Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: "Israel" won the battle but lost the war strategically and politically
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport's airspace closed to air traffic following missile launch from Yemen
Israeli media: Echoes of several explosions heard in central occupied territories
United States: A federal judge temporarily blocks President Donald Trump from deploying 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland
Syria: Local sources for Al-Mayadeen: An IOF patrol consisting of 4 vehicles entered the village of Suissa in the southern countryside of Quneitra
Trump on Truth Social: When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective
Trump on Truth Social: After negotiations, 'Israel' has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: We tell the enemy soldiers that we are not far from you, and you will see our faces whenever we decide to, because we are waging a harsh and complex battle of attrition
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: The enemy is advancing toward the heart of Gaza City under the watchful eyes of our Resistance fighters with their tactics focused on valuable targets
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: The enemy is advancing slowly and using unmanned vehicles to uncover and target combat nodes, which we are aware of

Trump demands unprecedented control at Columbia Uni

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 15 Mar 2025 08:26
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

The Trump administration broke precedent by ordering Columbia University to remove an academic department's leadership, a move seen as an attack on academic freedom and a warning to other universities under federal scrutiny.

Listen
  • x
  • President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Friday, March 14, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
    US President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, on Friday, March 14, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (AP)

A report by the Associated Press (AP) on Friday reveals that the Trump administration disregarded longstanding precedent by ordering Columbia University to remove the leadership of an academic department—a move widely viewed as a direct assault on academic freedom and a warning to other universities under federal scrutiny.

Government officials instructed the university to place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under “academic receivership” for at least five years. This directive was one of several conditions tied to federal funding, including the $400 million withdrawn over accusations of antisemitism.  

“It’s an escalation of a kind that is unheard of,” said Joan Scott, a historian and member of the academic freedom committee of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), “Even during the McCarthy period in the United States, this was not done.”

Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut federal funding for universities that do not align with his policies, targeting issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. On Friday, his administration escalated this effort by launching investigations into 52 universities as part of its crackdown on DEI initiatives.  

Read next: 13 Federal judges to refuse hiring Columbia graduates over protests

However, Columbia University has been a particular focus of Trump’s scrutiny, as it was the starting point for a large pro-Palestinian protest movement that began with a tent encampment last spring. Officials increased pressure on the university Friday, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stating that the Justice Department is investigating whether Columbia concealed students wanted by the US for their involvement in the demonstrations.  

Trump and other officials have labeled the protesters as “pro-Hamas”. The letter also demands that Columbia prohibit masks on campus used to hide identities “or intimidate others,” implement a revised definition of antisemitism, dismantle its current disciplinary process for students, and present a plan to “reform undergraduate admissions, international recruiting, and graduate admissions practices.”

Related News

China’s green strategy redefines Latin America’s global dev. role

Trump’s tariffs begin to squeeze US shoppers’ wallets: FT

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, stated that the letter “obliterates the boundary between institutional autonomy and federal control.”

Federal control over higher education 

For generations, the federal government has allowed colleges to manage their affairs within legal constraints, with the Supreme Court recognizing academic freedom as part of the First Amendment. Higher education leaders argue that this autonomy sets American universities apart and attracts top international scholars.  

Trump has long expressed disdain for elite universities and is now aggressively asserting federal control. The government has rarely used its authority to cut funding, but a Trump administration letter sent Monday to 60 colleges warned they could lose financial support if they fail to improve campus safety for Jewish students.  

Still, few expected the administration to push for the level of control it is demanding at Columbia.  

Academic receivership, a rarely used measure typically applied in cases of financial or political instability, places a department under the oversight of an external administrator.

The letter did not specify who would assume control at Columbia, but Scott, of the AAUP, suggested the department was targeted for its critical stance on "Israel."  Meanwhile, university leaders nationwide are alarmed. Mitchell, of the American Council on Education, said college presidents were “aghast” at the administration’s demands.

"It doesn’t matter whether they’re in red states or blue states or whether they’re religious institutions or sectarian institutions. This is not the government’s role,” he said.

Some faculty members and free speech groups condemned the letter.

 

  • United States
  • US Federal Court
  • Columbia University
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)

Hamas reviews Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan as PIJ rejects

  • Palestine
  • 30 Sep 2025
Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Trump’s 21-point Gaza plan vs Netanyahu’s demand for Hamas defeat

Trump vows 'something special' in ME; Israeli delegation in chaos

  • US & Canada
  • 28 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Activists deported to Turkey after 'Israel' hijacks Sumud Flotilla
West Asia

137 activists arrive in Turkey after 'Israel' hijacked Sumud Flotilla

Law enforcement hold back protesters near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Black Hawks and break-ins: Chicago immigration crackdown intensifies

WP: American Jews increasingly critical of 'Israel' over Gaza War
US & Canada

Majority of American Jews say 'Israel' committed war crimes in Gaza

David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, at the “Rebels With a Cause” gala in Hollywood, in 2014 (AP)
Politics

The Ellisons take US media power structure by storm, reshape industry

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS