Martha E. Pollack announced on Thursday that she will step down as president of Cornell University effective June 30, 2024, capping a seven-year tenure marked by significant achievements but intense recent turmoil over the institution’s handling of campus tensions related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Provost Michael Kotlikoff will serve as interim president for two years while the university conducts a search for its 15th president, according to Kraig Kayser, chair of Cornell’s Board of Trustees.
In a message to the Cornell community, Ms. Pollack, 64, said her decision followed “extensive reflection” and came after a year of upheaval stemming from last fall’s Israel-Hamas war. She acknowledged the “enormous pain” felt by Jewish, Israeli, Arab, Palestinian and Muslim students amid the strife but insisted the university would work from a “solid foundation” in addressing bigotry and protecting free expression.
“We have been vigilant in working to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of our community from all backgrounds, work I’ve been dedicated to long before the events of the past year,” Ms. Pollack wrote.
The announcement followed escalating criticism from some students, faculty and alumni over the university’s response to campus unrest and allegations of antisemitism unleashed by the Mideast violence. In the aftermath, a pro-Palestinian coalition occupied buildings, held protests and erected an encampment to demand the university divest from weapons makers, push for a ceasefire in Gaza and address campus “Islamophobia.”
While condemning disruptive demonstrations and labeling some coalition language as antisemitic, the administration also arrested and suspended some protesters. Ms. Pollack’s impending departure comes amid broader upheaval at other elite universities over their handling of such issues.
In January, a former Cornell trustee published an open letter urging Ms. Pollack and Mr. Kotlikoff to resign over their “misguided” diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. But the board unanimously backed Ms. Pollack, conferring her the honorary title of president emerita effective next year.
“On a personal level, all my fellow trustees and I have enjoyed working with President Pollack and have valued her intelligence, integrity, candor and warmth,” Mr. Kayser said.
Muslim students, however, previously voiced concerns to the campus newspaper about the administration’s lack of response to online threats against them, including derogatory messages posted in late October that were not addressed in a university statement condemning antisemitic posts that day.
Beyond the tensions of the past year, Ms. Pollack, 64, highlighted accomplishments like creating a new public policy school, managing the university’s COVID-19 response and increasing financial aid. She said she had considered retiring last fall but postponed any announcement due to ongoing events.
“Indeed, I began deliberating about this last fall, and made the decision over the December break; but three times, as I was ready to act on it, I had to pause because of events on our and/or on other campuses,” she wrote.
The Cornell Daily Sun had scheduled an interview with Ms. Pollack and other administrators for Friday, an interview the university abruptly postponed until after August 1 shortly after the retirement news broke.
Cornell, the largest member of the Ivy League with roughly 15,000 students, joins a growing list of elite universities facing administration turmoil linked to concerns over campus climate and tolerance issues. Harvard’s president recently announced plans to step down amid similar criticisms there.
Martha E. Pollack announced on Thursday that she will retire as president of Cornell University effective June 30, 2024, capping a seven-year tenure marked by significant achievements but intense recent turmoil over the institution’s handling of campus tensions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Provost Michael Kotlikoff will serve as interim president for two years while the university conducts a search for its 15th president, according to Kraig Kayser, chair of Cornell’s Board of Trustees.
In a message to the Cornell community, Ms. Pollack, 64, said her decision followed “extensive reflection” and came after a year of upheaval stemming from last fall’s Israel-Hamas war. She acknowledged the “enormous pain” felt by Jewish, Israeli, Arab, Palestinian and Muslim students amid the strife but insisted the university would work from a “solid foundation” in addressing bigotry and protecting free expression.
“We have been vigilant in working to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of our community from all backgrounds, work I’ve been dedicated to long before the events of the past year,” Ms. Pollack wrote.
The announcement followed escalating criticism from some students, faculty and alumni over the university’s response to campus unrest and allegations of antisemitism unleashed by the Mideast violence. In the aftermath, a pro-Palestinian coalition occupied buildings, held protests and erected an encampment to demand the university divest from weapons makers, push for a ceasefire in Gaza and address campus Islamophobia.
While condemning disruptive demonstrations and labeling some coalition language as antisemitic, the administration also arrested and suspended some protesters. Ms. Pollack’s impending departure comes amid broader upheaval at other elite universities over their handling of such issues.
In January, a former Cornell trustee published an open letter urging Ms. Pollack and Mr. Kotlikoff to resign over their “misguided” diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. But the board unanimously backed Ms. Pollack, conferring her the honorary title of president emerita effective next year.
“On a personal level, all my fellow trustees and I have enjoyed working with President Pollack and have valued her intelligence, integrity, candor and warmth,” Mr. Kayser said.
Muslim students, however, previously voiced concerns to the campus newspaper about the administration’s lack of response to online threats against them, including derogatory messages posted in late October that were not addressed in a university statement condemning antisemitic posts that day.
Beyond the tensions of the past year, Ms. Pollack, 64, highlighted accomplishments like creating a new public policy school, managing the university’s COVID-19 response and increasing financial aid. She said she had considered retiring last fall but postponed any announcement due to ongoing events.
“Indeed, I began deliberating about this last fall, and made the decision over the December break; but three times, as I was ready to act on it, I had to pause because of events on our and/or on other campuses,” she wrote.
The Cornell Daily Sun had scheduled an interview with Ms. Pollack and other administrators for Friday, an interview the university abruptly postponed until after August 1 shortly after the retirement news broke.
Cornell, the largest member of the Ivy League with roughly 15,000 students, joins a growing list of elite universities facing administration turmoil linked to concerns over campus climate and tolerance issues. Harvard’s president recently announced plans to step down amid similar criticisms there.