Barnard president loses vote of no confidence as criticism mounts over protest response

The president of Barnard College lost a faculty-wide vote of no confidence on Tuesday, as criticism mounts over the school’s response to a pro-Palestine encampment that has sparked a national movement and beckoned the political spotlight.

About 77 percent of participating Barnard faculty voted in no confidence on Tuesday against President Laura Rosenbury, the college confirmed to The Hill. The Columbia Spectator reported that it is the first no confidence vote against a president in the college’s history.

The move comes a week after the Barnard chapter of the American Association for University Professors (AAUP) unanimously recommended the vote, citing the college’s decision to suspend its students involved in Columbia’s Gaza solidarity encampment.

More than 50 students were suspended, among them the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who complained of poor and unfair treatment by college leadership.

“I don’t know when I can go home, and I don’t know if I ever will be able to,” Isra Hirsi told Teen Vogue last week, saying she had effectively been made homeless. “I haven’t formally been evicted. I haven’t been sent a ‘move out’ email, but they’ve just said that I can’t get in, whatever that means.” 

“I have like four shirts, two pairs of pants. Only Barnard students are evicted, and I think it’s pretty crazy,” she continued.

The AAUP recommendation was based on five claims, including a lack of care for students; poor governance with faculty; violations of academic freedom and the freedom of expression; “administrative chaos at every level of the college”; and a disregard for Barnard culture.

The college did not address the claims against Rosenbury in a statement to The Hill.

“The Barnard College administration is aware of the recent faculty vote. We share their commitment to free speech and academic freedom, and to ensuring that students and faculty can engage in political expression within established rules and with respect for the safety of all,” a college spokesperson wrote.

“We are grateful to our faculty for providing such care and support for students all year, especially over the last few challenging weeks,” they continued. “The administration looks forward to engaging with faculty members as we continue working to ensure that Barnard remains a safe and inclusive community for all.”

The no-confidence vote does not remove Rosenbury from the role, though it adds additional challenges to a university administration already under political pressure amid the protests. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called on Columbia University President Minouche Shafik to resign if protests cannot be quickly quelled.

Columbia protesters moved to occupy a university building early Tuesday, causing school leadership to consider expulsions and legal action against the demonstrators.

Hundreds of students have been arrested nationwide in similar protests against the Biden administration’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. The protesters have also generally demanded that their schools divest from Israeli interests and the defense industry.

This story was updated at 11:20 p.m.