Columbia University and its sister school of Barnard College have been in the news quite a bit lately. The Trump administration is looking to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born pro-Hamas agitator, who was involved in various activities at Columbia and Barnard. Khalil led encampments at Columbia and participated in takeovers at Barnard, with his involvement at the latter school coming after he had already graduated. The Trump administration also announced last Friday that they were canceling $400 million in grants for Columbia. Now, the university is announcing some pretty strong disciplinarian actions against the agitators.
A campus wide alert was sent out on Thursday, according to ABC News, detailing how students could face suspensions, expulsions, and even revoked degrees:
Columbia University said students who occupied the campus' Hamilton Hall during pro-Palestinian protests last spring have been expelled, suspended for several years or had their degrees temporarily revoked.
The sanctions were issued by the Columbia University Judicial Board on Thursday, the school said.
"The outcomes issued by the UJB are based on its evaluation of the severity of behaviors at these events and prior disciplinary actions," the university said in a statement sent to the school community. "These outcomes are the result of following the thorough and rigorous processes laid out in the Rules of University Conduct in our statutes, which include investigations, hearings and deliberations."
The university did not say how many students were impacted by the sanctions.
"We will continue to work to support our community, including protecting the privacy of our students, during this challenging time and we remain steadfastly committed to our values and our mission," the school said.
While many in the mainstream media describe such activity as pro-Palestinian protests, the events from last spring involved pro-Hamas/anti-Israel encampments, as well as building takeovers and even holding campus workers hostage. The NYPD was eventually, after much delay, called in late last April.
As the ABC News report mentions, prosecutors ended up dismissing charges against agitators. Such is unfortunately hardly a shocking move coming from DA Alvin Bragg's office.
The Columbia X account also put out a brief statement about such determinations on Thursday, with the statement posted to their website. The website also makes clear that outsiders are not allowed on campus. The current level on campus is "I" for ID only with "CUID holders, alumni, and approved guests only" to be on campus.
"Today, the Columbia University Judicial Board determined findings and issued sanctions to students ranging from multi-year suspensions, temporary degree revocations, and expulsions related to the occupation of Hamilton Hall last spring. With respect to other events taking place last spring, the UJB’s determinations recognized previously imposed disciplinary action," the brief statement read. "The return of suspended students will be overseen by Columbia’s University Life Office. Columbia is committed to enforcing the University’s Rules and Policies and improving our disciplinary processes."
Columbia's decision has become a trending topic over X, with updates on Khalil having been a trending topic over X as well for several days since he was arrested last weekend.
March 13, 2025 University Statement Regarding UJB Determinations: https://t.co/C8Hn518ZId pic.twitter.com/dgr71AzMeX
— Columbia University (@Columbia) March 13, 2025