"Columbia Faculty Collective Approves No-Confidence Resolution Regarding President"

Hundreds of university professors contributed to the resolution, alleging that President Nemat Shafik had perpetrated an "unprecedented attack on students' rights."

On Thursday, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University adopted a resolution expressing no confidence in the institution's president, Nemat Shafik. The resolution cited violations of "fundamental principles of academic freedom and shared governance," along with accusations of an "unprecedented infringement on students' rights."

Although largely symbolic, the gesture highlights the discontent Dr. Shafik encounters on campus, especially following her controversial management of pro-Palestinian protests. Additionally, her recent commitment to discipline faculty members accused of expressing anti-Israel sentiments, which some deem as antisemitic, has contributed to the mounting criticism.

The resolution of no confidence was proposed by the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors, a professional faculty group. Out of the 709 professors who participated in the vote, 65 percent supported the resolution, while 29 percent opposed it. Six percent abstained from voting.

The resolution specifically condemned Dr. Shafik's choice to involve law enforcement in dispersing a pro-Palestinian student encampment on April 18, despite unanimous advice from the executive committee of the University Senate advising against it. It asserted that her characterization of the students as a "clear and present danger to the substantial functioning of the university" was inaccurate, contending that they were peaceful.

The resolution also accused her of breaching academic freedom norms by committing to dismiss faculty members during testimony before a congressional committee on antisemitism on April 17.

"The president's decisions to disregard our statutes and established norms of academic freedom and shared governance, leading to the arrest of our students and implementing a campus lockdown with ongoing police presence, have significantly eroded our trust in her," the resolution declared.

Since summoning the police to disperse protesters from Hamilton Hall, a campus structure, on April 30, Dr. Shafik has not appeared publicly before students, apart from a video released by the school earlier this month, in which she communicated with the broader university community. Due to security apprehensions, she has maintained the main campus under partial lockdown for over two weeks and canceled the primary graduation ceremony, which she would have overseen.

"President Shafik maintains regular consultations with various stakeholders within the community, including faculty, administration, trustees, and local leaders," commented Ben Chang, a spokesman for Columbia University. "She values the collaborative efforts of those committed to addressing the challenges ahead and fostering unity within our community."

The individual graduation ceremonies for each of Columbia's 19 colleges proceeded relatively smoothly, albeit with occasional signs of protest. Some students donned black-and-white kaffiyehs, while others displayed small Palestinian flags. During the Columbia College commencement, the university's primary undergraduate school, the valedictorian brandished a sign reading "Divest" while crossing the stage.

Beyond the commencement venues, a handful of individuals distributed flyers to friends and family members queuing in line, outlining the protesters' demands, which included calls for the university to divest from companies collaborating with Israel. Additionally, a billboard truck intermittently circulated, featuring a photo of Dr. Shafik against a vivid red backdrop with the text "TIME TO RESIGN!"

 

During her graduation speech at the university's Mailman School of Public Health, Saham David Ahmed Ali urged for a ceasefire in Gaza and articulated the demands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, eliciting widespread applause. Briefly, her microphone experienced an interruption; a college spokesperson attributed it to an unintentional technical issue.

The comparatively subdued protests at Columbia University contrasted with those at other institutions across the city, such as the New School and certain campuses of the City University of New York (CUNY), a public university system, where larger demonstrations unfolded in recent days. While students at CUNY and New York University briefly occupied buildings, they dispersed without police intervention.

Another cohort of students and faculty at Columbia University distributed an open letter urging Dr. Shafik to enhance campus security measures and expressing solidarity with her actions to curb protests. By Thursday, the letter had garnered signatures from hundreds of individuals, including alumni, parents, and individuals unaffiliated with the university. It highlighted several incidents it identified as antisemitic.

The letter asserted that the faction responsible for initiating the no-confidence resolution against Dr. Shafik does not "speak for numerous faculty and students at Columbia University."

Amidst the challenges, Dr. Shafik has been engaging in private discussions with faculty and other members of the Columbia community in an effort to mend relationships and chart a path forward without stepping down. Over the past six months, three other Ivy League presidents have resigned; however, it remains uncertain if all of these departures were linked to tensions stemming from the conflict in Gaza and associated protests.

On Wednesday, Dr. Shafik penned a conciliatory message addressed to students, which she opted to publish in the school newspaper instead of delivering a graduation speech.

"You may not align with every decision made by university leadership, but please understand that each decision is rooted in a commitment to the collective welfare at Columbia," she expressed. She further conveyed her appreciation for the class of 2024, stating she would hold them in high regard and with a sense of fondness.

The resolution, voted upon by one of the largest assemblies of faculty members at the college, was approved with 458 votes in favor, 206 votes against, and 45 abstentions. Out of the 899 eligible faculty members, 709 cast their ballots. According to several faculty members, this marked the first instance in which the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University had ever passed a vote of no confidence in a president.

On April 26, the University Senate, comprising 111 delegates from various sectors of Columbia, adopted a resolution urging an inquiry into Dr. Shafik's conduct, though it refrained from issuing a formal censure. The resolution cited the administration for contravening established procedures, undermining academic liberty, compromising open inquiry, and encroaching upon the due process rights of students and faculty members.

Thursday's no-confidence resolution, while expressing criticism, did not explicitly demand Dr. Shafik's resignation, clarified Robert Newton, an oceanographer at Columbia University and a member of the executive committee of the American Association of University Professors. Instead, it aimed to outline a constructive path forward.

"The vote of no confidence in the president marks the initial stride in rebuilding our community and reinstating the university's fundamental principles of free speech, the right to peaceful assembly, and shared governance," asserted the resolution.

Columbia University boasts approximately 4,700 full-time faculty members, with the Faculty of Arts and Science accounting for roughly 20 percent of this total. Given that many disciplined and arrested student protesters are under the tutelage of arts and science faculty members, "it's understandable that they would take a particularly firm stance on this matter," explained Dr. Newton.