Columbia University cancels in-person classes for remainder of semester after pro-Hamas protesters take over campus

Columbia University recently announced that it will no longer hold in-person classes at its main campus for the remainder of the school semester due to the unruly pro-Hamas activists who have taken over the property.

Provost Angela Olinto wrote a notice to students and faculty Monday evening explaining that the university's Morningside main campus will switch all courses to "hybrid — classroom technology permitting — until the end of each school's Spring 2024 semester."

She noted a "carveout" for the campus' arts and practice-based programs, noting that those courses would be "in-person with generous accommodations supported by school deans and staff."

The university's Medical Center and Manhattanville campuses will continue to hold in-person courses, but it will "grant accommodations based on religious reasons."

"All faculty whose classrooms are located on the main Morningside campus and equipped with hybrid capabilities should enable them to provide virtual learning options to students who need such a learning modality," Olinto wrote. "Faculty in other classrooms or teaching spaces that do not have capabilities for offering hybrid options should hold classes remotely if there are student requests for virtual participation. If the class does not permit adapting to the remote offering format, we encourage faculty to provide other accommodations liberally to students who have requested support for virtual learning this week."

The notice encouraged its administrative officers and support staff to work from home. Olinto stated that "safety" is the university's "highest priority."

Some students and parents were frustrated by Columbia's announcement and demanded that their nearly $70,000 per year tuition be refunded, the New York Post reported.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) encouraged parents to "demand a refund and then sue for breach of contract."

Michael D'Agostino, a 22-year-old junior, said, "I'm studying applied physics and applied math and those are classes I really benefit from being in-person. I went through COVID and all that when we were online for about a year and it really disrupted our education."

"I really think it's disheartening to see how our education is being punished as a result of this," he added, referring to the disruptive and volatile week-long protests.

Blaze News previously reported that Shai Davidai, an Israel-born Jewish assistant professor at Columbia Business School, had his school identification card deactivated on Monday, preventing him from accessing the university's main campus. He stated that the school told him it stopped him from entering the school grounds because it could not guarantee his safety amid the ongoing anti-Israel protests.

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