Following the Trump administration’s demands after $400 million in federal funding was pulled, Columbia University agreed to implement several policy changes. These include reorganizing its Middle East studies department, revising protocols for protests and student discipline, and adopting a new definition of antisemitism. The changes, intended to secure funding, have sparked criticism from faculty and free speech advocates who see them as a capitulation to authoritarian pressure.

Under an ultimatum from the Trump administration which threatened to cut $400 million in federal research funding, Columbia University agreed to implement sweeping policy changes. The reforms include curbing protests on campus, revising rules on face masks used to conceal identity, and restructuring academic departments—particularly the Middle Eastern studies program—raising concerns over academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

Columbia University announced a series of policy changes—including protest restrictions, expanded campus policing, and revamped disciplinary procedures—in response to the Trump administration's revocation of $400 million in federal funding over campus protests.

On March 21, 2025, facing ultimatums from the Trump administration over the cancellation of $400 million in research funding and coercive policy demands, Columbia University (of which the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons is a part) implemented measures including restrictions on face mask usage, new campus disciplinary rules, and a forced review of its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department. These actions have been widely criticized by academics and faculty groups as a capitulation to authoritarian pressures that undermine academic freedom and institutional independence.

Columbia University, facing the cancellation of $400 million in federal funding, agreed to a series of demands from the Trump administration. The concessions include banning masks at protests, hiring 36 new campus security officers with arrest powers, and appointing a senior vice provost to oversee certain academic departments, actions seen as a capitulation to authoritarian pressure that compromises academic freedom.

The Trump administration sent a letter to Columbia University outlining a series of mandated policy reforms—including disciplinary rule enforcement and measures to address antisemitism—in order to restore $400 million in federal funding. The university, which includes the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, stated that it is reviewing the letter and remains committed to its mission of supporting its students and addressing all forms of discrimination.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons received a $400 million gift from Roy and Diana Vagelos to fund a new institute for basic biomedical science. The donation is earmarked for long-term, high-risk projects in cell engineering and gene therapies aimed at groundbreaking advances in human health.