Faculty to critique Columbia president
Vote of no confidence ongoing amid protests
NEW YORK — Arts and sciences faculty at Columbia University have launched a vote of no confidence in embattled college president Minouche Shafik, after her congressional testimony and response to campus protests angered large swaths of the Columbia community.
Voting is open for a week to around 1,000 faculty from the main part of the university on a highly critical resolution of Shafik, who was inaugurated last fall, accusing her administration of making unilateral decisions that put students and faculty in harm’s way.
“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 irrevocably undermined our confidence in her,” read the text, sent to faculty on Thursday evening.
“President Shafik continues to regularly consult with members of the community, including faculty, administration, and trustees, as well as with state, city and community leaders,” a Columbia spokeswoman said. “She appreciates the efforts of those working alongside her on the long road ahead to heal our community.”
In the resolution, faculty raised concerns about Shafik’s congressional testimony on April 17, when she said she planned to fire one professor and announced another two faculty members were under investigation over comments about Israel. Those actions, they said, are “clear violations” of academic freedom and paved the way for external forces to set university policies.
The text also criticizes her decision-making on student disciplinary action and police reinforcement to restore order on campus, without consultation with Columbia governance structures and over the objections of faculty and students on the executive committee of the University Senate. It also says she overstated the dangers posed by the students.
The vote comes after the Columbia administration on April 30 called in the NYPD to end the takeover of a campus building, Hamilton Hall, and dismantle the Gaza solidarity encampment, leading to more than 100 arrests in and around campus.
It was the second time in recent weeks Shafik turned to police and mass arrests on April 18 to shut down the tent demonstration, which was first erected hours ahead of her appearance before Congress and sparked a national movement of college protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.