Why did Shafiq resign now? – Today

Last December, Liz Magill resigned as president of the University of Pennsylvania after her performance before Congress was widely criticized. She faced backlash for her vague and evasive responses to questions about calls for genocide of Jews on campus. After Magill resigned, Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard University in January, also due to public anger over her performance at a congressional hearing. Only Sally Kornbluth, a Jew at MIT, kept her job after the hearing.

Shafik failed to attend a hearing in December and faced a congressional inquiry in April. Although she avoided the mistakes of her predecessor, Shafik’s resignation from Columbia University on Wednesday was unexpected. She had always had the support of the board of trustees but decided to resign before the start of the fall semester.

Now, as Shafiq prepares to take up an international development role in the UK government and Dr Katrina Armstrong is appointed interim president of Columbia University, students warn that protests could flare up again as they demand that the university divest from Israel and those who profit from the war.

Shafik’s resignation was criticized by free speech advocacy groups and the American Association of University Professors, who condemned her leadership at Columbia. The legacy of Shafik’s tenure remains in question as the campus grapples with the fallout from her departure.

Scott Bok, chairman of the University of Pennsylvania’s board of trustees, also resigned after Magill’s resignation, warning donors not to exert too much influence.

Claudine Gay, Harvard’s first black president, survived a congressional hearing only to be ousted in another scandal. She apologized to Congress for her mistakes and was prepared to keep her job until plagiarism allegations surfaced in December. Gay initially dismissed the allegations but eventually issued a correction and admitted to the error. However, the criticism did not stop, and she resigned in January, saying the attempt to oust her was racially motivated.

Compared to her colleagues, MIT President Sally Kornbluth, who apologized for her mistakes at a December hearing and announced a plan to improve campus climate, was relatively unscathed. Despite being new to the job, she managed to keep her job despite the fallout.

UCLA President Gene Block has retired as planned after leading UCLA for nearly two decades. His final year in office was marked by violence during protests on campus. Block was criticized for allowing a pro-Palestinian encampment to grow on campus, leading to violent clashes. Despite facing direct questioning in Congress, Block stood by his stance and retired as planned last month.

Northwestern University President Michael Schill was criticized during the May hearing but managed to defend himself and remain in office. Despite the pressure and questioning, Schill stood his ground and refused to discuss certain issues.

Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway was also subpoenaed by Congress in May for allegedly cutting a deal with campus protesters. Despite the allegations, Holloway denied ever giving in to “violent groups” and managed to avoid the mistakes that have affected other presidents. Despite the criticism, Holloway continues to serve as president of Rutgers University.