Columbia University has agreed to several demands from the Trump administration after $400m (£310m) in federal funding was pulled over accusations the university failed to fight antisemitism on campus.
Columbia says face masks used for the purpose of concealing identity are no longer allowed, and anyone involved in a protest must, when asked, present university identification.
Friday’s memo from the university comes after the Trump administration gave Columbia a list of nine items that were required before it would reconsider the $400m in funding.
Columbia has agreed to much of the demands, but the Trump administration is yet to respond and it is unclear if the funding will be restored.
“Our response to the government agencies outlines the substantive work we’ve been doing over the last academic year to advance our mission, ensure uninterrupted academic activities, and make every student, faculty, and staff member safe and welcome on our campus,” Interim President Katrina Armstrong told students in an email on Friday.
A change that will impact academics at Columbia is the shift in its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department. A new official will now lead that department.
“In this role, the Senior Vice Provost will review the educational programs to ensure the educational offerings are comprehensive and balanced,” the memo read.
Columbia says the role will “conduct a thorough review of the portfolio of programs in regional areas across the University, starting immediately with the Middle East”.
The university will also review admission procedures to “ensure unbiased admission processes”.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration said the reason for funding being pulled at Columbia was because of alleged “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students”.
Pro-Palestinian protests at the New York City campus last year, and the political fallout, was the key factor in the Trump administration’s decision.
Days after the administration announced federal funding cuts, Columbia said it was disciplining students who participated in a pro-Palestinian protest last spring and took over a campus building.
Some students were suspended and others expelled for their involvement.
When the $400m was pulled, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said: “Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding”.
The Trump administration had requested masks be banned on Columbia campuses, and to allow university police to arrest “agitators” – if negotiations about federal funding were to continue.
It is not only Columbia that has faced funding cuts, the Trump administration has warned 60 universities that funding may be cancelled if allegations of antisemitism on campuses are not addressed.
This all comes in the wake of a high-profile arrest of one of Columbia’s students. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate and campus activist, was detained by federal immigration authorities earlier this month.
Mr Khalil, a legal permanent US resident, faces deportation for his role in the 2024 campus protests.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly alleged that Mr Khalil, and other pro-Palestinian activists, support Hamas, a group designated a terrorist organisation by the US.
The 30-year-old’s lawyers say he was exercising free speech rights to demonstrate in support of Palestinians in Gaza and against US support for Israel. They accused the government of “open repression of student activism and political speech”.
