In a surprising turn of events, the University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Scott L. Bok, chairman of the board of trustees, have “voluntarily” resigned following increased pressure from donors and the White House. Bok made the announcement of their resignations in a “University Notification” sent to staffers. Bok expressed gratitude for Magill’s service and mentioned that she will remain a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law.
Bok’s separate resignation statement, obtained by the Daily Pennsylvanian, revealed that external attacks influenced Magill’s departure and that she was not herself during her Tuesday appearance before the House Education Committee. This appearance, where she faced questioning from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) regarding the college’s code of conduct on issues like the genocide of Jews, triggered outrage among donors and others.
Magill’s resignation occurred four days after the contentious committee hearing. A source close to the situation disclosed that 27 Penn trustees met for two hours without Magill’s or Bok’s knowledge, recommending Magill’s resignation. Bok then announced his resignation during a call with trustees, surprising Vice Chairman Julie Platt.
Julie Platt will serve as acting chair, and the executive committee is expected to present a “plan forward” on Sunday. Larry Jameson, dean of Penn’s medical school, is being considered for an interim president position.
Reacting to the news of Magill’s resignation, Rep. Stefanik posted on social media, “One down. Two to go.” She vowed to initiate a comprehensive Congressional investigation into the universities’ handling of antisemitism, emphasizing the need to address the issue across various facets of institutional administration, faculty, funding, leadership, and governance.