Embattled Columbia University president resigns from post

The president of Columbia University resigned her post on Wednesday, after just one year at the helm and months after anti-Israel protests shut down the campus.

The campus was just one of multiple colleges that experienced a rise in antisemitism in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas. Multiple donors have withheld donations to the Ivy League school as a result of antisemitic protests that occurred at the end of the last school year.

Columbia University president Minouche Shafik has been facing calls to resign for months, over her handling of the protests.

"I have had the honor and privilege to lead this incredible institution, and I believe that—working together—we have made progress in a number of important areas," Shafik wrote in a statement. "However, it has also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community. This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community.

"Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead," she continued. "I am making this announcement now so that new leadership can be in place before the new term begins."

Shafik said that her resignation is effective immediately, and that she will be working for the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary's office.