- Columbia University’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, has announced she is stepping down. The decision comes one week after the university implemented changes to reinstate $400 million in federal funding lost over antisemitism concerns.
- Armstrong took over after Minouche Shafik’s departure in August 2024 amid campus unrest. She will return to her role as CEO of Columbia’s Irving Medical Center.
- Claire Shipman, co-chair of the Board of Trustees, has been appointed acting president.
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Columbia University’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, has announced she is stepping down from her position.
The decision comes one week after the Ivy League institution outlined a series of changes to its campus policies. The changes aim to reinstate $400 million in federal funding that the Trump administration pulled over alleged antisemitism concerns.
Columbia’s sweeping policy changes include barring protests inside academic buildings, banning the use of face masks on campus to conceal identity, and hiring more campus officers to arrest and remove people “when appropriate,” among other measures.
Armstrong stepped into the interim presidential role after former university president Minouche Shafik left the position in August 2024.
Shafik’s departure occurred amid on-campus turmoil, as pro-Palestinian riots and encampments erupted in response to the Israel-Hamas war. More than 100 people were arrested, and university property was damaged. Jewish students expressed concerns for their safety, saying university officials were not adequately protecting them.
“As I step into this role, I am acutely aware of the trials the university has faced over the past year. We should neither understate their significance, nor allow them to define who we are and what we will become,” Armstrong said in a partial statement when she took over the role.
“Dr. Armstrong accepted the role of interim president at a time of great uncertainty for the university and worked tirelessly to promote the interests of our community,” David Greenwald, chair of the Board of Trustees, said. “Katrina has always given her heart and soul to Columbia. We appreciate her service and look forward to her continued contributions to the university.”
Armstrong says she will return to her role as chief executive officer of Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center.
The Board of Trustees has appointed co-chair Claire Shipman as the acting president, effective immediately.
