Columbia begins suspending students who don't leave campus encampment

NEW YORK – Columbia University began suspending students as part of its next phase of efforts to ensure campus safety, a university spokesperson said Monday evening in a statement.

According to the statement, suspended students will be ineligible to complete the semester or graduate and will be restricted from all academic, recreational and residential spaces.

On Monday morning, students in the encampment were made aware they had until 2 p.m. to leave it.

Protesters were informed that their participation in the encampment violates numerous university policies, the statement said.

"Good faith" dialogue

University representatives engaged in “good faith” dialogue with the encampment organizers and maintained that dialogue as long as possible, it said.

“We were hopeful. And we were disappointed when the student protesters could not reach consensus on the issues under discussion,” the statement said.

Students who agreed to leave the encampment and sign a form that they would abide by university policies will be permitted to finish the semester, according to the statement.

It expressed the university’s desire to not deprive the graduating class the opportunity to hold a graduation ceremony.

The University Senate and the Office of University Life/Student Conduct are charged with holding hearings and determining punishment, the statement said.

“We are committed to making Columbia safe for everyone, and we want members of our Jewish community to feel safe, welcome, and valued,” it said.

“The encampment has created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning, and preparing for final exams of our professors and students.”