Colleges Prepare For Fall After Report

As the back-to-school season approaches, campuses across the country are bracing for more than just the usual rush of classes and extracurricular activities. At Columbia University, tensions are high as pro-Palestinian activists gear up to reignite their protests from last spring, when they disrupted campus life in a big way. With the fall semester kicking off on September 3, the university’s leadership is under the spotlight, and so far, their response seems to be falling short.

Let’s rewind a bit. Last spring, Columbia’s campus was rocked by a series of protests led by Students for Justice in Palestine. These demonstrations were intense, to say the least—activists took over the campus quad, damaged university property, and even occupied an administrative building, all in the name of their cause. The protests didn’t stop when the semester ended; they carried over into alumni weekend, with activists boldly declaring, “We will be back!”

So, what’s Columbia doing to prepare for what’s coming? University president Minouche Shafik recently sent out an email to students, faculty, and staff outlining the administration’s plan. The message was clear: Columbia is trying to foster community and open dialogue in the face of these upcoming protests. But when you dig into the details, the plan seems more like a band-aid solution than a solid strategy.

Shafik’s approach includes rolling out “community-building” programs like Dialogue Across Differences and Campus Conversations. These initiatives are designed to promote discussion on topics like freedom of speech, cancel culture, and campus safety.

Additionally, new-student orientation will now feature sessions aimed at encouraging dialogue. Faculty from the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program are also being brought in to help facilitate these discussions and mediate outcomes for affected students.

While these efforts might sound good on paper, they’re facing a lot of skepticism. A May poll conducted by the Columbia Spectator revealed that 77% of the university’s community strongly disagreed with how Shafik’s administration handled the spring protests. Critics described Shafik as a “bootlicker” and a “servile careerist,” expressing deep dissatisfaction with her leadership. This level of discontent isn’t just your typical campus friction—it’s a sign of a community deeply divided and losing faith in its leaders.

The situation at Columbia isn’t an isolated incident. Just across town at NYU, faculty members are threatening to refuse various forms of labor if their pro-Palestinian demands aren’t met by mid-August. This includes barring the NYPD from campus and dropping charges against students disciplined for unruly protests. NYU’s administration, however, is taking a firmer stance, with spokesperson John Beckman stating that the university will continue to safeguard its community and maintain its academic mission.

The issues at Columbia run deeper than just one semester’s protests. In 2022, Columbia was rated the worst school for free speech in the nation by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). A survey conducted by FIRE found that only 10% of Columbia students felt very comfortable expressing controversial political beliefs in class, and just 11% felt comfortable doing so in social settings. Over half of the students surveyed were worried about damaging their reputation if something they said was misinterpreted.

This isn’t the kind of environment where free expression flourishes. And while Shafik’s call for civil dialogue is a step in the right direction, it’s clear that Columbia has a long way to go in rebuilding trust and fostering a campus culture where all voices can be heard.