speech writing courses online

DPI-835M: Speechwriting

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Stephen Krupin

MaryRose Mazzola

What makes a speech persuasive and memorable – and how do you write one? How can storytelling help political, corporate, nonprofit, and community leaders achieve their goals? What is the role of the speech in our politics, policymaking, and international relations? This course will explore the techniques speechwriters and speakers use, from research to rhetoric, to shape messages that move people and change the world.

Each course in the DPI communications series assumes a fluency with the English language. Attendance at first class mandatory.

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Speech Writing: Find the Storyteller in You

A course by adebola rayo , storyteller.

Learn how to write and deliver speeches that resonate with listeners by exploring fundamental storytelling principles to address your audience

• 100% positive reviews ( 15 )
• 721 students
• English , Spanish , Portuguese , German , French , Italian , Polish , Dutch
• Information

“I believe that words are one of the best vehicles for sharing ideas.”

Storyteller Adebola Rayo Falade uses them to ghostwrite speeches and books for business and government leaders. She also founded the communication company Asterism, and has had her short stories and articles featured in publications like Lagos Noir .

In this online course, Adebola teaches you how to write speeches that resonate with an audience. Explore storytelling techniques to capture the hearts of listeners and communicate with confidence. All humans are storytellers. Discover the one inside you and learn

What will you learn in this online course?

13 lessons & 27 downloads

• 13 lessons (2h 38m)
• 27 additional resources (12 files)
• Online and at your own pace
• Available on the app
• Audio: English
• Level: Beginner
• Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Write a 500 to 1000-word speech that incorporates different storytelling techniques.

Who is this online course for?

This course is for anyone with an interest in writing powerful speeches to engage an audience.

Requirements and materials

Basic knowledge of grammar is recommended.

In terms of materials, you will need a notebook or the word-processing software of your choice.

Good course, informative and well organized.

alf.ferraro

Bellissimo corso. Consigliato :)

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Mi pasión... usar con altruismo mis palabras y mi redacción al comunicar, realmente empatizo con la necesidad de servir y producir cambios en muchas vidas, utilizando correctamente estas herramientas . Es extraordinariamente maravilloso el servicio de inspirar y transformar vidas... Muchas gracias. un servidor, Facilitador Segundo Pérez Caro

pablo_rivera

buen curso, muy didactico!

grupo_estratos

Excelente guía, me ayuda y aclara muchas inquietudes, como todo hay que practicar y este proceso que nos presenta Adebola me ayuda a ahorrar tiempo. gracias.

• More reviews

Adebola Rayo A course by Adebola Rayo

Adebola Rayo Falade is a professional storyteller and the co-owner of the communications company, Asterism. Encouraged by her father, she learned to think critically about stories, essays, and other forms of writing from a young age and knew she wanted to be a writer. She went on to complete a master’s in corporate and marketing communication from IE Business School in Madrid before working as a copy editor and later a speechwriter for the Governor of Lagos.

Since then, Adebola has put her expertise in writing, editing, and book consulting into the storytelling company she co-owns. Her short stories and articles have appeared in Lagos Noir , The Republic , and Lagos 2060 , among other publications.

Introduction

The bare bones of speeches.

• What Is a Speech?
• The Bare Bones: What Makes a Good Speech? 1
• The Bare Bones: What Makes a Good Speech? 2
• The Essentials
• Before You Write

The Stage Is Yours!

• Mapping Your Speech
• Alchemising: Writing Your Speech
• The Possibilities in Your Speech

After Writing

• Writing Is Rewriting
• Delivering a Good Speech
• Ghostwriting Speeches

Final project

What to expect from a domestika course, learn at your own pace.

Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

Learn from the best professionals

Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

Meet expert teachers

Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

Certificates Plus

If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

Get front-row seats

Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

Share knowledge and ideas

Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

Connect with a global creative community

The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

Watch professionally produced courses

Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

• Marketing & Business
• Communication
• Creative Writing
• Non-Fiction Writing
• Storytelling

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Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric.

Associated Schools

Harvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences

What you'll learn.

When and how to employ a variety of rhetorical devices in writing and speaking

How to differentiate between argument and rhetorical technique

How to write a persuasive opinion editorial and short speech

How to evaluate the strength of an argument

How to identify logical fallacies in arguments

Course description

We are living in a contentious time in history. Fundamental disagreements on critical political issues make it essential to learn how to make an argument and analyze the arguments of others. This ability will help you engage in civil discourse and make effective changes in society. Even outside the political sphere, conveying a convincing message can benefit you throughout your personal, public, and professional lives.

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Built around Harvard Professor James Engell’s on-campus course, “Elements of Rhetoric,” this course will help you analyze and apply rhetorical structure and style, appreciate the relevance of persuasive communication in your own life, and understand how to persuade and recognize when someone is trying to persuade you. You will be inspired to share your viewpoint and discover the most powerful ways to convince others to champion your cause. Join us to find your voice!

Course Outline

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• Define the term "rhetoric."
• Articulate the importance of effective communication.
• Summarize the history of rhetorical study, from the ancient Greeks to the modern-day.
• Identify the parts of discourse.
• Define the three modes of appeal.
• Identify tropes and schemes, and explain their use in composition.
• Compose an opinion editorial on a topic of your choice.

Civil Rights - Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Analyze Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream…” speech
• Define inductive reasoning and some of its associated topics
• Identify instances of inductive reasoning in writing and speech
• Define deductive reasoning and some of its associated topics
• Identify instances of deductive reasoning in writing and speech
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• Discuss the effectiveness of the use of symbolism in writing and speech.
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Instructors

James Engell

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The Art of Speechwriting

Archived Course

Facilitated e-learning

11 November 2019

United Nations Institute for Training and Research ( UN Partner )

Course details

This course gives you the essential principles of the art and craft of speechwriting.

Throughout history, the speech has been one of the most powerful forms of communication. Technological, social and economic changes have enhanced that power. As digital communication has increased, speeches have had to become more authentic and honest. This course gives you the essential principles of the art and craft of speechwriting. After first defining why speeches matter, the course looks at the three golden principles of speechwriting, before moving on to how to make the content memorable and engaging. It then focuses on honing the participants writing and editing skills with specific exercises on hooking your audience and crafting media sound bites and quotes. Finally, it examines how to deliver a speech with confidence and conviction.      

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• Identify the elements of a good speech as well as the 3 golden principles;
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Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

Gain critical communication skills.

This Harvard online course introduces learners to the art of persuasive writing and speaking and teaches how to construct and defend compelling arguments.

What You'll Learn

We are living in a contentious time in history. Fundamental disagreements on critical political issues make it essential to learn how to make an argument and analyze the arguments of others. This ability will help you engage in civil discourse and make effective changes in society. Even outside the political sphere, conveying a convincing message can benefit you throughout your personal, public, and professional lives.

We will be using selected addresses from prominent twentieth-century Americans—including Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Margaret Chase Smith, Ronald Reagan, and more—to explore and analyze rhetorical structure and style. Through this analysis, you will learn how speakers and writers persuade an audience to adopt their point of view.

Built around Harvard Professor James Engell’s on-campus course, “Elements of Rhetoric,” this course will help you analyze and apply rhetorical structure and style, appreciate the relevance of persuasive communication in your own life, and understand how to persuade and recognize when someone is trying to persuade you. You will be inspired to share your viewpoint and discover the most powerful ways to convince others to champion your cause. Join us to find your voice!

The course will be delivered via  edX  and connect learners around the world. By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• When and how to employ a variety of rhetorical devices in writing and speaking
• How to differentiate between argument and rhetorical technique
• How to write a persuasive opinion editorial and short speech
• How to evaluate the strength of an argument
• How to identify logical fallacies in arguments

Course Outline

• Define the term "rhetoric."
• Articulate the importance of effective communication
• Summarize the history of rhetorical study, from the ancient Greeks to the modern-day
• Identify the parts of discourse
• Define the three modes of appeal
• Identify tropes and schemes, and explain their use in composition
• Compose an opinion editorial on a topic of your choice
• Analyze Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream…” speech
• Define inductive reasoning and some of its associated topics
• Identify instances of inductive reasoning in writing and speech
• Define deductive reasoning and some of its associated topics
• Identify instances of deductive reasoning in writing and speech
• Recognize and evaluate the strength of an argument's refutation
• Apply the elements of rhetoric you have learned so far into the final draft of your op-ed
• Analyze Sarah Brady’s Democratic National Convention Keynote Speech
• Analyze Charlton Heston’s speech on the Second Amendment
• Define “inductive reasoning” and some of its associated topics
• Define “deductive reasoning” and some of its associated topics
• Recognize and evaluate the strength of an argument’s refutation
• Apply the elements of rhetoric you have learned so far in the final draft of your op-ed
• Describe the origins of the practice of oratory
• Recognize ways in which orators tailor their writing for the spoken word
• Describe techniques for effective public speaking, both prepared and extemporaneous
• Brainstorm ideas for your own short speech
• Analyze Joseph McCarthy’s “Enemies Within” speech
• Analyze Margaret Chase Smith’s "A Declaration of Conscience" speech
• Identify the modes of appeal and the logical reasoning of the featured speeches
• Identify both common and special topics used in these speeches, like cause and effect, testimony, justice and injustice, and comparison, and begin to recognize their use in other speeches
• Identify examples from these speeches of logical fallacies including the either/or fallacy, the fallacy of affirming the consequent, the argument ad hominem, the argument ad populum, begging the question, the complex question, and the use of imprecise language
• Discuss the importance of winning and keeping an audience’s trust and the pros and cons of attempting to tear down their confidence in an opponent
• Define for yourself the definition of "extremist rhetoric," debate its use as a political tool
• Consider the moral responsibilities of those who would seek to persuade others through language
• Discuss how the audience and the desired tone for a speech can influence diction (word choice)
• Compare the effects of using passive vs. active voice, and first-person vs. other tenses in a speech
• Discuss the effectiveness of the use of symbolism in writing and speech
• Define hyperbole, antimetabole, and polysyndeton, and identify when these devices might be appropriate and useful in terms of persuasion
• Describe techniques for connecting with your audience, including storytelling and drawing on shared experience

Your Instructor

James Engell  is Gurney Professor of English and Professor of Comparative Literature, also a member of the Committee on the Study of Religion, and a faculty associate of the Harvard University Center for the Environment.  He has also directed dissertations in American Studies, as well as Romance Languages & Literatures (French).

Education:   B.A. 1973, Ph.D. 1978 Harvard

Interests:  Romantic, Eighteenth-Century, and Restoration British Literature; Comparative Romanticism; Criticism and Critical Theory; Rhetoric; Environmental Studies; History and Economics of Higher Education

Selected Works:   The Call of Classical Literature in the Romantic Age  (2017, ed. with K. P. Van Anglen) and contributor, "The Other Classic: Hebrew Shapes British and American Literature and Culture."  William Wordsworth's  Prelude  (1805), edited from the manuscripts and fully illustrated in color (2016, ed. with Michael D. Raymond).   Environment: An Interdisciplinary Anthology  (2008, ed. with Adelson, Ranalli, and Van Anglen).   Saving Higher Education in the Age of Money  (2005, with Anthony Dangerfield).   The Committed Word: Literature and Public Values  (1999).   Coleridge: The Early Family Letters  (1994, ed.).   Forming the Critical Mind  (1989).   Johnson and His Age  (1984, ed. and contributor).   Biographia Literaria  for the  Collected Coleridge  (1983, ed. with W. Jackson Bate).   The Creative Imagination:  Enlightenment to Romanticism  (1981).

Ways to take this course

When you enroll in this course, you will have the option of pursuing a Verified Certificate or Auditing the Course.

A Verified Certificate costs $209 and provides unlimited access to full course materials, activities, tests, and forums. At the end of the course, learners who earn a passing grade can receive a certificate. 

Alternatively, learners can Audit the course for free and have access to select course material, activities, tests, and forums.  Please note that this track does not offer a certificate for learners who earn a passing grade.

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SPEECH WRITING COURSE

This course teaches you the building blocks of good speech writing and gives you a step-by-step guide to write great speeches.

You’ve been invited to give a speech. What do you do next?

The answer is this speech writing course.

You are a CEO, senior executive, politician, academic, leader in your field or aspiring keynote speaker. You’ve been invited to give a big speech. You say, ‘yes’. You have something important to say and you want to make a big impact on the audience. You want to deliver a speech that inspires and motivates — that helps people imagine new possibilities or understand new ideas. But how do you write a speech like that if you have never written a speech before?

You can learn from me.

I’ve written speeches for two Australian Prime Ministers, other Government Ministers, high-profile Government leaders, CEOs and keynote speakers. I’m passionate about helping other people write better speeches.

I’ve distilled all my speech writing experience and expertise into an online speechwriting course — The Speech Writing System. It teaches you the building blocks of good speech writing and gives you a step-by-step process to write great speeches.

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to write speeches with confidence and get your message heard.

This speech writing course is also perfect for new speechwriters or anyone else wanting to master the art and science of good speech writing.

THE SPEECH WRITING SYSTEM

4.5+ Hours of Video Lessons

Tools & Checklists

Examples from Famous Speeches

Exercises to Cement Your Learning

A Comprehensive Process to Write Speeches from Start to Finish

$297 incl. GST (AUD)

Sign up today and learn how to write great speeches that resonate with your audience or book in a discovery call to find out if this course if right for you.

The Speech Writing System

The Speech Writing System is an online speech writing course. It teaches you the building blocks of good speech writing and gives you a step-by-step guide to write great speeches. It is the perfect course for new speech writers or people who have been asked to give a speech and want to make a big impact on the audience.

What You’ll Get with this Speech Writing Course

I’ll give you a step-by-step process to help you write great speeches, from planning your speech to the final edit.

Across 10 modules, and more than 4.5 hours of video lessons, I’ll share with you my speechwriting tips and tricks.

I’ll share examples from famous speeches and tell you what makes them so great, so you too can write great speeches.

There is opportunity for you to complete exercises and cement your learning.

You’ll get templates and checklists that you can download and use to write great speeches.

12 Months of Access

You’ll have an entire 12 months to access and complete the course.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this speech writing course, you’ll understand:

• How to write a speech that makes a lasting impact on the audience.
• How to articulate that key message that guides your speech from start to finish.
• What you need to know about the audience.
• The different types of research, including stories and statistics, and how to strategically use them in your speech.
• The art of speechwriting and how to structure your speech for maximum impact.
• Techniques to hook the audience with the opening of your speech and write a killer conclusion.
• How to use writing devices to supercharge your writing style and take your speeches to that next level.
• How to review your speech, revisit it, rewrite it — make it better.
• And how to deliver your speech with passion and authority.

Nicole distils a LOT of speechwriting expertise into this speechwriting course. This crash course is great for anyone looking to learn the fundamentals of speechwriting, or to improve their existing speechwriting and communication knowledge.

Speechwriter

Speech Writing Course Modules

Module 1: Learn how to influence others

In its most simplistic definition, influencing is having an effect on others — and every speech should aim to have some kind of impact on the audience! (It’s why we love speeches so much.)

In this module, you’ll learn the difference between informing and influencing, as well as how to write a speech that makes an impact on the audience.

Module 2: Planning your speech

Good speeches are strategic. The speaker knows exactly what they want to achieve and how the audience thinks and feels about their topic.

In this module, you’ll learn why you need to articulate your key message, how to understand your audience and what you need to know about the event and venue you’ll be speaking at.

Module 3: Finding the perfect research

Without research a speech is just statements.

In this module, you’ll learn about seven different types of research that you can use in your speech, including stories and statistics. You’ll also learn where to find different types of research and incorporate research strategically in your speech.

Module 4: Building Your Argument

Building your argument is the art of speech writing. It’s adding colour to your speech but not too much colour. It’s about choosing the right ingredients but making sure none of them are over-powering. It’s a fine balance. But if you get the colours right, if you get the ingredients right, if you get that balance right…What you will create is a compelling speech that makes a big impact on the audience.

In this module, we’ll look at what information you should include in your speech to nail the art of speech writing.

Module 5: Structure your speech to take the audience on a journey

We’re often told to think of speeches as having a beginning, middle and end. But what’s powerful is what you choose to do with the beginning, middle and end of your speech.

In this module, you’ll learn how to use the beginning of your speech to set up your argument. How to use the middle of your speech to state your argument. And how to use the end of your speech to outline your vision.

Module 6: Write an opening that hooks the audience

Your speech needs to hook the audience from the first few words.

In this module, we’ll look at why and how to start your speech with five different techniques, including starting with a story or starting by painting a picture of the industry or environment. 

Module 7: Write a killer conclusion

The conclusion of your speech is your final impression on the audience. The last opportunity to make an impact.

In this module, we’ll look at five closing techniques for your speech to help the audience imagine a better future and be motivated to make change.

Module 8: Supercharge your writing style

The biggest of all the modules, this module is dedicated to supercharging your writing style and taking your speeches to that next level.

In this module, you’ll learn why you need to become a better thinker to be a better writer, the importance of creating a writing routine and how to write powerful sentences, as well as eight writing techniques to help you write speeches that make you sound like the inspiring leader that you are.

Module 9: Strengthen your speech and polish your prose

Editing your speech is about much more than checking for missing words or spelling mistakes. If you want to really take your speech to that next level, you’ll have to review it and rewrite parts of it.

In this module, you’ll learn my 10-step checklist to help you edit your speech, strengthen your narrative and polish your prose.

Module 10: Tips to speak with passion and authority

No speech writing course is complete without a few speaking tips. If you want to have an impact on the audience, you’ll have to speak with passion and authority.

In this module, I’ll run you through four Ps of public speaking — presence, personality, pacing and projection — and give you tips to master each of them.

Nicole’s course teaches you an easy-to-follow, methodical approach to speechwriting that you can confidently apply over and over. Through her course, she teaches you all the key steps involved in writing an effective speech. Her course guides you all the way through your initial planning and research to structuring, editing and delivering a speech for maximum audience impact and influence. I strongly recommend it!

Don’t just write speeches that get the job done.

Sign up today and learn how to write great speeches that resonate with your audience or book in a discovery call to find out if this course is right for you. , why learn how to write speeches from me.

I wasn’t born a speechwriter. It’s a skill I had to learn. I read just about every book I could get my hands on. Textbooks about speechwriting, memoirs by speechwriters, books about how to become a better writer.

Then I landed my first gig as a speechwriter at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet — I was part of the team that wrote speeches for the Prime Minister. I was assigned a wonderful mentor and I squeezed every ounce of knowledge out of her. I asked her to tear my writing to shreds. Tell me, I begged her, how I can be a better speechwriter.

Since then, I’ve gone on to write speeches for two Australian Prime Ministers, other Government Ministers, high-profile Government leaders, CEOs and keynote speakers.

So, I know what it feels like to be you. Someone who wants to write speeches that make a big impact on the audience but don’t quite know how or where to start. In this course, I’ll share all my skills and expertise — my speechwriting tips and tricks — and guide you through the speechwriting process. I’ll help you write your speech with confidence and get your message heard.

Love it or Your Money Back

I’ve poured my heart and soul into this course. I’ve distilled all my speechwriting experience and expertise.

I’m confident it will genuinely help people write and deliver more powerful speeches.

But if this course isn’t for you, you have 28 days from the date of purchase to ask for your money back. No questions asked.

Have More Questions About the Course?

Hopefully i’ve answered them here, what is the speech writing system.

The Speech Writing System is an online speech writing course designed to teach people about the building blocks of great speechwriting and provide a process for people to follow when writing speeches. 

Who is this speech writing course for?

The Speech Writing System has been designed for people who write their own speeches (CEOs, senior executives, politicians, academics, leaders in their field and aspiring keynote speakers) and want to deliver speeches that make a big impact on the audience. It’s also the perfect course for new speechwriters or anyone else wanting to master the art and science of good speechwriting. 

Is this online speech writing course really worth the money?

Good question. There are so many online courses these days it’s hard to know the roses from the weeds. I promise, this speech writing course is a rose. This is the same course I would deliver in a face-to-face setting. I chose to make it an online course, available on demand, so people from all around the world could access it and do the course when they needed to. I really wanted to create a speech writing course that genuinely helps other people deliver more powerful, influential and impactful speeches. I believe this course delivers on that.

How do I access the speech writing course content?

The Speech Writing System is delivered through Kajabi, an online course platform. Once you have signed up, you will be sent course login details. The entire course is delivered online via Kajabi.  

Is there any face-to-face learning?

No. I decided to create this course as an on demand, online speech writing course so people could access it when they needed to. All content is delivered by video lessons.

When does my 12 months of access start?

Your 12 months of access to The Speech Writing System starts on your date of purchase.

Will I get a certificate at the end?

Yes. Once you’ve completed all 10 modules and watched the final video, you will be able to download your personalised certificate of completion. 

Can I share my log in details?

No. The course can only be accessed by the person who purchased it and created an account. If multiple people want to complete The Speech Writing System, then they should each individually purchase the course.

How long does it take to complete the speech writing course?

The Speech Writing System is delivered over 10 modules, with each module focusing on a different part of the speechwriting process. In total, there is just over 4.5 hours of video content, as well as exercises to complete.

I recommend completing the course over four sessions.

Session 1: Modules 1, 2 and 3.

Session 2: Modules 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Session 3: Module 8.

Session 4: Modules 9 and 10.

The time to complete each session varies. Most sessions will take you approximately 1.5 hours, except for session 4, which is shorter. 

If you have purchased the speechwriting course because you are writing a speech for an upcoming event, you may want to do a module then implement the learnings before moving on to the next module.

What is the refund policy?

If you sign up for this speech writing course but then decide it’s not right for you, you can access a refund within 28 days of the purchase date.

I really want people to enjoy this course and get a lot out of it. If it’s not the right speech writing course for you, that’s okay. You can contact me for a refund within 28 days of purchase, no questions asked. Refunds will not be given after 28 days of the purchase date. 

The Speech Writing System is a great course. I learnt a lot from it. With the skills from this course, I feel more confident that I can connect with different audiences and make the changes I want to see in the world.

Mental Health Services Advocate & Keynote Speaker

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XCOM-014 - Professional Speechwriting

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• Write speeches that inspire action;
• Write speeches that effectively convey ideas and emotions in a memorable way;
• More efficiently use the writer’s time and resources to produce speeches;
• Use a variety of speechwriting styles;
• Use a variety of techniques to enhance persuasion;
• Use a variety of techniques to motivate action;
• Review and revise speeches to improve their effectiveness and readability; and
• Write speeches that inspire or motivate action and agreement, and promote pride, loyalty, and a sense of belonging to a group.

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The Crackdown on Student Protesters

Columbia university is at the center of a growing showdown over the war in gaza and the limits of free speech..

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Featuring Nicholas Fandos

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Columbia University has become the epicenter of a growing showdown between student protesters, college administrators and Congress over the war in Gaza and the limits of free speech.

Nicholas Fandos, who covers New York politics and government for The Times, walks us through the intense week at the university. And Isabella Ramírez, the editor in chief of Columbia’s undergraduate newspaper, explains what it has all looked like to a student on campus.

On today’s episode

Nicholas Fandos , who covers New York politics and government for The New York Times

Isabella Ramírez , editor in chief of The Columbia Daily Spectator

Background reading

Inside the week that shook Columbia University .

The protests at the university continued after more than 100 arrests.

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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Research help by Susan Lee .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Nicholas Fandos is a Times reporter covering New York politics and government. More about Nicholas Fandos

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Live updates, columbia university faces calls for tuition refunds as school moves to hybrid classes for rest of term in wake of anti-israel protests.

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Columbia University has announced that classes at its main campus will be held remotely for the final weeks of the semester — as critics blasted the “weak” administration for allowing anti-Israel student protesters to shut down the college “in essence” and called on parents to seek tuition refunds.

“It’s vital that teaching and learning continue during this time. We recognize conditions vary across our campuses and thus are issuing the following guidelines,” provost Angela Olinto wrote in a Monday night notice to students and faculty as the anti-Israel encampment on campus neared the seven-day mark.

Classes on the university’s Morningside Heights campus will be hybrid — “technology permitting” — through the end of the spring 2024 semester on April 29, the letter said.

Faculty without the means to provide hybrid classes were urged to consider the fully remote option, and to “provide other accommodations liberally” in the final days of the semester.

“Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students’ learning and all the required academic operations,” Olinto wrote.

Those on campus, however, said the move was disappointing.

Junior Michael D’Agostino, 22, said 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. I went through COVID  and all that when we were online for about a year and it really disrupted our education,” he added.

“I really think it’s disheartening to see how our education is being punished as a result of this,” he said of the school’s response to the protests. “I think it’s really sad.”

Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer slammed the decision to move to hybrid classes for the end of the semester, writing that “’protesters’ have in essence shut down Columbia University.”

“It’s terrible how weak the school’s leaders – and especially its faculty – are,” Fleischer wrote on X . “The school should be fully open (no remote classes) and students who disrupt other students should be expelled.”

Follow The Post’s coverage of the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University:

• Pro-terror radical launched 2-hour anti-Israel tirade at Columbia University event weeks before protests exploded: ‘Nothing wrong with being a Hamas fighter’
• Anti-Israel protesters urge others to break into ‘platoons’ as Columbia University extends deadline for them to leave
• House Speaker Mike Johnson demands ‘very weak, inept’ Columbia prez Minouche Shafik resign ahead of campus visit
• Rep. Elise Stefanik demands federal funds for Columbia University be revoked in wake of anti-Israel protests

Meanwhile, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee slammed the university for allowing the anti-Israel protesters “to roam around spewing genocidal chants.”

“If a parent has a child at Columbia, they should demand a refund and then sue for breach of contract,” Huckabee wrote on X .

Classes at Barnard College, the historically women’s college affiliated with Columbia, are still in-person, the Columbia Daily Spectator noted .

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Columbia and Barnard held remote classes on Monday to “de-escalate the rancor” on campus, university president Manouche Shafik announced early that day .

“I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus. Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm,” Shafik wrote. 

Meanwhile, the college appeared to be beefing up security on its main campus.

One security guard said the university’s contractor, Apex Security Group Inc., was recruiting more workers for its 7 p.m.-to-7 a.m. shift at a rate of $240 a day.

“It’s my first day. We need it,” the worker told The Post.

Columbia became the nexus of pro-Palestinian efforts on campuses across the country last Wednesday, when a tent encampment emerged on one of the lawns in front of Butler Library.

Jewish students reported feeling unsafe due to the antisemitic language of some of the protesters and their supporters who gathered outside the campus gates.

“We’re all Hamas … Long live Hamas!” one off-campus agitator could be heard yelling in a video posted on X by the watchdog Stop Antisemitism .

On Thursday, Shafik took the extraordinary step of requesting the NYPD enter the campus and break up the protest, which resulted in the arrest of over 100 participants .

The move immediately drew backlash from the pro-Palestinian students’ supporters and faculty members — while others insisted that the university is still not doing enough to protect Jewish students from harassment and harm.

Antisemitism controversy at Columbia University: Key events

• Columbia University president Minouche Shafik  was accused of “gross negligence” while testifying before Congress. Shafik refused to say if the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is antisemitic.
• More than 100 Columbia professors signed a letter defending students who support the “military action” by Hamas.
• Antisemitic posters depicting Israel as a skunk appeared on campus — which experts liken to a propaganda poster used by the Nazis in World War II.
• Radical anti-Israel activists Charlotte Kates and Khaled Barakat told Columbia students a two-hour tirade , “There is nothing wrong with being a fighter in Hamas” in a seminar called “Resistance 101″ — weeks before the campus exploded in pro-Palestinian protests.
• Columbia students erected 60 tents on campus to demand that the university divest from Israel.
• More than 100 other protesters were arrested after Shafik announced the campus’s closure.
• Israel-born professor Shai Davidai was barred from campus after he attempted to lead a pro-Jewish rally.
• Every New York House GOP lawmaker demanded that Shafik resign immediately .
• Columbia University’s Jewish Alumni Association also called for Shafik’s resignation .

The arrests also sparked a series of similar encampments at other universities, including Yale and NYU.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stopped by the Morningside Heights campus, where on Monday she met with university officials and the NYPD about the public safety crisis.

“The recent harassment and rhetoric is vile and abhorrent. Every student deserves to be safe,” she shared on X .

Also on Monday, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced his bombshell decision to withhold donations from the school due to the recent unrest.

One of Kraft’s many past contributions to his alma mater was the Kraft Center for Jewish Life, home to Columbia and Barnard’s Hillel.

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Columbia to hold classes virtually as Jewish leaders warn about safety amid tensions over pro-Palestinian protests

A growing number of leaders and organizations have called on Columbia University and its president to protect students amid reports of antisemitic and offensive statements and actions on and near its campus, which has been the site this week of a pro-Palestinian encampment and protest .

The protest and encampment on campus have drawn attention to the right of free speech and the rights of students to feel safe from violence, with a campus rabbi recommending Jewish students return home for their own safety.

Early Monday, Columbia President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik said that classes would be held virtually Monday and that school leaders would be coming together to discuss a way to bring an end to “this crisis.”

For live coverage of the student protests, follow here.

In a statement to the university community, Shafik said she was “saddened” by the events on campus, and denounced antisemitic language, and intimidating and harassing behavior.

“The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas,” she said. “We need a reset.”

Shafik's announcement followed mounting calls for action.

In a letter shared on social media Sunday, Chabad at Columbia University said students have had offensive rhetoric hurled at them, including being told to “go back to Poland” and “stop killing children.” 

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement Sunday that protesters in and around Columbia cross the line if they say violence should befall Jewish students. 

“While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous — they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America,” he said. 

“Echoing the rhetoric of terrorist organizations, especially in the wake of the worst massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, is despicable,” Bates continued, referring to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, where 1,200 were killed.

Protesters have decried Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip , which has displaced over 75% of the estimated 2.3 million people in the enclave and killed over 34,000 people there, according to Gaza health officials. They have also called on Columbia to divest from companies connected to Israel.

One of the groups at the center of campus protests, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, released a statement Sunday night on X seeking to distance its participants from unlawful agitators and imagery that would cast the movement to end attacks on civilians in Gaza as one of violence.

The group called some of those getting attention for threats and aggression “inflammatory individuals who do not represent us” and said its members “have been misidentified by a politically motivated mob.”

“We firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry,” the statement said.

Safety concerns

In a letter to Jewish students earlier Sunday, Rabbi Elie Buechler, of the Columbia/Barnard Hillel and Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life, recommended they return home and stay there, saying it was clear the university and city police “cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy.” Buechler declined requests for an interview. 

The Columbia Jewish Alumni Association on Sunday sent a letter to Shafik noting the rabbi’s concerns and claiming that the environment on campus has been hostile for Jewish students, including those it said have been “openly threatened and harassed.”

Alleging lax enforcement, the group urged Columbia to “enforce the university rules with regard to protests and harassment and restore order and safety on campus.”

Nicholas Baum, a freshman at Columbia, said he’s weighing the rabbi's invitation to leave.

“I feel disturbed but I feel it is completely indicative of the horrible disturbances that Jews on campus have been feeling,” he said. “As a Jew, I no longer feel welcome on campus. I no longer feel safe on campus.”

At the same time, he joined a counterargument gaining volume: Staying put is a statement of strength. “It would only appease campus protesters who call supporters of Israel Zionists who are not welcome at Columbia,” Baum said.

Columbia senior Sonya Pozansky said protests on campus have been transformed from political statements to “incitement to violence and Jew hatred.”

Columbia/Barnard Hillel said in a post on X that it doesn’t believe Jewish students should have to leave, but that the university and city should do more to protect students.

In a letter Sunday night , it said Columbia “must put an end to the on-campus protests that violate the University’s events policies. Off-campus protests need to be moved if the protestors will not end their harassment of students.” 

Columbia on Sunday responded to concerns with a plan to beef up security. It includes hiring 111 additional security personnel; improved ID checks; extra security during Passover, which begins Monday; and heightened security around the perimeter of campus, the university’s office of the chief operating officer said in a letter to the campus community.

Columbia said through a spokesperson earlier Sunday that students have a right to protest “but they are not allowed to disrupt campus life or harass and intimidate fellow students and members of our community.”

“We are acting on concerns we are hearing from our Jewish students and are providing additional support and resources to ensure that our community remains safe,” the spokesperson said. 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a Columbia alum whose name is on the Jewish student center he helped to fund, said in a statement Monday that he no longer supports the university.

"I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken," Kraft posted to social media .

Arrests on campus

On Thursday, 113 people were arrested after Shafik sent a letter to New York police requesting its help to break up the encampment that had been set up on campus in support of Gaza. 

Shafik said in the letter to police that the group was violating university rules and that the encampment "and related disruptions pose a clear and present danger to the substantial functioning of the University." In a news conference about the arrests, police described those arrested as peaceful and said they offered no resistance. 

Columbia student Maryam Alwan, who helped organize the pro-Palestinian protest and was suspended and arrested, told MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin , “It feels like it’s part of a repressive campaign against pro-Palestine advocacy that has been going on for months now.” 

She added, “We are being criminalized on our own campus.”

Also arrested was Isra Hirsi, daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who said she was suspended from Barnard College. Hirsi said the encampment has been community-centered, with students taking meals and praying together.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who grilled Shafik at a congressional hearing last week over antisemitism on campus, said Sunday that Shafik's response to the rhetoric has been ineffective and called on her to resign.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has been unwaveringly pro-Israel, slammed the protests on Columbia’s campus and said he agreed with the White House, calling the protests “antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous.” He also called on Shafik to “do your job or resign.” 

Video shared on social media captured a protester Saturday holding a sign that said “Al-Qasam’s next targets,” referring to Hamas’ military wing. An arrow on the sign pointed up to counterprotesters waving Israeli flags. New York Mayor Eric Adams described the sign in a statement Sunday and said the display, which he characterized as antisemitic, had him “horrified and disgusted.” He also described chants of “We don’t want no Zionists here” as “hate speech.” 

Adams said police would enforce the law where it could, but in many cases law enforcement is limited because Columbia is on private property.

“Hate has no place in our city, and I have instructed the NYPD to investigate any violation of law that is reported,” Adams said in the statement. “Rest assured, the NYPD will not hesitate to arrest anyone who is found to be breaking the law.”

In a news conference Monday morning, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerber said “any sort of criminality is not going to be tolerated” and “that includes harassment, or threats or menacing or stalking or anything like that. That is not protected by the First Amendment.” 

But “absent some ongoing crime, we cannot just go on into Columbia as we see fit,” as Columbia University is private property, he said.

Gerber said there have been a “small number of instances with some protests on campus where there was a request for police presence” by the university.

Police went onto campus Thursday because the university contacted the NYPD and asked for assistance as students had trespassed, but when it comes to university rules, such as those about setting up tents on campus, “we are not the enforcers of those rules.”

The NYPD has received reports of instances such as flags’ being snatched away from Israeli students walking on campus and “hateful things” said to some Israeli students, but “we haven't received any reports of any physical harm against any student,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said.

Universities protest in solidarity

Columbia is one of a growing number of American universities to erupt in discord amid the Israel-Hamas war.

A protest encampment has cropped up at the New School in Manhattan in solidarity with pro-Palestinian voices at Columbia. The institution on Sunday called the encampment “unauthorized,” but said it was planning on meeting with students to “resolve the situation.”

Following a week of protests at Yale University, some of its students established a 24-tent encampment in New Haven, Connecticut, in solidarity with Columbia’s protesters over the weekend.

The Yale protesters want the private university to divest from criminal defense contractors as a way of reducing warfare against people in Gaza.

Boston-area institutions Tufts University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Emerson College hosted protest encampments over the weekend in solidarity with Columbia protesters, organizers said.

The University of Southern California in Los Angeles was criticized last week after it canceled the speech of a valedictorian whose social media account had a link to a document expressing support for Palestinians in Gaza. USC said it decided based on concerns over security and possible disruption .

George Solis is a national correspondent with NBC News.

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.