Edited by: TJVNews.com
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University has passed a resolution of no confidence in the institution’s president, Minouche Shafik. According to a report in the New York Times, the resolution, adopted on Thursday, accuses Dr. Shafik of violating the fundamental principles of academic freedom and shared governance, and engaging in actions described as an “unprecedented assault on students’ rights.”
The resolution was introduced by the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a professional organization representing faculty interests. Of the 709 professors who voted, 65 percent supported the resolution, 29 percent opposed it, and 6 percent abstained, as was reported in the NYT. While largely symbolic, the vote calls attention to the significant discontent among faculty regarding Dr. Shafik’s leadership and decision-making.
Prior to the no-confidence vote, the University Senate, comprising 111 delegates from across Columbia, passed a resolution on April 26 calling for an investigation into Dr. Shafik’s actions. The NYT reported that this resolution, although critical, stopped short of a censure and focused on alleged violations of established protocols, undermining academic freedom, jeopardizing free inquiry, and breaching due process rights of students and professors.
Dr. Robert Newton, an oceanographer and member of the AAUP executive committee, emphasized that the resolution is not a personal attack on Dr. Shafik but a necessary step to address the broader issues facing the university, as was detailed in the NYT report. He noted that many of the disciplined and arrested student protesters study with arts and science faculty members, which likely contributed to the faculty’s strong stance on this issue.
The no-confidence vote reflects deep dissatisfaction with Dr. Shafik’s handling of pro-Hamas demonstrations and her response to faculty members who expressed views critical of Israel. The information provided in the NYT report indicated that several key issues have contributed to the current crisis:
Handling of Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations: On April 18, Dr. Shafik called the police to clear a pro-Hamas student encampment on campus. This action was taken despite the unanimous opposition of the University Senate’s executive committee, which advised against involving the police. The resolution condemns Dr. Shafik for falsely claiming that the students posed a “clear and present danger to the substantial functioning of the university,” arguing that the protesters were peaceful.
Commitment to Disciplinary Actions Against Faculty: In testimony before a congressional committee on anti-Semitism on April 17, Dr. Shafik pledged to discipline faculty members who had expressed views against Israel. This promise has been interpreted by many as a direct violation of academic freedom, one of the core principles that underpin the university’s mission.
Police Presence and Campus Lockdown: The resolution criticizes Dr. Shafik for imposing a lockdown on the campus and maintaining a continuing police presence, actions which have been seen as excessive and detrimental to the university’s academic environment.
The resolution clearly articulates the faculty’s grievances: “The president’s choices to ignore our statutes and our norms of academic freedom and shared governance, to have our students arrested, and to impose a lockdown of our campus with continuing police presence, have gravely undermined our confidence in her,” as was reported by the NYT. This statement highlights the perceived overreach and disregard for institutional norms that have characterized Dr. Shafik’s actions.
The no-confidence vote, while not legally binding, sends a strong message about the faculty’s dissatisfaction and their desire for a change in leadership. It also raises questions about the future direction of Columbia University under Dr. Shafik’s presidency.
Since the controversial police intervention, Dr. Shafik has largely refrained from making public appearances before the student body. Her primary communication has been through a video posted online earlier this month, addressing the broader university community, as was pointed out in the NYT report. Citing security concerns, she has maintained a partial lockdown on the main campus and canceled the main graduation ceremony, a significant event she traditionally would have presided over.
In a statement, Columbia spokesman Ben Chang emphasized Dr. Shafik’s ongoing consultations with various community stakeholders. “President Shafik continues to consult regularly with members of the community, including faculty, administration and trustees, as well as with state, city and community leaders,” Chang said, according to the NYT report. “She appreciates the efforts of those working alongside her on the long road ahead to heal our community.”
Despite the partial lockdown, the smaller graduation ceremonies for Columbia’s 19 colleges have proceeded relatively smoothly, albeit with visible signs of protest, the NYT report noted. Some students donned black-and-white kaffiyehs, a symbol of solidarity with Hamas terrorists, while others displayed small Palestinian flags. During the Columbia College graduation, the valedictorian held up a sign that read “Divest” as she walked across the stage, underscoring the ongoing discontent.
Outside the ceremonies, a few individuals handed out fliers listing the protesters’ demands, including calls for the university to divest from companies that do business with Israel. Additionally, the NYT reported that a billboard truck intermittently circled the campus, displaying a photo of Dr. Shafik with the text “TIME TO RESIGN!” against a bright red background.
Saham David Ahmed Ali, the student speaker at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, used her platform during the graduation ceremony to call for a cease-fire in Gaza and articulate the demands of pro-Hamas demonstrators. The NYT reported that her speech, which garnered broad cheers, was briefly interrupted when her microphone cut out, an incident the university spokesperson attributed to an unintentional technical glitch.
Ali’s speech and the reactions it elicited highlight the contrasting nature of protests at Columbia compared to other institutions in New York City. While the demonstrations at Columbia have been relatively modest, larger and more disruptive protests have occurred at the New School and parts of the City University of New York (CUNY) system. According to the NYT report, students at CUNY and New York University (NYU) briefly occupied buildings but stood down without police intervention, indicating a different approach to handling student activism.
The Columbia community remains deeply divided over the handling of the protests and the broader issue of campus security. A group of students and faculty members circulated an open letter supporting President Shafik’s efforts to enforce security and crack down on protesters. By Thursday, the letter had garnered hundreds of signatures, including those of alumni, parents, and others not directly affiliated with the university. The NYT report noted that the letter cited multiple incidents deemed anti-Semitic and asserted that the group pushing for the no-confidence vote did not represent the majority of Columbia’s faculty and students.
In response to the vote, Dr. Shafik has sought to reassure the university community of her intentions and commitment to their well-being. The NYT reported that in a note published in the school newspaper in lieu of a graduation speech, she wrote, “You may not agree with every decision taken by university leadership, but please know that it came from a place of care and concern for the common good at Columbia.” She added that she would “look back on the class of 2024 with admiration and special fondness.”
Dr. Shafik has been holding private meetings with faculty and other members of the Columbia community to repair ties and find a way forward, the NYT report indicated. Despite these efforts, the partial lockdown of the main campus and the cancellation of the main graduation ceremony have fueled ongoing tensions.
Haverford College in the Philadelphia suburbs, May 15, 2024. Photo by Carin M. Smilk.
Haverford College in the Philadelphia suburbs, May 15, 2024. Photo by Carin M. Smilk.
