Columbia University President Minouche Shafik Steps Down

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY – Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced that she is stepping down on Wednesday night. Katrina Armstrong, CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will serve as the university’s interim president.

In a letter announcing her decision, Shafik implored students, faculty, and staff to “resist the forces of polarization in our community.”

“I remain optimistic that differences can be overcome through the honest exchange of views, truly listening, and—always—by treating each other with dignity and respect,” the letter continues. “Columbia’s core mission to create and acquire knowledge, with our values as foundation, will lead us there. That is what we owe each other.”

Shafik, an Egyptian-born economist who previously served as president of the London School of Economics, as well as in roles at the Bank of England, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, indicated that she will return to London, to "chair a review of the government’s approach to international development and how to improve capability...[which] will afford me the opportunity to return to work on fighting global poverty and promoting sustainable development, areas of lifelong interest to me."

Interim President

Katrina Armstrong, CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will serve as the school’s interim president. In a letter, Armstrong wrote that she is “acutely aware of the trials the university has faced over the past year.”

“Columbia University has a long history of meeting the moment, and I have faith that we will do so once again,” the letter continues. “I ask each of you to join me in this critically important work fueled by the enthusiasm for what we can accomplish together. Through our collective effort, I am confident we will succeed.”

Protestors React

Not far from Columbia on Wednesday night, a crowd of protestors had assembled outside of a Democratic campaign event in Harlem. At the protest, organized by Palestinian-led community organization Within Our Lifetime, news of Shafik's resignation was greeted with cheers.

“Columbia President Nemat ‘Minouche’ Shafik has resigned with her hands covered in the blood of the Palestinian people. From Killer Kamala to Sellout Shafik, we will show every genocide supporter they have got to go!,” the group wrote on X, in a post accompanying a video of the protest.

Bracing For Unrest

Protests in support of Palestine, as well as conflict between supporters of Israel and supporters of Palestine, gripped Columbia’s campus in the spring. Shafik was sharply criticized for her response from all sides, and in particular for her decision to ask the NYPD to forcibly remove protestors from a campus building they had occupied, Hamilton Hall.

With the first day of classes only a few weeks away and the conflict between Israel and Hamas showing no signs of abating, Columbia is preparing for another contentious school year.

On Monday, the university effectively closed its Morningside Heights campus, and only those with school IDs will be allowed inside. All guests must be registered in advance. Columbia is also reportedly weighing granting campus security the power to arrest students.

Columbia’s fall semester begins on Sept. 3.

Are you part of the Columbia community? Patch would love to hear from you. Email michael.mcdowell@patch.com.