Negotiations
between
Columbia
University
officials
and
protesters
who
have
set
up
a
pro-Palestinian
encampment
on
a
campus
lawn
have
broken
down,
the
school’s
president
announced
Monday.
Columbia
University’s
president,
Minouche
Shafik,
sent
a
letter
to
the
school
community
Monday
morning
announcing
talks
had
ended
without
an
agreement.
“To
that
end,
since
Wednesday,
a
small
group
of
academic
leaders
has
been
in
constructive
dialogue
with
student
organizers
to
find
a
path
that
would
result
in
the
dismantling
of
the
encampment
and
adherence
to
University
policies
going
forward,”
Shafik
said.
“Regretfully,
we
were
not
able
to
come
to
an
agreement.”
(Read
the
full
letter
below)
Shafik
said
the
university
offered
a
number
of
steps
including
more
transparency
and
review
for
future
investing
proposals,
but
said,
“the
University
will
not
divest
from
Israel.”
The
university
also
said
it
would
invest
in
health
and
education
in
Gaza.
Without
an
agreement
on
removal
of
the
encampment,
Shafik
urged
protesters
there
to
“voluntarily
disperse.”
Shafik
also
said
the
university
is
talking
with
a
“broader
group”
in
the
community
to
look
at
“alternative
internal
options”
to
end
the
encampment,
but
did
not
elaborate
further
on
who
is
in
that
consultation
group
or
what
the
dispersal
options
might
look
like.
Monday
is
the
final
day
of
classes
for
the
spring
term
and
graduation
is
looming.
Commencement
is
scheduled
to
take
place
on
Wednesday,
May
15.
Some
other
colleges
have
made
changes
to
their
commencement
programs
amid
growing
protests,
including
at
USC,
where
the
school
cancelled
its
main
commencement,
though
Columbia
has
not
announced
any
changes
at
this
point.
Some
of
the
ceremonies
at
Columbia
are
planned
for
the
lawn
where
the
encampment
is
currently
located.
Full
statement
from
president
of
Columbia
University
“Dear
fellow
members
of
the
Columbia
community,
Our
University
is
committed
to
four
core
principles,
which
underpin
all
of
our
work
and
our
shared
values
as
a
community:
First,
we
must
keep
all
members
of
our
community
physically
safe
on
campus.
Second,
we
are
committed
to
academic
freedom
and
to
ensuring
that
all
members
of
our
community
have
the
right
to
speak
their
minds.
Third,
just
as
everyone
at
Columbia
has
the
right
to
express
their
views,
they
also
must
respect
the
rights
of
others
to
do
the
same.
As
a
result,
protests
must
comply
with
time,
place,
and
manner
restrictions
which,
for
example,
prevent
loud
protests
at
night
when
other
students
are
trying
to
sleep
or
prepare
for
exams.
One
group’s
rights
to
express
their
views
cannot
come
at
the
expense
of
another
group’s
right
to
speak,
teach,
and
learn.
Fourth,
our
values—as
well
as
our
duties
under
civil
rights
laws—compel
us
to
condemn
hate
and
to
protect
every
member
of
our
community
from
harassment
and
discrimination.
Antisemitic
language
and
actions
are
unacceptable
and
calls
for
violence
are
simply
abhorrent.
I
know
that
many
of
our
Jewish
students,
and
other
students
as
well,
have
found
the
atmosphere
intolerable
in
recent
weeks.
Many
have
left
campus,
and
that
is
a
tragedy.
To
those
students
and
their
families,
I
want
to
say
to
you
clearly:
You
are
a
valued
part
of
the
Columbia
community.
This
is
your
campus
too.
We
are
committed
to
making
Columbia
safe
for
everyone,
and
to
ensuring
that
you
feel
welcome
and
valued.
We’ve
worked
hard
to
balance
these
principles.
To
that
end,
since
Wednesday,
a
small
group
of
academic
leaders
has
been
in
constructive
dialogue
with
student
organizers
to
find
a
path
that
would
result
in
the
dismantling
of
the
encampment
and
adherence
to
University
policies
going
forward.
Regretfully,
we
were
not
able
to
come
to
an
agreement.
Both
sides
in
these
discussions
put
forward
robust
and
thoughtful
offers
and
worked
in
good
faith
to
reach
common
ground.
We
thank
them
all
for
their
diligent
work,
long
hours,
and
careful
effort
and
wish
they
had
reached
a
different
outcome.
The
University’s
goal
for
the
talks
was
a
collaborative
resolution
with
the
protestors
that
would
result
in
the
orderly
removal
of
the
encampment
from
the
lawn.
The
students
also
were
asked
to
commit
going
forward
to
following
the
University’s
rules,
including
those
on
the
time,
place,
and
manner
for
demonstrations
and
events.
While
the
University
will
not
divest
from
Israel,
the
University
offered
to
develop
an
expedited
timeline
for
review
of
new
proposals
from
the
students
by
the Advisory
Committee
for
Socially
Responsible
Investing, the
body
that
considers
divestment
matters.
The
University
also
offered
to
publish
a
process
for
students
to
access
a
list
of
Columbia’s
direct
investment
holdings,
and
to
increase
the
frequency
of
updates
to
that
list
of
holdings.
Additionally,
the
University
offered
to
convene
a
faculty
committee
to
address
academic
freedom
and
to
begin
a
discussion
on
access
and
financial
barriers
to
academic
programs
and
global
centers.
The
University
also
offered
to
make
investments
in
health
and
education
in
Gaza,
including
supporting
early
childhood
development
and
support
for
displaced
scholars.
There
are
important
ideas
that
emerged
from
this
dialogue,
and
we
plan
to
explore
pursuing
them
in
the
future.
As
the
past
seven
months
have
shown,
our
campus
is
roiled
by
divisions
over
the
war
in
Gaza.
All
year,
we
have
sought
to
facilitate
opportunities
for
our
students
and
faculty
to
engage
in
constructive
dialogue,
and
we
have
provided
ample
space
for
protests
and
vigils
to
take
place
peacefully
and
without
disruptions
to
academic
life.
But
we
must
take
into
account
the
rights
of
all
members
of
our
community.
The
encampment
has
created
an
unwelcoming
environment
for
many
of
our
Jewish
students
and
faculty.
External
actors
have
contributed
to
creating
a
hostile
environment
in
violation
of
Title
VI,
especially
around
our
gates,
that
is
unsafe
for
everyone—including
our
neighbors.
With
classes
now
concluding,
it
represents
a
noisy
distraction
for
our
students
studying
for
exams
and
for
everyone
trying
to
complete
the
academic
year.
Consistent
with
our
interim
demonstration
policies,
after
reading
days,
exams,
and
Commencement,
protests
may
continue
on
campus
by
application
with
two-days’
notice
in
authorized
locations.
We
have
no
intention
of
suppressing
speech
or
the
right
to
peaceful
protest.
We
also
do
not
want
to
deprive
thousands
of
students
and
their
families
and
friends
of
a
graduation
celebration.
Please
recall
that
many
in
this
graduating
class
did
not
get
a
celebration
when
graduating
from
high
school
because
of
the
pandemic,
and
many
of
them
are
the
first
in
their
families
to
earn
a
University
degree.
We
owe
it
to
all
of
our
graduates
and
their
loved
ones
to
honor
their
achievement.
We
want
to
reassure
our
community
who
are
trying
to
make
plans
that
we
will
indeed
hold
a
Commencement.
For
all
of
the
reasons
above,
we
urge
those
in
the
encampment
to
voluntarily
disperse.
We
are
consulting
with
a
broader
group
in
our
community
to
explore
alternative
internal
options
to
end
this
crisis
as
soon
as
possible.
We
will
continue
to
update
the
community
with
new
developments.
Sincerely,
Minouche
Shafik
President,
Columbia
University
in
the
City
of
New
York”