After just over a year in office, President of Columbia University Minouche Shafik, He resigned from his post this Wednesday after being subjected to strong pressure for his handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campus and accusations of anti-Semitism.
She was the third president of an Ivy League university (the group of oldest and most prestigious universities in the United States) to resign in eight months after being required to attend congressional hearings investigating anti-Semitism on campuses following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack and Israeli retaliation in the Gaza Strip.
Shafik, an economist of Egyptian descent who spent much of her career in London, where she served as president of the London School of Economics, among other roles, said in a letter to the Columbia community on Wednesday evening that while she felt the campus was no longer usable, it was also a time of upheaval. “where it was difficult to overcome the different viewpoints in our community.”
“This time has taken a significant toll on my family and also on others in our community,” he added. “Over the course of the summer, I was able to reflect and came to the conclusion that moving forward at this point would allow Columbia to face the challenges ahead.”
He added that his resignation was effective immediately and that he would take up a post with the UK Foreign Secretary to lead a review of the government's approach to international development.
He will replace her on an interim basis Katrina Armstrong, Dean of the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, who said, “As I assume this role, I am acutely aware of the trials the University has faced over the past year. We must not underestimate their importance, nor allow them to define who we are and how we are.” “We will convert,” he continued.
The resignation of Shafik, who became the first woman to head this 270-year-old university last July, It was unexpected at that time.shortly after classes began in September. Columbia board members had said they supported his leadership, and campus was largely quiet over the summer.
But the sudden end and brevity of Shafik’s presidency underscore the profound impact of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations This has shaken university campuses across the country in recent months.
Caught in the midst of a controversy over anti-Semitism on campus following the Hamas attack and protests related to the conflict, Shafik decided in April to call the New York Police Department to clear tents on campus, a crackdown that ended with more than 100 arrests after protesters occupied buildings.
He was also criticized by students and Jewish organizations for allowing the camps to stand for days before clearing them. Jewish students reported intimidation and anti-Semitic acts by protesters. Some major donors to the university stopped giving due to anti-Semitism complaints.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Republican Michael Johnson, and other lawmakers traveled to Columbia in April to denounce Shafik and the university for failing to protect Jewish students on campus during the encampments.
“THREE LESS, many go”, The Republican representative published in Elise Stefanik, who spent much of the last year investigating university presidents for their conduct during the pro-Palestine protests.
“The failed presidency of Columbia University President Minouche Shafik was untenable, and it was only a matter of time before she was forced to resign,” said the congresswoman, who had questioned several university presidents in tough hearings at the Capitol.
In her message, Stefanik referred to University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Harvard University President Claudine Gay, who resigned during this academic year.
Both Gay and Magill testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee in December and faced heavy criticism for failing to commit to disciplining students.
Shafik's brief tenure was a stark example of the challenges facing American college presidents today as they try to balance student safety, free speech and academic freedom.