Columbia University President Resigns Amid Campus Protests
Minouche Shafik, the president of Columbia University, has resigned following months of criticism regarding her handling of campus protests over the war in Gaza. In an email to staff and students, Shafik expressed the toll this period has taken on her family and the community. Her sudden resignation, effective immediately, comes just weeks before the university’s fall semester.
In response to the news, pro-Palestinian protesters celebrated near the university, while some members of the Columbia community voiced their support for the change in leadership. Shafik will be accepting a role with the UK’s foreign secretary to chair a review of the government’s approach to international development. The university’s board of trustees co-chairs expressed disappointment at her departure but announced Katrina Armstrong as the interim president.
Shafik faced challenges during her tenure, including allegations of on-campus antisemitism and calling the New York police department onto campus during student protests. Columbia University was at the center of student-led pro-Palestinian protests, sparking similar demonstrations at universities nationwide and abroad.
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