Recently, a significant development has emerged at Barnard College, where approximately 77% of the faculty members who participated in a vote have expressed no confidence in the leadership of the school's president, Laura Ann Rosenbury. This revelation came to light through a statement released by the Barnard College chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
The memorandum detailing the no-confidence vote on Rosenbury highlighted four primary concerns: disregard for student wellbeing, disregard for academic freedom, administrative dysfunction, and violations of shared governance. These issues have evidently led a substantial portion of the faculty to question the current leadership.
It is worth noting that Barnard College operates as both an independently incorporated educational institution and an official college of Columbia University, as outlined on the school's website. The faculty's dissatisfaction with President Rosenbury's leadership was made clear in the memorandum, stating that she is not the suitable leader for the institution, especially during these challenging times.
Out of the 409 eligible faculty members, 228 voted in favor of the no-confidence motion, while 56 members opposed it, and 12 members chose to abstain from voting, according to information shared by the faculty group via email.
In response to the vote, Barnard College issued a statement acknowledging the faculty's concerns and emphasizing their commitment to upholding principles of free speech and academic freedom within the institution.
