Columbia University’s interim president has left her post, marking another change in leadership at the prestigious Ivy League school, which has faced intense scrutiny from the Trump administration over pro-Palestinian protests.

Katrina Armstrong will be succeeded by Claire Shipman, who co-chairs the university’s board of trustees, as the new acting president right away, the university announced on Friday. This is Columbia’s third president since August, when Minouche Shafik stepped down amidst intense examination of her response to demonstrations.

Armstrong’s abrupt exit comes a week after the university yielded to pressure from the Trump administration, following the withdrawal of $400 million in federal funding. President Trump and other critics have accused Columbia of inadequately addressing campus antisemitism, claiming it failed to effectively control protests, despite the university’s actions to arrest demonstrators and suspend pro-Palestinian student groups.

Columbia released a memo outlining its concessions to the Trump administration shortly before a government-set deadline. Included in the agreement were measures such as a ban on facemasks on campus, granting security officers the authority to remove or detain individuals, and assuming control of the department responsible for Middle East courses from the faculty.

The most disputed of the nine demands required Columbia to place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department under new oversight. The new senior vice-provost appointed would review the school’s offerings to ensure they are “comprehensive and balanced”.

This demand raised concerns among professors at Columbia and beyond, who feared allowing the federal government to dictate how a department is run would set a dangerous precedent. Civil rights advocates viewed it as an infringement on free speech.

Armstrong will continue at Columbia, leading the university’s Irving Medical Center. Shipman will serve as acting president while the board searches for a permanent replacement.

Shipman, who has been co-chair of the board of trustees since 2023 and a board member since 2013, is herself a journalist and author with two degrees from Columbia. “I take on this role with a full understanding of the significant challenges ahead and an unwavering commitment to act with urgency, integrity, and to work alongside our faculty to fulfill our mission, implement necessary reforms, protect our students, and defend academic freedom and open inquiry,” Shipman stated.

The news of Armstrong’s departure coincided with reports in the Harvard Crimson and the New York Times indicating the departure of two leaders at Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Sources within the faculty hinted at these moves, but the university has not commented on the reports. Like Columbia, Harvard is also grappling with pressures from the Trump administration over allegations it has not effectively addressed antisemitism.

This week, the Trump administration has also intensified efforts to deport visa or green-card holding students connected with pro-Palestinian demonstrations from campuses nationwide.

Reuters contributed to this report