The Columbia University Senate voted in a 62-14 vote to launch an investigation into the school’s leadership amid the anti-Israel protests that have occurred for the past week.
The resolution states that Columbia President Minouche Shafik has breached protocols by authorizing the New York Police Department (NYPD) to arrest pro-terrorism students on campus who set up encampments and harassed the school’s Israeli community.
The board accused Shafik of undermining academic freedom when she called on the NYPD to interfere with the pro-terrorism protests.
The University Senate is a policy-making body that represents faculty, researchers, students, administration, administrative staff, librarians, and alumni. However, the University Senate does not have the authority to remove Shafik from her position.
“The administration and Senate share the same goal of restoring calm to campus, so everyone can pursue their educational activities," the university said in a statement. "We are committed to an ongoing dialogue and appreciate the Senate’s constructive engagement in finding a pathway forward.”
The University Senate claimed the embattled president shut down so-called “peaceful protests” which “raised serious concerns about the administration’s respect for shared governance and transparency in the university decision-making process.”
Police arrested more than 100 students last week and removed tents that the pro-Hamas demonstrators had set up along campus grounds. However, the protestors quickly returned to the school to continue to rile up and attack Israeli students.
On Friday, the university announced it would no longer use the NYPD to clear the encampments and disperse the protests. The decision came after the school's administration gave students several deadlines-- each of which came and went without the university taking any action.
Shafik has been accused of ignoring ongoing antisemitism at the university and protecting a "pro-terrorist" professor who had celebrated the October 7 attacks, saying it was "awesome," "astonishing," "astounding" and "incredible."
During a congressional hearing, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) accused Shafik of misleading Congress, pointing out that there have been no consequences for the pro-terrorism professor.
“Columbia has attempted to cover up for Shafik’s lies updating their website to show Massad as ‘outgoing chair’ but refuse to immediately remove him despite Shafik committing to at the hearing," Stefanik said. "Meanwhile, Massad claims no one from the University has even spoken to him about his hateful statements or any investigation."
Calls for Shafik to resign have intensified as the pro-Hamas protests continue to rage through campus.
On the contrary, the university’s president claims she has restored peace despite “anarchy engulf[ing] the campus."