Combatting Antisemitism

Advancing Columbia University’s Work to Combat Antisemitism

For many years, and especially in the wake of October 7, 2023, too many members of the Jewish community at Columbia have experienced devastating episodes of discrimination, harassment, and antisemitic acts. Columbia University’s commitment to combatting antisemitism begins with the acknowledgment that antisemitism is completely antithetical to our values and will not be tolerated. While the University has worked hard to address these concerns, we recognize that Columbia must make changes. The status quo cannot continue. We can, and we must, do better.

This page sets out the work we have done so far, and what we are doing now, to rebuild the trust of the Jewish community in Columbia. To be clear: We have zero tolerance for calls for violence or harm directed at any member of the Columbia community, including Jewish and Israeli students, faculty, and staff on campus. We will not shy away from firmly and fairly enforcing our policies and Rules. There is no place for intimidation, hateful language or targeting Jews or Israelis at Columbia. Guided by our principles of academic freedom, inclusion, and respect, and the work of our Antisemitism Task Force, Columbia has enacted meaningful reforms to strengthen safety, expand support, and ensure accountability, so that all members of our community—including our Jewish and Israeli students, faculty, and staff—can learn and engage free from harassment and discrimination.

We are working continuously to fulfill our commitments and implement these reforms. We appreciate the patience and support of the Columbia community as we make these important changes. Our work is not done, and we are determined to follow through on our commitments. We welcome additional comments and suggestions on these initiatives. We will continue to update this page as this work continues.

Columbia has undertaken a multipronged approach to combat antisemitism, through increasing clarity and education around University Rules and policies, appointing a new Rules Administrator with a dedicated staff who are responsible for pursuing disciplinary actions for violations of our Rules of University Conduct, establishing a centralized Office of Institutional Equity to swiftly address reports of antisemitism, discrimination, and harassment, strengthening the capabilities and resources of the University’s Public Safety team, and acting to quickly condemn and investigate incidents of vandalism, antisemitic imagery, and classroom disruption.

Our responses include the University’s swift condemnation and investigation into the January 21, 2025, classroom disruption and January 29, 2025, incidents of vandalism; the immediate response to the use of violent imagery by an unsanctioned student group in early February; and the University’s quick actions to respond to and investigate the May 7, 2025, disruption of Butler Library. We encourage you to review each of the linked pages for further information, and a complete list of University statements is available here.

We are frequently asked why we are not more transparent about disciplinary consequences. Student privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), often prohibit discussion of individual cases. We announced that the Columbia University Judicial Board issued sanctions to students ranging from multiyear suspensions, temporary degree revocations, and expulsions related to the occupation of Hamilton Hall in the spring of 2024. After a graduate student inserted unrelated political views within the lab notes for a class session in January 2025, we announced that this was an unacceptable breach of policy and apologized to the students enrolled in the class. We are committed to publishing aggregated disciplinary statistics when doing so does not reveal the identity of individual students, and we hope to begin later this year. Even when we are legally prohibited from discussing individual student records, we will continue to condemn discrimination, harassment, and antisemitic acts publicly and forcefully, and will provide broad transparency, whenever possible and consistent with our legal obligations, concerning enforcement of our Rules and policies. We are committed to protecting the safety of the Jewish and Israeli community at Columbia.

Columbia Must Be a Place Where Everyone Feels Safe, Supported, and Respected

Columbia has initiated a comprehensive strategy to address antisemitism, grounded in the belief that the University’s mission depends on an environment free of harassment and discrimination. The University’s efforts are guided by the recommendations of faculty, students, staff, and other members of our community as well as best practices suggested by nationally recognized Jewish organizations, including the American Jewish Committee.

The University is deeply devoted to combatting antisemitism on our campus. It has also expanded student support services, increased public safety on campus, streamlined disciplinary processes to respond swiftly to violations of our Rules of University Conduct, and created opportunities for open, respectful engagement among different points of view through programs such as the Student Leadership Engagement Initiative.

Task Force on Antisemitism

The Columbia Task Force on Antisemitism was created in November 2023 to address the harmful impact of antisemitism on members of Columbia’s Jewish community and to ensure that protection, respect, and belonging extends to everyone. Formed in response to the alarming resurgence of antisemitism globally, nationally, and on our own campus, it also serves as a critical instrument of institutional self-examination. The Task Force is charged not only with responding to immediate threats, but also with addressing deeper cultural and structural dynamics that enable antisemitism to persist.

Through dialogue, research, and engagement, the Task Force is working to make our campus community more inclusive, informed, and resilient. While its mission begins with the safety and dignity of Jewish students, faculty, and staff, its impact is broader, advancing a University environment in which all members, regardless of racial, ethnic, or religious background, feel respected and protected. The work of the Task Force has been vital to the health of our community and has the full support of University leadership.

The Task Force has identified practical ways for our safety and inclusion work to enhance support for all members of the Columbia community with a focus on Jewish students. More information about the Task Force and its work can be found here:

We are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Task Force and look forward to continued collaboration with the Task Force and Jewish community on campus more broadly.

Learn more about the Task Force on Antisemitism

Columbia University Public Safety

The University added more Public Safety officers, increased staffing and training, and provided additional Public Safety coverage for events at Jewish student spaces. In addition, the University has hired special officers who will have the ability to remove individuals from campus and/or arrest them. These officers have completed their training and credentialing under New York law to work on our campus. We will continue to assess the necessary size of this force to achieve our goals. The University has a longstanding relationship with the NYPD. While we train and credential our internal security force, we will continue to rely on our relationship with the NYPD to provide additional security assistance when needed. We have also worked in close coordination with campus partners, including organizations such as Columbia/Barnard Hillel, to respond to emerging needs, strengthen communication, and ensure that Jewish students feel supported and secure. The University is committed to continuously improving the safety culture on campus.

By the Numbers

117 new full-time Public Safety officers hired in the past 16 months
24/7 vehicle and walking escort program
162-hour, New York State-approved training program for all Special Patrol Officers

Learn more about Columbia Public Safety

Office of Institutional Equity

Columbia recognizes its responsibility to prevent and diligently address reports of discrimination and discriminatory harassment against Jewish and Israeli students, faculty, and staff, as well as its obligation to respond fairly and firmly when University policy is violated. The Office of Institutional Equity is responsible for investigating complaints of discrimination and discriminatory harassment and seeks to ensure that reports are handled efficiently, while fairly treating those accused of prohibited conduct.

The University is committed to reviewing existing policies to address implementation challenges. We are continuously seeking to improve our disciplinary processes to reduce response times and inefficiencies so that Columbia’s policies and rules may be enforced more efficiently and effectively over time. The Office of Institutional Equity has adopted the definition of antisemitism recommended by Columbia’s Task Force on Antisemitism. It has also provided further clarity on how speech or conduct that otherwise would be in violation of our Anti-Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policy and Procedures for Students cannot be shielded by using code words such as “Zionist,” that, based on the circumstances, could be deemed to target a protected class or one or more of its members.

We recognize that we have more work to do and appreciate receiving feedback from members of our community.

By the Numbers

“One-click” method to file a complaint from all Columbia websites
57 full-time employees—including full-time professional investigators
2x increase in staff dedicated to handling complaints
35,727 faculty, staff, contractors, and other affiliates have completed the mandatory Title VI training
33,347 students (over 95% of our student body) have completed the mandatory Title VI training

Learn more about the Office of Institutional Equity

Anti-Doxing and Online Harassment Policy

In March 2025, the University announced a new Anti-Doxing and Online Harassment Policy. This policy applies to all members of the Columbia University community, including students, faculty, staff, and participants in University-affiliated groups, programs or activities, regardless of location. Under this policy, intimidating, threatening, targeting, or otherwise causing harm to any member of our community, including Jewish and Israeli students, faculty and staff, on social media are strictly prohibited. This includes harassing messages, threats, or insults; impersonation for malicious purposes; publicly sharing personal or private information; and encouraging harassment of others.

Clarifications of Rules and Guidelines on Demonstrations

The Rules of University Conduct balance the exercise of rights to free expression and the rights pertaining to the achievement of Columbia’s academic mission—to learn, teach, study, and engage in research. We are committed to providing clear and fair time, place, and manner parameters that will avoid disruption of academic activities. The University has clarified that protests in academic buildings, and other places necessary for the conduct of University activities, are generally not acceptable under the Rules of University Conduct because of the likelihood of disrupting academic activities. The Rules Administrator webpage is updated regularly with information and guidance regarding the implementation of University rules and guidelines.

Effective Identification Processes

Columbia recognizes that to implement our policies and rules, we must have the ability to identify individuals alleged to have violated them. The inability to identify such individuals threatens the integrity of our policies and rules and the safety of the Columbia community. To improve the University’s ability to ensure non-affiliates do not disrupt academic activities and implement our policies and rules, the University has implemented new identification processes during demonstrations and protests. All individuals who engage in protests or demonstrations, including those who wear face masks or face coverings, must, when asked, present their University identification to the satisfaction of a University Delegate or Public Safety officer. Individuals who fail to comply with these policies will be subject to discipline, being escorted off campus, and detention for trespass where appropriate.

We have already applied these new identification processes in connection with the Butler Library disruption on May 7, 2025. Individuals participating in the Reading Room 301 disruption were repeatedly asked for identification and to leave, and were repeatedly told that failure to comply would result in violations of our rules and policies and possible arrest for trespassing. We have been clear from the outset about applying our protocols and advising participants of the potential consequences of not complying. Disruptions to our academic activities will not be tolerated and are violations of our rules and policies.

Advancing Our Work to Secure Our Future

We have worked hard to address the legitimate concerns raised both from within and outside our Columbia community, including by our regulators, with respect to discrimination, harassment, and antisemitic acts our Jewish community has faced since October 7, 2023.

In response to a letter from the General Services Administration, Department of Education, and Health and Human Services, on March 21, 2025, Columbia announced several additional actions.

Acting President Claire Shipman and her team have focused on grounding all actions in our mission, principles, and values. These include academic freedom and free expression, open inquiry, and respect for all.

Read Columbia’s full response

Advancing Columbia University’s Work to Combat Antisemitism