On Wednesday, embattled president of Columbia University Minouche Shafik resigned following a tenure that included unrest and discrimination on campus after anti-Israel activists established a Gaza camp and restricted the movement of students. She was the first woman to serve as president of the university and only began in the role  last year.  

The encampment was finally broken up after a month of assaults, building occupations, vandalism and even trapping staff in a building. The Ivy League university’s encampment began the trend of Gaza camps on campuses across the US.

In her resignation letter, Shafik claimed that under her leadership that the school had made “progress in a number of important areas” but acknowledged a “period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community.” She admitted in the letter that the unrest factored into her decision to resign.

Shafik wrote, “This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in the community. Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead.” In July, three deans resigned after being suspended when texts disparaging Jewish students who were being discriminated against by the activists were revealed.

Shafik was slammed by Republican lawmakers after a disastrous testimony before Congress about antisemitism on campus that pre-dated the encampment. Shafik stated in her letter that she plans to return to the United Kingdom to lead an effort by the foreign secretary’s office to review the government’s approach to international development.