The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) on Tuesday announced Columbia University has been given a “non-compliance warning” and is at risk of losing its accreditation status.
A letter sent to Columbia on June 30 stated the school’s “accreditation may be in jeopardy because of insufficient evidence that the institution is currently in compliance” with the accreditor’s ethics standards. The commission is questioning whether Columbia is maintaining “a climate that fosters respect among students, faculty, staff, and administration” and “institutional policies and procedures, including any campus safety plan and evidence of implementation.”
The Department of Education (ED) on June 4 called for MSCHE to review Columbia’s accreditation after a recent report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found the Ivy League university “failed” to adhere to its own policies regarding responding to complaints from Jewish students and enforcing punishments on students engaged in vandalism and illegal and disruptive protests on campus.
MSCHE stated Columbia must prove it is in “compliance with all applicable government laws and regulations,” including in response to the federal investigations. The university has until Nov. 3 to submit a monitoring report demonstrating the school’s compliance with the accreditor’s ethics standards.
“We are confident in our ability to work with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education to substantively and thoughtfully address the issues cited in the MSCHE notice posted on June 30, including the concerns on campus climate, our campus safety policies and procedures, and our compliance with all applicable laws and regulations,” the university wrote in a public statement. “To be clear, Columbia University remains accredited. Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus and we will continue the important work of ensuring that Columbia is an open and inclusive place where students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds feel safe, supported, and welcome. This is a priority for the University.”
A Columbia official told the Daily Caller News Foundation the university has already “taken significant steps to combat antisemitism and address the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services’ complaint.”
“After Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, Columbia University’s leadership acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement in June. “This is not only immoral, but also unlawful.”
The university became the hotspot for antisemitic protests since the start of the Gaza War in 2023, during which it failed to enforce meaningful punishment on over 100 students involved in pro-Hamas demonstrations, from unauthorized encampments to the overtaking of a campus building during which a university employee was reportedly held hostage. Columbia administrators even attempted to appease protesters and caved to their demands.
In March, Columbia agreed to the Trump administration’s demands for tackling discrimination on campus after the administration threatened to revoke $400 million in federal funding.
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