GOP urges Columbia University's accreditation status be stripped post anti-Israel campus chaos

WASHINGTON, DC: House Republicans have requested a top college accreditation board to reconsider its standards for Columbia University as a premier academic institution amid the antisemitic campus demonstrations there and around the United States.

Rep Rich McCormick, R-Ga, penned a letter to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education blaming the New York City Ivy League school for violating established standards on "ethics and integrity," as well as delivery and support of the "student learning experience."

Rep Rich McCormick says 'accreditation entities play a crucial role' in higher education institutions

In the letter to the Middle States Commission, Rep McCormick said "Accreditation entities play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and integrity of higher education institutions by assuring quality assurance, public accountability, and continuous improvement.

He argued that "higher education institutions that receive federal funds" have a responsibility to "meet quality standards in curriculum, faculty qualifications, student services, facilities, and educational outcomes."

Rep Rich McCormick on Columbia University becoming a seedbed for antisemitism

Rep McCormick accused Columbia of becoming a hotbed for antisemitism in the wake of Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. "Jewish students have been made to feel unsafe and have been subject to harassment and even physical violence by pro-Hamas student protesters and faculty," he said, according to Fox News. 

The letter further went on to detail the comments made by professors in support of Palestine, including one professor who wrote a paper calling the sight of "Palestinian resistance fighters storming Israeli checkpoints" on October 7 "astounding." They also roughed up the university's president for initially moving classes online when the protests began.

Letter to Middle States Commission on Higher Education is signed by several Republican lawmakers

The letter is signed by nine other Republican lawmakers, including the No 4 House GOP leader, Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-NY.

Recently, House Republicans have been coming down all out on colleges that have seen anti-Israel encampments pop up on campus, with several university presidents being summoned to Capitol Hill to testify about how they are handling antisemitism at their schools.

"Columbia University no longer upholds the accreditation standards outlined by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. We urge you to reevaluate Columbia Universities’ accreditation based on their incompliance with Standard II: Ethics and Integrity, Standard III: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience, and Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience," the letter said.

"Quality standards are a defining hallmark of effective higher education institutions, and we must ensure American tax dollars are not being sent to institutions incapable of upholding them," it added.

House Republicans' new move against Columbia University draws mixed response from Internet

Netizens gave mixed responses after House Republicans asked a top college accreditation board to reconsider its standards for Columbia University as a premium academic institution. One X user tweeted, "This should be the best approach to all the nuisance it cost America sovereignty." Another asked, "Jealousy because they had no chance of getting into the school?"

"DEFUND all institutions that don't know the difference between free speech and crime," opined one user while another said, "OMFG that’s not how that works. Just ugh. So embarrassing." "That means all cities that have unrest should lose their charters and funding," tweeted one user. 

One tweeted, "Too big to throw the baby out with the bath water. Many good professors who do not agree with the Communist. It will take a new Board of Directors to address their effort to over throw the U. S. Constitution." 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.