Columbia University told pro-Palestinian protesters they must leave an on-campus encampment by 2 p.m. Monday or face suspension or expulsion, multiple news outlets reported, as the Ivy League school—and other colleges nationwide—grapple with weeks of tense protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
Columbia students who do not disperse from the encampment by 2 p.m. Monday reportedly face ... [+]
The university—which has been dealing with the encampment since April 17—gave students the 2 p.m. deadline Monday morning by distributing leaflets warning students who don’t leave could face “probation, access restriction, suspension for a term or more and expulsion,” according to multiple reports.
If students leave the encampment, identify themselves and sign a form agreeing “to abide by all University policies through June 30, 2025, or the date of the conferral of your degree, whichever is earlier,” they will be eligible to complete the semester in good stand standing, ABC News reported.
Columbia President Minouche Shafik announced in a statement Monday morning the school and students “were not able to come to an agreement” after nearly one week of negotiations.
Shafik said the university would not divest from Israel—which was the protestors’ main request—but offered the negotiating students a number of concessions, including investing in health and education in Gaza, developing “an expedited timeline for review” of proposals to the body that considers divestment matters and publishing investment information more frequently.
Forbes has reached out to Columbia for comment and confirmation.