WASHINGTON (AP) — Cornell University has agreed to pay $60 million to restore civil rights laws and accept the Trump administration’s interpretation of civil rights laws. federal funds And end the investigation into the Ivy League school.
Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff announced the agreement Friday, saying it protects the university’s academic freedom while restoring more than $250 million in research funding that was withheld by the government pending an investigation into alleged civil rights violations. He said the government’s funding freeze was stalling research, upending careers and threatening the future of academic programs.
The university agreed to pay $30 million directly to the U.S. government and an additional $30 million for research that will support U.S. farmers.
The agreement is the latest between President Donald Trump’s administration and elite universities that Trump has accused of condoning anti-Semitism and promoting far-left ideology. Trump is still locked up Conflict with Harvard Universitythe nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, has recently tried an incentive-based approach that includes: priority access to federal funding for other schools that align with his political agenda.
Kotlikoff said the agreement restores the campus’ partnership with the federal government “while affirming the university’s commitment to the principles of academic freedom, independence, and institutional autonomy that have been essential to our school’s excellence since its founding.”
The six-page agreement is similar to one signed by the United States. University of Virginia last month. It is shorter and less prescriptive than the others signed. columbia university and brown university.
The bill would require Cornell University to comply with the government’s interpretation of civil rights laws regarding anti-Semitism, racism, and transgender issues. A Department of Justice memo ordering universities to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion programs and transgender-friendly policies will be used as a training resource for Cornell faculty.
Campuses will also need to provide rich admissions data, which the government has required separately from campuses, to ensure race is not factored into admissions decisions. President Trump suggested that some campuses are ignoring a 2023 Supreme Court ruling ending affirmative action in admissions.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon described it as a transformative initiative focused on “merit, rigor and the search for truth”.
“These reforms are a major victory in the fight to restore excellence to American higher education and make our schools the greatest in the world,” McMahon said on the X show.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the agreement demonstrates the value of universities working with the administration. Bondi said in a statement that universities receiving federal funding “must fully comply with federal civil rights laws and ensure that harmful DEI policies do not discriminate against students.”
Cornell University’s president must personally certify compliance with the agreement on a quarterly basis. The agreement is valid until the end of 2028.
Opinions appear to be divided over a contentious issue universities are grappling with as they negotiate a break from federal oversight: payments made directly to the government. Columbia University agreed to pay $200 million directly to the government, while Brown University agreed to pay $50 million to state workforce organizations. Virginia’s contract did not include any payments.
The agriculture investment will be made over three years and will target programs that incorporate artificial intelligence and robotics to support research that reduces costs for U.S. farmers. Founded as a land-grant school, Cornell University has long-standing ties to American agriculture.
Kotlikoff was one of hundreds of college presidents who signed a letter in April opposing the Trump administration’s “unprecedented government overreach and political interference.”
Kotlikoff stressed that Cornell has not violated any federal law and said the agreement maintains the campus’ independence. “In short, as a private university, we recognize our right to define the conditions on our campus in which learning advances and new knowledge is generated,” he wrote.
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