Columbia University is facing calls for tuition refunds following its response to anti-Israel protests that have roiled the posh private Ivy League institution since last week.
The university has struggled to contain the protests that have led to numerous arrests on its New York campus since Thursday. Following a day of remote classes Monday, Columbia Provost Angela Olinto wrote in a memo to students and faculty that night the university will be moving to remote learning for the rest of the spring semester.
"Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students' learning and all the required academic operations," Olinto wrote. "It's vital that teaching and learning continue during this time."
Tuition for undergraduates at Columbia for the 2023-24 school year was $68,400, according to the university's website, plus approximately $21,187 for housing, food, books, and student fees.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee called for tuition refunds in a post Monday on X, especially given that Israel-born Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at Columbia Business School who has been a vocal critic of the administration's response to the student protests, was barred from campus Monday after he tried to lead a pro-Jewish rally at the college.
"Let's get this straight – Jewish prof at Columbia is denied access to campus so violent and vile Jew-hating anarchists are allowed to roam around spewing genocidal chants," Huckabee wrote. "If a parent has a child at Columbia, they should demand a refund and then sue for breach of contract."
Republican New York Councilwoman Inna Vernikov echoed Huckabee's sentiments in a post Monday on X.
"A degree from @Columbia today is not worth more than a roll of toilet paper," Vernikov, who is Jewish, wrote. "Parents: definitely demand a refund & compensation!"
Michael D'Agostino, 22, a junior at Columbia, told the New York Post the hybrid classes were frustrating given "the amount we pay to be at this school to learn from these amazing faculties and professors."
"I'm studying applied physics and applied math and those are classes I really benefit from being in-person," D'Agostino said. "I went through COVID and all that when we were online for about a year, and it really disrupted our education.
"I really think it's disheartening to see how our education is being punished as a result of this. I think it's really sad."