Columbia University will lay off 180 workers after losing $400 million in U.S. research grants. The funding was removed by the Trump administration, which said the school failed to protect Jewish students. The university has made changes since, but the money has not come back.
The layoffs were confirmed by Acting President Claire Shipman on Tuesday. She said the affected staff worked on projects funded by the U.S. government. Many of them worked in labs and research departments.
Staff Cut After Grants Pulled
The university said about 20% of the people tied to the lost grants will lose their jobs. These cuts are part of a larger plan to handle the funding loss.
Shipman called the layoffs “painful but needed.” She said Columbia is trying to cut costs without harming its core mission. “We are doing our best to protect the future of our school,” she wrote in a campus-wide letter.
Why the Grants Were Pulled
Federal officials claimed Columbia did not protect Jewish students from threats and hate speech. After protests and reports of harassment, the government reviewed the school’s actions.
Columbia agreed to several steps, hoping to keep its funding:
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Banning masks on campus during protests
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Letting campus security detain people if needed
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Changing leadership in the Middle East studies program
Even with these changes, the funding has not been restored.
Columbia Faces Tough Choices
Columbia has a large endowment of about $14 billion. But leaders said even that cannot fill the gap left by such a large cut. The school is looking at every area to save money.
Some actions include:
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Offering early retirement to older staff
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Cutting costs in admin offices
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Reviewing all travel and event spending
Shipman said the school is also talking with the federal government to try to bring the funding back. But she warned there are no quick answers.
Academic Freedom at Risk?
Some faculty and students worry this sets a bad example. They fear that schools could lose funding if they don’t follow political orders.
One professor, who did not want to be named, said, “This is not just about money. It’s about control. If schools can be punished like this, what comes next?”
Others say Columbia waited too long to act. They believe the school should have done more to stop hate speech and protect students.
Students React to Changes
A small group of students protested on Wednesday. They asked for the grants to be returned and for Columbia to stand up for academic freedom. Some carried signs that read “Research, Not Politics.”
One student said, “We came here to learn and discover. Now, labs are closing, and teachers are leaving. This is not the Columbia we signed up for.”
National Trend in Campus Politics
Columbia’s story is part of a larger trend. More schools are facing pressure to follow certain policies. Lawmakers and donors are using money as a tool to shape campus decisions.
Other schools have also seen protests and budget cuts tied to political issues. But Columbia’s case may be the biggest so far.
What’s Next for Columbia?
It is not clear if more layoffs are coming. Leaders said they are doing all they can to avoid deeper cuts. But the loss of $400 million will leave a long-lasting mark.
Programs in science, medicine, and technology may shrink. Research that depends on U.S. grants is already slowing down.
Still, Shipman promised the school would stay strong. “We are not giving up,” she said. “But we must adjust to today’s reality.”