Last Friday, Cornell finalized an agreement with the Trump administration to restore $250 million in federal funding.
The essential elements of the agreement are that Cornell will pay $10 million per year for three years to the federal government to settle pending investigations into alleged antisemitic or improper use of DEI. Cornell will also award $10 million per year for three years to fund agricultural research programs. The Provost will control the awarding of these funds under a “fair and competitive process.”
The agreement remains in effect through December 31, 2028. President Trump’s term ends on January 20, 2029.
Cornell is the fourth Ivy League university to strike a deal with the federal government to restore funding, following the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University and Columbia University.
Under the agreement, Cornell’s President must file, under oath, a certification that Cornell is following the law each quarter. The exact text of the agreement was posted by Cornell, and the White House also posted a fact sheet.
Research Funding Restored
The stop work orders and withholding of research funds for work on Cornell’s existing research grants will end. In addition, new Cornell-based research grants will be considered on the same basis as grants from other institutions. In other words, Cornell will not be penalized further in research grant awards for the alleged discrimination. Cornell had $1.1 billion in federal research grants potentially at issue, though President Kotlikoff never specifically confirmed this number.
The agreement leaves the federal government free to take action on research grants consistent with the standard procedures for acting against federal grantees. Cornell does not admit to any violations of civil rights laws.
Civil Rights and Academic Freedom
The Trump Administration had alleged that Cornell had failed to take sufficient steps to protect Jewish students from antisemitism. In lieu of completing the current investigation into these civil rights violations , the agreement calls for “annual surveys to evaluate the campus climate for Cornell students, including the climate for students with shared Jewish ancestry. The surveys shall, among other questions deemed appropriate by Cornell, ask students whether they feel welcome at Cornell; whether they feel safe reporting antisemitism at Cornell; and whether they believe the changes Cornell has made since October of 2023, including changes to policies and standard operating procedures, changes to nondiscrimination training, and previous climate surveys, have benefited the Cornell community.”
More generally, both parties “affirm the importance of and their support for academic freedom. The United States does not aim to dictate the content of academic speech or curricula, and no provision of this Agreement, individually or taken together, shall be construed as giving the United States authority to dictate the content of academic speech or curricula.” However, legal experts note that the Trump Administration and Cornell may differ as to what is protected free speech and what constitutes “harassment” outlawed by the civil rights laws.
Reactions from Cornell and the Trump Administration
Cornell hosted a 16 minute video town hall with President Kotlikoff. He emphasized that Cornell agreed to follow the civil rights law as interpreted by the courts and that Cornell did not compromise on its autonomy as a private university. President Kotlikoff explained that the $30 million paid under the agreement to the federal government was much less than what would be spent in legal fees defending against the various investigations.
According to the administration, a “frequently asked questions” list will be posted based on questions submitted prior to the town hall.
Professor of Plant Sciences Randy Wayne says, “The agreement allows Cornell to continue doing what it does well: its research, particularly its agricultural research. The agreement allows Cornell to fix what it hasn’t been doing well: implementing its non-discrimination policies, and the government retains the right to step in when it finds it necessary to enforce the civil rights laws.”
Trump Administration officials also spoke favorably of the agreement’s ability to prevent discrimination and end DEI policies.
- “Recipients of federal funding must fully adhere to federal civil rights laws and ensure that harmful DEI policies do not discriminate against students,” said Attorney General Bondi. “Today’s deal is a positive outcome that illustrates the value of universities working with this administration — we are grateful to Cornell for working towards this agreement.”
- “The Trump Administration has secured another transformative commitment from an Ivy League institution to end divisive DEl policies,” said Secretary of Education McMahon. “Thanks to this deal with Cornell and the ongoing work of DOJ, HHS, and the team at ED, U.S. universities are refocusing their attention on merit, rigor, and truth seeking – not ideology. These reforms are a huge win in the fight to restore excellence to American higher education and make our schools the greatest in the world.”
- “The Trump Administration is actively dismantling the ability of elite universities to discriminate based on race or religion,” said Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. “The DOJ’s agreement with Cornell strengthens protections for students against antisemitism and all other forms of discrimination.”
- “As a result of securing this groundbreaking settlement between the United States and Cornell, applicants and students will receive fair and equal treatment as required by our civil rights laws, and American farmers will have expanded opportunity for agricultural development and productivity,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Cornell agreement exhibits this administration’s deep commitment to vigilantly enforce our federal civil rights laws on college campuses, and ensure that American universities manage taxpayer dollars responsibly.”
