Colleges and Universites

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Arab nations have poured billions of dollars into American universities with little scrutiny.

When Charles “Chuck” Feeney died recently, Cornell University’s daily newspaper mourned the 92-year-old alumnus as Cornell’s “most generous donor.” The philanthropist - who made his fortune operating duty free stores in airports - gave a total of $1 billion to Cornell during his lifetime. But Chuck Feeney is hardly Cornell’s largest donor. Public records show that Cornell has received $1.5 billion from Qatar since 2015.

https://aish.com/arab-states-funding-american-colleges/?

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College protest crackdown

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Colleges are cracking down on pro-Palestinian protests that administrators say are getting increasingly disruptive, Axios' April Rubin writes. Why it matters: It's a stark pivot from just a few years ago, when colleges bolstered diversity, equity and inclusion programs and course offerings in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests. 🔎 Zoom in: Tensions at Columbia bubbled over after university president Minouche Shafik last week called in the NYPD to disband a pro-Palestinian encampment at the center of campus. The University of Michigan said it will draft a new policy on punishable disruptive behavior following a pro-Palestinian protest at its convocation. The University of Southern California canceled its valedictorian's commencement speech, citing safety concerns that the student called a "campaign of racist hatred." Stanford banned overnight camping in February to end an encampment populated by dueling pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli tents, citing student safety, extreme weather and rodents. Today's N.Y. Post cover 🎓 In response to pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia over the weekend, President Biden said as part of a Passover statement yesterday: "Even in recent days, we've seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews." "This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous — and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country." 🏢 The new toughness extends to the workplace. Today's Wall Street Journal front page: "Bosses are losing patience with staff eager to be the conscience of their companies." "The moves are a correction to the last several years, when corporate leaders often brooked dissent and encouraged staff to voice their personal convictions." (Gift link) Go deeper: Pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia are drawing backlash from members of Congress and the White House.

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Pro-Palestinian protests sweep US college campuses following mass arrests at Columbia

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia canceled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at Yale and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public on Monday as some of the most prestigious U.S. universities sought to defuse campus tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas.

https://apnews.com/article/columbia-yale-israel-palestinians-protests-56c3d9d0a278c15ed8e4132a75ea9599?

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Campuses reach boiling point

Columbia professors speak out for students' right to protest free from arrest, at the campus in Manhattan yesterday. Photo: Stefan Jeremiah/AP On America's college campuses, simmering tensions over the Israel-Hamas war are boiling over into outright confrontation, Axios' Erica Pandey reports. Why it matters: The growing intensity of pro-Palestinian protests has been met with an aggressive crackdown from school administrators and police — leading to a wave of arrests, suspensions and class cancellations. The spreading protests come as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows more dire. Student protesters are calling for administrators to divest from companies with ties to Israel and support a ceasefire. Jewish students on several campuses say criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, AP reports. The unrest is tearing apart faculties and student bodies, drawing in politicians and donors. New England Patriots owner and Columbia alumnus Robert Kraft, who established the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life at the university, announced he's pulling funding "until corrective action is taken." State of play: The campus chaos is hitting new levels as Jewish students and faculty members around the country celebrate Passover. Israel's military is moving closer to invading Rafah — the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering. 🖼️ The big picture: University administrators from coast to coast have spent the last six months struggling to draw the line between free expression and campus safety and inclusivity. Failure to act decisively has cost administrators the support of parents, politicians, illustrious alumni and students on all sides. Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Mass., was closed to people without a Harvard ID yesterday to deter demonstrations. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images 🔬 Zoom in: Columbia's campus has become the epicenter of U.S. unrest. All classes were virtual yesterday after 100+ pro-Palestinian protesters who had camped out on the green were arrested and suspended. A crowd of Columbia faculty walked out in solidarity with arrested students. Members of Congress flocked to campus to see for themselves. Last evening, Columbia announced classes at its Morningside main campus will remain virtual for the rest of the semester. 🔭 Zoom out: Encampments of pro-Palestinian protesters have popped up on other campuses — including Michigan, Berkeley, NYU and MIT. At Yale, police arrested around 50 pro-Palestinian protesters yesterday and charged them with trespassing. After the arrests, the protest swelled even further, with a large crowd of students blocking an intersection, per the Yale Daily News. At NYU, multiple people were taken into custody last night, the NYPD said. An NYU statement said that during a demonstration believed to include many people unaffiliated with NYU, "there were intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents reported."

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With graduation near, colleges seek to balance safety and students’ right to protest Gaza war

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — The University of Michigan is informing students of the rules for upcoming graduation ceremonies: Banners and flags are not allowed. Protests are OK but in designated areas away from the cap-and-gown festivities.

https://apnews.com/article/college-graduation-israel-gaza-protest-3b363f57cbe915e95b68eeed04ca342d?

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Students protesting on campuses across US ask colleges to cut investments supporting Israel

Students at a growing number of U.S. colleges are gathering in protest encampments with a unified demand of their schools: Stop doing business with Israel — or any companies that support its ongoing war in Gaza.

https://apnews.com/article/college-protests-israel-divestment-palestinians-3f37f96f7be8e1124f266842d9caa627?

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⚖️ Pro-Palestinian protests at North Texas colleges

Demonstrators against the war rallied yesterday at the University of Texas in Austin. Photo: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

Speaking of young people protesting, college students in North Texas and across the country are challenging their school leaders to re-evaluate ties to Israel. Driving the news: On Tuesday, around 100 students held a sit-in at UT Dallas to demand that the university divest from companies that produce weapons and military equipment used by Israel, per the Dallas Morning News. Over 50 people at the University of Texas at Austin were arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on Wednesday. The Travis County attorney later dropped charges for most of them. And, at UT Arlington, around 150 protesters participated in a walkout to protest the war in Gaza. Why it matters: The confrontations between police and protesters over Israel's destruction of Gaza — and America's role in it — have shaken universities across the country, forcing campus leaders to decide how they will enforce rules around large gatherings without infringing on First Amendment rights. Zoom in: UT Arlington tells Axios the protest on Wednesday was "held without incident." UTA president Jennifer Cowley sent a message to the campus community before the protest, saying the school is "committed to the safety of the UTA community while respecting the rights of students to peacefully express their views and opinions in an appropriate manner." Between the lines: Students have protested in support of Palestinian rights for decades but the recent protests are much larger, attracting more diverse crowds. The other side: Pro-Israel groups say the country has a right to defend itself against Hamas. Many have characterized criticism of Israel as antisemitism. "These protesters belong in jail," Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on X after the UT Austin arrests. "Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas. Period. Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled," the governor said. How the Vietnam War ended

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🚨 Mapped: Arrests across America

Data: Axios research. Map: Kavya Beheraj, Tory Lysik and Will Chase/Axios About 600 people have been arrested at pro-Palestinian protests on at least 15 college campuses across the U.S. in just over a week, according to an analysis by Axios journalists. Why it matters: University administrations have cracked down on student demonstrators in unprecedented ways as protests grow in size and intensity. 🔎 State of play: Students are demanding that their universities divest from businesses that have financial ties to Israel and those that are supporting the war in Gaza. Most arrests have been on the grounds of trespassing. Read on ... In photos: Protests spread.

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College protesters seek amnesty to keep arrests and suspensions from trailing them

Hundreds of students around the country are being arrested, suspended, put on probation and expelled from their colleges for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Now, students and a growing number of faculty are demanding their amnesty. Read more.

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How Columbia University's complex history with the student protest movement echoes into today College students demanding change. University administrators facing pressure to get things under control. Police brought in to make arrests. This is Columbia University in 2024 — and Columbia University in 1968. The pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have set off similar protests nationwide are the latest in a Columbia tradition that dates back decades. Read more.

Why this matters: In 1968, the end of an academic year was approaching when students took over five campus buildings to protest multiple issues, including the Vietnam War and the treatment of minority community members and students. Police made 700 arrests, some violent.   This history hasn’t been forgotten. Now, pro-Palestinian demonstrators are calling on the university to divest from any economic ties to Israel over the war in Gaza.   More than 100 students have been arrested. And it has helped spark similar demonstrations at campuses around the country and world.

Related coverage ➤ Demonstrations roil US campuses ahead of graduations as protesters spar over Gaza conflict Class of 2024 reflects on college years marked by COVID-19, protests and life’s lost milestones Biden and Netanyahu speak as pressure’s on Israel over planned Rafah invasion and cease-fire talks

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Israel-Hamas war protesters and police clash on Texas campus, Columbia University begins suspensions

NEW YORK (AP) — Protesters and police clashed Monday at the University of Texas in a confrontation that resulted in dozens of arrests, and Columbia University began suspending students as colleges around the U.S. begged pro-Palestinian demonstrators to clear out tent encampments as commencement ceremonies approach.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-campus-student-protests-war-19ed919ff6ff9573a8add4ec67e26181?

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Campus buildings breached

Demonstrators supporting Palestinians in Gaza barricade themselves this morning inside Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, in Manhattan. Photo: Alex Kent/Getty Images Dozens of protesters took over an administration building at the Ivy League's Columbia University in Manhattan early today, barricading entrances and flying a Palestinian flag out a window. Why it matters: The occupation is a dramatic escalation of campus chaos sweeping the nation. The number of arrests in the pro-Palestinian protest movement is approaching 1,000. 🖼️ The big picture: College administrators, desperate to end tent encampments, yesterday began to suspend and discipline students while police cracked down, Axios' April Rubin reports. At Cal Poly Humboldt, north of San Francisco among ancient coastal redwoods, student protesters have barricaded themselves for a week in a building that includes the president's office, tagging walls and renaming it "Intifada Hall." (N.Y. Times) At Columbia, the movement's epicenter, students used furniture to barricade Hamilton Hall, which was occupied during a 1968 civil rights and anti-Vietnam War protest, AP reports. The student radio station, WKCR-FM, broadcast a play-by-play of the takeover. Columbia announced it had begun to suspend students who remained in a tent encampment past a 2 p.m. ET deadline. A Columbia protester told reporters: "We will not be moved unless by force." A coalition of student groups behind the protest has called for, among other things, divesting university endowment funds from companies that do business with the Israeli government. Columbia President Minouche Shafik said in a statement yesterday: "We are consulting with a broader group in our community to explore alternative internal options to end this crisis as soon as possible." Other schools — including Cornell and NYU — said they'll suspend or discipline students involved in encampments. A Texas trooper pepper-sprays pro-Palestinian protesters yesterday at the University of Texas in Austin. Photo: Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman via Reuters At least 40 people involved in a tent encampment were arrested at the University of Texas in Austin yesterday afternoon. Nine protesters at the University of Florida were taken into custody. Police in riot gear arrested multiple people at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. Pro-Palestinian protesters confront a Texas trooper at the University of Texas in Austin yesterday. Photo: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images Campus-by-campus digest.

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Police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall

NEW YORK (AP) — Police officers carrying zip ties and riot shields stormed a Columbia University building being occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters, streaming in through a window late Tuesday and arresting dozens of people.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-campus-student-protests-war-8b0d3a0cedb17f5e892c6ca43bbdf628?

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Columbia cracks down

Demonstrators barricade themselves inside Columbia's Hamilton Hall today. Photo: Alex Kent/Getty Images Columbia University threatened to expel the protesters who've taken over an administrative building — among the most serious consequences yet as tensions on college campuses nationwide continue to rise. "We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions," the university said in a letter to students. State of play: Some students have been surprised by the consequences they've faced from their schools after being arrested during the protests. Students who have been suspended sometimes lose access to campus housing and dining halls, and they may not be able to take their final exams. But threats of arrest, suspension and now expulsion do not seem to have dissuaded many protesters. A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a flag on the rooftop of Hamilton Hall. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images By the numbers: About 1,100 people have been arrested at pro-Palestinian protests on at least 30 college campuses. Only a handful of students had been expelled before Columbia's announcement today, but schools have been sending students through internal disciplinary processes. The University of Florida has threatened to ban students from campus for three years.

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Biden's college options

A demonstrator from the pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University breaks a door window as he works to secure barricading of Hamilton Hall today. Photo: Alex Kent/Getty Images

For President Biden, the barricades and broken glass on college campuses are a tough reminder America hasn't snapped back to the normalcy he promised in his 2020 campaign, Axios' Hans Nichols reports. Why it matters: The campus debates about Israel and Hamas in the spring of 2024 are an echo of the "defund the police" discussion in the summer of 2020. Back then, Biden didn't join progressives in calling to "defund the police." Two years later, he used his State of the Union to call to "fund the police." Now the White House has choices to make after last night's dramatic takeover of a Columbia University building. They can have Biden forcefully and personally condemn the protesters, and risk alienating young voters. Biden can stand in solidarity with the protesters and offend centrists. Or they can have spokespeople make calls for civil and peaceful demonstrations, with no real expectation students will pay them any heed. Between the lines: The White House is pursuing the third option, with spokesman Andrew Bates saying "protests must be peaceful and lawful." Biden didn't address the Columbia takeover — or the tension between students and administrators at other colleges — in person today. The strategy appears to be to let the protests play out, wait for undergrads to leave for the summer, and hope a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is in place before students return in the fall. In private and public, Democrats are concerned about the videos of students vandalizing buildings, not to mention the increasingly antisemitic nature of some of their rhetoric. The bottom line: Biden advisers don't think the Israel-Hamas conflict is the main priority of young voters. Voters under 30 broadly support a permanent ceasefire, according to Harvard Institute of Politics' latest survey, conducted by John Della Volpe, a youth-polling expert. But only 2% of young voters say the war is the top concern, well below the economy, inflation and immigration. Go deeper

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Police raid Columbia U building occupied by anti-Israel protesters, arresting dozens

(New York Jewish Week) — Police stormed the Columbia University building occupied by pro-Palestinian students on Tuesday night, arresting dozens, as the school’s Jewish center was placed on lockdown with students inside.

https://www.jta.org/2024/05/01/ny/police-raid-columbia-u-building-occupied-by-anti-israel-protesters-arresting-dozens?

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🎓 Riot police clear Ivy hall

The NYPD uses a tactical vehicle to enter Columbia's Hamilton Hall last night. Screenshot: CNN NYPD officers in riot gear climbed through a second-story window at the Ivy League's Columbia University last night to clear a building occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters. The Manhattan school's tent encampment — which helped inspire coast-to-coast protests over the war in Gaza — was also cleared, Axios' Sareen Habeshian and Andrew Childers write. Photo: Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images 🔎 Zoom in: Police arrested dozens in and around Hamilton Hall, the occupied administration building. Columbia President Minouche Shafik asked the NYPD to remain on campus until May 17, two days after commencement, "to maintain order and ensure encampments are not reestablished." 🧮 By the numbers: There have been at least 1,200 arrests at 31 college campuses nationwide, according to an Axios tally. Cover: Columbia University Libraries (Hat tip: CNN's Omar Jimenez) Above: The Columbia student newspaper's front page on April 30, 1968 — 56 years to the day before yesterday's raid. Police broke up a similar occupation of Hamilton Hall by students protesting racism and the Vietnam War.

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🏛️ Dems fear protest backlash

Data: Axios research. Map: Kavya Beheraj, Tory Lysik and Will Chase/Axios Anxiety among House and Senate Democrats is spiking as pro-Palestinian protests rise on campuses coast to coast, Axios' Andrew Solender and Stephen Neukam write. Photos and videos of these campus protests made the rounds among horrified Democratic lawmakers yesterday morning. "The longer they continue, and the worse that they get, the worse it's going to be for the election," a House Democrat told Axios. The demonstrations, the lawmaker warned, are "bringing out [the public's] most conservative side." Campus-by-campus digest.

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🎤 One community college contest to go

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

A new nonpartisan initiative is trying to entice more community college students to vote this November by offering their campuses a chance to host a concert with a surprise performer. Why it matters: Four-year colleges are the usual targets for registering young voters, but turnout at community colleges still needs work. Voting rates for students at two-year public colleges were 10 percentage points lower in 2020 compared to their four-year public school counterparts, according to data collected by Tufts. Driving the news: The Community College Commitment launched this week to boost voter registration and turnout at two-year colleges. This is the second cycle in a row with a targeted push to boost voting at two-year schools. How it works: One community college will be chosen to host a concert on Vote Early Day, which is Oct. 29. The group promises a "well-known, surprise" artist that will be announced later. Community colleges can also enter for other special events and giveaways. How to participate: To enter, community colleges will need to hold voter education drives or host voter education events. Deadline for entry is Sept. 20.

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Biden keeps quiet as Gaza protesters and police clash on college campuses President Joe Biden is staying mum about student protests and police crackdowns as Republicans try to turn campus unrest over the war in Gaza into a campaign cudgel against Democrats. Read more.

Why this matters: Apart from condemning antisemitism, the White House has been reluctant to directly engage on the issue. Biden’s last public comment came more than a week ago, when he condemned “antisemitic protests” and “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”   Biden has never been much for protesting. He has always espoused the political importance of compromise over zealousness. As college campuses convulsed with anger over the Vietnam War in 1968, Biden was in law school at Syracuse University. “I’m not big on flak jackets and tie-dyed shirts,” he said years later. “You know, that’s not me.″   Republicans blame Democrats for the disorder, using the events as a backdrop for press conferences despite the White House’s criticism and Biden’s refusal to heed protesters’ demands to cut off U.S. support for Israel.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Colombia’s president says country will break diplomatic relations with Israel over war in Gaza   Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters remain on UCLA campus despite police ordering them to leave   Student journalists are put to the test, and sometimes face danger, in covering protests on campus

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🎓 How colleges blew it

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

University leaders who have struggled for six months to communicate their free speech policies in response to the Israel-Hamas war are now having cops in riot gear do it for them, Axios Communicators author Eleanor Hawkins writes. Why it matters: Trying to have it both ways — allowing demonstrations for months and now sending police to break up protests — has succeeded in alienating everyone. Given how complicated and contentious the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is — and has always been — it was inevitable that any nuanced response to protests would alienate students, professors or alumni. But the lack of communication from university leadership — plus an inability to establish clear safety protocols — caused matters to boil over. 👀 What to watch: The attention these protests have captured could be amplified during high-profile commencement addresses, including President Biden's upcoming speech at Morehouse College, Jerry Seinfeld's address at Duke or Melinda Gates' appearance at Stanford. Keep reading.

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UT Dallas shuts down pro-Palestinian encampment

Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

Police arrested around 20 people at a pro-Palestinian encampment at UT Dallas yesterday. Why it matters: The crackdown mirrored arrests at UT Austin, with Gov. Greg Abbott declaring that "no encampments will be allowed." The big picture: The Pro-Palestinian movement is spreading among college campuses, with students and faculty demanding their leaders divest from companies that have ties to Israel over its assault of Gaza. Some universities have also seen counter-protests in support of Israel, causing disagreements over the role of law enforcement. What happened: Protesters pitched tents early Wednesday on UT Dallas' Chess Plaza, resembling encampments at universities nationwide. Imam Omar Suleiman, who lives in North Texas and has led prayers for government events, spoke to the pro-Palestinian group to show his support. Counter protesters showed up later in the day. Friction point: UT Dallas said in a statement that the encampment was blocking a main walkway. Officials gave the protesters a written warning to remove the tents. Officers from several outside agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Collin County Sheriff's Department, arrived to help clear the encampment starting at 4pm. Dozens of officers were wearing riot gear, some carrying zip ties and batons, per the DMN. By 5pm, 17 people had been arrested on criminal trespassing charges, per the university. Several news outlets reported around 20 arrests were made. Some officers were seen wearing face shields and carrying zip ties at UT Dallas yesterday. Screenshot: NBC5 Meanwhile: Hundreds of University of North Texas students walked out of class on Tuesday to join a pro-Palestinian protest. There wasn't a large police presence, and no arrests were reported. What's next: The people arrested at UT Dallas were still in custody last night, waiting to be arraigned, per FOX4. Finals are next week.

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To The Protesters in America Calling for an Intifada

When you say that you want an intifada, a global uprising against Jews, you condone the murder of innocent people, like my son Koby and his friend Yosef, who were in eighth grade when terrorists beat them to death with rocks, leaving them in a cave with blood smeared on the walls at the beginning of the Second Intifada in 2001.

https://aish.com/to-the-protesters-in-america-calling-for-an-intifada/?

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🎓 UCLA cancels classes

California Highway Patrol officers patrol near a pro-Palestinian encampment this morning on the UCLA campus. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images Police entered the UCLA campus early this morning after reports of "multiple acts of violence" at a pro-Palestinian encampment, Axios' Ivana Saric reports. Videos on social media appeared to show pro-Israel protesters shooting fireworks into the pro-Palestinian encampment. UCLA canceled all classes on Wednesday. 🚔 The situation at UCLA unfolded just hours after the NYPD cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia and reclaimed a building that pro-Palestinian demonstrators had occupied. The NYPD said today that it arrested 282 pro-Palestinian protesters last night at Columbia and City College of New York.

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College protests: More than 2,100 arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses

Police removed barricades and began dismantling a fortified encampment by pro-Palestinian demonstrators early Thursday at UCLA after hundreds of protesters defied orders to leave.

https://apnews.com/live/college-protests-palestine-updates?