Cornell faculty declares 'no confidence' in university leadership

Cornell University's Faculty Senate approved a resolution on Friday declaring "no confidence" in the administration's ability to handle what it has called a sexual assault crisis on campus.

The resolution passed 75-50, with five faculty senators abstaining and five others not voting, according to an email sent to Faculty Senate members on Friday afternoon.

What's behind the resolution?

The vote followed weeks of debate among professors over whether Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and other administrators have done enough to curtail sexual misconduct at the prestigious university.

The university leadership has faced intense criticism since mid-September when a former student, identified only by the pseudonym Jane Doe in court documents, filed a lawsuit against the university and seven former members of the Chi Phi fraternity, saying she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house in October 2024.

All seven men mentioned in the lawsuit have denied her allegations, saying the sex was consensual or that they weren't involved.

After learning about the case, Cornell closed the fraternity chapter and disciplined several students, without any criminal charges being filed.

The allegations were initially investigated by the campus police, which then passed its initial findings to the Tompkins County district attorney, who did not prosecute — a decision that was later met with widespread criticism.

The investigation has since been reopened and handed to New York's attorney general.

What did the board chair say about the faculty vote?

Some faculty members have criticized University President Kotlikoff for not acting more forcefully to strengthen the school's disciplinary process, push for criminal investigations and change campus party culture.

The faculty body has no power over the university's top leaders but the resolution's backers had said they hoped it would pressure Cornell's trustees to address longstanding institutional failures they identified.

After the faculty vote, Cornell Board Chair Anne Smalling said it "reflects the deep anger across our campus and sends a clear signal that what happened to Jane Doe is unacceptable."

But she also expressed the board of trustees' support for President Kotlikoff and the administration.

"We support President Kotlikoff's commitment to taking all necessary steps to ensure students are safe on campus and working together as a community to help prevent this from happening again."

Resolution 'only the beginning'

Kotlikoff ​has yet to respond to the outcome of the faculty vote.

Under university procedures, the president has 30 days to respond in writing, a university spokesperson said.

Kotlikoff said the day before voting began on October 29 that faculty discussion and debate were "an important component of ⁠Cornell's ​shared governance."

He also pointed out that the university had taken measures including adding staff to its civil ​rights office, expanding sexual assault prevention education, and hiring staff focused on victim advocacy.

Iris Packman, a co-sponsor of the no-confidence resolution, told the Associated Press on Friday that the vote was "only the beginning" and that faculty would push for sweeping reforms.

Yasmeen Masoud, a Cornell junior who spoke Friday at a news conference organized by the resolution's sponsors, called the vote encouraging for students frustrated with the university's response.

"We should not have to beg for answers, demand basic transparency or generate media attention just to get our concerns acknowledged," she said. "It reminds us that there are people across this university who care deeply about its future and are willing to stand together to demand a better Cornell."