Columbia University president resigned

Shafik resigned because of backlash toward her decision to involve police authorities against students protesting the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

News ID: 84887

Date: 15 August 2024 - 10:30

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Columbia University President Minouche Shafik is stepping down following months of campus unrest and anti-genocide protests amid "Israel's" onslaught in Gaza, as revealed in a letter she sent to the Columbia community, which was obtained by CNN and confirmed by a university spokesperson.

Shafik, an Egyptian-born economist and former top official at the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Bank of England, as well as the ex-president of the London School of Economics, has faced criticism over her response to campus protests regarding the conflict.

In her letter on Wednesday, Shafik acknowledged the progress made during her tenure but noted that it has "also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community."

As the campus situation took a "considerable toll" on her, her family, and the Columbia community, Shafik decided the best course of action would be her resignation.

"I have tried to navigate a path that upholds academic principles and treats everyone with fairness and compassion. It has been distressing—for the community, for me as president, and on a personal level—to find myself, colleagues, and students the subject of threats and abuse," she added.

In May, faculty members of Columbia University's School of Arts and Sciences passed a motion of "no confidence" against President Minouche Shafik on Thursday over her response to the student protesters demanding an end to the bloodshed in Gaza.

Of the 709 faculty members who participated in the vote, 65% supported the no-confidence motion. The motion was put forward by faculty members on the board of Columbia’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors. According to The Washington Post, 29% voted against the motion, while 6% abstained.

The faculty's dissatisfaction is over Shafik’s decision to involve the New York Police Department (NYPD) in dismantling a pro-Palestine protest encampment on university grounds through violent means without prior consultation with the university senate.