Christopher L. Eisgruber

That means as we look at efforts to influence what universities are doing, how they teach about Israel and Gaza, how they teach about climate, how they teach about American history, how they teach about diversity, we are seeing threats of significant intrusion into the freedom of scholars to raise the kinds of ideas that enable change to take place in our society and enable people to pursue truth.

That means as we look at efforts to influence what universities are doing, how they teach about Israel and Gaza, how they teach about climate, how they teach about American history, how they teach about diversity, we are seeing threats of significant intrusion into the freedom of scholars to raise the kinds of ideas that enable change to take place in our society and enable people to pursue truth.

We see another version of this going on as the government goes in and gives an order, for example, to the United States Naval Academy to remove a whole series of books from its library. There is a pattern here of intrusions in academic freedom of strong universities that should be of concern to every American.

We see another version of this going on as the government goes in and gives an order, for example, to the United States Naval Academy to remove a whole series of books from its library. There is a pattern here of intrusions in academic freedom of strong universities that should be of concern to every American.

Rachel, I don't want to make this about motive and what the government's motive or intentions are. What I would say is, if this is genuinely about anti-Semitism, there's a right way to go about that, right? We should want our universities and our government to be partnering around making sure we have campuses where everybody can flourish. And for me, that's about all the groups on my campus.

Rachel, I don't want to make this about motive and what the government's motive or intentions are. What I would say is, if this is genuinely about anti-Semitism, there's a right way to go about that, right? We should want our universities and our government to be partnering around making sure we have campuses where everybody can flourish. And for me, that's about all the groups on my campus.

It's about our underrepresented minorities. It's about our Jewish students. It's about our Muslim students. And we should all be working together around that. But there are right ways to do that. The wrong way of doing it does involve using funds as a cudgel to get universities to do things that the government wants. And when, for example, I'll take one particular demand in...

It's about our underrepresented minorities. It's about our Jewish students. It's about our Muslim students. And we should all be working together around that. But there are right ways to do that. The wrong way of doing it does involve using funds as a cudgel to get universities to do things that the government wants. And when, for example, I'll take one particular demand in...

the government's letter to Colombia. They asked Colombia to do comprehensive admission reform.

the government's letter to Colombia. They asked Colombia to do comprehensive admission reform.

I don't know what that means, Rachel. But what I do know is that I can't draw a connection between the stated concern of remedying anti-Semitism and a suggestion that Colombia should do comprehensive admission reform.

I don't know what that means, Rachel. But what I do know is that I can't draw a connection between the stated concern of remedying anti-Semitism and a suggestion that Colombia should do comprehensive admission reform.

I think they're disconnected. And in any event, I think that it's not appropriate for the government to be using its power as a funder to change the way that Columbia does its research, its teaching, or its admissions.

I think they're disconnected. And in any event, I think that it's not appropriate for the government to be using its power as a funder to change the way that Columbia does its research, its teaching, or its admissions.

So let me say a few things about that. One is just that I think universities have a responsibility no matter where funding is coming from, whether it's from a private donor or from the government, to ensure that in taking the funding, they don't accept any strings that are inconsistent with academic freedom.

So let me say a few things about that. One is just that I think universities have a responsibility no matter where funding is coming from, whether it's from a private donor or from the government, to ensure that in taking the funding, they don't accept any strings that are inconsistent with academic freedom.

And certainly for me as a president, it means that we have to look carefully anytime we take a gift, and there are gifts we turn down because we think that they would interfere with academic freedom if we took them. Second thing you asked is how much funding we take as a research university per year from the federal government, which is, again, going to be our biggest sponsor.

And certainly for me as a president, it means that we have to look carefully anytime we take a gift, and there are gifts we turn down because we think that they would interfere with academic freedom if we took them. Second thing you asked is how much funding we take as a research university per year from the federal government, which is, again, going to be our biggest sponsor.

For us, it's around, you know, ballpark in the neighborhood of $250 million a year on our main campus. I say main campus because there is also a plasma physics laboratory, which is a Department of Energy National Laboratory that we operate for the government. That's a government laboratory. off campus. And so that gets you up to around 400 to 500 million if you count the laboratory.

For us, it's around, you know, ballpark in the neighborhood of $250 million a year on our main campus. I say main campus because there is also a plasma physics laboratory, which is a Department of Energy National Laboratory that we operate for the government. That's a government laboratory. off campus. And so that gets you up to around 400 to 500 million if you count the laboratory.