New York City has received authorization from Columbia University to send the NYPD onto campus, a senior city official told ABC News.

-ABC News' Aaron Katersky

University of Southern California President Carol Folt released a statement Tuesday after being alerted to an alleged swastika drawn on the USC campus.

"I've just been made aware of a swastika drawn on our campus," Folt said in an update on X Tuesday afternoon.

"I condemn any antisemitic symbols or any form of hate speech against anyone. Clearly it was drawn there to incite even more anger at a time that is so painful for our community," Folt continued.

Folt said the university is investigating and that the swastika has been removed.

Columbia University students were told to shelter in place Tuesday evening due to "heightened activity" on the Morningside campus.

"Shelter in place for your safety due to heightened activity on the Morningside campus," the university’s emergency management operations team said in an alert Tuesday.

Officials warned that "Non-compliance may result in disciplinary action" and that students should "avoid the area until further notice."

The City College of New York said it will hold classes remotely starting on Wednesday until further notice due to "current encampment activities" on the Manhattan campus.

Campus buildings will be closed except to essential personnel, the university said.

The announcement comes nearly a week after the university, which is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, said a group of demonstrators calling themselves the "CUNY Gaza Solidarity Encampment" set up a tent encampment on the campus' quad.

"The demonstrators appear to be made up of students, faculty and staff from City College and across the CUNY system and a sizable contingent that is not affiliated with any CUNY campus," City College President Vince Boudreau said in a letter to the community earlier this week, noting that school leaders had begun discussions with representatives from the group.

"We are working to minimize risks to people within the encampment and to protect all members of our campus community, while also minimizing the encampment's impact on campus operations," Boudreau said.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block announced Sunday that the university is taking several immediate steps to increase campus safety following protests that prompted the closure of the school last week.

Block said the newly created Office of Campus Safety will oversee the management of the UCLA Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management. The administrative vice chancellor was previously in charge of the agencies.

Rick Braziel, the former Sacramento chief of police, will head the new Office of Campus Safety, Block said. Braziel will report directly to Block.

Additionally, Block said he has created a formal advisory group of safety experts who will partner with Braziel, including U.C. Davis Police Chief Joh Farrow; Vickie Mays, professor of psychology and health policy and management at UCLA, and Jody Stiger, the U.C. Office of the President systemwide director of community safety.

"In the past week, our campus has been shaken by events that have disturbed this sense of safety and strained trust within our community," Block said in a statement Sunday. "In light of this, both UCLA and the UC Office of the President have committed to a thorough investigation of our security processes. But one thing is already clear: To best protect our community moving forward, urgent changes are needed in how we administer safety operations."

-ABC News' Izzy Alvarez