President of Northwestern University to resign amid tensions with Donald Trump Education News

American universities faced pressure from the Trump administration to suppress the activity of the events.

The President of Northwestern University, Michael Shell, announced that he will leave his position, as he struggles the school Funding discounts San under the management of US President Donald Trump.

In a statement on Thursday, Shell admitted friction with the federal government and said it was “the right time” to pass the reins to a new leader.

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“Difficult problems remain,” especially at the federal level. “

But he called on his successor to protect North Western, a prestigious university, north of Chicago, Illinois, from threats to its academic mission.

“It is very important that we continue to protect the mission of research and excellence at the university while preserving academic freedom, integrity and independence.”

Shell has led the private university nearly three years ago. During that time, the school succeeded in a scandal in its sports department due to the disorder that involves sexual assault and racism.

But North Western also attracted a violent response to the governor of last year when Shell concluded a deal with the demonstrators who support the Palestinians who were demonstrating against the Israel war in Gaza.

The agreement came in April 2024, when many universities witnessed that the protest camps erupted on their promoters. Northwest was no exception.

In exchange for dismantling the camp and reducing the duration of the protests, Shell agreed to re -establish a consulting committee to review Northweestern’s investments, in a gesture to invite students to get rid of Israel.

This agreement was concluded as a peaceful alternative to the police intervention, which was chosen by other universities. Other deals with student demonstrators, including at Johns Hopkins University, soon followed.

But Trump has sought to punish universities that witnessed widespread protests in support of the Palestinians on the campus.

He has repeatedly claimed that the demonstrations created an unsafe educational environment for Jewish students and employees.

But critics say that the Trump administration used allegations of anti -Semitism as an excuse to silence the demonstrators and bring higher education institutions Creation with his political priorities.

Since he took office for a second term in January, Trump and his officials Cut Universities are in the name of anti -Semitism and civil rights.

The administration also conducted other punitive measures, including start Deportation procedures Against foreign students who participated in the protests.

In the North Western case, the Trump administration freezed nearly $ 800 million in research grants in April, on the basis that the school allowed the anti -Semitism to prosper.

The freezing of financing is said to be forced northwest to trim its budget and eliminate 425 sites, although half of them were vacant at the time of the discounts.

NorthWestern is not the only campus that faces pressure from federal financing loss.

In July, Columbia University In New York City, she agreed to pay a $ 200 million settlement to regain her federal scholars deal With Trump, who forced her to pay 50 million dollars for the workforce development programs in Rod Island.

Other universities have seen the similar impasse leaving the senior leadership under the pressure of the White House, as in the northwest.

In June, the University of Virginia witnessed its president, James Ryan, leaving after a campaign of pressure against diversity initiatives in the school.

But earlier this week, a Ruling on the federal judge Trump’s efforts to cancel the Harvard University’s federal scholarships have been an illegal form of revenge and violating the rights of freedom of expression in the school. This case is expected to be resumed.

Trump and his allies have expressed their anger at many high universities, which they see as strongholds of political opposition and leftist ideas.

In a statement on Thursday, the White House said it was “looking forward to working with the new leadership” at North Western University.