WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Cornell University has agreed to pay $60 million and accept the Trump administration鈥檚 interpretation of civil rights laws in order to restore and end investigations into the Ivy League school.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced the agreement on Friday, saying it upholds the university鈥檚 academic freedom while restoring more than $250 million in research funding that the government withheld amid investigations into alleged civil rights violations. He said the government鈥檚 funding freeze had stalled research, upended careers and threatened the future of academic programs.
The university agreed to pay $30 million directly to the U.S. government along with another $30 million toward research that will support U.S. farmers.
The agreement is the latest struck between President Donald Trump’s administration and elite colleges he has accused of tolerating antisemitism and promoting far-left ideas. Trump is still locked in , the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, and lately has tried an incentive-based approach by offering to federal funding for other schools that sign onto his political agenda.
Kotlikoff said the agreement revives the campus鈥� partnership with the federal government 鈥渨hile affirming the university鈥檚 commitment to the principles of academic freedom, independence, and institutional autonomy that, from our founding, have been integral to our excellence.鈥�
The six-page agreement is similar to one signed by the last month. It鈥檚 shorter and less prescriptive than others signed by and .
A statement from Cornell’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors said the deal 鈥渙mits many of the worst provisions鈥� in agreements struck by other colleges. Still, it said Cornell’s deal poses a threat to academic freedom and goes beyond what the law requires.
鈥淥ne of the major concerns with these agreements generally has been, if you make a deal with somebody when they鈥檙e just extorting you, well, that only encourages future extortion,鈥� said David Bateman, the chapter president, in an interview.
The agreement requires Cornell to comply with the government鈥檚 interpretation of civil rights laws on issues involving antisemitism, racial discrimination and transgender issues. A Justice Department memo that orders colleges to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion programs and transgender-friendly policies will be used as a training resource for Cornell’s faculty and staff.
The campus must also provide a wealth of admissions data that the government has separately sought from campuses to ensure race is no longer being considered as a factor in admissions decisions. Trump has suggested some campuses are ignoring a 2023 Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action in admissions.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon called it a transformative commitment that puts a focus on 鈥渕erit, rigor, and truth-seeking.鈥�
鈥淭hese reforms are a huge win in the fight to restore excellence to American higher education and make our schools the greatest in the world,鈥� McMahon said on X.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the agreement illustrates the value for colleges that work with the administration. Colleges that receive federal funding 鈥渕ust fully adhere to federal civil rights laws and ensure that harmful DEI policies do not discriminate against students,鈥� Bondi said in a statement.
Cornell鈥檚 president must personally certify compliance with the agreement each quarter. The deal is effective through the end of 2028.
It appears to split the difference on a contentious issue colleges have grappled with as they negotiate an exit from federal scrutiny: payments made directly to the government. Columbia agreed to pay $200 million directly to the government, while Brown University reached an agreement to pay $50 million to state workforce organizations. Virginia鈥檚 deal included no payment at all.
The agriculture investment will be made over three years, aimed at programs that incorporate artificial intelligence and robotics with the goal of supporting research that reduces costs for U.S. farmers. Founded as a land-grant school, Cornell has longstanding ties with American agriculture.
Kotlikoff was among hundreds of university presidents who signed an April letter opposing 鈥渦nprecedented government overreach and political interference鈥� from the Trump administration.
Kotlikoff emphasized that Cornell was not found in violation of federal law and said the agreement will preserve the campus’ independence. 鈥淚n short, it recognizes our rights, as a private university, to define the conditions on our campuses that advance learning and produce new knowledge,鈥� he wrote.
The campus AAUP raised concerns with several provisions of the deal. The group said the agreement invites future federal intrusion through requirements to share enrollment data and to conduct campus surveys on antisemitism. It also opposed the $30 million payment to the government, calling it 鈥渆xtortion plain and simple.鈥�
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Associated Press writer Carolyn Thompson contributed to this report.
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