In a dramatic turn of events, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has announced her resignation, becoming the third leader from an Ivy League institution to step down amid the fallout from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Shafik’s departure comes in response to escalating protests and allegations of religious discrimination that have gripped college campuses nationwide.
Shafik, who made history as Columbia’s first female and first person of color president, disclosed her resignation on Wednesday. Her decision follows a turbulent period marked by student and faculty unrest over the university’s handling of protests related to the Israel-Hamas war. This unrest intensified after the university’s controversial decision to remove protesters who had occupied campus buildings.
“This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community,” Shafik stated in her resignation announcement. “Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead.”
In the interim, Katrina Armstrong, the head of Columbia’s medical center, will assume the role of acting president, according to a statement from the university’s board of trustees.
The timing of Shafik’s resignation coincides with the start of the fall semester, as campus protests, which spiked after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, have now waned. The conflict, which has resulted in approximately 40,000 deaths and widespread international condemnation, also brought to light deep divisions on college campuses regarding academic freedom, free speech, and religious discrimination.
Shafik’s resignation follows similar exits by the presidents of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. All three faced severe criticism for their responses to reports of antisemitism and harassment of Jewish students during the protests.
The pressure on Shafik increased significantly in April when House Speaker Mike Johnson visited Columbia and demanded her resignation, citing failures to protect Jewish students from harassment and assault. This political pressure, combined with student and faculty outrage over the arrest of protesters, culminated in Shafik’s resignation.
Shafik, an Egyptian-born economist and former director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, succeeded Lee Bollinger, who served as Columbia’s president for over two decades. Shafik’s tenure was fraught with controversy from the outset, including protests at her inauguration related to the university’s handling of sexual abuse allegations against a former gynecologist.
The resignation marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over how universities balance free speech with the need to address discrimination and uphold student conduct standards.