Cornell Faculty Set Nov. 6 Date for No-Confidence Vote on Administration

Cornell University faculty rejected a motion to pause a no-confidence vote against the school's leadership on Wednesday. The decision follows a dispute over how the university handled a 2024 report of a gang rape at a fraternity house. An electronic vote on the resolution will conclude on Nov. 6.

The debate took place during a closed Faculty Senate meeting. A recording obtained by The Associated Press revealed that professors argued over whether they had enough information to judge the administration. Some urged patience, while others said the institution's failures required immediate action. After an hour of discussion, members voted down the attempt to delay the process until an independent investigation is finished.

The resolution was introduced on Oct. 14. At that meeting, angry faculty members confronted President Michael Kotlikoff about the university's response to the allegations. Kotlikoff acknowledged some missteps but defended his leadership. He asked for more time to reform student social life, according to the same recording.

The vote is largely symbolic but could signal to university trustees who hold the power to appoint leadership. Faculty members described personal fears of retaliation during the Wednesday meeting. Some shared experiences of harassment and expressed nervousness about speaking publicly.

Anne Marie Brady, a Faculty Senate member and co-sponsor of the resolution, said she left the meeting encouraged. She noted the breadth of faculty who spoke up. Brady, who is not on the tenure track, stated that contingent faculty risk professional consequences by criticizing the administration. She said, “The more people who speak out, the more we protect each other.”

Economics professor Seth Sanders argued for postponing the vote. He said about 80% of faculty in his department opposed the resolution for now. Sanders said they should wait for the independent investigation. He stated, “I don't think setting it up as having confidence in the administration or supporting the administration is right. I think it's legitimate to think that you don't know whether to have confidence because you don't know what happened or why in the Jane Doe case.”

Mathematics associate professor Inna Zakharevich also supported a delay. She argued that a declaration of no confidence must be an indictment. She said, “It needs to be airtight to read as an indictment, with clear points about what the administration did wrong and what we would have liked them to do right. But we don't have that information right now.”

Jennifer Colt, a Faculty Senator for the university library, countered that delaying the vote made the Senate bystanders. She said, “It asks us to stand by and do nothing.” Noah Tamarkin, an anthropology professor and co-sponsor, said the resolution aims to pressure leaders to change how sexual assault is addressed. It seeks to give faculty and students a greater role in decision-making.

On Tuesday, 20 female science and engineering faculty members sent a letter to Cornell trustees. They called on Kotlikoff to resign. The letter stated, “What our community needed was clear leadership; instead, it faced a leadership vacuum.” Materials science professor Lara Estroff, a signatory, said she opposed delaying the vote. However, she criticized the resolution's vague language and preferred the explicit call for the president's resignation.

A woman identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit last month. She alleged that seven Chi Phi fraternity members sexually assaulted or exploited her in October 2024. The lawsuit claims Cornell mishandled her complaints. All seven men have denied the allegations. Cornell police's criminal investigation stalled after the district attorney declined to pursue charges. Kotlikoff told The New York Times that he never followed up to learn the outcome of the investigation.