Dear members of the Columbia community:
I am writing to you as the Chair of the Board of Trustees to provide further context to the announcement of Claire Shipman as Acting President of Columbia University.
Claire comes to this position after serving as a trustee for almost 12 years and as my co-chair of the Board of Trustees since 2023. She has a relationship with, and a commitment to, Columbia that goes back more than 40 years—as both an undergraduate and graduate student, a volunteer leader, a trustee, and a friend and mentor to so many on campus.
Claire has also been deeply involved in every aspect of Columbia’s response to the extraordinary events of the past several years. Her knowledge of our mission and priorities is unmatched, which is why the Board is both grateful and inspired that she agreed to serve as Acting President.
To be clear, this is a temporary appointment pending the completion of a search for the next President of Columbia University. That search process will be run by a search committee including trustees and faculty, will be thorough, and will include input from all parts of the Columbia community. Over the coming weeks, we will provide more details to the campus about the search process, the membership of the committee, and how the committee will engage the Columbia community.
On behalf of my colleagues on the Board, I thank you for your support as we continue to secure Columbia’s future.
Very truly yours,
David J. Greenwald
Chair, on behalf of the Trustees of Columbia University