Staff Reports
The president of the University of Pennsylvania, who has been embroiled in a contentious week that may conceivably set in motion a sequence of consequential occurrences against him, has tendered his resignation. Scott Bok, chairperson of the Penn Board of Trustees, informed the "Penn community" on Saturday that Liz Magill had "voluntarily tendered her resignation." While vacating her presidency, Magill will maintain her position as a tenured faculty member at Penn's Carey Law School.
One Down: University of Pennsylvania President Resigns from Her Post as Pressure Grows https://t.co/ZeR3gwxwYD pic.twitter.com/QcQFTIu6bS
— Gaby (@gabymixH) December 10, 2023
"I have had the privilege of serving as President of this extraordinary institution," Magill said in a statement that was appended to the letter. "Advancing Penn's vital missions in collaboration with our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members has been an honor." In all sincerity.
CNN has reported that Magill will assume the role of interim president until a definitive successor is chosen. Magill submitted her resignation one year after assuming the presidency in the wake of a disastrous five-hour congressional hearing that took place on Tuesday. Throughout the hearing, Magill and her colleagues from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were questioned by members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding the rise in anti-Semitic sentiments on their respective campuses.
Magill elicited particular indignation from New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik during a conversation in which Stefanik asked her a direct yes-or-no question. "Ms. Magill, does advocating for the extermination of Jews contravene the regulations or ethical standards of Penn?" Stefanik made an inquiry. In lieu of providing a direct reply, Magill stated, "Should the discourse manifest into action, it could potentially amount to harassment." Undoubtedly, that constitutes an indirect strategy to elude the investigation.
In light of Stefanik's demand for clarification regarding her stance, Magill ultimately described the Penn president's reply as "context-dependent." This response was not well received by a significant portion of the audience, resulting in widespread criticism and calls for Magill's removal from office. Magill appeared to have succumbed to the pressure, as she issued a brief apology through social media. The damage had been done, nonetheless. Magill's handling of the congressional hearing appeared to be the pivotal moment in her tumultuous presidency.
