Shafik drew criticism over her handling of protests that rocked the university campus earlier this year.
Minouche Shafik, the president of Columbia University, has announced her resignation after a tumultuous year marked by tensions with staff and students over her handling of campus protests against the Gaza war.
The university announced her departure in a statement on its website on Wednesday.
“This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community,” Shafik wrote in a letter to the university’s staff and students. “It has also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community.”
David Greenberg and Claire Shipman, co-chairs of the university’s Board of Trustees, said they understood and respected her decision.