Students at Columbia University have been instructed that classes have shifted to virtual or hybrid amid ongoing safety concerns stemming from anti-Israel protests.
The new guidelines said all courses on the Morningside main campus have moved to hybrid learning “until the end of each school’s Spring 2024 semester.”
“Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students’ learning and all the required academic operations,” the school’s Provost Angela Olinto wrote in a statement released early Tuesday morning. “It’s vital that teaching and learning continue during this time.”
The announcement comes amid continued antisemitic protests on the New York City campus and just a day after classes were made virtual on Monday.
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The guidance, signed in tandem with Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway, also affects faculty and staff.
“All faculty whose classrooms are located on the main Morningside campus and equipped with hybrid capabilities should enable them to provide virtual learning options to students who need such a learning modality. Faculty in other classrooms or teaching spaces that do not have capabilities for offering hybrid options should hold classes remotely if there are student requests for virtual participation. If the class does not permit adapting to the remote offering format, we encourage faculty to provide other accommodations liberally to students who have requested support for virtual learning this week,” the guidance continued.
The school also advises administrative officers and support staff to work from home, if they are able.
Arts and Practice-based programs are scheduled to remain in-person with “generous accommodations supported by school deans and staff.”
The Medical Center and Manhattanville campuses are proceeding with “in-person operation as usual, but granting accommodations based on religious reasons, or approved disability accommodations.”
It concludes, “We will continue to communicate further updates and appreciate your understanding.”
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The guidance comes amid days of protests at Columbia, where anti-Israel agitators initially formed an encampment — setting up tents and refusing to leave— on the campus Wednesday. The protesters have marched in and around the campus demanding the school lose affiliations with groups that support Israel amid its war with Hamas in Gaza, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian deaths.
Columbia University President Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik said in a statement posted in the early hours Monday morning, that she was “deeply saddened” by certain actions of the agitators and called for a “reset.”
“I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus,” Shafik wrote. “Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas.”
In the statement, she announced that all classes on Monday would be held virtually to ensure students’ safety.
“We need a reset,” she added. “To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday. Faculty and staff who can work remotely should do so; essential personnel should report to work according to university policy. Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus.”
More than 100 of the protesters were arrested last week amid the unrest.
