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Key Takeaways
- Columbia University is unlikely to lose its accreditation despite receiving a warning from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education regarding harassment of Jewish students on campus.
- A $200 million settlement between Columbia and the Trump administration may mitigate potential consequences and has likely addressed civil rights compliance issues, according to higher education expert Adam Kissel.
- Columbia University has acknowledged the concerns raised by the Department of Education and is actively working to address them, reaffirming its commitment to combat antisemitism on campus.
Columbia University is unlikely to lose its accreditation despite a “warning” from its accreditor, a former Dept. of Education official told The College Fix.
The Ivy League university remains accredited but is currently addressing concerns raised by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
The warning appeared to have followed a Dept. of Ed. finding that the school “failed to meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment on Columbia’s campus and consequently denied these students’ equal access to educational opportunities to which they are entitled under the law.”
However, a subsequent deal over the summer between Columbia and the Trump administration may reduce the likelihood of further punishment, according to an expert. Columbia agreed to pay more than $200 million to the federal government and provide data on admissions, among other concessions.
“[I]t appears that the university’s deal with the Trump administration removes the risk associated with its civil rights problems,” higher education expert Adam Kissel told The Fix via an emailed statement.
He is a former deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs at the U.S. Department of Education, serving in the first Trump administration. “Although the stakes are high, universities have an extremely high incentive to resolve their compliance issues before too late. I presume Harvard and Cornell are watching carefully.”
He explained how accreditors can address issues with universities and what the potential consequences are.
“Accreditors need to warn universities that are in danger of losing their federal aid. This is an enterprise risk to any university that relies on federal aid,” Kissel said. “Losing accreditation amounts to the same thing because federal aid access depends on accreditation.
Most issues are resolved, however, and “[v]ery few institutions lose accreditation.”
The chief of staff for the commission told The Fix the goal is resolution of problems.
Chief of Staff Nicole Biever said “it is always the Commission’s expectation that institutions in non-compliance status will work toward institutional improvements that bring the institution back into compliance with the Commission’s standards.”
However, Biever noted that “the Commission can take any action within those timeframes.”
College accreditation has a direct impact on both the academic reputation of an institution and the amount of federal funding the school can receive.
When asked about the consequences for Columbia and its students if the university were to lose its accreditation, the Commission told The Fix “an institution’s loss of accreditation impacts Title IV federal funding eligibility as well as its state licensing authority.”
Columbia University deferred to a June news release when asked by The College Fix for comment.
“Columbia is aware of the concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights today to our accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and we have addressed those concerns directly with Middle States,” the Ivy League stated. “Columbia is deeply committed to combatting antisemitism on our campus. We take this issue seriously and are continuing to work with the federal government to address it.”
On Aug. 26, the university and the commission also hosted an open townhall for university community members.
