Columbia University’s Task Force on Antisemitism reported on August 30 that the institution had not succeeded in fostering an atmosphere of civility, respect, and fairness for Jewish and Israeli students. The task force engaged in listening sessions with nearly 500 students from Columbia, Barnard College, and Teachers College. Drawing from the experiences shared by these students, the group proposed recommendations aimed at “rectifying inadequate administrative systems, enhancing the campus climate, and fostering consensus for a more inclusive and pluralistic university.”
“The problems we found are serious and pervasive. We recognize that the University is not monolithic, and the environment at some schools is especially challenging. A wide range of responses is needed—indeed, a broader range than we discuss in this report (which focuses on training, defining antisemitism, reporting, and rules for student groups) and in our last report (which focused on the rules governing protests). We do not want to give the impression that the recommendations here are all that is required. We will address other issues in future reports,” the task force concluded.
See the Executive Summary of Report #2: Task Force on Antisemitism.
Among the recommendations are the implementation of antibias and inclusion training for students, staff, and those in student-facing roles; an evaluation of the reporting mechanisms for incidents of exclusion, harassment, and bias; and the revision of policies to ensure that student organizations align with the university’s pluralistic mission and adhere to anti-discrimination laws.
“Intifada, intifada, long live the intifada!” @Columbia has two choices:
(1) Expel organizations that explicitly call for violence against Jews and Israelis
(2) Show the world it can’t/won’t enforce its own rules (and face legal consequences for unequal enforcement) https://t.co/Tuet5lxK7G pic.twitter.com/DDN3CrqSHQ
— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) December 11, 2023
The task force began its report saying, “The demonstrations that roiled our campuses during the past academic year uncovered deep disagreements about the mission of our university. During those months, consensus around the University’s formal rules and informal norms of behavior broke down, interfering with our charge to educate students and engage in research.”
According to the task force, “After October 7, many Jewish and Israeli students began to report multiple instances of harassment, verbal abuse, and ostracism, and in some cases physical violence. Given the volume of these reports, the Task Force invited all students—not just Jewish and Israeli students—to tell us their stories. Over the course of the spring, nearly five hundred students offered testimonials, at over 20 listening sessions, which provided invaluable insights into the campus climate during these troubled times. These student stories are heartbreaking, and make clear that the University has an obligation to act.”
“Students also reported that their efforts to seek redress from the University for the hostility and bigotry they were encountering were often unsuccessful. Many students did not understand how to report these incidents. Although some faculty and staff responded with compassion and determination, others minimized the concerns of these students, reacting sluggishly and ineffectively even to the most clear-cut violations. Even students who had successfully reported an incident spoke of a recurring lack of enforcement of existing University rules and policies,” the report continued.
“Antisemitism is prejudice, discrimination, hate, or violence directed at Jews, including Jewish Israelis. Antisemitism can manifest in a range of ways, including as ethnic slurs, epithets, and caricatures; stereotypes; antisemitic tropes and symbols; Holocaust denial; targeting Jews or Israelis for violence or celebrating violence against them; exclusion or discrimination based on Jewish identity or ancestry or real or perceived ties to Israel; and certain double standards applied to Israel,” the report says, urging:
“We call attention to the need to train teaching assistants (TAs) in sensitivity to bias, exclusion, and antisemitism. Currently, the online course required for all Columbia TAs, available through the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) website, lacks guidelines on diversity, inclusion, and bias. TAs need guidance on how to respond to classroom scenarios that stray into discrimination and bias; currently, they are told that no single best practice exists. We recommend giving attention to topics related to race, religion, and national origin in all their complexity. We point to several excellent models offered by other universities in guiding TAs and first-time instructors.”
