Post #4
Reading Between the Lines: Shipman’s July 15, 2025 letter Our additional Commitments to Combatting Antisemitism
by The Specter Editorial Staff
Dear members of the Columbia community,
As we look ahead to the fall semester, I’ve been reflecting deeply on how to build a community that feels civil, tolerant, and above all, compliant enough to keep our grants.
We believe Columbia should be a place where all ideas are welcome—unless they make anyone in Washington or on the Board of Trustees feel nervous. A place where “different viewpoints” can be “shared respectfully,” preferably only after passing through multiple legal filters and a sensitivity rubric.
Let me be clear: the pressure we’re under from the federal government has not caused these policy changes. No—these changes are the fruit of our own introspection and moral courage, which just happen to align perfectly with the political demands of our funders. Any resemblance to external coercion is purely coincidental and legally unprovable.
Introducing the IHRA Clause (Now with Real Enforcement!)
As of today, we are proud to formally incorporate the IHRA definition of antisemitism into our anti-discrimination policies. While we already had an “educational” definition, this new, upgraded version is now installed directly into the Office of Institutional Equity—a move we believe will foster “intellectual vibrancy,” by reminding everyone which forms of speech are no longer protected.
This definition will now guide how we determine discriminatory intent, especially if your syllabi, protest signs, or spoken thoughts align too closely with ideas deemed inconvenient to certain global partners. It’s just one more way we’re building a more respectful, surveillance-enabled campus.
Title VI + Title VII Coordinators: Your New Thought Partners
We are hiring new coordinators to help streamline the process of complaint review and punishment—I mean, resolution. These professionals will write reports, track intent, and support a zero-tolerance culture of tolerance. Their job will be to respond swiftly and professionally to any future crises that threaten Columbia’s moral or financial security.
Zero Tolerance (Unless You’re CUAD)
Let’s be direct: Columbia will not recognize or engage with the student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) or its affiliates. Not because we’re censoring political viewpoints—but because we’re elevating dialogue. And nothing elevates dialogue like banning participants.
This is part of our new “Zero Tolerance for Antisemitism and Hate” campaign, which will be featured in monthly community emails, digital signage, and possibly in your onboarding paperwork. It’s like “Speak Up,” but for silence.
A New Era of Training, Powered by Partnerships
Over the coming months, all students, faculty, and staff will undergo enhanced antisemitism education, brought to you in collaboration with:
Project Shema
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism
Kalaniyot
Possibly Yad Vashem
And, just for optics, Interfaith America and StoryCorps
These trainings will help ensure that your language, thoughts, and affect remain within the boundaries of civil engagement, as defined by federal policy guidance and external consultants.
Moving Forward, Toward Healing (and Donor Confidence)
This moment is not the end of our journey. We know antisemitism didn’t start with the protests last year—it just became politically actionable then. We are committed to long-term change, especially if that change allows us to keep funding streams open while asserting the moral high ground.
I am grateful to those who offered “constructive and critical ideas,” as long as those ideas did not question our premises, funding decisions, or priorities. Your concern has been heard, reshaped, and translated into a set of HR-compliant bullet points.
With deep administrative humility,
Claire Shipman
Acting President, Columbia University in the City of Precedent
