Columbia University failed to meet accreditation standards, US government says

The US Department of Education said on Wednesday it has notified a university accreditation body that Columbia University had violated federal anti-discrimination laws by its alleged failure to protect Jewish students on its campus. 

The alleged violation means that Columbia has not met the standards of accreditation set by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the department said.

While the federal government does not directly accredit US universities, it has a role in overseeing the mostly private organisations that do. Trump has often complained that accreditors approve institutions that fail to provide quality education.

Columbia has been the epicentre of a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel student protest movement that has roiled US campuses over the last year and a half. 

- Reporting by Reuters