the staff of the Ridgewood blog
New York NY, after just over a year in office, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has announced her resignation, effective August 14, 2024. In a heartfelt message to the Columbia community, Shafik expressed her sadness over the decision, citing the challenges she faced during her tenure.
“It has also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community,” Shafik wrote. “This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community.”
The resignation comes amid significant controversy on campus, particularly surrounding issues related to antisemitism and the university’s response to protests. Shafik found herself at the center of these tensions, especially following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, which sparked protests and further unrest at Columbia. Her decision to involve the New York Police Department to clear protest encampments on campus in the spring led to the arrest of over 100 people, further inflaming the situation.
In the wake of Shafik’s resignation, Columbia’s Board of Trustees Co-Chairs David Greenwald and Claire Shipman expressed their regret in accepting her resignation. They also announced that Katrina Armstrong, the Dean of Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, will serve as the interim president.
“I am deeply honored to be called to serve as Interim President of our beloved institution,” Armstrong wrote in her message to the university. “Challenging times present both the opportunity and the responsibility for serious leadership to emerge from every group and individual within a community. This is such a time at Columbia.”
The challenges facing the university have been significant. In addition to the controversy surrounding the NYPD’s involvement, three Columbia deans stepped down last week after sending messages that were criticized for containing antisemitic tropes. Further exacerbating the situation, protestors vandalized the home of Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway with antisemitic phrases and Nazi swastikas on August 8.
The turmoil on campus has drawn national attention. On August 1, House Education Committee Chair Virginia Foxx threatened the university with subpoenas if it failed to provide information related to an investigation her committee started in February into the university’s response to antisemitism on campus.
“During Shafik’s presidency, a disturbing wave of antisemitic harassment, discrimination, and disorder engulfed Columbia University’s campus,” Foxx wrote in response to the resignation. “Every student has the right to a safe learning environment. Period. Yet, flagrant violations of the law and the university rules went unpunished.”
As Columbia moves forward under interim leadership, the university faces the daunting task of addressing these deep-seated issues and restoring a sense of unity and safety on campus.
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