By West Side Rag
Columbia University has appointed Jennifer L. Mnookin, the current chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to serve as Columbia’s next president – the fourth person to hold that job since 2023.
Mnookin, 58, will assume responsibility for a university that is still grappling with political tensions over the conflict in Gaza; in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests, the once-open campus has been closed to outsiders for almost two years, requiring every visitor to get a special pass to enter. Tensions also remain over the university’s decision to pay $200 million to the federal government to restore academic research grants that had been withheld by the Trump administration.
Mnookin dealt with pro-Palestinian protests on the Madison campus in 2024 and at one point called in police to clear the protestors’ encampment, according to The New York Times. When students rebuilt their camp, though, she opened negotiations that eventually led to a peaceful ending of the encampment, the Times said.
“She is known as a thoughtful consensus builder who strives for excellence in every pursuit, bringing both vision and energy to the work of institutional leadership,” Columbia’s trustees said in a written statement announcing the appointment. In her own statement, Mnookin said she was “honored and thrilled to join Columbia University at this important moment.”
Mnookin will formally assume leadership of Columbia in July. Before serving as chancellor at Wisconsin, she was a faculty member and later dean of UCLA’s law school. She has degrees from Harvard, Yale Law School, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she received a PhD in history and social study of science and technology.
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Fortunately for her, there are no protests about the mass killings of peaceful Iranian protesters.
And the earlier protests were less about pro-Palestinian and more about anti-Israel.
Trump is Ok with protests in Iran (and on the US Capital.) The Columbia protests were always about freeing Gaza and Gaza independence and stopping the war.
Freeing Gaza from what?
From Hamas?
Factually incorrect. If they had been about freeing Gaza, protestors would have called for Hamas to surrender and return the hostages, which they never did.
Sorry, @Dan, I question if you were there.
I saw huge crowds of (mostly) young people of different religions and national origins calling for an end to ALL violence, ALL kidnappings, and releasing ALL hostages.
Perhaps there were some fringe protesters who weren’t calling for a full hostage release, but I sure didn’t see any.
Hamas returned hostages.
Furthermore, you don’t think Israel keeps Palestinian hostages? Has for decades.
Great choice.
A lifelong upper west sider and two time Columbia Grad, I don’t exactly understand why the University conflicts are more intense now leading to this turnover
They aren’t. There have no protests in two years (thanks to the gate closure.)
Can’t think of a worse job in the current environment, for a whole host of reasons.
Prezbo is proving to be a tough act to follow
Will she reopen the campus to the neighborhood?
I’d like the campus reopened, but I have to imagine it’s less likely under the current Mayor. Columbia would have to wonder whether it would have city support if it needed to clear protestors.
The city dwellers and Mamdani have to give some reassurance that they will not create disruptions on the campus again. When the gates closed, the disruptions stopped.
Open. The. Gates. Back. Up.
Why do people with absolutely no affiliation with Columbia need access to their campus? Are you going to pay to maintain it?
Universities also belong to the communities they are a part of and should be enjoyed by the community. I’ve given more in tax exemption over the decades to CU than those students pay in tuition. And practically speaking the campus takes up so many blocks the community deserves a cut through to get across.
Stop. Rioting. On. Campus.
The only things close to rioting on campus were attacks on protesters by Israel can do no wrong counter protesters and the NYPD, when it violently cleared an occupied hall.
In 30 years, those non-violent hall occupiers will be celebrated by Columbia.
Stop. Putting. Periods. After. Single. Words. Periods. Go. At. The. End. Of. Sentences.
This. Device. Turned. Silly. A. Long. Time. Ago. Please. Cut. It. Out.
Thank.
You.
You’re…..welcome.
Will free speech be returning to Columbia University?
Free speech with a small carve out for those who think “that’s offensive” is an actual argument.
Just open the gates! My family, going back to grandparents and forward to children are Columbia grads. We still live in the neighborhood and have significantly lowered our contributions this year. Enough is enough!
And Columbia needs to allow free speech, if it wants to be treated as a serious university in any regard.