Columbia University president resigns months after protests over the Israel-Hamas war

Minouche Shafik, the president of Columbia University in New York City, resigned on Wednesday after her handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campus earlier this year turned the school into a flashpoint of nationwide debates over the Israel-Hamas war.

The dramatic turn of events makes her the latest Ivy League school president to step down since domestic controversies over the conflict began roiling college campuses, particularly at schools in major urban areas. Many of those demonstrations were inspired by the events at the Manhattan school last semester.

"This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community," she wrote in an email to students and faculty Wednesday evening. "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."

A former official at the World Bank, Shafik said Wednesday the United Kingdom's foreign secretary asked her to serve in a high-ranking government role, and she will return to England.

Like the now-former presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, Shafik's testimony before Congress in April put her in a precarious position. Harvard's Claudine Gay, who stepped down in January, was just six months into the gig. The University of Pennsylvania's Liz Magill was president for just over a year and resigned mere days after Republicans summoned her and Gay to Washington last December.

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As the spring semester neared a close, Shafik's attempt to assuage bipartisan concerns about antisemitism only inflamed the situation at the school. Anti-Zionist protestors occupied the campus lawns in droves in the wake of her testimony, demanding the university sever all ties with the state of Israel. Shafik said the demonstrators were violating university policies and posing a "clear and present danger." She called in the New York City Police Department, and officers arrested more than 100 protestors.

Later that month, when campus protestors took over an academic building, she called law enforcement back to campus. Days earlier she had indicated she had no plans to again call on the police to quell student dissent related to the conflict in the Middle East.

Columbia protests, explained: How Columbia University became the epicenter of disagreement over the Israel-Hamas war

Katrina Armstrong, the chief executive officer of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, has agreed to serve as the school's interim president, according to a Wednesday night email from the board of trustees.

"We believe that Katrina is the right leader for this moment," they wrote. "We are grateful to her for stepping in, and we call on our community to support her."

House Speaker Mike Johnson released a statement late Wednesday, calling Shafik's resignation "long overdue."

"We hope that President Shafik’s resignation serves as an example to university administrators across the country that tolerating or protecting antisemites is unacceptable and will have consequences," Johnson said in a statement. "Jewish students at Columbia beginning this school year should breathe a sigh of relief."

Contributing: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY

Zachary Schermele covers education and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Columbia University president resigns months after protests over the Israel-Hamas war