Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong says the school takes the cuts 'very seriously'

 

Columbia ready to work with Trump to bolster disciplinary process that was 'only on paper'

Columbia University seems willing and prepared to cooperate with President Donald Trump and his administration. The interim president of the university, Katrina Armstrong, released a letter on Friday after the Trump administration reduced $400 million in federal grants for the school. Federal agencies which severed their connections with Columbia indicated that it was due to the Ivy League university's "continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students."

Armstrong states in her letter that the cuts will "immediately affect research and other essential functions," but she does not reject the Trump administration's assertions. Instead, Armstrong writes that the university "takes very seriously" the cuts and is willing to cooperate with the government on its "legitimate concerns."

Student protesters march around their encampment on the Columbia University campus, Monday, April 29, 2024, in New York.  (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

TRUMP SLASHES OVER $400 MILLION IN GRANTS TO COLUMBIA OVER ANTISEMITISM ISSUES, POTENTIALLY MORE TO FOLLOW

"When I took the position of Interim President in August 2024, I knew Columbia was in need of a reboot from last year and the chaos of protests and encampments on our campus," Armstrong wrote. "The University also needed to recognize and heal the harm done to our Jewish students, who were targeted, harassed, and made to feel unsafe or unwelcome on our campus last spring."

In a revealing section of her letter, Armstrong concedes that Columbia University's disciplinary process "previously only existed on paper," reportedly taking a swipe at previous Columbia President Minouche Shafik.

In August 2024, Shafik stepped down after the university was shaken by months of anti-Israel demonstrations, such as a massive encampment in the middle of its campus and an occupation of a building.

A pro-Palestine rally is held at the steps of Lowe Library on the grounds of Columbia University on April 22, 2024, in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

NYPD MAKES SEVERAL ARRESTS AT BARNARD COLLEGE FOLLOWING ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS' SEIZURE OF LIBRARY

The Trump administration on Friday declared it would withdraw about $400 million in federal funding to Columbia in response to the school's response to antisemitism.

The White House subsequently tweeted using the words "Shalom Columbia," presumably an allusion to a message sent by Trump to Hamas earlier in the week.

The cut in funds was just days after the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Justice (DOJ), Education (DoE) and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) made public that they were beginning a "comprehensive review" of federal grants to Columbia. The agencies quoted the newly established Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism's probe of whether Columbia had broken the Civil Rights Act by failing to act against the harassment of Jewish students.

"For far too long, Columbia has reneged on that responsibility to Jewish students who study on its campus," wrote Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a statement. "Today, we show Columbia and other schools that we will no longer abide their disgusting inaction."

Members of an anti-Israel mob broke into Hamilton Hall at Columbia University on April 30, 2024.  (Alex Kent/Getty Images)

Columbia University has seen revived anti-Israel activity over the past few weeks. In January, students stormed into an Israeli history class and passed out flyers that contained antisemitic and hate-filled language.

The students were subsequently expelled, leading to protests at Columbia's sister institution, Barnard. Several protesters were arrested after taking over the Barnard College library in protest of the expulsions.