The tense stand off on Columbia University campus between student protestors, the university administration, counter-protestors and law enforcement, has become the object of passionate engagement and moral opprobrium across the United States and far beyond. It has sparked movements on campuses across the country and repressive efforts including the deployment of armed police. The issues at stake are Gaza, Israel, the political culture of the United States, norms of behavior and free speech on campus, allegations of anti-semitism, islamophobia and basic issues of control. But at Columbia, at least, the struggle is also about political economy. Indeed, to a surprising degree, questions of political economy are at the heart of the protest. At the same time, it is widely believed that financial anxieties are also influencing the cack-handed response of the University administration.
Good job uncovering some of the transparency and accounting issues. Also good to show how elite universities are actually Billion Dollar conglomerates making profits, while being untaxed as non profits. It would be great to know where the money and goods produced go. As you note, undergrads are a minor part of the production system, and a minor "product line".
This flyer is blatantly anti-Semitic and is here presented as a “fascinating diagram.” (In addition to being anti-Semitic it is also ofc without empirical basis if for no other reason than the students can’t possibly understand the university’s financial infrastructure.) Alongside the Saudi Arabia comment above, the university is surely more financially dependent on Chinese companies and Chinese students and has a global center in Beijing—all this without mention of a “reactionary or nefarious” (again quoting the flyer) elite working behind the scene.
If faculty members who purport to be sympathetic to the students’ cause don’t call out or even recognize obvious anti-Semitism, it’s no wonder many people feel universities and their faculties have lost their way.
“Zionist orgs” involved in secret nefarious Columbia funding with crazy person organizational chart linking it all back to the Jews. Nah that flier isn't antisemitic...
Very interesting Prof Tooze. Esp the observation that CU could do better in a passive index fund if its financial managers weren't seduced by fashions like private equity and hedge funds.
May I ask a related question... Apparently, after all Pres Shafik did, failed utterly to defend the academic autonomy of the Univ in Congress, encouraged its persecutors, called in the NYPD after the exec comm of the Univ senate voted unanimously against her, suspended students on same terms, after strong stmts by Columbia AAUP and national AAUP ("she threw Columbia under the bus"), after talk of a resolution of censure, the Columbia Univ senate could only "pass a resolution establishing task force to recommend ‘possible further Senate action’ on recent administrative policies". Is this not a colossal failure and abdication of duty? Here's the Spectator story
Columbia investing in sham private equity stuff reminds me of Harvard dumping a bunch of money into George W Bush's failing oil venture at a prodigious time for him to bail and become "owner" of the Texas Rangers and keeping failing his way up from there. I wonder if the fruit of any of Columbia's investments will end up being as destructive? Guess time will tell!
This was a wandering analysis of Columbia’s financial management. What did that flyer listing “Zionist Cultural Orgs”, and the names of trustees have to do with anything? You just had to find a way to insert your anti-Israel bias I guess. The last half of the analysis was well done.
That you see in this elaborate chart that purports to reveal the secret behind Columbia’s functioning (guess what? It’s the Jews!) a thoughtful attempt to grapple with power as opposed to an anti semitic conspiracy theory is rather concerning.
After a few hours to think about this map, I am floored by the "manufacturing consent" part of it. I cannot think of a single statement that either American Jewish Committee or American Jewish Congress has put out in the last 6 months. I am also reminded of the map of Zionist institutions in Boston which included almost every mainstream Jewish institution including synagogues and over which the ADL was livid. Abolitionists once asked their adherents to disassociate from any church that supported slavery (it did not go well) but I wonder if the student organizers would actually name a church/synagogue religious institution that openly supports Israel if they could get that information, even if the rabbi is like Rachel Timoner and does not hesitate to criticize Israel.
Just a suggestion, if you're trying to make a case against these protests: You could argue that the Columbia students are wrong, that they don't understand the conflict, that Israel is justified in doing what it's doing. You're not obligated to go the additional step of claiming that hundreds of Columbia undergraduates want to kill all the Jews. And yes, I do understand that would require more effort on your part.
This is a fascinating insight into the increasingly perverse incentive structures of "elite" American universities.
Good job uncovering some of the transparency and accounting issues. Also good to show how elite universities are actually Billion Dollar conglomerates making profits, while being untaxed as non profits. It would be great to know where the money and goods produced go. As you note, undergrads are a minor part of the production system, and a minor "product line".
This flyer is blatantly anti-Semitic and is here presented as a “fascinating diagram.” (In addition to being anti-Semitic it is also ofc without empirical basis if for no other reason than the students can’t possibly understand the university’s financial infrastructure.) Alongside the Saudi Arabia comment above, the university is surely more financially dependent on Chinese companies and Chinese students and has a global center in Beijing—all this without mention of a “reactionary or nefarious” (again quoting the flyer) elite working behind the scene.
If faculty members who purport to be sympathetic to the students’ cause don’t call out or even recognize obvious anti-Semitism, it’s no wonder many people feel universities and their faculties have lost their way.
Are these students also asking to divest from Saudi Arabia because of their actions in Yemen?
Absolutely fascinating, thank you.
The lines between antisemitism, support for Palestine/Palestinians, and criticism of Israel have been blurred in recent years by the widespread governmental and institutional adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which includes criticism of Israel as illustrative examples. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_definition_of_antisemitism; https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism
“Zionist orgs” involved in secret nefarious Columbia funding with crazy person organizational chart linking it all back to the Jews. Nah that flier isn't antisemitic...
Very interesting Prof Tooze. Esp the observation that CU could do better in a passive index fund if its financial managers weren't seduced by fashions like private equity and hedge funds.
May I ask a related question... Apparently, after all Pres Shafik did, failed utterly to defend the academic autonomy of the Univ in Congress, encouraged its persecutors, called in the NYPD after the exec comm of the Univ senate voted unanimously against her, suspended students on same terms, after strong stmts by Columbia AAUP and national AAUP ("she threw Columbia under the bus"), after talk of a resolution of censure, the Columbia Univ senate could only "pass a resolution establishing task force to recommend ‘possible further Senate action’ on recent administrative policies". Is this not a colossal failure and abdication of duty? Here's the Spectator story
https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2024/04/26/university-senate-passes-resolution-establishing-task-force-to-recommend-possible-further-senate-action-on-recent-administrative-policies/
Columbia investing in sham private equity stuff reminds me of Harvard dumping a bunch of money into George W Bush's failing oil venture at a prodigious time for him to bail and become "owner" of the Texas Rangers and keeping failing his way up from there. I wonder if the fruit of any of Columbia's investments will end up being as destructive? Guess time will tell!
Thank you Adam for such enlightening piece. From a point of view of someone outside North America, I had no idea what this all about.
This was a wandering analysis of Columbia’s financial management. What did that flyer listing “Zionist Cultural Orgs”, and the names of trustees have to do with anything? You just had to find a way to insert your anti-Israel bias I guess. The last half of the analysis was well done.
That you see in this elaborate chart that purports to reveal the secret behind Columbia’s functioning (guess what? It’s the Jews!) a thoughtful attempt to grapple with power as opposed to an anti semitic conspiracy theory is rather concerning.
After a few hours to think about this map, I am floored by the "manufacturing consent" part of it. I cannot think of a single statement that either American Jewish Committee or American Jewish Congress has put out in the last 6 months. I am also reminded of the map of Zionist institutions in Boston which included almost every mainstream Jewish institution including synagogues and over which the ADL was livid. Abolitionists once asked their adherents to disassociate from any church that supported slavery (it did not go well) but I wonder if the student organizers would actually name a church/synagogue religious institution that openly supports Israel if they could get that information, even if the rabbi is like Rachel Timoner and does not hesitate to criticize Israel.
Just a suggestion, if you're trying to make a case against these protests: You could argue that the Columbia students are wrong, that they don't understand the conflict, that Israel is justified in doing what it's doing. You're not obligated to go the additional step of claiming that hundreds of Columbia undergraduates want to kill all the Jews. And yes, I do understand that would require more effort on your part.
Tooze with his brain fried by critical theory and "intersectionality" comes across as a fully paid up member to the national socialist party.
Hypocrisy reigns as always in USA.