What's at stake Across the country, universities are under intensifying political pressure to suppress protest, narrow intellectual discourse, and align with authoritarian narratives. Higher education has long served as a vital space for critical thinking and dissent-a necessary counterweight to authoritarianism and the abuse of power. But that crucial role is possible only if universities support discourse that includes dissent and uphold their core values of inclusion, equity, and academic freedom consistently, not selectively.

‼️🚨WHAT’S AT STAKE: Higher ed “has long served as a necessary counterweight to authoritarianism…

But that crucial role is possible only if universities support discourse that includes dissent and uphold their core values of inclusion, equity, and academic freedom consistently, not selectively” (5/6)

Reframing the narrative on antisemitism at Columbia: What the data says In March, President Donald Trump’s administration abruptly terminated numerous federally funded scientific research projects at Columbia. According to personal correspondence with multiple Columbia Un...

Out today in the Columbia Spectator — faculty from CUIMC Stands Up & CU Faculty Alliance reframe the narrative about antisemitism at Columbia through an analysis of the HEALS data. Read it here ⬇️

www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2025...

Columbia Trustee Got Sued for Securities Fraud — Then Left Her Pharma Firm Under a Cloud Columbia trustee Shoshana Shendelman sold millions in stock as she was going back and forth with the FDA. Then the drug got rejected.

So far ~250 Columbia affiliates have signed a petition calling to remove Shoshana Shendelman from CU Board of Trustees + boards of CUIMC & VP&S: www.bit.ly/Remove-Trustee

After an FDA warning letter ‼️ she allegedly misled investors re: company prospects

Read more: theintercept.com/2025/05/27/c...

Still thinking about the official Columbia Medical Center @columbiamed.bsky.social X account posting about the “importance of collaboration” between pharma and Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) as if MAHA is a legit org and not a gov. committee & broader movement, both widely considered unscientific

Not to mention that MAHA also isn’t your typical community health org. It’s a politically charged initiative tied to RFK Jr., with a shaky scientific foundation and commercial interests. Columbia should be more transparent about who they’re using their platform to promote.

Screenshot of a X post from @ColumbiaMed: Obesity is a serious public health issue nationwide, affecting nearly 20% of children in the U.S. To effectively address this crisis, @columbiaps' Dr. Shoshana Shendelman stresses the importance of collaboration between the pharmaceutical industry and community organizations like Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) @: columbiamed.link/4eeUeFr

@columbiamed.bsky.social posted this on X? CUIMC has many obesity medicine docs, dietitians, etc. who study nutrition. Trustee Shoshana Shendelman isn’t one of them She’s been sued for fraud (hiding FDA concerns). Faculty have a petition to remove her from CU leadership: bit.ly/Remove-Trustee

Photo of Columbia contingent at NYC No Kings March with a large banner that says Columbians Against Kings. People are holding umbrellas and wearing rain ponchos. A sign in the front says “diversity = strength”

Columbians won’t tolerate kings — which is why we’re standing up AGAINST authoritarianism and FOR democratic values & shared governance at @columbiauniversity.bsky.social and in all levels of government!

CUIMC, join us! There’s an interest form linked on our website homepage: www.cuimcstandsup.org

Photo of Columbia contingent at NYC No Kings March with a large sign that says Columbians Against Kings. People are holding umbrellas and wearing rain ponchos. A t shirt in the front says Columbians Fighting Back over an upside down crown.

Columbians Against Kings! 🦁❌👑

We had such a vibrant Columbia contingent at the NYC No Kings March!! 💙✊

Columbia faculty and staff will continue standing up for our research, our teaching, and most crucially, our students!

📸: @ninaber.bsky.social

#NoKings #RiseUpHigherEd #HandsOffOurStudents

Sign In Defense of Shared Governance at Columbia University Initiated May 8, 2025 Dear Members of the Columbia University (faculty, staff, students, and alumni), The Columbia University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (CU-AAUP) exe...

‼️Action item for Columbia affiliates‼️

We urgently need to stand up for shared governance at Columbia!

Please sign our petition in support of CU-AAUP’s recommendations for moving forward — grounded in democratic values: bit.ly/cu-defend-sh...

LETTER: UNLV researcher laments cuts to federal grants I will not rewrite my research to exclude the communities who need this work most.

I will not rewrite my research to exclude the communities who need this work most. Science must reflect those it aims to serve. www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/lett...

“Kennedy simultaneously presumes the very existence of people who do live with these significant limitations should be “prevented” and assigns value only to productivity and independence. These perspectives are core tenets of eugenics.”

My latest on solidarity & RFK Jr. for Truthout:

“Many autistic self-advocates condemned these falsehoods by pointing to the reality that they themselves do pay taxes, write poetry, have been married for years, and much more…

But this argument fails to respond to the deeper problem…”

Image of protest with a speaker on the Columbia sundial surrounded by people holding protest posters.

Image of protest with a speaker sitting surrounded by people holding protest posters.

Image of protest with a speaker and a person holding a megaphone

Image of a group of people in regalia and white coats holding signs that say e.g. Columbia Fight Back.

Scenes from our demonstration today urging the Columbia Board of Trustees to protect our patients, students, research and teaching.

RIGHT NOW:

Columbia physicians, nurses, researchers, & faculty are calling on the Board of Trustees to resist the Trump admin’s assault on students, research, teaching, and patients.

@cuimcstandsup.bsky.social
@aaupcu.bsky.social

Image of full call to the board, a text document, summarized in the main post.

Our call to the Board in full detail is here.

We call on the Columbia University Board of Trustees to take the following steps:

1. Stand up for our higher ed! Propose & establish a Mutual Academic Defense Compact. This request is rooted in principles of academic freedom, institutional integrity, and the research enterprise.

TOMORROW AT 12:30PM: Join us on the Low Library steps as we call on Columbia and the Board of Trustees to resist the Trump administration's assault on our students, research, teaching and patients!

Flyer that says: CUIMC Stands Up Join Columbia physicians, nurses, researchers, and faculty as we call on our Board of Trustees to resist the Trump administration's assault on our students, our research, our teaching, and our patients. Monday, April 14th 12:30pm Low Library Steps

Join us on Monday as we call on Columbia and the Board of Trustees to resist the Trump administration's assault on our students, research, teaching and patients!
📍Low Library Steps
⏰ 12:30pm Monday April 14

Sign our petition: Take abortion out of the British criminal code We are calling on the Government to protect legal abortions in the UK for all time by taking abortion out of the Criminal Code

A petition from @humanists.uk to have #abortion decriminalised
"From 1861-2022 only 3 women had ever been prosecuted for terminating a pregnancy in the UK. In the past 2 years at least 6 women appeared in court."
humanists.uk/action/prote...

“America wants a country that benefits from advancing knowledge. We have to fight for that.”

—Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, MD, Professor of Developmental Neuropsychiatry @ Columbia University Irving Medical Center

#defendresearch
#defendscience
#defendhighered
@aaupcu.bsky.social
@aaup.bsky.social

Over 200 CUIMC medical, public health, and nursing researchers, clinical, support staff, and students took a stand in Haven Plaza Thursday March 27th. Standing up to Protect our Research, Protect our Students, Defend Science, Academic freedom and voicing the need for Columbia to Fight Back!!!

🚨 The NIH RIF plan is becoming more clear, sources say.

The consolidation of peer review is a blueprint for what is to come. Policy, grants management, budget, comms, admin staff will be hit hardest.

The end result: Each IC will have less autonomy and NIH director will have more direct control.