Another university has reached a deal with the Trump administration to have its public funding restored. This time, it's Cornell, which agreed to pay a total of $60 million to resolve the issue, reports CNN. The deal calls for Cornell to pay $30 million directly to the federal government over three years, and to invest another $30 million in research aimed at helping US farmers cut costs and boost efficiency. The school specializes in agricultural research, notes the New York Times. In exchange, the government will restore more than $250 million in suspended funding and end civil rights and other federal investigations.
This is the fifth such deal the administration has struck with universities over allegations of admissions discrimination and antisemitism since July, and the terms have varied. Unlike similar settlements with Columbia University and Brown University, Cornell's deal does not include oversight by an independent monitor. Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said the agreement affirms "the university's commitment to the principles of academic freedom, independence, and institutional autonomy that, from our founding, have been integral to our excellence," per the AP.
But the school agreed to certain concessions. Cornell will provide the government with "anonymized undergraduate admissions data" for a comprehensive federal audit. The university will also conduct annual surveys assessing campus climate, including the experiences of students with Jewish ancestry.