipulates that “[a]ny masked individual must wear their Columbia ID on the outside of their clothing,” which the Trump officials state is the policy at Columbia’s Irving Medical Center. According to a “Masking Guidelines Update” on January 14, 2025, all students and staff must be masked in Student Health on Haven spaces, a policy seemingly in opposition with the letter’s request that all individuals must remain unmasked in cases unrelated to religious or health reasons. 

Officials also want Columbia to “[d]eliver [a] plan to hold all student groups accountable” wherein all recognized student groups that support or are “constituent members” of “unrecognized [student] groups engaged in violations of University policy” would “be held accountable through formal investigations, disciplinary proceedings, and expulsion as appropriate.” 

While the definition of antisemitism remains a point of contention on campus, Trump officials called on Columbia administrators to formalize and adopt the IHRA definition from Trump’s Executive Order 13899, which is defined as a “certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.” The order also defines “rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism” as those directed toward “Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property,” as well as toward “Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” 

Further, the letter states that “Anti-‘Zionist’ discrimination against Jews in areas unrelated to Israel or [the] Middle East must be addressed.”

Trump officials also stated that the “University must ensure that Columbia security has full law enforcement authority, including arrest and removal of agitators.” Katherine Franke, a retired Columbia Law School Professor, stated on her Instagram that this demand would mean that “our campus public safety department has to be turned into police,” which also “violates the University’s rules, the University’s constitution.”

The Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies Department (MESAAS) is also stipulated in the letter, which states that the department must be placed under “academic receivership,” in which an outside chair is put in place by the University and the control of the department is removed from faculty. 

Further, Trump officials demanded that Columbia “[d]eliver a plan for comprehensive admissions reform” to “conform with federal law and policy.” 

In her Instagram post, Franke provided numerous critiques to the letter, stating, “What we have here is basically the federal government stepping in and basically running a private university.”

Authored by Editor-in-Chief Madeline Douglas and Bwog Staff

Header via Madeline Douglas