News | Administration

Columbia has appointed three woman presidents in two years. Experts vary on whether there is a ‘glass cliff’ in the University’s highest office.

The “glass cliff” theory, coined by psychology researchers in the 2000s, posits that women are pulled up to roles of leadership in moments of crisis and high risk of failure.

By Eva Vu-Stern / Staff Illustrator

Columbia’s presidential search committee hopes to have the 21st president take office no later than Jan. 1, 2026.

By Joseph Zuloaga • October 13, 2025 at 11:48 PM

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