ITHACA, NY—In a series of recent New York Times interviews, Board of Trustees Meetings, and Faculty Senate Meetings, President Kotlikoff repeatedly warned that replacing a President would be detrimental to Cornell’s reputation, a conclusion that has raised questions on whether the President has a stake in the matter.
When asked whether the university’s reputation might also suffer from retaining a president whose handling of the case has prompted calls for his resignation, Kotlikoff reiterated that replacing the president would be even riskier.“If this university feels that they will solve this problem by replacing a president, that itself is not good for this university’s president.”
“I think we need to be careful about allowing people with a personal stake in this matter to influence our decisions,” Kotlikoff added, referring to students, faculty, and alumni who have called for his removal. Concerns that he, too, might have a personal stake, were left unanswered.
The president also warned that removing university leadership in response to public criticism could undermine institutional stability byestablishing a precedent in which administrators might be held accountable for their decisions. Such a precedent, Kotlikoff explained, could make it difficult for university presidents to earn their million dollar salaries.
At press time, Kotlikoff had yet to identify a circumstance under which his departure might be preferable to his continued employment, saying that “there is no scenario where I would prefer to be unemployed.”
“Ultimately, this is not about me,” concluded the University’s primary figurehead.
Photo Credit: Stephan Menasche, Cornell Daily Sun
