On Thursday, members of Columbia University’s Arts and Sciences faculty voted to remove President Minouche Shafik from her position, expressing their growing disapproval of her handling of the pro-Palestinian protests.
The resolution was introduced by the Columbia chapter of the nonprofit American Association of University Professors. Of the 709 professors who voted in favor of it, 65% had no faith in Shafik, 29% were against it, and 6% did not cast a ballot, as revealed to AWN by the results.
Out of more than 4,600 full-time employees at Columbia, over 900 were faculty members who could vote.
“The unprecedented assault on students’ rights, as well as President Shafik’s violation of the fundamental requirements of academic freedom and shared governance, warrants unequivocal and emphatic condemnation,” the resolution adds.
The symbolic action is meant to convey the idea that the university’s board of trustees, who are still supporting her, no longer has faith in the troubled head.
Faculty members slammed Shafik in the resolution for allowing the New York Police Department to disperse a pro-Palestine encampment on April 18, even though the University Senate’s executive committee had previously rejected the proposal.
Last month, the campus was invaded by police officers who forcibly removed demonstrators from a school building after they criticized her for repeating the action without notifying the Senate. The police made 100 arrests at Columbia that evening.
The resolution asserts that Shafik “falsely” asserted that the students detained for protesting were a “clear and present danger to the substantial functioning of the University,” while vehemently denying this and arguing that the students were not violent.
During a congressional hearing on antisemitism on April 17, her opponents raised concerns about her pledge to dismiss professors who hold antisemitic views against Israel.
The resolution states that the University’s fundamental principles of free expression, the right to peaceful assembly, and shared governance must be re-established in order to rebuild the community and institute a vote of no confidence.
Shafik has been secretive with students for the past few weeks. Earlier this month, she made a video for Instagram in which she addressed them. Columbia University has lately decided to have smaller graduation celebrations rather than its traditional university-wide commencement.
In the face of criticism, Ben Chang, a representative for Columbia, supported Shafik’s leadership.
“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 in a statement. “Those who are helping her on the difficult path to recovery in our community are appreciated,” she said.
