Columbia University’s senate has called for an investigation into president Minouche Shafik and members of her administration, amid the ongoing protests on campus over the Israel-Gaza war.
The sentate voted on Friday to approve the resolution, and accused the administration of violating established protocols, undermining academic freedom, and breaching the due process rights of both students and professors, according to the senate’s Resolution Adressing Current Events, seen by The Independent.
Ms Shafik has faced heavy criticism for her decision to allow the New York Police Department (NYPD) to disperse protesters on the campus, resulting in the arrest of more than 100 students.
The resolution was based partly on a damaging report by the senate executive committee, which accused Ms Shafik’s administration of engaging in “many actions and decisions that have harmed” the institution. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 62-14, with three abstentions.
The resolution also calls for establishing a senate task force to investigate university decision-making in future.
Part of the resolution stated: “We unreservedly condemn external interference in the internal affairs of Columbia University that undermines the traditions of academic freedom and shared governance.”
Minouche Shafik, president of Columbia University, has faced heavy criticism since allowing police onto campus to disperse student