The president of Columbia University announced he would step down on Wednesday, just over a year into his post, following months of criticism over protests on the Manhattan campus over the Gaza war.
Nemat “Minush” Shafik was also criticized by anti-war protesters and House Republicans, but for different reasons.
In a letter to the Columbia community, Shafik said that during his tenure as president, “we have made progress in many important areas.”
“But it was also a tumultuous time with differing opinions across our community that were difficult to navigate,” she said. “This period put a great strain on my family, as well as others in our community.”
Shafik, an economist who became president of the Ivy League university in July 2023, has twice called on the New York Police Department to remove encampments set up by protesters who he said were acts of solidarity with Palestinians.
After the first encampment on the Manhattan campus was cleared, a second encampment grew: protesters occupied Hamilton Hall, and the NYPD, at the request of the university, cleared the hall and the encampment.
In April, Shafik appeared before a House of Representatives committee where he was questioned about his response to anti-Semitism on campus.
Shafiq wrote in his letter that his resignation will be effective from Wednesday.
“After much reflection over the summer, I have decided that my stepping down at this time would best position Columbia University to navigate the challenges ahead,” Shafik wrote. “I am making this announcement now so that new leadership can be established before the start of the new semester.”
In a statement, the Columbia University Board of Trustees said it “disappointed but accepted Minouche Shafik’s decision to step down as president of the university.”
Katrina Armstrong has been named interim president. She is CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center and leads Columbia’s Health and Biomedical Sciences Campus.
“Let us move forward together with optimism and resolve, renewing our vision and seizing the opportunity to strengthen our community,” Armstrong wrote in a letter about his appointment as interim chancellor.
The student protest group Columbia Students for Justice for Palestine welcomed Shafik’s resignation and had called on him to step down.
“After months of screaming, ‘Minush Shafik, you can’t hide,’ she finally understands,” the group said. “Let us be clear: any future president who does not heed the overwhelming calls for divestment from Columbia’s student body will face the exact same fate as President Shafik.”
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
