Brandeis University faculty narrowly voted for a motion of no confidence in President Ronald Liebowitz, citing his “excessive” response to campus protesters.
Brandeis University Faculty Assembly Chair Jeffrey Renowitz told faculty in an email on Monday that the motion passed with 159 votes in favor, 149 against, and 26 abstentions. Renowitz said the vote represented 76.4 percent of the faculty.
“There were 10 more yes votes than no votes,” Renowitz wrote in Brandeis University's student newspaper.justice“This highlights what has become clear in our conversations and discussions across multiple faculty groups: While the faculty is united in its care for Brandeis and its strong desire for the university to thrive, it is divided on this motion.”
A faculty “no confidence” vote could lead to President Ronald Liebowitz's resignation. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The vote will now go to the board, which will decide whether to remove Liebowitz and who to replace him.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Brandeis University for comment.
This motion is First introduced The faculty meeting was held May 30 ahead of the 2024-2025 academic year to discuss concerns about “inadequate budgeting, fundraising failures” under Liebowitz's leadership and what faculty called an “overreaction to student protests.”
Brandeis was one of several college campuses rocked by anti-Israel protests over Hamas terror attacks on Israel last year. After the protests spread nationwide, Brandeis chose to no longer admit Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which, under Liebowitz's leadership, supports the elimination of Hamas and Israel.
About a month after the October 7 terrorist attacks, Liebowitz The Boston Globe He said that if student groups call for violence “they should be stripped of all privileges.”
Brandeis University has revoked the membership of Students for Justice in Palestine for supporting Hamas. (Getty Images)
“Most urgently, at this dim moment when students and faculty seem to enjoy the freedom to express grotesque terms about Jewish people, Jewish life, and the Jewish state, Brandeis University supports free speech properly understood. The University cannot stop hate speech, but it can stop paying for it. Brandeis will ensure that groups that enjoy privileges through their affiliation with the University, including the use of the University's name, lose those affiliations and privileges when they spew hate,” Liebowitz wrote.
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“In contrast to the prevalence of BDS activism on college campuses, Brandeis will pursue closer ties with Israeli academic and cultural institutions and encourage more universities to follow suit,” he added.
Brandeis University was one of the first universities to crack down on campus protests in 2023. (Shmuel Tarar/Santa Cruz Sentinel via The Associated Press)
Although a majority of faculty appear to be unhappy with Liebowitz's approach, Brandeis was one of only two schools to receive an A rating for addressing anti-Semitism and promoting a safe environment for Jewish students, according to a study by the Anti-Defamation League. Campus Anti-Semitism Report Card It was published in April.
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Fox News' Megan Myers contributed to this report.
