Columbia University’s president said Monday that talks with student organizers have not resulted in an agreement and the university will not withdraw from Israel. The demands have sparked protests on college campuses across the United States.
Minoush Shafik said the demonstrations had created “an unwelcoming environment for many Jewish students and faculty” and that “outsider actors” had contributed to a “hostile environment” around the university gates, adding that the campus He asked those holding camped demonstrations to voluntarily disperse. And it became a “noisy distraction” for students.
“Nor do we want to deprive thousands of students, their families and friends of the opportunity to celebrate,” Shafiq said, referring to the May 15 graduation ceremony.
Columbia University was the first elite institution to be hit by protests in support of the Palestinian cause, with students demanding that the school divest from investments in weapons manufacturing and killing more than 34,000 people. He called for support for Israel against the background of the Israeli-Hamas war. Killed in the Gaza Strip.
Last week, protests quickly spread on campuses from coast to coast, resulting in mass arrests and crackdowns.
Shafik said that while “the university will not divest from Israel,” the school’s Socially Responsible Investment Advisory Committee, which considers divestitures, will create an expedited timeline for reviewing new proposals from students. He said he suggested that.
“The university also proposed to publish a process for students to access the Columbia Direct Investment holdings list and to increase the frequency with which that holdings list is updated,” she added.
Although negotiations have stalled and Colombia’s protests are now in their second week, there appear to have been some small movements in the negotiations.
Shafiq said the university offered to “invest in health and education in Gaza, including early childhood development support and support for displaced academics.”
“We urge those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse. We will continue to work with the broader community within the community to explore other options internally to end this crisis as soon as possible. “We are in discussions with the group and we will continue to add new developments to the community,” she said.
A notice was issued Monday, seen by NBC News, asking protesters to leave by 2 p.m.
The notice asked protesters to identify themselves to university officials and sign a form agreeing to a replacement resolution for violations of university policy caused by the camp.
Those who sign are eligible to complete the semester in good standing and will not be suspended as long as they follow university policies.
Those who do not leave by 2 p.m. will be “suspended pending further investigation” and will be prohibited from completing the spring 2024 semester.
“While we are disappointed to have to take these steps, we must restore order to our campus so that all students can complete their semester assignments, study for exams, and feel welcome in our community. ”, the notice says.
If the encampment is not cleared, the notice said: “Due to numerous violations of university policies, we must begin disciplinary proceedings. These are the policies we agreed to abide by when we joined the community.”
The university said it would provide “alternative venues for demonstrations after the exam period and the start of classes have concluded.”
The superseding resolution states that signatories consent to disciplinary probation, agree to abide by university policies, and agree to participate in university disciplinary proceedings.
