World Projects, and the new Columbia Climate School (2020). A $5 billion university capital campaign was launched (with a $1.5B A&S target), major gifts like $50M for A&S's Uris Hall renovation were secured, and the endowment grew significantly ($14.35B by mid-2021).
The COVID-19 pandemic starting March 2020 prompted remote operations, hiring/salary freezes, budget cuts, substantial borrowing (~$700M cited), and unpopular retirement contribution cuts, intensifying financial pressures. Following accusations by Michael Thaddeus, a Columbia math professor, that Columbia submitted inaccurate data for college rankings, U.S. News removed the university from its 2022 list, and Columbia later announced it would no longer participate.
Beginning in fall 2023, protests at Columbia University regarding the Gaza war resulted in police action, student disciplinary measures, and a presidential resignation. The federal government then launched an investigation into antisemitism and threatened to withdraw funding, prompting …
