Cornell faculty approve no-confidence vote in leadership

The Cornell University Faculty Senate passed a resolution of no confidence in the university's top leadership on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. The measure, which concerns the administration's handling of sexual assault allegations, was approved by a vote of 75 to 50, with five abstentions and five senators not voting.

The vote follows weeks of debate regarding the university's response to a 2024 sexual assault allegation involving the Chi Phi fraternity. A former student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit against both the university and the fraternity, alleging that the institution failed to protect her and inadequately addressed the incident.

During recent Senate debates, President Michael Kotlikoff defended his leadership and acknowledged that he had not read the campus police report, citing university policy against interfering in active criminal investigations. He has pledged to make the university a leader in addressing sexual assault.

The resolution is a symbolic gesture and does not carry the authority to remove university officials, as that power is held exclusively by the Board of Trustees. Supporters of the motion stated they hope the vote will pressure the board to address institutional failures.

Faculty senator and co-sponsor Iris Packman stated that the vote serves to distance the faculty from the current leadership. In a joint statement, the resolution's sponsors said they intend to hold the administration accountable for addressing the root causes of campus sexual assault and the handling of Title IX procedures.

The university has hired former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent investigation into the handling of the 2024 assault report and general university procedures. Some faculty members had previously advocated for delaying the vote until the results of that investigation were released.