New York’s Columbia University announced on Wednesday (May 1) that all courses and final exams for the remainder of the academic year will be conducted remotely due to concerns over the “evolving campus environment.”
Angela Olinto, the Dean of Academic Affairs at Columbia University, stated in a letter to faculty members that all academic activities at the Morningside Heights campus will be held remotely for the rest of the semester, with few exceptions, to address concerns about the changing campus environment.
“All remaining classes, review sessions, or office hours must be conducted fully remotely, and all final exams and other end-of-term assessments should also be conducted remotely,” Olinto added.
This decision comes as the current semester at Columbia University is nearing its end, amidst the largest escalation to date in the university’s response to on-campus protests that have been ongoing in response to recent events.
On Tuesday (April 30), pro-Palestinian protesters occupied and blocked access to Columbia’s academic building named Hamilton Hall. University officials warned that this would result in disciplinary actions, leading to the removal and suspension of students who refused to leave the tent camp on campus. Approximately 300 arrests were made by the New York City Police Department during the removal of protesters from Hamilton Hall.
The tent camp protest on Columbia’s campus had been ongoing for over two weeks prior to the announcement on Wednesday. The university had previously implemented a mix of in-person and remote teaching in response to the campus unrest.
Dean Olinto is encouraging professors to make adjustments to final exams, such as changing them to “take-home finals,” modifying the weight of final exams, adjusting grading policies to minimize any negative impact on final grades, making final exams optional, or even canceling them altogether.
Professors are also required to collaborate with students who have already left the campus, as only students residing in residential buildings on the Morningside Heights campus in Manhattan are allowed access to the campus.
However, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik stated in an earlier statement on Wednesday that the university still plans to hold an in-person graduation ceremony on May 15, attended by students themselves.