Columbia interim president faces angry faculty in Zoom meeting amid ‘impossible situation’ over Trump admin demands, on-campus resistance

"This impossible situation that we’ve been put through, I think has tested us all and certainly tested me in ways that I have never anticipated being tested," Armstrong said on the call.

Armstrong assured faculty members that despite her deal with the Trump administration on Friday, little would be changing. The unsigned letter on Friday from the school agreed to terms, but on the Zoom call, Armstrong offered a different perspective. She is between the proverbial rock and hard place as the Trump administration has demanded extensive changes and faculty at the school have bristled.

Per a transcript of the call, obtained by both The Free Press and The Wall Street Journal, Armstrong said that there would be "no change to masking," "no change to our admissions procedures," and that school's department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies would not be going into "academic receivership."

"The ability of the federal administration to leverage other forms of federal funding in an immediate fashion is really potentially devastating to our students in particular," Armstrong said. "I think it is a really critical risk for us to understand." Further funding could still be cut. The school, which has a $15 billion endowment, takes in over $1 billion annually in federal funds across a swath of agencies.

The conditions were demanded by the Trump administration before they would even consider the restoration of $400 million in federal funding that they'd pulled from Columbia University. Another $30 million was cut last week. They also required that discipline be put under the office of the university president. Armstrong told faculty on the Zoom meeting that "discipline remains independent" and "has not been moved" to her office.

Humanities professors have complained about giving up academic independence, potential reputational damage, and an erosion of civil liberties. Many wanted Armstrong to stand up for the school against the man they perceive to be an authoritarian figure.

On the call, one professor said the Trump administration's demands represent "the biggest crisis since the founding of the republic." He called for a unified statement.

A unified statement, however, would do nothing to increase the chance of either a restoration of funding or divert the threat of more cuts. "I have been so far unable to affect that despite trying very hard," Armstrong said.

On Monday, a senior lecturer in the School of International and Public Affairs said, "Capitulating to demands will not save us. I’m really worried about academic freedom." Student activist Mahmoud Khalil, who is fighting deportation over his participation in the protests and sympathies to Hamas, graduated with a masters degree from The School of International and Public Affairs in December.

Protests have continued at the school and in New York City over Khalil's detainment.

The Trump administration asked for these and other changes, such as adopting a formal definition of antisemitism, after the school was rocked by campus-wide protests in support of the Palestinian cause after more than 5,000 Palestinian terrorists invaded Israel, murdered some 1,200 people, and took over 200 hostage on October 7, 2023. Those protests began shortly after the terrorist attack and many of the protesters disguised their identities with masks or keffiyehs.

Students and activists voiced support for those who committed the massacre and they screamed against the nation of Israel, which had declared war against terror group Hamas in its own defense. Campus buildings were occupied by protesters, forcing the university president to call in the NYPD to clear them.

Activists on campus were violent against Jewish students, prevented them from attending classes, disrupted classes, and generally caused mayhem—all with the tacit and in some cases implicit support of faculty.

Armstrong published a statement on Tuesday, saying, "Let there be no confusion: I commit to seeing these changes implemented, with the full support of Columbia’s senior leadership team and the Board of Trustees.

"We need to continue to work to restore the public’s faith of the fundamental value of higher education for the nation and the longstanding partnership between ground-breaking universities like Columbia and the federal government," she continued.

"Any suggestion that these measures are illusory, or lack my personal support, is unequivocally false. These changes are real, and they are right for Columbia."

On Monday, a Trump administration official said that the school must "continue to show that they are serious." The Wall Street Journal reported that "Lawyers for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights are scheduled to visit campus and question faculty this week about potential violations of federal civil rights laws."