In a statement, Board of Trustees Chair Anne Meinig Smalling reiterated the board’s support for Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff.
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The Cornell University Faculty Senate approved a resolution of no confidence in the administration Friday, about a month after a former student’s allegation of violent rape raised concerns about how officials handle sexual assault complaints.
Just over half—55.6 percent—of the 135 faculty senators voted in favor of the resolution. Another 37 percent voted against it and 7.4 percent abstained, according to a news release.
Faculty have debated the vote for weeks; those in favor have argued that Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff was too slow to respond to the former student’s allegation and that the university must broadly do better in its response to campus sexual assault.
“Instead of taking some kind of systemic approach as leaders, the Cornell central administration has had a reactive and piecemeal approach, which has eroded the trust of students, faculty and staff,” Risa Lieberwitz, a faculty co-sponsor of the resolution, told The New York Times. “They don’t seem to have the desire, either, to really lead systemic change.”
In a statement, Board of Trustees Chair Anne Meinig Smalling reiterated the board’s support for Kotlikoff, writing that trustees remain “confident that President Kotlikoff and his administration are the right leaders to thoughtfully and comprehensively address the serious problem of sexual assault on our campus.”
“This confidence is rooted not only in the administration’s actions to date and plans moving forward but also in its track record of navigating complex problems, as it did in restoring federal funding, preserving free speech, and leading the University through Covid,” Meinig Smalling wrote. “President Kotlikoff and his team have a plan that is focused on strengthening student safety, improving support for survivors, and addressing aspects of our campus culture that must change. They have already taken several important steps to this end, including adding staff to the Cornell Office of Civil Rights, expanding in-person sexual assault prevention education, and hiring more victim advocates. The administration will continue to build on that progress with more initiatives to be launched in the weeks and months ahead.”
