Columbia University is laying off nearly 180 staffers in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel $400 million in funding over the Manhattan college’s handling of student protests against the war in Gaza.

We understand this news will be hard,” Claire Shipman, Columbia University’s acting president, wrote in a note to the community.

Columbia University announced that nearly 180 staff members working on eliminated federal funding will be receive termination or non-renewal notices Tuesday. The big picture: Professors and administrators fear that administration's blunt cuts to higher education institutions could set innovation back decades as scientific research takes a blow from political forces.