By Douglas Belkin and Liz Essley Whyte
Katrina Armstrong is stepping down as interim president of Columbia University, according to people familiar with the matter.
Armstrong has come under pressure amid a high-profile battle with the Trump administration over Columbia's federal funding.
The university board's co-chair, Claire Shipman, was named acting president. Armstrong is returning to lead the school's Irving Medical Center.
Trump has targeted the Ivy League school in his bid to rid elite campuses of what he views as left-wing ideology. Earlier this month, the administration canceled $400 million in federal grants and contracts over campus antisemitism concerns. It laid out a list of demands for the school to meet as a precondition to begin formal talks about restoring the money.
Last week, the school reached an agreement with the administration that included restricting masks, empowering campus police and appointing a senior vice provost with broad authority to oversee the department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies.
Over the weekend, Armstrong held meetings with anxious faculty about the deal. Some faculty said they were concerned that Armstrong was playing down the changes, and presenting mixed messages. The Trump administration pushed her to clarify her position and on Tuesday she issued a statement.
Write to Douglas Belkin at Doug.Belkin@wsj.com and Liz Essley Whyte at liz.whyte@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 28, 2025 20:13 ET (00:13 GMT)
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