Columbia University transitions to hybrid learning structure, as persistent pro-Palestinian protests continue.
Student encampments demanding divestment from companies involved in Israel's occupation of Palestinian land and conflicts in Gaza have been established at multiple universities across the United States. In the past 24 hours, these encampments have mushroomed at universities across the country, with at least 27 institutions affected.
The universities affected include MIT, Tufts, and Emerson in Boston, NYU and The New School in New York City, Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, Yale University in Connecticut, UC-Berkeley, The University of Michigan, Washington University in St Louis, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In response to these protests, many universities have announced that all classes will be hybrid for the rest of the academic semester. This includes Columbia University, where pro-Palestinian students have been protesting and their actions have led to a major victory as the university has moved to a hybrid learning format.
At Columbia University, the response to pro-Palestinian protests has been forceful. In June 2025, following student demonstrations perceived by the administration as disruptive and linked to antisemitism, Columbia's acting president requested NYPD intervention to ensure campus safety. This resulted in the arrest of around 80 students protesting inside the Butler Library, with a strong police presence maintained on campus.
NYU has also been involved in this broader campus climate, although specific details about its direct actions were not elaborated. Given its close proximity and connection to Columbia, NYU has similarly been part of the atmosphere where protests and university responses have become highly contentious.
However, not all universities have responded with force. At Columbia University, faculty whose classrooms are equipped with hybrid capabilities are expected to provide virtual learning options to students who need them. Faculty without hybrid capabilities should hold classes remotely if there are student requests for virtual participation.
At NYU, hundreds of police stormed an encampment in support of Palestinians in Gaza while some Muslim students were praying, arresting over 128 demonstrators and at least a dozen faculty members. This incident has sparked widespread criticism and calls for corrective action, with major donors such as Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, withholding donations due to a lack of confidence in the university's ability to protect students and staff.
The pro-Palestinian protests not only demand solidarity with Palestine but also call on universities to divest from corporations linked to funding the conflict and to refocus on education over commercial interests. The war in Gaza has profoundly awakened a generation of students, altering their view of higher education and U.S. foreign policy, leading to sustained but more cautiously conducted activism following earlier crackdowns.
Some universities such as the University of Michigan have reportedly used undercover investigators to surveil pro-Palestinian protesters, indicating a broader pattern of institutional monitoring and control over these demonstrations.
Despite these challenges, the pro-Palestinian student movements continue to demand change and raise awareness about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The environment remains fraught, with heightened security measures, arrests, administrative penalties, and surveillance, illustrating a challenging landscape for student activism on this issue.
- The media has been extensively covering the pro-Palestinian protests that have sprung up at numerous universities across the United States, calling attention to the universities' involvement in the Middle East conflicts.
- The recent surge in protests, with 27 universities affected, has led to progressive changes in some institutions, such as Columbia University's shift to a hybrid learning format in response to student demands.
- Politics and education have become intertwined in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, with students advocating for more focus on education-and-self-development over commercial interests.
- News outlets have reported on allegations of surveillance and monitoring of pro-Palestinian protesters at some universities, raising concerns about theinfringement on students' rights to protest and freedom of speech.
- In the midst of this deeply contentious climate, protests and university responses have been highly debated in the general news, with major donors publicly criticizing some universities for their handling of the situation, such as NYU's handling of an incident involving the arrest of over 128 demonstrators.
