Interim Provost John Siliciano ’75 was booed by over 30 faculty members after he responded dismissively to speakers’ concerns regarding the University’s use of temporary suspensions during a Wednesday Faculty Senate meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, Siliciano was given 10 minutes to discuss the use of academic and non-academic suspensions at Cornell. He discussed how temporary suspensions allow the University to respond quickly to potential disciplinary infractions without sifting through “thick” policy, but acknowledged that these measures can be “inherently speculative” and “restrictive” before adjudication.
Siliciano said that a temporary suspension should be issued only with credible evidence and when a student presents a significant potential of harm to the University.
Following his initial statement, a series of faculty members spoke out against the University’s use of such suspensions, which Prof. David Bateman, government, deemed “highly questionable.”
After four members had been given the floor to critique the policy, Siliciano responded, putting his hands in the air in a fruitless attempt to calm the crowd, and saying of faculty responses, “I realize this is, in some sense, theater.”
Instantly, the room erupted with a chorus of boos and scattered jeering, including a faculty member yelling, “Shame on you!” and another inquiring, “Why are you being so flipping dismissive of these legitimate concerns?”
Following the immediate backlash, six minutes were added for continued discussion, and a queue of speakers had to be sent back to their seats so that the meeting was not excessively long. Faculty concerns surrounded the “thin” process that justifies temporary suspensions, as well as the liberality with which the University has given out suspensions over the past year.
While Siliciano never mentioned any specific cases in his statements, the suspension of Ph.D. student Momodou Taal was continually referenced in faculty responses. Taal is an international student facing deportation after he was suspended for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest that shut down a Sept. 18 career fair featuring defense contractors L3Harris and Boeing.
Both Prof. David Bateman, government, and Prof. Tracy McNulty, comparative literature, criticized the administration’s characterization of Taal as a violent, repeat offender, because he has never been charged with violence, and of his three formal code violations, none have yet been investigated or adjudicated.
Later in the meeting, Prof. Beth Milles, performing and media arts, stood in front of the Faculty Senate to say that “theater is not a folly and should not be made fun of,” condemning Siliciano’s earlier statement.
Siliciano then responded, “I do apologize for my remarks. It was a stupid statement. That’s all I can say about that — it was a stupid statement, and I regret it.”
The Faculty Senate also introduced a resolution to condemn Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina for his “violations of academic freedom,” based on statements he made during a Sept. 30 meeting with Jewish parents. At that meeting, Malina said that faculty members’ “in-class activities will be scrutinized.” He later clarified his remarks, stating that he intended to reference a University policy statement.
Kate Turk '27 is a Sun Contributor and can be reached at kat229@cornell.edu.
