BREAKING: Columbia University President Resigns
YASHAR ALI
AUG 15, 2024
The letter is below and this story will be updated with more details.
Dear members of the Columbia community,
I write with sadness to tell you that I am stepping down as president of Columbia University effective August 14, 2024. I have had the honor and privilege to lead this incredible institution, and I believe that—working together—we have made progress in a number of important areas. However, it has also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community. This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community. 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. I am making this announcement now so that new leadership can be in place before the new term begins.
My whole professional life has been devoted to public service and my time at Columbia has been an important part of that commitment. In terms of next steps, I am honored to have been asked by the UK's Foreign Secretary to chair a review of the government's approach to international development and how to improve capability. I am very pleased and appreciative that this will afford me the opportunity to return to work on fighting global poverty and promoting sustainable development, areas of lifelong interest to me. It also enables me to return to the House of Lords to reengage with the important legislative agenda put forth by the new UK government.
I have informed the Board of Trustees, and I would like to express my immense appreciation to them for their support. I am committed to working with the Interim President to ensure an orderly transition. I also want to pay tribute to the deans, the University Leadership Team, and the staff of the President's Office with whom I have worked so closely this last year; they have and will continue to do an extraordinary job for our students, faculty, researchers, staff, and community.
During my inauguration, I spoke of Columbia as an exemplar of a great 21st century university committed to educating leaders and citizens, generating knowledge and ideas to solve problems, and engaging at the local and global level to deliver real impact in improving people's lives. As president, I have been proud to witness Columbia making so many contributions to delivering that vital mission. I also spoke about the values and principles which are dear to me and, I know, to the Columbia community as well: academic freedom and free speech; openness to ideas; and zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind—including gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or ethnicity. This mission, and the values and principles underpinning it, constitute our North Star. Even as tension, division, and politicization have disrupted our campus over the last year, our core mission and values endure and will continue to guide us in meeting the challenges ahead.
I have tried to navigate a path that upholds academic principles and treats everyone with fairness and compassion. It has been distressing—for the community, for myself, colleagues, and students the subject of threats and abuse. As President Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand"—we must do all we can 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. Again, Columbia's core mission to create and disseminate knowledge, with our values as a foundation, will lead us there.
That is what we owe each other.
I want to conclude by thanking the entire Columbia community for their support and understanding. This is truly one of the world's great institutions with a proud history and legacy of achievement. Having come to know and work with the amazing people here—passionate, intelligent, committed—I have no doubt that Columbia's future will be even more illustrious.
My profound thanks for the privilege of serving you.
Sincerely,
Minouche Shafik
https://www.thereset.news/p/breaking-columbia-university-president