Columbia University’s President Dr. Minouche Shafik testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Tuesday morning regarding rising antisemitism on the university campus. The hearing highlighted the university’s efforts to combat hate and create a safer environment for Jewish students; it garnered significant attention due to the cataclysmic hearings (also on antisemitism) held just months ago with the Presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT.
Dr. Shafik described Columbia’s proactive steps in response to a surge of antisemitic incidents, including a troubling episode in October when a swastika was discovered inside a university building.
Dr. Shafik detailed the suspension of two student groups, the establishment of designated protest areas to balance free speech with continuing educational activities without disruption, and the formation of a task force aimed at directly tackling antisemitism. This task force, co-chaired by Columbia Law School Dean David M. Schizer, has already made significant recommendations which are being implemented.
This heightened focus on antisemitism comes in the wake of global events that have reverberated through campus life. The October 7 Hamas attack on Israel significantly affected Columbia’s diverse student body, prompting heated protests and deepening campus divisions. Dr. Shafik’s leadership has centered on ensuring physical safety and attempting to reconcile the free-speech rights of protestors with the rights of Jewish students and their supporters to a fear-free environment.
The testimony underscores Columbia’s commitment to being a community free from hate, as antisemitism, according to Dr. Shafik, “has no place on our campus.” The president emphasized that the challenge of ensuring a supportive and inclusive academic environment remains central, not just for Columbia, but as a broader societal imperative. Furthermore, it’s clear Dr. Shafik took some notes following the testimony of her Harvard, MIT and Penn peers; the last hearing witnessed such a backlash that caused resignations, and Dr. Shafik approached her testimony much more diplomatically.
