Columbia University’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, stepping down

Columbia University's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, has announced that she's stepping down from her position

The decision comes one week after the Ivy League institution detailed a series of changes to its campus policies

In order to reinstate $400 million in federal funding, the Trump administration pulled over alleged anti-Semitism concerns

Colombia's sweeping policy changes include barring protests inside academic buildings, banning the use of face masks on campus to conceal identity

and hiring more on-campus officers to arrest and remove people when appropriate, among other measures

Armstrong stepped into the interim presidential role after previous university president, Manu Sheafik, left the position in August 2024

Sheafik's decision came in the middle of on-campus turmoil as pro-Palestinian riots and encampments erupted on campus over the Israel-Hamas war

leading to more than 100 people arrested and university property damaged Jewish students said they feared for their safety and weren being protected by university officials As I step into this role I am acutely aware of the trials the university

has faced over the past year. We should neither understate their significance nor allow them to

define who we are and what we become, Armstrong said when she took over the role. Dr. Armstrong

accepted the role of interim president at a time of great uncertainty for the university and

work tirelessly to promote the interests of our community. David Greenwald, chair of the Board of

Trustees, said in a statement, adding, Katrina has always given her heart and soul to Columbia

We appreciate her service and look forward to her continued contributions to the university

Armstrong says she will return to her role as Chief Executive Officer of Columbia University's Irving Medical

Center. The Board of Trustees has appointed co-chair, Claire Shipman, as the acting president

effective immediately. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Taylor. For more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit www.com