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Columbia University acting president Claire Shipman emphasized the importance of maintaining institutional autonomy in a message Monday night that seemed to tacitly reject a potential consent decree with the Trump administration amid demands for reform at Columbia.
While the university remains committed to addressing its shortcomings, she wrote, “we would reject heavy-handed orchestration from the government that could potentially damage our institution and undermine useful reforms that serve the best interests of our students and community. We would reject any agreement in which the government dictates what we teach, research, or who we hire. And yes, to put minds at ease, though we seek to continue constructive dialogue with the government, we would reject any agreement that would require us to relinquish our independence and autonomy as an educational institution.”
The university has already agreed to significant changes in response to allegations of antisemitism on campus tied to pro-Palestinian protests. Last month, with $400 million of federal funding frozen by the Trump administration during an antisemitism investigation, Columbia agreed to overhaul disciplinary processes, add 36 police officers with authority to make arrests and appoint a new senior vice provost to oversee academic programs focused on the Middle East, among other changes.
But those changes have not gone far enough for the Trump administration, which has since clamped down on another $250 million in federal research funding and is reportedly seeking a consent decree with the university, which would give a federal judge oversight over Columbia.
Shipman, who has been acting president since Katrina Armstrong stepped down from the job last month, said the university must listen to its stakeholders—including the government. She noted that Columbia officials are currently in “good-faith discussions” with the Trump administration about how it has addressed concerns about antisemitism and harassment.
“Those discussions have not concluded, and we have not reached any agreement with the government at this point,” she wrote. “Some of the government’s requests have aligned with policies and practices that we believe are important to advancing our mission, particularly to provide a safe and inclusive campus community. I stand firmly behind the commitments we outlined on March 21, and all the work that has been done to date. Other ideas, including overly prescriptive requests about our governance, how we conduct our presidential search process, and how specifically to address viewpoint diversity issues are not subject to negotiation.”
Shipman’s statement came after Harvard University rejected similar far-reaching demands from the Trump administration on Monday, even as $9 billion in federal contracts and grants hangs in the balance. Harvard president Alan Garber wrote in a statement that Harvard “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights” in yielding to the administration’s demands.
The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism retaliated against Harvard hours later by announcing a freeze on $2.2 billion in grants for the university and $60 million in contracts.
