Columbia Capitulated — But So Did the Rest of Higher Ed
Preview:
Faced with an agonizingly difficult decision, the interim president and trustees of Columbia University elected to capitulate to the demands of the Trump administration rather than contest in court a process and a set of requirements that many experts believe to be illegal. We can both acknowledge the injustice of their situation and believe that, in the end, the university’s leaders made the wrong choice, and then erred further in attempting to frame it as one guided by the university’s “values,” including “academic freedom.” Surrendering when a gun is pointed at one’s head is not an act of principle, but of self-preservation. It’s better to identify it as such.
Originally published: March 24, 2025
Author: Brian Rosenberg
Position: President Emeritus
Institution: Macalester College
Published by: The Chronicle of Higher Ed