Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina will leave his position on Jan. 5 to join the corporate advisory firm Brunswick Group in Washington, D.C.
The move comes after a semester of controversy over statements on free speech that Malina made during a private Sept. 30 Zoom meeting with Jewish parents, which led to Black Students United demanding his firing and the Faculty Senate discussing whether to condemn him for violating faculty members’ academic freedom.
Malina did not respond to a request for comment on whether his decision to depart was influenced by public pressure.
Malina has served as vice president for University relations for 11 years, helping shape Cornell’s public image, overseeing Cornell’s Media Relations Office, coordinating internal communication between Cornell’s colleges and building relationships with local, state and federal politicians.
This semester, Malina has faced backlash after telling Jewish parents in the Zoom meeting that the University would allow a Ku Klux Klan representative on campus if invited by a faculty member or student group. Malina’s remarks on the KKK were broadly condemned by student groups across campus, including BSU, which rallied outside Day Hall in October and called on the University to fire him.
In response to the pushback, Malina expanded on his statement in an Oct. 8 letter to The Sun in which he condemned the KKK, though he did not go as far as to say that the hate group would not be allowed on campus.
Malina also drew the ire of professors in the Faculty Senate, where a resolution was introduced calling for Malina to be condemned for violating faculty members’ academic freedom. The accusations of breaching academic freedom stemmed from comments Malina made during the Zoom meeting with Jewish parents, where he said that faculty members’ “in-class activities will be scrutinized.”
Malina later clarified his remarks in a letter to The Sun, stating that he intended to reference a University policy statement. The Faculty Senate’s proposed resolution specifically asked for Malina to issue a public apology and for a commitment from the Cornell administration to uphold academic freedom without surveillance of faculty speech.
Malina has advised the administration through two unexpected changes in leadership: former president Martha Pollack’s resignation and former president Elizabeth Garrett’s 2016 death. He also helped the University’s internal and external communication become more coordinated while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. In more recent years, he has led negotiations to reach partnership agreements with the City of Ithaca, the town of Ithaca and Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit.
“I have cherished my time at Cornell and will leave with enormous pride in the institution (Go Big Red!) and wonderful memories of our years in Ithaca,” Malina wrote in a Thursday post on LinkedIn.
Prior to working at Cornell, Malina worked as chief executive officer and general manager for the now-closed lobbying firm Wexler and Walker Public Policy Associates.
Malina will join the global strategic advisory firm Brunswick Group on Feb. 3 as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office. Brunswick Group describes itself as an international critical issues advising firm. The organization helps companies navigate financial problems, societal challenges such as climate change and engagement with government stakeholders.
Monica Yant Kinney, the current associate vice president for communications, will serve as interim vice president for university relations starting on Jan. 6.