Columbia University Appoints New President
Columbia University has announced that a new president will take office starting July 2026. The Board of Trustees has selected Jennifer L. Mnookin, who currently serves as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is widely recognized as a leading legal scholar.
The university’s announcement highlighted that the decision followed a thorough national search. This search involved input from various stakeholders in the Columbia community, including students, faculty, alumni, and staff.
Before her role at Wisconsin-Madison, Mnookin spent 17 years as dean at the UCLA School of Law. Her career also includes positions as a law professor at the University of Virginia and as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School.
Mnookin aims to elevate the university’s research and teaching standards, as noted on her bio page. She has previously expressed concerns regarding the focus on diversity in higher education, suggesting that universities often prioritize identity diversity over diversity of thought.
In a discussion with the New York Times, she remarked, “I think many, but not all, universities at one point emphasized identity diversity at the expense of differing viewpoints.” She cautioned about the pendulum swinging too far in one direction and advocated for universities being spaces where diverse ideas collide, even if they are discomforting at times.
In early 2025, she announced plans to transfer the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement into the Department of Teaching and Learning.
During her time at UCLA, Mnookin publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement and recognized the legal system’s role in perpetuating institutional racism. Her statements highlight a desire to confront these issues head-on, emphasizing the need to address the complexities of racism within the legal framework.
Interestingly, Mnookin has a history of political donations, contributing to Democratic candidates like Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton.
Robin Vos, the Republican Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, acknowledged Mnookin’s contributions to Wisconsin-Madison, emphasizing her efforts to promote free speech on campus and disband the DEI department.
Her upcoming appointment occurs amidst ongoing federal scrutiny facing Columbia University. This follows a settlement concerning allegations of discriminatory practices against Jewish faculty members, particularly in light of events related to the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Mnookin has yet to comment publicly on these developments.
