Columbia University Faces Layoffs as $400M Federal Funding Cuts Over Antisemitism Concerns

On Tuesday, Columbia University announced plans to lay off approximately 180 staff members following President Donald Trump’s move to cut $400 million in funding due to the university’s handling of student demonstrations against the conflict in Gaza.

Approximately 20% of the staff members whose salaries were at least partially covered by the expired federal grants received notification of non-renewal or dismissal on Tuesday, according to the university. said in a statement Tuesday .

“We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources,” the university said. “Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard.”

Jessica Murphy, a representative for the university, chose not to comment on potential future layoffs. However, she mentioned that Columbia is implementing various measures to achieve greater financial adaptability, such as keeping present wage amounts and providing inducements for employees to opt for voluntary retirement.

Research will also be scaled back, with some departments winding down studies and others maintaining some level of research while pursuing alternate funding.

The projects span from developing an antiviral nasal spray aimed at combating infectious diseases to numerous research initiatives focused on maternal health issues like mortality and morbidity. Additionally, they include exploring new therapies for chronic conditions such as long-term effects of COVID-19, providing care for infants experiencing opioid withdrawal symptoms, and conducting screenings for colorectal cancer, as stated by the institution.

The layoffs, although anticipated, were "discouraging" for the faculty members, according to Marcel Agueros, who serves as the secretary of Columbia’s branch of the American Association of University Professors. The organization has initiated a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, contending that these reductions are illegal.

University administrators mention they're collaborating with the Trump administration aiming to get the funding reinstated. However, Agueros, who teaches astronomy, stated that it could take many years to reverse the harm that has already been done.

“When there’s an interruption in funding, people have to leave, new people can’t be hired, some initiatives have to be put on hold, others need to be stopped, so research stops moving forward,” he said.

In March, the Trump administration withdrew funding citing the Ivy League institution's inability to suppress anti-Semitism on campus amid the Israel-Hamas conflict that started in October 2023.

In just a few weeks, Columbia yielded to a set of conditions presented by the Republican government as prerequisites for reinstating the funding.

One of the demands included revamping the university’s system for handling student discipline, prohibiting demonstrators on campus from concealing their identities with masks, preventing protests within academic facilities, introducing a fresh definition of anti-Semitism, and placing the Middle Eastern studies department under the oversight of a vice provost who could influence both course content and faculty appointments.

Following Columbia’s announcement of the modifications, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated that the institution was "on the correct path." However, she did not specify whether or when Columbia's funding might be reinstated. Representatives from the federal education department did not promptly reply to an emailed request for comments made on Tuesday.

Columbia was at the forefront of U.S. campus protests over the war last spring. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up an encampment and seized a campus building in April, leading to dozens of arrests and inspiring a wave of similar protests nationally.

Trump, when he retook the White House in January, moved swiftly to cut federal money to colleges and universities he viewed as too tolerant of antisemitism.

READ MORE: Columbia University lays off nearly 180 after Trump pulled $400M over his antisemitism concerns

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