The Lion Hath Roared

There’s one important piece of information that should be kept in mind as we think about what lies ahead for American higher education. The transformations that are currently being pursued by federal authorities were imagined at least four years ago, and first implemented on a small scale in early 2023. This was long before the October 7 attacks and the war in Gaza, and thus long before any encampments, building occupations, and class disruptions drew national attention.

When four federal agencies jointly announced the immediate cancellation of about $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia University a couple of weeks ago, the stated rationale was “the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.” There has indeed been such harassment. For example, the fliers distributed during a class disruption in January were grotesque, and the disruption itself was an attempted exercise of a heckler’s veto, infringing on the free speech rights of others.

But senior administrators must recognize that even if such harassment were completely eradicated from campus life, they would still face pressures to surrender their autonomy in incremental steps until the institution they lead is taken over or destroyed.¹

This explains why President Armstrong’s initial response to the cancellation—which focused on the implementation and enforcement of anti-discrimination polices and described the combating of antisemitism as her number one priority—was met with derision and a new set of demands. These included abolition of the university judicial board, the granting of law enforcement powers to public safety officers, the placement of an academic department under receivership, and comprehensive admissions reform. The agencies also insisted on the adoption of a particular definition of antisemitism. And all of these demands were presented as preconditions for any conversation on the restoration of funds.

In her latest response to the agencies, President Armstrong has capitulated on just about every point, while presenting these concessions as being consistent with the University’s values and mission. The judicial board “will be situated within and overseen by the Office of the Provost, who reports to the President.” Three dozen “special officers” have been hired, “who will have the ability to remove individuals from campus and/or arrest them.” The MESAAS (Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies) department, along with some others focused on regional studies, will be placed under the supervision of a new Senior Vice Provost. Admissions practices will be reviewed by “outside academic experts.” And the University’s “approach and relevant policies will incorporate the definition of antisemitism recommended by Columbia’s Antisemitism Task Force in August 2024.”

This definition has some overlap with the one insisted upon by the agencies. In particular, the task force defined as antisemitic “certain double standards applied to Israel” such as calls for divestment and the severance of ties that are not demanded for other countries. However, the task force was very clear in arguing that some students “experience the application” of such double standards as antisemitic, without endorsing this interpretation. That is, the definition was proposed “for use in training and education, not for discipline or as a means for limiting free speech or academic freedom.”

It is clear, however, that the federal agencies would like to see Columbia discipline students and faculty for such speech acts as “claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor… applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation… [and] drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.” Harvard recently adopted this definition as part of a settlement, and it was incorporated in a bill that passed the House last year. The use of this definition for punitive purposes has been vigorously opposed by people across the ideological spectrum.

President Armstrong is hoping that her concessions will lead to a release of the frozen funds, or at least prevent further cancellations. I’m not as optimistic. But there’s a remote possibility that there may be divisions within the federal administration on this, just as there are on the issue of tariffs. American colleges and universities play a vital economic role. Expenditures made by international students (on tuition and living expenses for example) are part of our exports, and help reduce our trade deficit. Basic research has given rise to pioneering inventions and fuels several high technology sectors. And colleges play a role in nurturing talent that can shape the development of products in surprising ways.

If President Armstrong’s concessions lead to a restoration of federal funding then what now appears as abject surrender may come to be seen as strategic retreat. But if they lead to an escalating sequence of further demands, eventually resulting in a complete loss of autonomy, they will be seen as the first steps in the demolition of the American research university.

On the grounds of Columbia’s Baker Athletics Complex stands a bronze sculpture of a lion that was commissioned in 1923 and presented to the university by the class of 1899. The sculpture is called The Lion Hath Roared and is meant (presumably) to inspire and strengthen the resolve of athletes competing in university colors. The lion is a metaphor for the institution itself. It is wounded and cornered at the moment, more circus animal than king of the jungle. The fate of American higher education depends on whether it will ever roar again.

The Lion Hath Roared (Photo by Columbia University Athletics)

1. The words here are those of JD Vance, spoken during a podcast episode recorded in September 2021. The relevant portion was transcribed and discussed in an earlier post.