As Trump Threatens Columbia's Accreditation, the School Should Stop Trying To Placate Him
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the school’s handling of campus antisemitism violated civil rights law and is grounds for revoking accreditation.
On Wednesday, the Education Department notified Columbia University's accrediting organization that the school violated civil rights law and, therefore, no longer meets the standards for accreditation. While Columbia's accreditation has not been revoked, the move is a significant escalation of President Donald Trump's ongoing feud with the university.
"After Hamas' October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, Columbia University's leadership acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus," said Education Secretary Linda McMahon. "This is not only immoral, but also unlawful."
Throughout the 2024–25 academic year, Columbia has been working toward renewed accreditation after being last accredited in the 2015–16 academic year. Losing accreditation would be a significant blow to the university's ability to operate. Consequences include students' academic credits becoming ineligible for transfer, disqualifying a Columbia degree from meeting many graduate schools' admission criteria, and losing eligibility for federal student loans and Pell Grants.
The move comes amidst tense negotiations between Trump and the university to reinstate federal funding. In March, Trump canceled $400 million in federal funding to Columbia and demanded changes to the school's protest policies, security practices, and Middle East studies department to address antisemitism concerns before restoring the grants. Columbia agreed to the initial requirements, but Trump took it a step further by pressuring the university to accept a consent decree and appoint a federal judge to oversee the changes—relinquishing autonomy in the process. As negotiations surrounding the consent decree have continued, funding has yet to be reinstated.
In May, the Education Department determined that Columbia "acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish Students" following a three-month-long investigation prompted by Trump's executive order to combat antisemitism. According to McMahon, this determination puts Columbia in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funding from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The accrediting organization's requirements state that "a candidate or accredited institution possesses or demonstrates…compliance with all applicable government laws and regulations."
"Just as the Department of Education has an obligation to uphold federal antidiscrimination law, university accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards," said McMahon.
Ultimately, the accreditation organization, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, has the final say on whether Columbia's accreditation will be revoked, and has not commented on McMahon's letter. According to the organization's policies, evidence against Columbia will be reviewed with university officials before a decision is made.
"Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus. We take this issue seriously and are continuing to work with the federal government to address it," a Columbia spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal.
Despite Columbia's initial efforts to placate Trump, the feud between the two has only continued to escalate. Much like the ongoing drama with Harvard, Columbia would be wise to plan a future without federal money to limit intrusive government interference. Although refusing federal funds and the strings that come attached wouldn't relieve Columbia of the potential consequences of violating federal law, it's the best chance of avoiding the government's ire in the future.
