Columbia Daily Spectator

“It appears our leaders are in denial regarding Columbia’s true need for internal soul-searching,” the co-chairs of Columbia Aryeh and the president of Columbia Students Supporting Israel write. “It is time for President Shafik to be a leader who leads.”

This week on The Scoop: Spectator’s top stories from the past two weeks, including the removal of three Columbia administrators, the Student Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers’ endorsement of the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement, and an update on Barnard disciplinary hearings.

Raising Cane’s plans to open a new location in fall 2025 at 2850 Broadway, the previous site of the beloved Mel’s Burger Bar, a spokesperson for the chain confirmed to Spectator on Monday. Construction will begin in early 2025.

Columbia has appointed an ad hoc faculty committee to consider questions about research funded by the fossil fuel industry, the University announced in a Tuesday news release. The committee is expected to produce a report of its findings by fall 2025.

Columbia ranked No. 9 in the U.S. News and World Report 2024-25 Best Global Universities Rankings, falling slightly from its No. 7 spot in the 2022-23 rankings, according to data released last month. There were no 2023-24 rankings.

Members of the Columbia community expressed collective disappointment following the first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Biden’s debate performance has led to panic among Democrats and calls for a new nominee.

UPDATE: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said in a statement to Spectator through a House Committee on Education and the Workforce spokesperson that the removals are “not enough” and Columbia is “far from off the hook.”

UPDATE: Columbia will “launch a vigorous program of antisemitism and antidiscrimination training for faculty and staff” this fall and share more information on the new programming throughout the summer.

BREAKING: Three administrators have been “permanently removed” from their positions for their involvement in a controversial text exchange during a May panel on Jewish life at Columbia, University President Minouche Shafik and University Provost Angela Olinto announced Monday morning, denouncing the texts as playing into “ancient antisemitic tropes.”

Sewell Chan is set to begin his tenure as executive editor of the Columbia Journalism Review this fall, having been appointed after a lengthy search process, and spoke to Spectator about his vision for the publication.