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"A “Coup” at Columbia? Former Law Prof. Katherine Franke on School’s Capitulation to Trump"

 


Structured breakdown of key points and updated details from the segment, along with additional context where relevant:

1. Federal Funding Cuts to Universities

  • Princeton: Dozens of federal grants paused by the Trump administration.
  • Harvard: Threatened with loss of nearly $9 billion in federal funding over its response to Gaza solidarity protests.
  • University of Pennsylvania: $175 million suspended.
  • Columbia University: $400 million suspended; trustees capitulated to Trump’s demands to retain funding.
    • Context: Columbia’s endowment is $14.8 billion, but reliance on federal grants (a major revenue source) makes it vulnerable to political pressure.

2. Columbia University’s Leadership Turmoil

  • Resignation: Interim President Katrina Armstrong stepped down abruptly.
  • New Appointment: Claire Shipman (co-chair of Columbia’s Board of Trustees) named interim president—bypassing the provost, Angela Olinto, contrary to university statutes.
    • Criticism: Seen as a hostile takeover by trustees, aligning with Trump’s agenda and undermining academic independence.
    • Columbia Senate Report: A 400-page document accused trustees of power abuses and mismanagement.

3. Student Protests and Repression

  • Mahmoud Khalil: Palestinian student leader remains detained in a Louisiana ICE facility after being seized from Columbia housing.
    • Legal Update: Federal judge ruled his lawsuit should proceed in New Jersey (where he was initially held before transfer to Louisiana).
  • Broader Crackdown: Protests over Gaza have led to suspensions, arrests, and federal scrutiny at multiple universities.

4. Systemic Issues in Higher Education

  • Dependence on Federal Funds:
    • Columbia’s budget heavily relies on federal grants (especially medical school research) and hospital revenue—not tuition or endowments.
    • Endowment Limitations: Funds are often restricted to specific uses; cannot easily replace lost federal grants.
  • Corporate Influence:
    • Boards dominated by wealthy donors (e.g., Tesla analogy) prioritize financial/political interests over academic mission.
    • Admissions Impact: Columbia’s undergraduate applications dropped significantly amid turmoil.

5. Calls for Reform

  • Alternative Funding Models: Reduce reliance on federal grants by restructuring budgets (e.g., cutting inflated salaries for administrators/researchers).
  • Governance Overhaul:
    • Restore faculty/student voices in leadership decisions.
    • Limit trustee power to prevent politicized takeovers.
  • Solidarity: Universities must resist political coercion to protect academic freedom (e.g., reject federal demands to suppress protests).

Key Quotes from Katherine Franke

  • On Trustees: “Working hand in glove with the Trump administration to destroy [Columbia’s] academic mission.”
  • On Funding: “The endowment can’t possibly fill the gap… It’s time to think critically about how we run our universities.”
  • On Leadership: “Columbia has become the Tesla of academia… wealthy trustees appoint themselves CEO and ruin the brand.”

Additional Context

  • National Trend: Over 100+ universities face federal scrutiny or state-level crackdowns (e.g., Florida’s anti-DEI laws).
  • Historical Precedent: Similar funding threats during Vietnam War protests, but scale now is unprecedented due to larger federal research budgets.

This summary highlights the intersection of political interference, corporate governance, and student activism destabilizing higher education. For further updates, track lawsuits (like Khalil’s), federal grant suspensions, and trustee actions at Columbia.

6. Open Letter from Michael Sovern’s Children

  • Author: Jeff Sovern (son of Michael Sovern, Columbia’s first Jewish president) read an open letter published in The Washington Post with his siblings.
  • Key Points:
    • Condemnation of Trump’s Coercion: Accused the administration of using antisemitism as a pretext to attack Columbia and elite universities, citing VP Pence’s alignment with Nixon’s view that “professors are the enemy.”
    • Defense of Academic Independence: Argued that forcing Columbia to relinquish autonomy under the guise of fighting antisemitism is a desecration of the university’s values.
    • Historical Legacy: Michael Sovern (president 1980–1993) is one of only three people buried on Columbia’s campus, underscoring his deep ties to the institution.

7. Weaponization of Antisemitism Accusations

  • Katherine Franke’s Response:

    • Selective Enforcement: Columbia’s crackdown on antisemitism contrasts with its inaction on other forms of bigotry (e.g., racism, sexism, homophobia).
      • Examples: Law school colleagues using racial slurs (N-word) and slavery jokes faced no consequences despite student complaints.
    • Political Agenda: Antisemitism is a “fig leaf for a broader project to dismantle academic freedom and progressive values.
    • Campus Climate: Trans faculty and students feel unsafe; DEI language removed from Columbia’s website.

  • Context:

    • Anti-Zionism ≠ Antisemitism: Franke highlights the conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism to suppress pro-Palestinian activism.
    • Broader Backlash: Similar tactics used at Harvard, UPenn, and other schools to justify federal funding cuts.

8. Targeting of International Students

  • Trump’s Immigration Crackdown:
    • Self-Deportation Demands: The State Department emailed hundreds of international students (e.g., from India) urging them to leave the U.S. for participating in protests.
    • Impact:
      • Chilling Effect: Students from abroad (even green card holders or citizens) are terrified to speak or attend class.
      • Cultural Loss: Franke notes the depletion of diverse perspectives in classrooms, a hallmark of Columbia’s academic richness.
    • Legal Violations: Potential breaches of due process and visa protections.

9. Case of Mahmoud Khalil

  • Background:
    • Palestinian graduate student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
    • Served as a negotiator between protesters and administration during Gaza solidarity encampments.
  • Arrest and Detention:
    • Abducted by ICE from Columbia housing; green card revoked.
    • Separated from his pregnant wife; held in a Louisiana ICE detention center.
  • Legal Update:
    • Federal judge ruled his lawsuit should proceed in New Jersey (where he was initially detained).
    • Ongoing efforts to transfer him closer to family and lawyers.
  • Franke’s Role: As Khalil’s former advisor, she emphasized Columbia’s betrayal—using him as a mediator then abandoning him to political persecution.

10. Systemic Issues at Columbia

  • Leadership Failures:
    • Former presidents (e.g., Lee Bollinger) and faculty criticize trustees for capitulating to Trump.
    • Erosion of Governance: Trustees bypassed statutes to appoint Claire Shipman, sidelining Provost Angela Olinto.
  • Student Safety:
    • Weaponized Rhetoric: “Safety” narratives are leveraged to justify repression (e.g., suspending protesters, aiding ICE arrests).
    • Dissent Punished: Khalil’s case exemplifies retaliation against student leaders.

Key Quotes

  • Jeff Sovern: “Trump’s attack on the university desecrates a place our family holds sacred.”
  • Katherine Franke: “The environment is not one that has made any of us feel safer. It is one in which our safety has been weaponized.”
  • On International Students: “It feels like a kind of racial and ethnic cleansing that is happening on our campuses.”

Additional Context

  • National Trend: Over 1,000 international students face visa threats or deportation for activism (per Times of India).
  • Historical Parallels: Echoes of McCarthyism (1950s) and post-9/11 targeting of Muslim students.
  • Columbia’s Reputation: Applications drop as protests and repression dominate headlines.

This segment underscores the intersection of academic repression, immigration enforcement, and political scapegoating, with Columbia as a microcosm of broader attacks on higher education. For updates, track Khalil’s legal case and federal funding battles.



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