Live updates – Columbia sets deadline for Gaza protesters to leave campus

On Monday morning, university president Nemat “Minouche” Shafik revealed in a statement that “since Wednesday, a small group of academic leaders has been in constructive dialogues with student organisers to find a path that would result in the dismantling of the encampment”.

“Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement,” she said.

At the weekend, the school denied rumours of “an impending lockdown or evictions on campus” and told students it had no plans to bring back police “at this time”.

But in a new letter circulated to encampment organisers, the school warned it “will need to initiate disciplinary procedures because of a number of violations of university policies”.

Students were instructed that, if they voluntarily leave the protest and sign a form accepting “an Alternative Resolution” by 1400 local time, they will be allowed to complete their semesters.

Those who do not will be unable to close out the semester and will be temporarily barred from campus, with those scheduled to graduate no longer eligible to do so.