On March 21, the New York Times reported that Columbia University’s administration would be moving to make significant changes to many of its academic and student life policies. These changes are taking place in response to President Donald Trump’s threat to pull $400 million in research grants and other federal funding due to claims that Columbia tolerated antisemitism on its campus. Tensions at the university have been high throughout the Israel-Hamas War since April 2024 with frequent protests and demonstrations, and Trump has taken to social media to insist that, “All federal funding will STOP for any College, School or University that allows illegal protests.” He added that “agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS.” 

Columbia’s statement, “Fulfilling Our Commitments,” outlines how the University will be acquiescing to nearly all of the demands the Trump administration has made of it. These changes include the hiring of 36 new public safety personnel who will have the authority to make on-campus arrests, banning face masks that are not being worn for medical or religious purposes and the appointment of a senior vice provost who will be reviewing educational programs related to regions in the Middle East.

Columbia’s capitulation to these demands express a concerning precedent in academia, allowing the federal government to choose which ways of thinking to fund and defund, or even legally penalize. One of the most significant aspects of academia is the ability to have intellectual and respectful discourse about challenging topics that people often do not agree with. These competing perspectives often teach students the significance of empathy, communication and research. By weaponizing federal funding to reshape discussion to match his agenda, Trump is attempting to silence these enriching conversations.

Furthermore, showing the Trump administration that money is a stronger incentive than the right to free knowledge, speech and expression imperils the legacy of student activism that universities have garnered. Past generations of university students have historically fought to maintain these rights — consider the nationwide Anti-War Movement of the 60s and 70s, the Civil Rights Movement that started before Vietnam and happened concurrently.

This board would be remiss not to highlight Brandeis’ history of protest, made possible by students and administrators fiercely safeguarding our rights to assembly and expression. Brandeis students between 1960 and 1964 were avid activists in the Civil Rights Movement, traveling to participate in Freedom Rides and Sit-In Movements. In May of 1970, students and faculty organized a student strike to protest the use of the National Guardsmen at Kent State University’s anti-war protest. As Brandeis students, we are part of the University’s social justice tradition and this board intends to remind students of their voice, especially during a time when speaking up may seem impossible. 

After all, Trump is testing the limits of his ability to restrict the First Amendment, to dictate the narrative surrounding him. Making a successful example out of Columbia leaves any other recipient of federal funding vulnerable to Trump’s whims — not only higher education or public schools. By threatening grants and funds, the president hopes to shape how the country views subjects he does not agree with; his executive order that dismantles all forms of diversity, inclusion and education in the federal government is a clear instance of that. This power struggle with Columbia has shown that Trump will not stop after dismantling Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programming on a federal scale, and after this disappointing result, it is clear that he will not stop at universities, either.

In addition to the loss of federal funding on a university-wide scale, these cuts are negatively affecting students in our community. Finding a post-graduation job or summer internship has always been a challenge, but due to these cuts it has been made even worse. This board has spoken with multiple students who completed internships during the 2024 summer, excelling in their chosen fields and obtaining return offers for post-grad positions. Following the recent shift in administration, a number of these positions have been eliminated, leaving these students not only jobless but behind, as their peers have been searching for jobs for months. 

Along with these career setbacks, students looking for internships have been majorly affected. Multiple members of this board applied to positions in government and non-profit sectors, hoping to apply the University’s social justice values to real-world organizations. However, instead of being met with the standard rejection email or request to interview they received emails explaining that these positions had been eliminated due to funding cuts. Students were sent back to the drawing board, scrambling to find opportunities for the summer in a climate where passion for bettering the community is no longer valued. 

To those who have been left jobless and are now unsure of what direction to turn — we see you. We value your wish to contribute and we understand the stress and pressures of the unknown, especially as rights to free expression and speech are actively under siege. We wish you luck moving forward and hope the future will hold opportunities to put the social justice impact skills we have gained at this University to use.