Following a challenging year characterized by conflicts with staff and students over her response to campus protests related to the Gaza war, Minouche Shafik, the president of Columbia University, has announced her resignation.
The university disclosed her resignation in a statement on its website on Wednesday.
In her letter to the university community, Shafik expressed that the situation had significantly affected her family and acknowledged the difficulties in reconciling divergent perspectives within the community.
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David Greenberg and Claire Shipman, co-chairs of the university’s Board of Trustees, expressed their understanding and respect for her decision.
Protests against the Gaza war began on Columbia’s New York City campus in April and inspired similar demonstrations at other institutions in the U.S. and beyond. As the protests intensified, Shafik faced criticism for allegedly failing to protect students and staff from rising anti-Semitism.
In response, she permitted the New York City police to disperse the protests, leading to around 100 arrests and further backlash. Tensions escalated when police returned in late April, arresting approximately 300 individuals and dismantling the protest encampments.
In her resignation letter, Shafik stated that stepping down now would be the best way for Columbia to address upcoming challenges and announced her departure to allow time for new leadership before the new term begins.
Some protesters and critics who had accused Shafik of permitting anti-Semitism welcomed her resignation.
Katrina Armstrong, the current CEO of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will serve as the interim president. The new academic year is set to start on September 3.
Since the conflict began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 last year, nearly 40,000 people have been killed, with at least 1,139 fatalities and around 240 people taken captive in the initial attack. The Gaza war has devastated much of the Palestinian territory and displaced a significant portion of its population.
South Africa has accused Israel of genocide, a claim currently under investigation by the International Court of Justice.
