Columbia University revealed on Tuesday that nearly 180 employees will lose their jobs, following the Trump administration’s move to freeze $400 million in federal funding, according to The Associated Press.
The decision to suspend the funding came in March, after the federal government raised concerns over how Columbia responded to campus protests targeting Israel.
In a statement released to the public, the university explained that the affected jobs amount to about 20% of positions previously funded through the halted federal grants.
“We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources,” Columbia stated, as quoted by AP. “Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard.”
Columbia officials said they are still in discussions with federal agencies to try and secure the return of the suspended funds. Meanwhile, due to ongoing financial strain and a lack of clarity, the school said it would begin trimming costs in various divisions, especially within academic research programs.
Some research units will have to suspend their work entirely, while others will remain active but with fewer resources, depending on their ability to attract new funding.
Following the funding freeze, Columbia initiated a number of policy changes. Among them were adjustments to student disciplinary procedures and protest regulations, a reorganization of oversight for the Middle East studies department, and the adoption of a newly defined standard for antisemitism.
The university also committed to enhancing “intellectual diversity” by expanding the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies.
After these initiatives were announced, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon remarked that Columbia was “on the right track,” though she stopped short of providing a date by which the funding might be reinstated. As of Tuesday, the Department of Education had not issued any additional statements in response to media inquiries.
{Matzav.com}