Columbia University Interim President Steps Down

Journalist Claire Shipman is taking her place.

Student protesters gather inside their encampment on the Columbia University campus in New York on April 29, 2024. Stefan Jeremiah/AP Photo

Columbia University interim President Katrina Armstrong has stepped down, the Board of Trustees announced on March 28.

In a statement, the university said Armstrong was returning to lead the Irving Medical Center and would be replaced by journalist and Columbia alumna Claire Shipman, who will serve as acting president.

“I assume this role with a clear understanding of the serious challenges before us and a steadfast commitment to act with urgency, integrity, and work with our faculty to advance our mission, implement needed reforms, protect our students, and uphold academic freedom and open inquiry,” Shipman said.

“Columbia’s new permanent president, when that individual is selected, will conduct an appropriate review of the University’s leadership team and structure to ensure we are best positioned for the future.”

Board Chair David Greenwald praised Armstrong in the March 28 statement.

“Dr. Armstrong accepted the role of interim president at a time of great uncertainty for the University and worked tirelessly to promote the interests of our community,” he said. “Katrina has always given her heart and soul to Columbia.”

Armstrong’s departure came after months of controversy surrounding the university’s approach to anti-Semitism and the pro-Palestinian protests on campus against Israel’s military response to terrorist group Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

On March 21, Armstrong announced that the university would make a series of policy changes in response to requirements set by President Donald Trump’s administration for combating anti-Semitism.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon recently said that the university was on track to recover its federal funding.

The administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism notified the school on March 3 that it would conduct a review of the school’s federal contracts and grants, citing investigations under the Civil Rights Act.

The administration then canceled $400 million in grants to the school when McMahon said Columbia had abandoned its obligation to Jewish students. Two labor unions sued over the funding.

“Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding,” McMahon said in a statement. “For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus.”

Before Armstrong’s departure, Columbia’s previous president, Minouche Shafik, stepped down in August 2024 amid criticism of her handling of protests on campus.

Aaron Gifford and Jacob Burg contributed to this report.