Top American colleges are facing federal probes over alleged anti-Semitism and mismanagement
Presidents of Ivy League schools have been pushed into “survival mode” due to the hardline stance on higher education adopted by the US administration, according to Ohio State University (OSU) President Ted Carter.
Since returning to the Oval Office in January, US President Donald Trump has taken a tough stance on the country’s higher education system. He has accused top institutions of failing to address anti-Semitism, refusing to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and mishandling foreign funding and free speech policies. The administration has cut off federal funding to several Ivy League schools, including Harvard and Columbia.
“I can’t speak to those institutions because I’m not leading them,” Carter said in an interview with CBS News on Sunday, referring to Ivy League universities. However, he added that his colleagues are “having to do, I think, what I would call be in survival mode.”
The OSU head noted that he is “not feeling a lot of pressure” and that his university is “going to be just fine as this plays out forward.”
The comments come just days after Columbia University agreed to pay over $200 million in a settlement to resolve federal probes and have most of its previously suspended funding restored. The funding was initially stripped following an investigation into alleged anti-Semitism on campus.
The Trump administration placed over 60 universities under federal scrutiny following a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that swept campuses across the US.
While Columbia managed to reach a settlement to restore its financing, Harvard remains embroiled in litigation following the termination of approximately $2.6 billion in federal funding.
Harvard refused to comply with administration demands to overhaul DEI initiatives, admissions policies, and its handling of campus anti-Semitism. In addition to frozen research grants and ongoing restrictions on international student enrollment, the university now faces the potential loss of accreditation.
