Columbia University Faces Leadership Change Amid Federal Pressure

Interim President Katrina Armstrong steps down as the university navigates policy concessions tied to $400 million in federal funding.

Katrina Armstrong has resigned as Columbia University's interim president after seven and a half months, with Claire Shipman assuming the acting president role.
The university recently agreed to revise its protest policies, security measures, and oversight of its Middle East Studies department under US government pressure.
The federal government had threatened to withhold $400 million in funding, citing Columbia’s alleged failure to protect Jewish students during 2024 pro-Palestinian protests.
The deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student accused of distributing Hamas-logo flyers, remains unresolved, highlighting tensions over campus activism and immigration policy.
Concerns are growing that Columbia's concessions could set a precedent undermining academic independence, as other universities face similar federal investigations.