Cornell University faculty to begin debating no-confidence resolution

Cornell University’s faculty senate on Wednesday will begin deliberating a no-confidence resolution to condemn the school’s response to sexual violence on campus. 

One month after allegations of a “gang rape” at a campus fraternity shook the Ivy League school, the resolution, if adopted, could mark the clearest repudiation of Cornell’s leadership since the controversy began. 

“We’re saying we have no confidence in how the administration has handled this. It is a crisis. It’s a long-term systemic problem. Jane Doe’s case is significant, but it is not nearly the only case like this,” Iris Packman, a faculty senator, told News. 

Cornell University’s president and provost are scheduled to address the faculty senate and take questions before the debate begins, and the formal vote on the resolution is set to take place later this month. 

“What we are wanting is real effective leadership, not just reactive responses by the central administration,” said Professor Risa Lieberwitz, another member of the faculty senate. 

What does the resolution call for?

Cornell’s faculty senate is debating adopting a one-sentence resolution that reads, “The Faculty Senate has no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University.” 

“The key point to understand is that scores of students, staff, faculty and alumni have approached the sponsors of the resolution to emphasize to us that the Jane Doe case is but the tip of the iceberg,” Professor Paul Ortiz, the lead sponsor for the resolution, told News via email. 

According to Packman, approximately 150 faculty members have signaled their support for the resolution, and the measure was co-sponsored by a dozen members of the faculty senate. For the resolution to pass, the measure would need support from a majority of the faculty senate. 

Cornell’s faculty senate is a “governing body that supports faculty communication toward successful management of objectives for the University,” according to the school. Academic titleholders at Cornell — including professors, senior lecturers, librarians, archivists and others — are eligible to be senators, who serve three-year terms. 

The resolution itself does not call for specific action — such as demanding resignations or forcing policy changes — and instead offers a broad condemnation of the school’s response. 

“I think it’s important that we did not specifically call for [the] resignations of anybody. We are not saying XYZ administrators need to leave, but these ones are okay. We’re saying we don’t have confidence in the way that they are handling this, and we don’t have confidence that they are going to effectively address it going forward,” said Packman, one of the co-sponsors of the resolution.

What is scheduled to take place on Wednesday?

The bulk of Wednesday’s meeting is centered on remarks and presentations from Cornell’s leadership, according to the meeting agenda. 

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and Provost Kavita Bala are scheduled to deliver remarks and answer questions before members of the school’s Sexual Assault Task Force address the group. Cornell’s director of sexual harassment and assault response is also set to address the senators before taking questions. The final 30 minutes of the 90-minute meeting is scheduled to begin debate of the resolution. 

Cornell’s dean of faculty is also set to address the body to read an “expressive activity statement.” Past faculty senate meetings have not begun with that kind of statement, according to Professor Lieberwitz, and the purpose and content of those remarks are not clear. 

Cornell finalized its “expressive activity policy” last year in the aftermath of campus protests. It allows the school to restrict speech if it “disrupts essential operations necessary for the teaching, research, patient care, or residential campus missions of the university.”

“A zealous commitment to freedom of expression does not mean that anyone can say anything they like, whenever and however they like,” the policy says. 

Packman argued that the statement may have a “chilling effect on faculty speech” by discouraging some speakers, particularly senators who do not have the protections afforded by tenure. 

“If we’re having a statement read telling us what we can and can’t say and how we can and can’t say it before we even engage in that debate, that is a significant overstep and restriction on our speech,” she said. 

When is the vote scheduled to take place?

Deliberations over the resolution are set to take place on Wednesday, as well as a meeting on Oct. 28, according to the resolution. 

Voting on the resolution is scheduled to take place after the October 28 meeting and last for five days. The voting will take place online, according to organizers.

Will the meeting be recorded?

Cornell University is prohibiting photography or video recording of Wednesday’s meeting. Only individuals with Cornell ID will be allowed to enter the auditorium where the meeting will take place. 

According to organizers, a recording of the meeting will be released by Cornell later this week. 

What measures did Cornell announce on Tuesday?

Wednesday’s meeting comes on the heels of an announcement by President Kotlikoff about measures to “strengthen campus safety, better support survivors, and begin addressing the social context of sexual violence at Cornell.” 

Cornell suspended all social events and parties held by fraternities while the school conducts a “review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue.” 

The school also vowed to add more staff to its Office of Civil Rights — which conducts Title IX investigations — as well as report allegations of sexual assault to the New York State Police during the school’s review of its policies. 

“We are working with the New York State Police to allow their experienced, trauma-informed criminal investigators, who are independent of Cornell University, to investigate allegations of sexual assault on campus. These individuals will interview survivors who elect to pursue criminal charges and will prepare comprehensive investigative summaries for the appropriate law enforcement agency,” the statement said. 

Kotlikoff also vowed to implement changes proposed by Cornell’s Presidential Task Force on Sexual Assault, as well as “re-form and re-focus” that entity to examine “opportunities for safe and healthy social engagement and further ways to reduce risks.”