Columbia University’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, has now confirmed that new campus regulations banning masks are indeed going into effect, addressing confusion that arose after reports surfaced claiming she told faculty the opposite, according to the New York Post.
“I regret any confusion and inconsistent statements and want to make sure our position is clear as we go forward,” Armstrong said Tuesday, clarifying the university’s stance.
“Let there be no confusion: I commit to seeing these changes implemented, with the full support of Columbia’s senior leadership team and the Board of Trustees,” she emphasized. “Any suggestion that these measures are illusory, or lack my personal support, is unequivocally false. These changes are real, and they are right for Columbia.”
Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported that in private discussions, Armstrong had allegedly assured faculty that despite an agreement with the federal government, the university would not enforce a ban on face coverings at demonstrations.
Last Friday, Armstrong outlined a number of significant policy shifts at Columbia, including new administrative oversight for the university’s Middle East studies programs, updated rules on campus protests and student disciplinary procedures, and a revised working definition of antisemitism.
Under the terms of the agreement, Columbia has committed to barring the use of masks on school grounds, empowering 36 campus security personnel with expanded arrest powers, and designating a senior vice provost to take a lead role in supervising the Department of Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies, in addition to the Center for Palestine Studies.
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