Columbia’s upper Manhattan campus was at the center of a protest movement connected to the Israel-Hamas war that swept college campuses nationwide with thousands arrested and end-of-year graduation ceremonies disrupted. In her statement, she acknowledged those protests factored into her decision.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik resigned Wednesday after a brief, tumultuous tenure that saw the head of the prestigious New York university grapple with protests over the Israel-Hamas war and criticism over how the school handled divisions related to the conflict.
Shafik announced her resignation in an emailed letter to the university community just weeks before the start of classes on Sept. 3. The university on Monday began restricting campus access to people with Columbia IDs and registered guests, saying it wanted to curb “potential disruptions” as the new semester nears.
Armstrong, who is also the executive vice president for the university’s Health and Biomedical Sciences, said she was “deeply honored” to be leading the university at a “pivotal moment for Columbia.” “Challenging times present both the opportunity and the responsibility for serious leadership to emerge from every group and individual within a community,” she wrote. “As I step into this role, I am acutely aware of the trials the University has faced over the past year.
The campus was mostly quiet this summer, but a conservative news outlet in June published images of what it said were text messages exchanged by administrators while attending the May 31 panel discussion “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future.” The student group Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine wrote in a post on the social media platform X that Shafik “finally got the memo” after months of protests. The campus chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace wrote it will “not be placated by her removal as the university’s repression of the pro-Palestinian student movement continues.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Columbia President Minouche Shafik steps down months after protests over Israel-Hamas war gripped campusColumbia University President Minouche Shafik is stepping down, according to a letter sent by Shafik to the Columbia community obtained by CNN.
Read more »
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik resigns months after Israel-Hamas war protests roiled campusColumbia University President Minouche Shafik is stepping down from her role following months of criticism over campus protests over the war in Gaza.
Read more »
Columbia's president resigns after months of turmoil, including protests over the Israel-Hamas warColumbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned after a brief, tumultuous tenure.
Read more »
Columbia University president resigns months after campus protests over Israel-Hamas warShafik was among the university leaders called for questioning before Congress earlier this year. She was criticized by Republicans who accused her of not doing enough to combat concerns about antisemitism on Columbia’s campus.
Read more »
Columbia's president resigns after months of turmoil, including protests over the Israel-Hamas warColumbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned after a brief, tumultuous tenure.
Read more »
Israel-Hamas war latest: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, Iran saysIran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been assassinated in Tehran.
Read more »