Columbia University’s interim president resigned from her position at the embattled Ivy League Friday night, just days after she told the Trump administration she would implement a mask ban — while privately promising faculty she would not.
Katrina Armstrong’s decision to step down came in the wake of her high-profile battle with the Trump administration over the prestigious New York school’s $400 million in federal funding, sources told the Wall Street Journal Friday.
Armstrong said she will return to her role as chief executive officer of the university’s Irving Medical Center, she told students and faculty in a letter Friday.
“It has been a singular honor to lead Columbia University in this important and challenging time,” she wrote.
“This is one of the world’s great universities, in its most vital city, and I am proud to have worked with extraordinary faculty, students, and alumni. But my heart is with science, and my passion is with healing. That is where I can best serve this University and our community moving forward.”
Board of trustees co-chair Claire Shipman has been named acting president, effective immediately, Columbia said in a statement, adding that she will serve until the board “completes its presidential search.”
Columbia’s Board of Trustees announced today that Interim President Katrina A. Armstrong is returning to lead the University’s Irving Medical Center. Board of Trustees Co-Chair Claire Shipman has been appointed Acting President, effective immediately, and will serve until the Board completes its presidential search.
Armstrong’s decision comes after the Trump White House called for a total ban on masks at campus protests as part of sweeping lists of reforms aimed at cracking down on rampant antisemitism.
The school, which was given a month to comply or risk losing its federal funding, caved and agreed to enforce the changes last Friday – despite privately downplaying the anti-Israel policy to faculty.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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