On Monday, Sept. 23 at 8:51 a.m., faculty members received an email from Chair of the Brandeis Faculty Senate Prof. Jeffrey Lenowitz (POL) regarding the results of the vote of the motion of no confidence in Brandeis University President Ronald Liebowitz. This email stated “The motion has passed, with 159 votes in favor, 149 votes in opposition, and 26 abstensions.”

The email went on to explain that 76.4% of all eligible faculty members participated in this vote, and clarified that the abstention votes do not count, as the faculty senate follows the rules stated in the 1876 publication, Robert’s Rules of Order.

The concluding sentence of the email from Lenowitz stated “we will discuss next steps and the implications of these results at our next faculty meeting,” but the results of this vote have already begun. The main purpose of this motion was to take this vote to the Board of Trustees, as they have “the final authority on all aspects of the university’s operations.” The board would be the ones responsible for the search for a new president, in addition to being able to remove the current one. The board is meeting on Sept. 23 and 24, and this is one of their pre-scheduled meetings for the academic year.

In a Sept. 23 email correspondence with The Justice, Lenowitz stated "The motion of no confidence passed by ten votes. This reveals what our multiple faculty conversations and debates on it made clear: while faculty are united in their care for Brandeis and their great desire for it to flourish, they are closely divided on this motion.” This has been an exciting start of this new position for Lenowitz, as the role of the chair of the faculty senate is a new one for him, as he steps into this position at the start of this academic year. When discussing the potential for the rest of the year, he told The Justice, “I am excited that so many of our faculty, on both sides of the motion, have demonstrated their dedication to helping this place succeed. I look forward to representing them as we work towards that shared goal.”

Monday morning, 159 faculty members celebrated as they opened their emails. The ongoing conversation since the special faculty meeting on May 30 has been at least partially resolved. In an email correspondence with The Justice on Sept. 23, Prof. Sarah Mayorga (SOC) expressed her excitement regarding this outcome by stating “at its core, this motion was one of care for our university community and its future, and I am so pleased that it passed. I know that the Board of Trustees takes seriously their fiduciary responsibility to Brandeis, and I hope that they see what we see — that new leadership is desperately needed at Brandeis to effectively work with faculty, staff and students and navigate our current challenges.” 

Another main supporter for this motion is Prof. John Plotz (ENG), who spoke with The Justice via email on Sept. 23. He began his email with the statement “the faculty care deeply about the university’s future health, and with this vote we are asking the Board of Trustees to respond to eight years of Presidential failures that have imperiled our Research-One status and damaged our national standing.” Plotz then went on to share his thoughts regarding the specific need to vote, explaining “…over the last eight years President Liebowitz shut down the normal channels of communication that allow staff, students and faculty to air their views and contribute their expertise where needed. Brandeis has a long proud history as a cosmopolitan and nonsectarian university, but the current President’s narrow conception of our identity has weakened our core pedagogical and scholarly mission.” Plotz also touched on the mass layoffs that have taken place this summer, as well as the rally that took place Nov. 10, 2023, stating “Staff have suffered layoffs caused by [Liebowitz’s] fiscal mismanagement and the students’ right to assemble peaceably and air their grievances has not been respected. I think that my colleagues look forward to the Board charting a new course for the University that many of us have devoted our entire careers to serving.”

While many are happy about the passing of this motion, 149 staff members voted against it. Prof. Avital Rodal (BIO) was the only speaker who spoke against the motion twice at the Sept. 13 faculty meeting, expressing concerns regarding what could be lost if the motion was passed and expressing that Liebowitz was being blamed for more than he was responsible for. In an email to The Justice on Sept. 23, Rodal expressed her thoughts regarding the potential effects of this vote, “I don’t think the results of this extremely close vote will change any minds, or that they send a strong message to the Board of Trustees or our alumni.” She went on to elaborate that the vote reflects what was already known – "that there are worries and divisions among the faculty over how we should be rethinking our programs to align better with our resources and long-term goals, and whether faculty have sufficient influence on these decisions. I hope we can move on from here with a strong commitment from the Board and President to our future as a liberal arts university, and a collaborative process for how we achieve that mission.”

The sentiment of the vote not changing any minds was mirrored by many members of the Brandeis community. I n an email correspondence with The Justice on Sept. 23, Prof. Jonathan Sarna (NEJS) stated “I doubt that this close vote will change any minds. It is sad that the faculty is almost evenly divided. The trustees will doubtless weigh in, and will likely affirm their confidence in the president.” A similar idea was echoed in a statement from the University’s Assistant Vice President of Communications, Julie Jette. When asked for comment by The Justice, Jette stated “As it is within faculty purview, including at Brandeis, such symbolic and non-binding votes have become more common at colleges and universities over the past decade.”

While the faculty have made their stance on the matter clear through this vote, it is now up to the Board of Trustees to make the decision for the University. Is Liebowitz the future of Brandeis, or is there another direction to come?